DIY Articles

Why Drilled and Slotted Rotors Fail on Technical Off-Road Trails Drilled and slotted rotors are everywhere in modern performance marketing, but they are deliberately excluded from this Willys Rubicon Killer build. On technical off-road trails, loose sand, silt, mud, and trail grit pack directly into rotor holes and slots.

Final Thoughts: Building a Trail-Ready Rig. Upgrading to greaseable Synergy HD ball joints and 22 lb ductile iron knuckles replaces weak, plastic-lined factory components with bulletproof trail hardware. This driver-side installation provides the durability and confidence needed to tackle tough, technical terrain without fear of front-end failures.

To hook up the SmartShunt, you must run a dedicated cable from the negative terminal of your battery directly to the "Battery Minus" side of the shunt. Standard pre-made store cables are often the wrong length, so fabbing a custom lead ensures a neat and efficient layout.

In this guide, you’ll discover why aftermarket wheel offsets create dangerous play in your spare tire mount and how unabsorbed vibrations gradually fatigue your Jeep Wrangler's tailgate sheet metal. We'll break down why standard friction-fit bump stop extensions often fall short on rough trails and why stepping up to a mechanical fastener solution is worth the effort.

Goat Heads Suck! They are everywhere you cycle in Las Cruces. I thought the answer to my prayers was a $120.00 set of Vittoria Tire Liners. Great idea—until I tried installing them on my Lynskey’s Panaracer tires. What was supposed to be a quick upgrade quickly turned into a complete garage catastrophe, complete with mutilated rim tape, spewing latex sealant, and ruined wheels.

Getting fresh rubber on your rig is easily one of the most satisfying steps in any build, but doing it right takes more than just bolting up bigger wheels at the tire shop. I recently wrapped up step one of transforming my Willys Wrangler EcoDiesel into a trail-dominating machine by stepping up to Kenda Klever 35x10.5x17 tires mounted on heavy-duty Black Rock 997 Type 8 steel wheels.

By Muddy Ruttzz Affiliate Disclosure: This post is unsponsored, I don't take products for free to do reviews on them. I did win this OHMMU H5 in a raffle but I had to buy the ticket. To support the studio, I use affiliate links from Amazon and eBay. If you click and purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you What You Will Find In This Blog Post: If you’re the kind of adventurer who prefers to roam off the grid, then your electrical setup is basically your

I decided to build a Rubicon-ready beast! What sparked this idea? Well, it was hard not to be inspired by those super cool and capable Jeeps and Grenadiers I saw at Overland Expo West. Plus, my buddy who tagged along kept raving about how much he loved my Jeep. It really shined when I towed my Xventure trailer to Alstrom Point on Lake Powell and cruised through the Grand Staircase Escalante.

Imagine having the power of cloud computing securely tucked away right in your own home or office. A NAS is essentially your own private, local cloud. Instead of paying monthly subscription fees to store your data on someone else's servers, you own the hardware. Depending on your storage needs, you can build a DIY video editing NAS with multiple heavy-duty hard drives to achieve massive, expandable capacity—all accessible from any device on your network.

Imagine having the power of cloud computing securely tucked away right in your own home or office. A NAS is essentially your own private, local cloud. Instead of paying monthly subscription fees to store your data on someone else's servers, you own the hardware. Depending on your storage needs, you can build a DIY video editing NAS with multiple heavy-duty hard drives to achieve massive, expandable capacity—all accessible from any device on your network.

When the steering wheel starts shaking like a 7.0 on the Richter scale, it isn't just an inconvenience—it’s a safety crisis. For many owners of the Jeep Gladiator (JT) and Wrangler (JL/JK), the dreaded "Death Wobble" feels like an unsolvable mystery. However, a permanent Jeep Death Wobble Fix isn't about masking the problem with a new steering stabilizer; it’s about a complete geometric transformation.

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

If you are battling the dreaded front-end shimmy, a Dynatrac Ball Joint Install is often considered the "Nuclear Option" for a reason. Unlike standard factory units, these ProSteer heavy-duty joints are built to handle the added leverage of larger tires and off-road abuse. The beauty of this system is that they are rebuildable on the vehicle. Once you press them in this time, you’ll never have to use a ball joint press on those knuckles again.

When you’re dealing with a Jeep Gladiator or Wrangler shaking itself apart, sometimes you have to stop chasing small fixes and go nuclear. That is exactly what I’m doing in Part 5 of my Death Wobble series. Today, we are performing a MetalCloak Track Bar install to replace the thin, hollow factory unit with something that actually has the "beef" required for heavy off-road use.

I didn't realize how much a steering box could flex until I started chasing the death wobble on this 2022 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon. Today, we're beefing up the steering to stop the shake. Welcome to Muddy Ruttzz. This is part 4 of our series, and while no single part is a "silver bullet," this Jeep Sector Shaft Brace is a critical piece of the puzzle. By the time we finish this build with Metalcloak and Dynatrac components, this Gladiator should drive better than the day it le

When your Jeep starts shaking like a 7.0 on the Richter scale, you know you need a permanent Jeep Death Wobble Fix. After installing a Mopar 2-inch lift on my 2022 Gladiator, the steering became flighty. This happens because lifting the vehicle alters the suspension geometry, specifically pushing the caster angle out of its ideal range.

When you’re fighting the dreaded "Death Wobble," most people focus entirely on the front end. However, you can’t have a rock-solid front end without a stable rear. Installing a heavy-duty Jeep Gladiator Rear Track Bar is one of the easiest ways to start your teardown and build-up process.

If your steering wheel is shaking so hard it feels like a 7.0 on the Richter scale, you’re in the right place. While I am performing this build on my 2022 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon, the components and geometry principles involved in the "Nuclear Option" apply directly to:Jeep Gladiator (JT) * Jeep Wrangler (JL & JK) The Goal: Stop "guessing" with steering stabilizers and address the root cause by replacing weak, plastic-seated factory parts with heavy-duty, solid steel alternat

If you’ve ever struggled with standard one-piece plugs, switching to 3-piece RJ45 connectors will be a total game-changer for your home office or media closet. After 40 years in the sheet metal trade, I’ve learned that having the right system is better than having raw speed. These three-part systems—consisting of the main housing, a spacer, and a loading bar—allow you to maintain the tightest possible twists in your Cat6 cable.

Whether you are a retired sheet metal worker like me or just a frustrated homeowner, building a DIY 2.5Gbps Home Network is the best way to get the speeds you are actually paying for. Most modern homes have a "rats nest" of wires hidden in a closet, but they aren't utilized. By moving away from "all-in-one" ISP boxes and installing dedicated multi-gigabit hardware, you can future-proof your home office and eliminate Wi-Fi dead zones.

Call it the pumpkin, rear end diff or center section, performing a Jeep differential fluid change is one of the most rewarding DIY projects you can tackle in your garage. Whether you are running a classic JK or a newer JL or Gladiator, the differential is the heart of your drivetrain. Keeping the gears and clutch packs lubricated with fresadd ons were installed on the cars as soon as they roll off the car carrier and non-negotiable. Pitre KIA my local KIA dealer dropped them

In the old days, power steering was easy: a belt, a pump, and some ATF. Today’s Jeeps use electro-hydraulic systems that generate massive heat, requiring specialized stuff like Pentosin CHF 11S. While the bottle says it’s a 'lifetime' fluid, I’m skeptical. I just had to top off both of my Jeeps because they were below the minimum mark. It begs the question—if this stuff is meant to last forever, where is it going?

The Park Tool TSI-1 is the best mess-free tubeless sealant injector I’ve added to my collection. It solves the huge problem of the 'messy' traditional method. I no longer have to pop the tire bead or struggle with makeshift bottles. This tool ensures a clean injection every time, letting me pump up my tires and get back to mountain biking faster than ever.

Buying a new home in Picacho Hills is an exciting journey, but it often comes with a "blank slate" that can quickly drain your bank account. While builders ensure the front yard meets neighborhood standards, the side and back yards are often left as literal dust bowls. To turn my dirt lot into a functional space without spending $20,000, I had to get creative with cheap desert landscaping ideas

We all lead busy lives, and sometimes vehicle maintenance takes a back seat. I recently realized I had fallen behind on my own Jeep Gladiator upkeep. The "hidden danger" I discovered is that the coolant reservoir often develops a stain at the "Max" line. If you just glance under the hood, it looks full, but looking closer reveals the actual fluid level is much lower. Proper Jeep OAT Coolant Maintenance starts with a careful inspection of that tank to ensure you aren't being f

Today, I’m walking you through a procedure that every Jeep owner should know: Jeep Wrangler JL & Gladiator JT Grille Removal. This process is identical for both, so whether you’re driving a truck or a classic SUV, this guide is for you.