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Most travel brochures describe Chaco Culture National Historical Park as a "spiritual sanctuary" or a "bucket-list destination" for the soul. They show you golden hour photos of perfectly stacked stone walls and talk about "communing with the spirits" in the high desert of New Mexico. But if you have spent any time following my adventures, you know that things rarely go according to the brochure. We have a unique knack for turning a standard six-hour drive into a ten-hour ody

Why Upgrade to the MetalCloak Billet Aluminum Stabilizer Mount? Hey guys, Muddy Ruttzz here. I recently tackled a project on my Jeep Gladiator that started as a simple fix but quickly turned into a "fight." While there is absolutely nothing wrong with the standard steel mount that MetalCloak provides with their steering systems, I managed to make a bit of a mess during my initial installation. Between breaking a U-bolt and bending the bracket, I decided it was time to move t

When you’re deep in the backcountry, the last thing you want to find is that your tire iron doesn't fit your wheel. During my recent project—matching my Xventure trailer wheel upgrades to my Jeep Gladiator fleet—I discovered a safety issue that every Jeep owner needs to see.

Those heavy-duty tie rod ends from your fancy steering kit are usually way bigger than the stock stuff. If you try to slap your old OEM wheels back on, you might find them rubbing or even grinding against those new joints as soon as you turn the wheel. To make Jeep steel wheel fitment work, you’ll want to grab some wheels with at least 4.5 inches of backspacing. That’ll help push the tires out and give them some breathing room from the steering parts.

The Richter scale of 7.0 shaking is officially a thing of the past. After a marathon of installs, "Alignment Day" at B&G Total Alignment in New Mexico served as the final nail in the coffin. A successful Jeep death wobble fix isn't just about throwing money at parts; it’s about restoring the geometric integrity of the front end.

A successful MetalCloak steering system install is about more than just beefy parts; it’s about restoring the steering geometry and eliminating the "cumulative slop" we’ve been researching. As we found with the upper control arms, every pivot point matters.

How deep into the rabbit hole are you willing to go to find a ticking sound? Is it better to ignore the noise and risk getting stranded, or do you tear it all down and pray you don't make things worse? This is my story of trying, failing, and opening a $162 can of worms that cost me more than just money.

If you’re pulling the passenger-side axle on a Jeep Gladiator (JT) or Wrangler (JL), you’ve probably realized there is a major "gotcha" waiting for you inside the axle tube. It’s called the FAD, or Front Axle Disconnect. Many DIYers treat the passenger side like the driver side—just pull it out and shove it back in. But if you do that, you’re going to hit a wall. Or worse, you’ll ruin an expensive inner axle seal. This guide, born out of my extensive "Death Wobble Nuclear Op