Building An RTI Ramp

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Building an RTI ramp seems to be a common idea for Jeepers or Clubs. Many times trying to find the plans to build an RTI ramp can be almost impossible. We here at MoJeepin.com decided to give you exactly what you have been searching for. That's right... RTI ramp plans ready for you to print and build.

What is RTI?

The Ramp Travel Index is for measuring how flexible the suspension is. It consists simply of a 20° ramp on which you drive up to the point where one wheel leaves contact with the ground. You divide the distance traveled up by the wheelbase, so you get a percentage. Multiply this by 10 to get a more accurate score. So if you have a vehicle with a wheelbase of 100" and you travel up 40", you get a score of 400. Anything over 500 is a very good result on non-modified vehicles.

Remember that you can make additions to these plans or even use different material then steel to make your RTI ramp. Aluminum, from what we hear is a lighter weight building material that is more expensive and a good rust proofing metal. Its a great choice if you have the spare cash but then again, if you have a good welder and you can slap on some good rust-proofing paint, steel might just be your answer. Safe building!

POR-15® Super Starter Kit

• Pros: Very straight forward instructions, super easy to use, works like a charm, doesn't have an overpowering smell.



• Cons: Hard to remove from skin, for undercarriages you need to plan to have it all done and wrapped up in a day to make the best of it, easy to contaminate.



• Cost: $16.50 each



• Shipping: I got mine with free shipping off of the POR-15® website. It is shipped out of New Jersey, shipped the same day, and got here the next day.

What comes in the box:

• 8 oz. bottle of our famous MARINE CLEAN - to remove gum, sludge, varnish
• 8 oz. of METAL READY - to remove rust & prepare surface for POR-15®
• 4 oz. can of POR-15® (covers 12 square feet)
• Two wooden handle paint brushes
• One pair of our special high-dexterity surgical latex gloves

What you need to supply:

• 2 Spray bottles (1 to hold 8 oz., 1 to hold at least 32 oz.)
• 9'x 12' drop cloth (plastic)
• Something to lift the vehicle off the ground with (unless you don't mind laying on the ground)
• A few extra pairs of gloves
• An extra paint brush or two
• A brush with hard bristles (for removing grime)
• Hairdryer (if you lack patience or time)

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How to apply POR-15® to an already rusted surface:

Prep and some notes: If you are doing a vehicle's undercarriage, I highly recommend doing it outside. The reasoning behind that is the fact that you have to hose off the Marine Clean and the Metal Ready. I parked my Jeep Grand Cherokee on a 9 foot by 12 foot plastic drop cloth that can be bought at Lowes or any hardware/painting store for less than $4. When painting the undercarriage the POR-15® may drip, and I'm sure you don't want that all over your driveway since it's pretty much permanent. I highly recommend doing this all in one day. If not, do all of the prep work in one day and save the next day for painting. You'll probably need to switch drop cloths at least once. I used two, one each day. They get wet with chemicals you don't necessarily want to be laying in to irritate your skin or stepping into to track inside the house. I didn't realize that the Marine Clean would need to be diluted, so I just emptied and washed out an old Windex bottle to use. The instructions you'll receive with your POR-15® don't tell you to dilute the Marine Clean, but if you take the time to read the bottle it says to dilute it and which ratio to use. Since I wasn't sure if it was a must or not, I went ahead and diluted it. The kit comes with a 4 oz. can of POR-15® which is so small you'll be doubtful of how much it will cover. I covered much of my undercarriage parts with it and still had about 1/8 of a can left over. I would not recommend buying this from Quadratec or any other place since you don't need a whole lot to do an undercarriage. You don't need to waste the extra money on the high shipping prices Quadratec has. Once you open a can of this stuff you have to use it all because it's shelf life isn't long and once it is contaminated it is ruined. I'd rather contaminate a little than contaminate a lot. Also, the POR-15® website sells POR-15® as a set in little cans for those who don't have something they need more than a quart for. Keep in mind, a little bit of this stuff goes a really long way. You can get six 4 oz. cans in one color or you can mix and match. Check out their site before you commit to buying it from Quadratec or another limited supplier.

*IMPORTANT: Applying POR-15® to a non-rusted surface involves different prep work.

The first step to applying the POR-15® is to clean and degrease the part(s) you want to paint with the Marine Clean. The instructions tell you to spray it on and let it sit for a minimum of 15 minutes. The longer you let it sit, the better. It is imperative to rinse the part(s) off well with water. A hose will get the job done well. If you plan to do more than one part, apply the Marine Clean to all of the parts at the same time or your job will be made longer. After you rinse off the Marine Clean you will need to let the parts completely dry before continuing on. Use a blowdryer if you are impatient.

The next step is to apply the Metal Ready. This will help strip off the rust and primer the part(s) for painting. This is when your trusty grill brush/scraper comes into handy. Any hard bristled brush will work though. After spraying the rusted part with Metal Ready and letting it penetrate for 20 minutes (preferably longer), you'll need to scrape off any excess rust off of the part(s). When you're done cleaning up the excess rust, you'll need to rinse the part(s) you want to paint again. Once again, let completely air dry or dry with a blowdryer before continuing on.

The final step will be to apply the POR-15® (unless of course you want to follow it up with one of the many avaible topcoats). This is the easiest part. Coat the part(s) you want rust protected and already primered with Metal Ready in thin coats. Two are recommended. I did one coat on the axles and driveshafts. It used one 4 oz. can. I purchased two super starter kits since I was skeptical about one 4 oz. can being able to cover that area. I will go back and do the second coat with the extra kit. After you are done painting do not move the vehicle. Allow it to dry for the 2-5 hours the instructions tell you to.

Do not skip steps unless of course the surface is already clean. The Metal Ready MUST be applied in order to primer the surface and allow the POR-15® to adhere to it correctly.

Helpful links:

Technical Information about POR-15®

Directions for people who don't read directions

Summary of Miscellaneous POR-15® Information

POR-15®: Detailed directions and infomation

How much POR-15® do I need?

Submitted by: Diablo

PCV Blow-By Fix (Remaining PCV and EGR)

Tech Breakdown


• Tools required:
  2.5 Feet of 3/8" Heater Hose
  
  
• Pros:
  Frees up a good amount of power, and should emliminate any blow-by problems.
  
  
• Cons:
  May not eliminate blow-by and may be a costly repair.

Are you still blowing oil inside your engine compartment? Then this is the last modification you can do to try and eliminate the oil blowing problem. If this does not work, I suggest having a mechanic look at the engine and see if he has more insight on the problem.

Procedure:

If following from a previous PCV fix the port left of the rear PCV intake remove the three tubes, and any tube that connect to that, including the large PCV tower made of plastic. After removing these and the tubes to the EGR sensor you will link the two vertical ports on the intake port by looping a tube. Replace the tube for the fuel pressure regulator. On the EGR sensor, loop the two stubs on the right side. The stub on the left side you may link to the rear of the air box or leave capped off. Submitted by: XJoshua

Off-Road Lighting Installation

Things you will need:

• Electrical Tape
• Wire cutters/Strippers
• Soldering Iron
• Screw Drivers/Wrenches
• Offroad Lights
• Lighting Brackets
• Switches
• Fuses
• External Fuse Block
• Relay(s) 1 per pair of lights - recommended

To get started on the installation, you will want to lay everything out and plan on how you want to do it; how you are going to get power to the relay's (if you are using them), and how to get power to your fuse block and switches, You will also want to plan where you are going to mount your switches within the vehicle.

First off you will have to follow all instructions that came with your lighting brackets/bumper and mount all of your lights. Most lights come with 2 wires, a Red wire and a Black wire.The red wire is your Positive Wire (12v), and the black wire is your Grounding Wire (-). You can just leave these wires alone for right now, we will return to them later in the installation.

The next step is to figure out your relays and fuse block set up, This can get really confusing so take it one step at a time. It would be a good idea to have a diagram drawn up with a legend of the wires, their colors and their locations.

First we need to get power to the fuse block. You can run a wire straight from your battery or to the fuse block located within the engine compartment or vehicle. Be careful what you are connecting to when using a fuse block installation due to air bags, and other electronic devices already being wired. Once you have decided which connection route you are going to hook up to, connect that to your external fuse block. (leave fuses out right now).

NOTE: If you are only installing one pair of lights you dont need an external fuse block. You could just buy an inline fuse or use an empty slot in your vehicles existing fuse block. If you are not using relays, please refer to the install instructions that came with your offroad lights.

What is a relay you ask? A relay is basically another switch. It has a heavy duty connector contained within it and when turned on by the switch inside your vehicle, it connects together and sends power to the lights. This saves your switches from running alot of power through them and thus preventing over-heating and potentially melting...now, back to the installation.....

Ground your relay(s) into the chassis. Again, use the diagram that came with your lights to figure out which one is the grounding wire (usually the brown or black wire). Next you will want to run another power wire from the battery or where you decided to wire the first power wire into the cab for you switch(s). From your switch(s) you run this to the Coil Power on the relay, (again look at the diagram to figure out which color this would be). Now, from the Normally Open on your relay(s) you can now wire in the wire in the Positive Wire (12v)on your light(s).

Finally, the last step should be to ground your lights. If you recall, this was the Black wire on your light. You will want to ground your light(s) to a chassis bolt.

NOTE: If there is paint on the bolt or area you are mounting to, you will want to scratch it off. If you fail to do so and ground to a painted surface, you will not get a good ground and therefore, the lights will fail to work properly. This is very important not to forget.

If you have any questions or comments about this write up, please feel free to submit them on the Contact Us page, or you will find various other techinical discussions in the Mojeepin Forums.

Submitted by: Schitzophrynic

Cooling Tune-Up Procedures - All Jeep® vehicles

• Flush dirt, bugs and leaves from front of radiator with a brush and garden hose. If your grill has clogged areas, this will cause overheating. Do not mess with the cooling fins on the radiator. Smashing or bending the fins will reduce the effectiveness of the radiator and could lead to overheating.



• Inspect the radiator cap. Replace it if the rubber gasket is broken, dried out or missing.



• Check the condition and level of coolant. If it is rusty, flush the system and replace it with a 50/50 mixture. Coolant not only serves to keep the engine temperature regulated, but it also lubricates and protects the water pump and radiator. Never put just water in your radiator. This will lead to failure of the cooling system.



• Flush the radiator every 15,000 miles or once a year.



• Inspect radiator and radiator hoses for leaks, cracks or soft, mushy condition. Tighten all clamps. Replace hoses as needed. Change the hoses every 90,000 miles no matter what.



• Look for the heater hose running from the engine, through the firewall, to the heater core under the dash. Replace swollen or cracked hoses. To check the hoses, start the engine and turn on the heater. If after ten minutes the hoses are cool, they could be clogged.



• Inspect all engine belts for wear and cracks. Replace if worn, cracked or glazed. Adjust loose belts. Any cracking or drying belts should be replaced. If the belt for the water pump is worn, your entire system can collapse.



• Check the thermostat operation by running the engine for 10-15 minutes. Generally, it's OK if you can feel warm coolant surging through the upper hose. Beware of an engine that runs too hot or too cool. Tighten loose bolts on the thermostat housing at the engine.



• Clean the engine exterior. Excessive oil and dirt will hide leaks, or insulate the engine, causing it to run hot.

This article was sponsored by RADIATOR.COM.

Flushing Your Radiator - All Jeep® vehicles

We all know how important our heating and cooling systems are in our Jeep® vehicles. At one time or another, we have all had something go wrong and suddenly the entire engine compartment is bellowing out with a smokey haze. The smell is bittersweet and we all know it too well...Anti-Freeze!

There are many places on the net you can go to find out information about how to flush your radiator, but here at Mojeepin.com we have put together this quick list in order to save you some time!

1. Begin with the engine cold and ignition off. Remove the radiator cap. Make sure the engine is cool. If the radiator cap is too hot to touch, your engine is not cool enough.



2. Open the drain-plug at the bottom of the radiator and drain the coolant into a bucket. You will want to dispose of the cooling fluid as environmentally conscious as possible. So, if there are any shops or recycling places in your area that take old coolant give it to them. Make sure you keep the fluid away from animals!. Don't just pour it on the ground. Animals tend to want to drink it, but it will kill them.



3. Close the drain-plug and fill the radiator with water.



4. Start the engine and turn the heater control to hot (this will open the heater control valve). Add cooling system cleaner and idle the engine for 30 minutes (or as per the instructions on container).



5. Stop the engine and allow it to cool for five minutes. Drain the system.



6. Close the drain-plug, fill the radiator with water and let the engine idle for five minutes.



7. Repeat step No. 5. Close the drain-plug.



8. Install new 50/50 mixture of water and ethylene glycol antifreeze/coolant. Be sure you use the same coolant as was in your vehicle. Many of the coolants that are designed to last 150,000 miles will react with cheaper coolants and cause corrosion of the radiator. The best way to do this is match color. If it says "Dex-Cool" or something of that nature, definitely use a Dex-Cool variant.

This article was sponsored by RADIATOR.COM.

Cell Phone Mount - All Jeep® Vehicles

Each and every jeeper usually carries a cell phone. Whether they are on the trail or they are out wheelin. Time and time again, I have gotten into a rut or have been somewhere when the phone rang and I couldnt find it.

Well, I was tired of messing with trying to locate the phone or finding a place to put the phone when I was out wheelin. I went to the local CB shop and picked up a clip for a CB mic. It was relatively inexpensive ($1.29 plus tax).

The mounted clip - attaches via 3M tape

Installation was a breeze. Take the clip out of the package and then peel off the heavy duty 3M adhesive tape. Locate a good place to mount the clip and stick it to the dash. It's that easy!

As you can tell in the pic, I mounted it to the right of the steering wheel. This way, I can see who is calling when I am on the road or off the road wheelin'!

Mounted Clip w/phone

This little modification, or "luxury" I should say...is a great way to keep things organized on the road. You can mount a CB mic, cell phone, GPS or anything with a back that will slide into the slot on the clip. I would definatly recommend a clip with a deep slot in it, for better mounting of the phone or other electronic device.

For a quick and easy install, I would recommend this to anyone who drives any type of vehicle ... especially to all the Jeepers out there!

Submitted by: Scuba

Soft-top Color Identification

About every Jeep® with a soft-top will someday replace something or another. This is where identifying the correct color of canvas comes in handy. It would look rather funny to see a Jeep® with a white top, blue soft doors and a green tire cover on the road if you think about it.

Whether you are customizing your Jeep® or replacing that torn soft-top or wheel cover, Mojeepin.com has got you covered! We hope this little chart helps you find the correct color you are looking for when ordering.

* For a larger version of the chart, please click the image itself.

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Here are some helpful hints to help you choose the right color...

• NEW ‘99-’06 Wrangler Introduces new factory Tan Variation (33-Dark Tan). 99-’00 does not use Spice.



• ’97-’98 Wrangler Bikinis, Dusters, & Windjammers are available in (15-Black Denim), and (17-Spice only).



• ’92-’95 Wrangler Bikinis, Dusters, & Windjammers are available in (09) Gray, (15-Black Denim), and (17-Spice only).



• Black (01) is the original color for CJ and 1987 Wranglers. Black Denim is original on Wranglers from ’88-’98.



• For the Tan Family of colors, tell salesperson the year of vehicle for an appropriate match. (Almond only in ’87-’88)



• Nutmeg (07) is a reddish rusty Tan that was an early CJ Factory Color Only.



• Blue (05) was only a factory color on ’76-’83 CJ vehicles.



• Khaki (16) has very limited availability.

Jeep® Factory Axle Identification

Over the years, the Jeep® brand vehicle has gone through many changes, but one thing remains the same....the notorious Dana's.

With so few choices of axles, interesting stories from off-roaders and some great write-ups in the tech world have come about. From MB's to ZJ's, the Jeep's axle has evolved and yet remained partially unchanged.

We have found that few jeepers know exactly what axle their rig has. The chart below is provided as a core sample to give fellow jeepers key knowledge to their model axle identification.

Jeep® Differential Identification

The team here at Mojeepin.com like to provide our users some great technical information. Day in and day out, we get emails asking us about axles and differentials and how to identify them. We came across this nifty little chart that shows you how to identify your differntial and thought it would be perfect for the site.

* For a larger version of the chart, please click the image itself.

Lets us know if you have any questions.

Relays: What They Are & Typical Wiring Diagram

A relay is an electromechanical switch, operated by passing current through a coil of wire wound around a steel core, which acts as an electromagnet, pulling the switch contact down to make or break a circuit. These are available in several types, including SPST (single-pole, single-throw), SPDT (single-pole, double throw), DPST (double-pole, single throw), and DPDT (double-pole, double-throw), and not as commonly, in multi-circuit configurations such as 3PDT or 4PDT (three and four poles, double-throw).

In most applications, 30 amp relays have 5 connectors or wires to them. Below is a diagram of the typical wiring guide for the standard off-road lighting configuration. Application could vary per installation requirement.

Submitted by: Schitzophrynic