Category: Mods and Mends

Modifications, fixes, and maintenance of any vehicles I can get my hands on. Most articles here will focus on my 1997 Jeep Wrangler TJ and my 2012 Jeep Patriot Sport 4X4.

Installing the Thule 575 Universal Snowboard Rack on a Jeep Patriot

I haven’t yet been able to get to the mountain this winter, but I did find an hour to install the Thule Universal Snowboard rack I got for Christmas. (Thanks Mom and Dad!)  As always, the first thing I did was make sure I had all of the parts and tools needed for the job. Continue reading →

Give me a brake

If you’re going to blow a brake line, your driveway is the place to do it, sadly that was the only convenient occurrence of my still ongoing brake overhaul.  It was a crisp October Saturday morning when the 16 year old brake line decided it had finally had enough.  After realizing what had happened, I slowly backed the Wrangler to the top of the driveway, shut her down and chocked the wheels.  A few weeks went by and I was finally able to order a new set of lines, along with front pads and rotors, and a new master cylinder.  Then, the septic tank failed at the house, winter came, and the TJ proceeded to get covered in snow until the spring.

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Radiator Springs

As my friend James and I began our journey to Pennsylvania to retrieve the broken Jeep we had left there the day before; we agreed that, as a group, we’ve gotten a bit lax with our trail repair kits. We usually have pretty good luck when we venture out to Rausch Creek Off Road Park, but the last trip was not one of those luck filled ones.  Looking back on it, I’m surprised that this was the first time we’ve had to leave a Jeep behind, to spend the night at the park.  The day had started off great – up before 6am, a beautiful sunrise, and excited anticipation for what the day would bring. Continue reading →

Brand Loyalty and my 2012 Jeep Patriot

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It’s hard to deny that I am a devoted Jeep enthusiast. I drove my 1997 Wrangler every day for almost 5 years before purchasing a 2012 Jeep Patriot (4X4, 5 speed) in February of 2012, to take over daily driving duties. Overall I’ve been pretty satisfied with the Patriot; it’s a comfortable, capable, daily driver. It’s performed well in winter weather, and light off road situations. Despite being the opposite of the “get new people interested in the brand” target buyer – it fits my needs perfectly. Now a year into ownership, I figured it was time for a recap.

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Patriot Backpack – the little Jeep gets a roof rack

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The spring time brings a lot of great things.  Greener trees, blossoming flowers, warm weather, topless Jeeps, and of course… the REI annual member dividend.  Last year, I wrote about the Half Dome tent that I purchased with my yearly bonus from my favorite adventure equipment store – this year, the new Patriot got a complete roof rack system and a rack for the bike. Continue reading →

iPhone accessories that saved our relationship

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My iPhone 3GS and I have been pretty good friends for the last two years, mostly thanks to two hardware accessories that help us get along during different types of adventures; from hiking in the Andes, to my everyday commute to work.  Specifically, I’m referring to the OtterBox Defender Case, and the ProClip USA mount system.

you should read JeepGorilla’s blog; but not while driving

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