Marc Bowers

Project Tuff Enuff continues this month with several upgrades to make the Jeep work better and increase reliability. I wanted to move the altitude of the Jeep up a couple of inches as well as compensate for a sag in the front created by the Superwinch and mount setup. Increased load capacity was also needed in the rear for when I go camping- wheeling with lots of gear on board.

After adding the lift and the bigger tires the brakes on a Cherokee can be a bit on the weak side. For some additional stopping power and control I installed a Brake Guard unit from Brake Guard products in Spokane Washington.

I am a 25 year old college student who returned to school after working in the automotive field for over 8 years. I worked a total of 6 years as a tech at an independent repair shop and 2 years as a tech at Town & Country Jeep/Eagle/Chrysler/Plymouth in Seattle Wa. where I make my home. I am both A.S.E Certified and Chrysler Certified.

Making a 4 cylinder Jeep work for you is a possibility. These little motors are reliable and decent on fuel. They run forever and require little maintenance. The only complaint most owners have is a lack of power. Rowing the transmission through the gears is often the only way to keep up with freeway traffic on any kind of hills. So what choices do you have for more power?

Project Tuff Enuff

On a recent weekend in early May a group of Cherokees tackled the infamous Lake Cavanaugh trail called Second Chance in Northern Western Washington. A total of 7 rigs made the trip with only 1 rig suffering major mechanical damage!

This is a list of items I carry with me at all times when off-road. All of these items are inexpensive yet they can make the difference between having a fun day or a really rotten "stuck between a rock and a hard place" kind of day. Some of them may even save your life in an emergency. I carry all this stuff in a lockable storage box that is bolted to the floor in the back of the Jeep. This assures I won't be whacked in the head (some might say it would help) in an accident. Well here goes:

The TDC sensor has been the cause of many headaches on the XJ cherokee. I can think of many stories of Jeep that were rendered unstartable because of this inexpensive sensor. In fact I remember a story a friend related to me, he had driven to Lake Isabella with some friends to go Four wheeling. At one point he realized the Jeep would not start. They tried everything to get the Jeep started except the TDC sensor. After many attempts they gave up and rented a Uhaul truck and trailer to tow it home cost after all was said and done $300.00. The sad thing in this case was that if he would have had an extra TDC sensor none of this would have happen. Of course this problem was only recognized by a factory service bulletin a couple of years after it was discovered.

Project Tuff Enuff needed a trans/t-case skidplate. The factory unit simply was not an option. Way to wimpy and small! It offers nowhere near the levels of protection needed in my application.