Mine wont make it over 45-50 on a mountain pass. I consider it lucky though when I see the cars that can either go 70+ but not be able to touch dirt roads and or go over 60 mph but break down more often. Slow and steady wins the race.
C.Shontz 2001 Jeep Cherokee (Progress)
- Thread starter cshontz
- Start date
Mine wont make it over 45-50 on a mountain pass. I consider it lucky though when I see the cars that can either go 70+ but not be able to touch dirt roads and or go over 60 mph but break down more often. Slow and steady wins the race.
cshontz
Supporting Sponsor
Thanks! However, I only really post when there is some problem with the Jeep. I haven't performed any significant mods or gone on any adventures in quite a long time - otherwise, I don't think I'd sound like such a Negative Nelly.
Trying to change that. 2009, 2010, and 2011 so far, have been about getting back up to 0. The past few years have been so crazy, with a long-term separation and other drama and strife. But things are looking up from here on out, and I... we... plan to re-enter the arena.
So hopefully my future forum posts won't be stories of clunks, rattles, and radiator leaks, and more stories about forgotten roads, border crossings, and GPS receivers leading us astray.
:costumed-smiley-007
Haggis
Appalachian Ridgerunner
Huzzah! It'll be good to read the continuing adventures of Cshontz as the clouds part and some sunshine starts peeking through. Looking forward to the next famous quote from you..."My GPS shows the road going the whole way through." is required useage for any ExPo East run.
Psst...you could start the year out the weekend after next. It will be cold but you'll get a warm welcome. :REOutCampFire03:
IH8RDS
Explorer
Chris, I too finally had to replace my radiator. About 5 months back now. Before I replaced it I had a COMPLETE flush done of the cooling system then I went down a bought a new one at Autozone. Should of sprung for a 3 core, but I just wanted to get the stock one put back in. Got lucky last week driving up to PA. The fan clutch exploded about 70 MPH on I 95 and the shudder/explosion was audible enough the scare the bejesus out of me. I didn't dare stop on the side of the road. So I monitored the temps and kept on going. 4 hours later when I filled up with gas, I slowly popped the hood to asses the damage. Whew... The fan wedged between the top of the radiator and the support and was rubbing on the small lower pulley. I pulled off the fan and clutch and there was no damage to the radiator. Lucky. Still haven't put it back together. The weather has been cool and I just run the defrost for the aux fan. Debating on putting an electric fan in its place,but I'll probably just go back to stock.
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cshontz
Supporting Sponsor
If I may gush, I had the Cherokee out this past weekend on a Northeast ExPo trip, Central PA Redneck Rendezvous, and I was ecstatic with its performance! It was hard to believe that I was driving the same vehicle that was giving me so much trouble (over a long period of time) on the road. The Cherokee hasn't been properly "wheelin'" since early 2009, so I thought it was going to complain, and almost certainly leave me with something to fix by the time I got home.
Instead, it soaked up the terrain and didn't miss a beat. It felt like a... mobile womb, within which I could overcome unseemly obstacles with grace and aplomb.
My enthusiasm about the Jeep is renewed, and I expect to lavish it with love and preventive maintenance in the very near future!
There are things not relating to the vehicle's off-road prowess, however...
- Dim headlight(s)
- When tailgate is all the way up, rear wiper comes on
- Rear tailgate needs new struts
- iPhone randomly disconnects from new stereo
- Heat soak, heat soak, heat soakheatsoak heatsoakheatsoak!!!1!
MuckSavage
Adventurer
Chris,
I really dig the look of your XJ. the monochrome look rules! Glad everything worked out well on the weekend trip & thanks again for sharing those pics!
-Muck
I really dig the look of your XJ. the monochrome look rules! Glad everything worked out well on the weekend trip & thanks again for sharing those pics!
-Muck
cshontz
Supporting Sponsor
Jensen JHD1620B
Over the holidays, I got a new stereo head unit for my Jeep. It's the Jensen Heavy Duty JHD1620B, and it caught my eye in the Crutchfield catalog for the following reasons:
Sounds like a great choice for an overlander, right? So I bought it sight unseen. I'm not an audiophile, so I basically just needed it to produce good sound through my standard OE speakers, and the fact that it interfaced with, and charged my iPhone was my biggest criteria. The brand Jensen might not have been my first choice, but I was more concerned with specs and features.
As an aside, I dislike the appearance of pretty much every aftermarket head unit out there. They're all designed to draw the eye, with a lot of glitz and shiny plastic. Not only does this not interest me, it deters me. I want my stereo to be bland, to look as OE as possible, and to be feature-rich and function brilliantly. Too much to ask for? It would seem. The selection on the wall at Best Buy would indicate that I represent a minority, but I doubt I'm alone in my preferences.
So I got this thing and had to splice together a wiring harness for it. Not a big deal, but one of my last Jeep Cherokees had a Sony that I believe had a pre-made wiring harness for it. That may be an advantage to getting a more popular brand.
It fired right up when I finally put it into the dash, and sounded great. It is a way better setup than the wired RF adapter I installed years ago, which is outlined earlier in this thread. That setup charged my 5th gen iPod, but wasn't able to charge my iPhone 3GS. Furthermore, the sound quality is much better with a proper iPod/iPhone compatible head unit than an RF adapter, wired or otherwise. Now I control iPhone music playback directly through the head unit, as opposed to through the phone - which I'm pretty sure is how it should be.
The new setup has its cons, though:
The iPhone disconnecting randomly is the biggest problem. It usually happens when I have the heat cranked up excessively high, but it doesn't happen too often. I'm sure something is heating up in the dash causing a connection to break. I'm going to yank it out one of these days and jiggle some wires. It's almost enough for me to want to return it, but it might be remedied simply by moving some wires away from the vents in the dash. We'll see.
This particular model doesn't have a CD player. I have no need. However, the next model up does have a CD player, I believe. It does have a few auxiliary inputs, however. I plugged the one in the back into my defunct CB radio that... hasn't worked for 6 years. Whatever.
Would I recommend it? Yes, if you're like me, and you demand a utilitarian, plain-looking head unit with a decent feature set that produces good sound. I do like it over my previous setup. Otherwise, no. I'm sure there are a number of better head units for the price.
Jensen Web Site
http://www.jensenheavyduty.com/jens...-sirius-satellite-radio-ready-stereo-317.html
Crutchfield
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-MHIZutkKwDa/p_522JHD1620/Jensen-Heavy-Duty-JHD1620B.html
Over the holidays, I got a new stereo head unit for my Jeep. It's the Jensen Heavy Duty JHD1620B, and it caught my eye in the Crutchfield catalog for the following reasons:
- boasted as "heavy duty" because it is dust and vibration resistant
- iPod/iPhone compatible
- plain looking
- receives NOAA weather band
Sounds like a great choice for an overlander, right? So I bought it sight unseen. I'm not an audiophile, so I basically just needed it to produce good sound through my standard OE speakers, and the fact that it interfaced with, and charged my iPhone was my biggest criteria. The brand Jensen might not have been my first choice, but I was more concerned with specs and features.
As an aside, I dislike the appearance of pretty much every aftermarket head unit out there. They're all designed to draw the eye, with a lot of glitz and shiny plastic. Not only does this not interest me, it deters me. I want my stereo to be bland, to look as OE as possible, and to be feature-rich and function brilliantly. Too much to ask for? It would seem. The selection on the wall at Best Buy would indicate that I represent a minority, but I doubt I'm alone in my preferences.
So I got this thing and had to splice together a wiring harness for it. Not a big deal, but one of my last Jeep Cherokees had a Sony that I believe had a pre-made wiring harness for it. That may be an advantage to getting a more popular brand.
It fired right up when I finally put it into the dash, and sounded great. It is a way better setup than the wired RF adapter I installed years ago, which is outlined earlier in this thread. That setup charged my 5th gen iPod, but wasn't able to charge my iPhone 3GS. Furthermore, the sound quality is much better with a proper iPod/iPhone compatible head unit than an RF adapter, wired or otherwise. Now I control iPhone music playback directly through the head unit, as opposed to through the phone - which I'm pretty sure is how it should be.
The new setup has its cons, though:
- thick iPod/iPhone cable makes device awkward to maneuver
- iPhone disconnects randomly, usually when the heat is high
- build quality is mediocre, and "heavy duty" may be gimmick
- manually selecting iPhone song or artist slow with large library
- clock is slightly fast
The iPhone disconnecting randomly is the biggest problem. It usually happens when I have the heat cranked up excessively high, but it doesn't happen too often. I'm sure something is heating up in the dash causing a connection to break. I'm going to yank it out one of these days and jiggle some wires. It's almost enough for me to want to return it, but it might be remedied simply by moving some wires away from the vents in the dash. We'll see.
This particular model doesn't have a CD player. I have no need. However, the next model up does have a CD player, I believe. It does have a few auxiliary inputs, however. I plugged the one in the back into my defunct CB radio that... hasn't worked for 6 years. Whatever.
Would I recommend it? Yes, if you're like me, and you demand a utilitarian, plain-looking head unit with a decent feature set that produces good sound. I do like it over my previous setup. Otherwise, no. I'm sure there are a number of better head units for the price.
Jensen Web Site
http://www.jensenheavyduty.com/jens...-sirius-satellite-radio-ready-stereo-317.html
Crutchfield
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-MHIZutkKwDa/p_522JHD1620/Jensen-Heavy-Duty-JHD1620B.html
I see you need som lifgate struts. I finally ordered a pair, based on reviews from www.naxja.org. They are from www.amazon.com. They have a $5 off coupon when you buy two and free shipping. My total was like $29. I should have done this years ago. They even shoot right up when it is below zero.
Like the others I also went to sesquhenaa?? motorsports and went with Hella E-code housings. I kept my stock harness, so I went with 55/65W bulbs. It was much improved, and wasn't a lot of money.
Like the others I also went to sesquhenaa?? motorsports and went with Hella E-code housings. I kept my stock harness, so I went with 55/65W bulbs. It was much improved, and wasn't a lot of money.
Purple People Eater
Explorer
Chris, excellent info on that head unit. You're definitely not alone in wanting a plain looking radio. A couple questions...
It looks as though you control the iPhone/iPod from the device itself, and not at the the stereo unit's face. Is this the case? Because that would be preferred, and quicker. I have to select the artist and song using the dial on the faceplate of my unit and it gets tedious having to scroll down to the M's...
Also, it looks as though the unit is off-center in the dash of the Jeep. Is this because there isn't a wiring harness/fit kit available for the XJ? And how difficult was it to rig something up if so? Electronics scare me.
Your approach to building this Jeep continues to impress and serve as a model and inspiration to building my own, if you haven't noticed already.
It looks as though you control the iPhone/iPod from the device itself, and not at the the stereo unit's face. Is this the case? Because that would be preferred, and quicker. I have to select the artist and song using the dial on the faceplate of my unit and it gets tedious having to scroll down to the M's...
Also, it looks as though the unit is off-center in the dash of the Jeep. Is this because there isn't a wiring harness/fit kit available for the XJ? And how difficult was it to rig something up if so? Electronics scare me.
Your approach to building this Jeep continues to impress and serve as a model and inspiration to building my own, if you haven't noticed already.
4Rescue
Expedition Leader
That gen of XJ's has a "double DIN" space for the radio's so this SINGLE DIN head-unit has to have a piece of trim around it to make it fit the slot... I think he said he controls the I-phine WITH the head unit. I'd vastly prefer to use the Ipod/Phone as it's ALOT faster to respond and can skip over large chunks of the alphabet while searching. Bu that's just me.
I love the color-coded ARB bumper on this truck and I'd be REAL interested in seeing how the OME suspension works on it.
Cheers
DAve
I love the color-coded ARB bumper on this truck and I'd be REAL interested in seeing how the OME suspension works on it.
Cheers
DAve
Purple People Eater
Explorer
That's actually what I was trying to get across, I agree with you. Sorry if there is anything lost in translation in my post.
I like that Jensen unit, it looks good. I hate the look of my Pioneer and plan to sell and replace it.
Not to be overly technical but it's a Din-and-a-half, I believe.
I bought my head unit (Pioneer) with a USB and a headphone (AUX) jack. The AUX jack allows me to use the iPhone/iPod to select music but doesn't charge the device, the USB will but you have to select the music, then plug in...annoying.
Sorry if that's info everyone knew.
Not to be overly technical but it's a Din-and-a-half, I believe.
I bought my head unit (Pioneer) with a USB and a headphone (AUX) jack. The AUX jack allows me to use the iPhone/iPod to select music but doesn't charge the device, the USB will but you have to select the music, then plug in...annoying.
Sorry if that's info everyone knew.
cshontz
Supporting Sponsor
Thanks for the lead on the struts! I haven't looked for any yet, but now I know to check NAXJA.
Unfortunately, it doesn't allow control through the iPhone. Nor does it use the dial to peruse songs. It's all buttons, and yes, it is tedious to go through a large number of songs, artists, or albums. I suppose that would be another big con. You can hold a button down to go faster, but it's still not that fast. I don't think I'll often have the patience to get all the way to Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, or Simon & Garfunkel.
I like the fact that I can control my music selection from the head unit. It feels natural to me. But no, it is not as quick or efficient as using the iPhone itself.
It is in fact centered, and there's a faceplate / bracket thingy (which I'm sure is the technical term for it) that sizes the slot appropriately. Electronics scare me too, to some extent, but splicing in the connections on the wiring harness took about an hour while sitting at my dining room table. There were instructions, and in this case, the wires were color-coded consistently. I was extremely anal, because I only really wanted to do it once, and I wanted to avoid causing the Cherokee to go up in flames. I hate it when that happens, because my stuff is in it.
Thanks! It's really comfortable, and soaks up the terrain. I've had it for years now, and I love it. I only wish I took it off-pavement more often.