Cheap Jeep Hacks! Show 'Em Off Here!

[RussJeep1]

I like your little red plug but why would someone not us the drain plug? Is it because they don't want to have a permanent hole in their carpet if they ever remove the floor mats in the future?

Jordan, I can't speak to Steve's @Jeeporama 's motivations for designing/using this plug, but it wouldn't surprise me if some of the inspiration for its use/creation came from what many have described as the less than adequate FCA engineering of theirs.

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[RussJeep1]

Today's hack pushes the limits of the thread as it is professionally made and sold.

I have no shortage of material that's truly hack worthy to share on this thread, but decided to include this given its ingenuity and relatively low price.

Many hacks I show here will be published on the bboard, some--to the best that I can determine--won't. This falls into the former category.

We can thank Bob @OUTDOORTREE for first bringing it to our attention.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/removable-door-step.10801/

​

For those of you with limited need to get to the roof of your rig, this might not be for you. But even if all you do is pull back your soft top, particularly if you're on the short side, this might be for you: giving you he height/leverage to make it easier.

Still more, many of you might have, know of, or intend on purchasing door steps:
things that basically look like this:

And if so, that's great--especially since the product of this hack won't give you the same access to the top/front of the rig, particularly on the 4 door rig, as the ones features above on the front door. Still more, one thing it appears FCA hasn't changed in the JL over the JK is the distance between or bolt threading of the door hinges, so JK hinge based door steps are likely to work on your JL (check with the manufacturer.)

But this hinge based hardware isn't for everyone. Some people so occasionally need access to the roof that a step ladder might surface for those times, or don't care for the somewhat more rugged look this accessory provides.

I own both products, having used the door latch step before the hinge ones--and my hinge ones were used on a rack I designed (another thread in the DIY section https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/diy-no-hole-roof-rails.10580/#post-301033 but too involved to be a hack) rather than on the door hinges directly (see vertical riser mid-length of rig.)

I can tell you that this door latch version is excellent product. It took a few weeks to arrive, as Gearizm ships directly from Asia. But there are plenty of similar products (I can't speak to their fit/quality) to be found on Google/Amazon/ebay, etc.

When not I use you just hide it away in the compartment of your choosing. Assemble involves 2 screws, if I remember correctly, that have a hex bit pattern. Also, on the JL, the step hung, for me, about 5 degrees below horizontal, but in no way did that affects its usefulness.


Spoiler alert: next post up is what I consider the mother of all hacks.

 

[RussJeep1]

Before the mother of all hacks, I came across this hack today on the board

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...-drive-with-door-open.3922/page-3#post-461940

Cudos to @BillG for it.

It deals with how to prevent AutoPark from engaging...the idea of stepping out of the rig from the driver's seat with the vehicle in gear while the door is open and its cable connected. This is a well intentioned safety feature that can make those, say, hooking up a trailer--that need to enter and exit their rig a few times to check the hookup, justifiably frustrated.

Please use any hack, especially this one that bypasses a safety feature, at your own risk and with extreme caution.

While this is not the thread for it, for the terminally curious, I understand that the safety feature isn't avoided by detaching the door cable, removing the door or not, just transferred to a weight sensor on the driver's seat.

And yes. I do see this seat weight sensor inspiring a whole new hack for the doorless:

 

[Boatbuilder88]

Well, one of my little mods / hacks, is the plastic hook I installed on the inside of my JL's fuel door.

Thanks to the hook, no more gas cap lying on the painted surface.

Also, keeps the gas cap out of mud, snow or sleet on the side of the JL.

I have had the hook installed or months now and geeeeeeeeeeeeeez, it has worked out well.

It's just one of these trimmed down and applied to the fuel door:

You can read more about the hook and where to get it, here:
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/jl-fuel-door-install-video.4861/page-2#post-298930

.

Great idea! (I've been taking the tether off my gas caps.)

 

[RussJeep1]

As promised, I consider today's hack the mother of all hacks.

It's a special day in the land of FCA. The Gladiator (the truck built off the JL designed cab) will be officially shown later today so...why not.

I'm about to introduce you to the work of J. Scherb. In my hack focused mind, were I to every run into the man I might (okay, I'm exaggerating but you get the idea) do this:



After all, he did this (drum roll):

So about now you're saying, "I don't see anything....what, did he invent the hardtop for FCA?"

Sorry, wrong picture.

And yes, the first picture features the same hardtop, assembled (wait, hard tops assemble?) as in the second.

Mr. Scherb has devised methods that allow, with his extremely well done DIY instructions, the owner to take apart sections of a hard top, attach fiberglass reinforced strips to the sides that were originally the corners of the unaltered hard top, and attach those reinforced strips to each other to sturdily put the hardtop back together in ways invisible to onlookers, while allowing the user to disconnect those pieces to create things like hard top Safari like tops.

Granted, this hack isn't for the faint of heart. Taking a saw to my hard top....let's just say this is on my bucket list to try after prices for used tops come down over the next few years.

Let me leave you with one more teaser photo, and then refer you on to the master here:

https://www.expeditionportal.com/fo...g-a-factory-jk-jku-hardtop-to-modular.160775/

Not worthy J Scherb! Not worthy!

 

[Huehue80]

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/jl-fuel-door-install-video.4861/page-2#post-298930


I liked this hack but, when I went to pump gas the cap was still in the way.

So what I did is used some Velcro ( the fuzzy side) I had in my tool box and just put it on the side of the cap. This way I can hang the cap over the gas door. You would position the cap to have the Velcro towards the fender so it won't scratch it. You can use Velcro, foam or rubber. It just needs to stick to the cap. I might add a few more around the cap as well. You don't grab the cap by the sides but in the middle, so it doesn't get in the way.

 

[Rhinebeck01]

@Huehue80

The idea of the hook is not just to prevent paint damage from the cap hitting the paint or from gas on the cap getting on the paint and screwing with the wax, etc., ... the hook also gets the cap up out of the snow, slush, salt, chitt that accumulates in the Winter / when weather is bad.

With the cap on the hook, I find that the gas nozzle is rather easily navigated around the hanging cap.

YES, the rubber splash guard on the nozzle is an issue, but you can easily fold that rubber thing, so the nozzle easily finds it's way into the fuel filler hole.

Yes, your velcro will help prevent scratches.

Had you given yourself s little time to get used to the hook you would have. After about 4 fill ups, it was second nature to me to avoid the cap dangling on the hook.

Anyone else trying the hook thing, do give yourself a few fills to adjust to it.

.

 

[RussJeep1]

Today's hack comes to us care of member @donnyb313 .

Here's created and shown us how to replicate budget JL (or JK) door hangers.

I say JK door hangers as well because FCA kept the distance between the top and bottom door hinges the same in the JK and JL.

Thanks @donnyb313 !

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/budget-door-hangers.14327/

 

[DanW]

As promised, I consider today's hack the mother of all hacks.

It's a special day in the land of FCA. The Gladiator (the truck built off the JL designed cab) will be officially shown later today so...why not.

I'm about to introduce you to the work of J. Scherb. In my hack focused mind, were I to every run into the man I might (okay, I'm exaggerating but you get the idea) do this:



After all, he did this (drum roll):

So about now you're saying, "I don't see anything....what, did he invent the hardtop for FCA?"

Sorry, wrong picture.

And yes, the first picture features the same hardtop, assembled (wait, hard tops assemble?) as in the second.

Mr. Scherb has devised methods that allow, with his extremely well done DIY instructions, the owner to take apart sections of a hard top, attach fiberglass reinforced strips to the sides that were originally the corners of the unaltered hard top, and attach those reinforced strips to each other to sturdily put the hardtop back together in ways invisible to onlookers, while allowing the user to disconnect those pieces to create things like hard top Safari like tops.

Granted, this hack isn't for the faint of heart. Taking a saw to my hard top....let's just say this is on my bucket list to try after prices for used tops come down over the next few years.

Let me leave you with one more teaser photo, and then refer you on to the master here:

https://www.expeditionportal.com/fo...g-a-factory-jk-jku-hardtop-to-modular.160775/

Not worthy J Scherb! Not worthy!

Jeff Scherb is the king of Jeep hacks! I met him in 2015 at the Easter Jeep Safari. He is just a super guy and a creative genius!

 

[jeremyjeep]

Jeff Scherb is the king of Jeep hacks! I met him in 2015 at the Easter Jeep Safari. He is just a super guy and a creative genius!

Where can more of his hacks, mods be found? Any links?

 

[DanW]

Where can more of his hacks, mods be found? Any links?

He's on JK-forum username jscherb. There is a thread there where he shows off his mods and prototypes, sometimes very early in their development. I'll try later to share a link.

 

[DanW]

Where can more of his hacks, mods be found? Any links?

https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/jk-show-tell-33/custom-modular-jk-hardtop-314392/page218/

 

[RussJeep1]

"I pushed this lever/turned this dial and water starting flowing everywhere"

It's not an uncommon thing heard in the Wrangler community. Particularly after a rain storm and opening a front door, given the hard/soft/power top you run with, and the angle of the rig, and some other factors. It seems to happens, or maybe effects us differently given our tolerance for this as the cost of so many other great rig features.

...but what if it was part of the design....? What if it was a feature?

Wait, don't do this read on.

Eddie Zarick, IMHO sits at the table of Wrangler Hack Wizards that J Scherb (of the prior hack) chairs. Eddie's devised, with no water tank, a way to give you a on tap water supply for your rig.

Read about how it works, and how to make one yourself here:

http://www.thedrive.com/news/12414/genius-youtuber-adds-pressurized-water-tank-to-his-jeep-wrangler

Happy hacking!

 

[RussJeep1]

Attention today returns back to the master: J Scherb, on another DIY project with instructions he made for a different space of the Wrangler Market: the 3 axis coupler:

Before I send you on to the master, at least for those who actually know less about towing than me(!), in order to appreciate Mr. Scherb's work it might be helpful to see how most of the rest of the non-off roading world operates.

This is a standard trailer ball mount:

and there's nothing wrong with it. Turn the wheels of your rig in a particular direction, while traveling forward at least, and the trailer behind you follows suit (BTW: the trailer turns in the opposite direction to your steering wheel when you're in reverse.) And it can (the trailer that is) because, while pretty much remaining in exactly the same angle to the horizon as your rig (I mean few if any roads are that hilly, for such short lengths, that your rig is at a remarkably different angle with respect to the horizon than your trailer) that your trailer turns, while remaining in the same horizontal plane as your rig, at angles that can best seen from a bird's eye view.

And sure, the occasional bump in the road might send, for an instant in time, your trailer at a slightly different height or angle to the horizon to the rig, or pitch, but within very limited tolerances these differences can be handled by the design of a trailer tongue that accepts a ball like shown above, a millimeter or two larger, and is able move around the ball's top every so slightly.

But what if you're off road? There, terrain my find your trailer, pardon the aeronautical references, at different pitch, yaw and attitude than your rig. You know, this stuff:

Now, I'm not suggesting that you take a trailer of any substantial size or weight off road, but the off roader can often only fit so much on, in, and above the rig itself.

Enter the 3-axis coupler:

And this picture doesn't even do Mr. Scherb' work justice, as the road is flat, barring a cement block being substituted, for, say, a rock, that affects roll only, not yaw or pitch: which the coupler can also handle, simultaneously.

Now: there are similar purchasable setups to this, and Mr. Scherb's work does require use of a welder, but apart from that, for about $50 in parts you can build one for yourself here.

It's not simply that Mr. Scherb invents genius product he could sell for profit, it's that he doesn't, rather making his work available for build by all through DIY public domain instructions! What a guy!

https://tventuring.com/trailerforum/thread-65.html

Happy trails

Legal disclaimer: nothing said here is a substitute for operating a street legal, properly balanced trailer, with respect to tongue weight, actual weight, and pitch/roll with extreme caution everywhere, especially off road. Your R-Pod trailer or the like, belongs at base camp, at places like Moab, not the trail.

 

[HiJinx69]

I posted this on another thread, but falls in the Cheap Jeep Hacks in my case. This phone mount setup cost me nothing as all these parts were already on hand.

I had to mod the magnetic pucks and Ram Mount ends. Simply screwed the pucks to the Ram Mount X-grip and the other to just a ball end.

• Tool box drawer liner
• 3M double sided tape
• Ram mount bases
• Long screws with washers
• Ram Mount arms
• Ram Mount X-grip
• Magnetic phone mount puck

I can just slap the phone onto the magnetic mount on the X-grip, or use the Grip for extra security on rough roads. The passenger side has the magnetic puck screwed to a Ram mount ball end, for the wife.

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