Well, it's been a month now since we got a 3-inch lift kit and new tires for our 2004 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.

We ordered everything from the 4WheelParts store in Nashville ...which took a long time. The lift kit was setting in our foyer for weeks before the wheels arrived at the Nashville store. Then the tires took even longer for some reason.

That said, it was the best thing we ever did for the Jeep!

Here's the scoop.

But first, some before (top row) & after (bottom row) shots:

Last year, Jeep had a fun contest where they hid Jeep Travel Bugs all across the U.S. and with the aid of a GPS, you could participate in their game to win fun prizes.

This year, there's no such game (yet), but they do have an online version of Jeep geocaching that they're letting people download and play for free.

Shari B. asked about taking Jeep doors off an '04 Wrangler:

How do i get the doors off my wrangler with out tearing them up?

 

Here's how. It's pretty simple, really.

Anyone else think these are a good idea?...

They're quick & easy "vents" for your Jeep's rear windows.

Victoria and others have asked how to open the Sunrider portion of the Jeep soft top -- so you're riding around as if you have the sunroof open (rather than lowering the entire soft top on your Jeep).

This is actually something that can be done by one person alone. It only takes me about 4 minutes to do it myself. It's even quicker with 2 people!

Here are the step-by-step instructions for turning your Jeep Wrangler's soft top into a sun roof...

Jim and I own the FG 50 from Freedom Grill. We got it specifically for use with our Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.

Boy, are we glad we did.

Our Freedom Grill has actually come in handy more than we initially thought!

They call this portable propane BBQ grill "The Official Grill Of Tailgating"...

Thinking about adding a hard top to your Jeep Wrangler?

Our 1990 Jeep Wrangler (our pride & joy before we got the '04 Unlimited), was the only Wrangler we've ever had a hard top for.

We used the hard top in the winter and a bikini top in the summer.

Here are the best hard tops for Jeep Wranglers...

When you own a Jeep Wrangler, every other Jeep Wrangler owner in the world is your friend.

No kidding.

And this camaraderie is identified by something called "the Jeep Wave". It's all in good fun.

Warning:   Owning, registering, insuring, or driving a Jeep implies knowledge of and intent to abide by the following rules, regulations, and guidelines. Failure to obey the letter or spirit of the rules may result in your being ignored by other Jeep owners as you sit along the side of the road next to your stalled vehicle in a blizzard surrounded by Saturns, Yugos, and Hyundais. Source Jeep Talk

To replace the soft top on our '04 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, it would cost about $1,400 for a MOPAR replacement soft top. That's for the Jeep soft top with the Sunrider (sun roof) built in.

Our next best option would be the Bestop Sunrider Replacement Soft Top for just under $800.

If you've got a Jeep Wrangler and you need a new soft top for your Jeep, there are actually a number of replacement soft tops to choose from.

So let's take a look at what's available in terms of replacement soft tops for Jeep Wranglers...

Here's a Jeep story for you...

This actually took place many years ago. But as timeless as these 4x4 vehicles are, anybody who has owned a Jeep will recognize the excitement and sense of adventure that took place on the day a Jeep I was riding in ended up in the ocean.

Jeeps are some tough and rugged off-road machines, that's for sure!

I have to think that there's an unspoken rivalry between Jeeps and Hummers and the people who own them. It's all in good fun, of course. Or not...

Am I the only one seeing a major HUMMER/Jeep rivalry starting up here? It's not just simple competitiveness either, but a deep-rooted grudge that began when HUMMER won the right to use the seven-slat grille after a long court battle -- AM General, HUMMERs owner (GM merely owns marketing rights), was once owned by American Motors Corporation (AMC) which also owned Jeep, before being sold to Chrysler Group. Source: 2007 Hummer H3x Preview

One thing's for sure. Each thinks that its own trail-ready workhorse is the best in the land. Which one is really the best offroad vehicle though?...

Hummer vs Jeep Video (Don't miss the comments!)

Jeep vs Hummer Video (Lots of good comments, too.)

Is Hummer On The Way Out?
Now, with all this talk about Hummers being discontinued, it got me wondering what Hummer owners and Jeep owners alike might think about these recent developments.

Did you know that 4WheelParts has actual stores where you can actually walk in and look around? Yep, these brick & mortar locations are in addition to their online store.

Altogether they have nearly 50 stores located in:

• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Indiana
• North Carolina
• New Mexico
• Nevada
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Washington

We just so happen to live a couple miles from the 4WheelParts store in Nashville. We checked it out for the first time last week.

We were in the market for a lift kit, tires, and wheels for our Wrangler Unlimited.

Ever since the day we got it, Jim has been wanting to add some lift to our '04 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. Not much, just enough to give us a little breathing room offroad and allow us to put some bigger tires on the Jeep.

I guess if I had an opinion in the matter, it would be that I'm looking forward to our Jeep looking a little "beefier" and a tad less "stock". (I never thought those things would mean much to me, but I've seen so many HOT looking Jeeps... I'll admit, I'd love for ours to look that great. So I'm all for just a little "umph" in the looks department.)

Of course Jim says he's doing it mostly for the better ground clearance off-road. But we all know he's got a soft spot for beefier tires and hot wheels -- whether they ever go offroad or not!

I found my Jeep CJ on a dealer’s lot. The price was right. 

My best friend had a 1980 CJ5, metallic brown with a tan soft top.  After riding with him a few times, I had to have one of these snarling little go-anywhere machines.  It wasn’t long before I was on the hunt. 

I got a good deal because the exhaust was leaking badly and oil was pooling under the engine.  I gave it a good looking over and took a chance that I could handle the repairs.  After writing the check for $3,500 I took her home.

Jeep tours are similar to Jeep rentals, but they're different in that tours are usually highly organized and structured. There is just enough flexibility built in to a Jeep tour that enables you to enjoy some offroading while you're seeing the sights.

Depending on the Jeep tour, sometimes a professional tour guide is at the wheel of the Jeep, and you are merely a passenger. Other times, you have the option of driving the Jeep yourself. 

Did you know that you can rent Jeeps of various types at most of the national rental car companies?  However, the only nationwide rental car company that I know rents Jeep Wranglers is Dollar Rent-a-Car. They have Jeep Wranglers available in most states.

To find other car rental companies that let you rent 4x4 Jeeps that you can take offroad (or not), you'll have to dig a little deeper. Jeep rental companies are typically small, mom & pop shops. And, unless you know what to look for and where to look for them, they can be much harder to find.

So, if you're interested in renting a Jeep (for on- or offroad fun!), check the following list of Jeep rental agencies. It's organized by state...

For those times when we have the entire Jeep sunrider soft top down on our 2004 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, we use the Clover Patch Jeep Window Cover.

The reason we like this one best, of all the other Jeep window covers out there, is because the Clover Patch is an all-in-one system -- so everything stays in the Jeep! Yet it's completely out of the way and you don't even notice it's there.

We think it's one of the best inventions ever for Jeeps with removable windows. We like knowing that our Jeep windows won't be getting scratched when they're not being used. Plus, the windows are always within reach, should we need to put the soft top & windows back on in the event of sudden rain storm.

Ah, the rites of spring. There are many ways that people mark the coming of spring. For Jeepers, the best way to say spring has arrived is to go topless -- or drop the top. There's something about enjoying a breath of fresh air after a long winter.

For some of us, dropping the top is a foreign concept. If you're in a warm weather climate you may have bought your Jeep without a hardtop, much less a soft top. But for those of us in the midwest and beyond, going topless is something we often end up doing a few weeks too early.

Our friends at AllThingsJeep.com declared May 3rd a "worldwide celebration" and a day to go topless, despite whatever the weather decided to bring on that day. Thousands joined in the celebration (including yours truly). After all, there were prizes at stake!

Check out the lucky winners of the 1st Annual Go Topless Day.

An article I wrote about the pro's and con's of Jeep Wrangler Unlimiteds always been a popular one, but some who are in the market for a new or used Jeep may just be interested in a run-down of the top reasons to buy a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited -- instead of all that detail. Hence, today's post.

First The Facts...
The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (TJ) was introduced late in the 2004 model year in a Sport trim. Jeep added the Rubicon trim to the Unlimited model in 2005. And finally, the 4-door model with a longer wheelbase (JK) made its debut in 2007.

Overall, I'd say those who enjoy taking their Jeep Wranglers offroad will appreciate having even more room inside for passengers and cargo with the Unlimited model. But there's actually much more to the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited than just that...

Like most people, we take our dogs for car rides... a lot! We have for years.

Then, when Jim & I purchased our first Jeep Wrangler several years ago, we then started taking our dogs on Jeep rides (...instead of car rides).

Here's what we've learned, firsthand, about dogs riding in cars -- particularly, the safest way to travel with your dog in a car or a Jeep.

Jim and I have been to Land Between the Lakes a few times for offroading in our Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. Turkey Bay ORV Area is the Land Between The Lakes' designated area for off-highway vehicles.

If you're thinking of going to Turkey Bay soon, here are some of the best links, directions, maps and videos to help guide your offroad trip.

As I've said before, dogs love Jeeps... especially our dog Tenor, who is the world's biggest Jeep dog! And there's nothing better than a Jeep ride with your dog. We take our dog for rides in the Jeep just about every day -- year round.

But I have to say, I've never seen Jeep-related dog toys like this before...

One of my all-time favorite sites to go to for ordering Jeep stuff online is All Things Jeep.

Check it out. You won't be disappointed. Jean and Norman have a great selection of unique supplies for Jeep owners, including a terrific collection gift ideas for the Jeep lover.

I like their site better than a lot of the other Jeep sites out there because they have a lot of "retro" looking stuff, as well as classic (and classy) modern day gear and attire. Lots of unique stuff, that's for sure!

Here are my personal favorite gift ideas for the Jeeper in your life...

Okay, we all know that Jeeps are fun. right? But now they're finally marketing them as such. I mean with FUN as the main focus.

In the August 2007 issue of Cooking Light there appears a 2-page Jeep ad featuring a huge picture of the Jeep Rubicon across the center spread.

The tagline: Have fun out there. Jeep

This is Tenor. He likes Jeeps.

But it wasn't always so.

It has taken us about 2 months of "going for a ride in the car" practically every single day to get him accustomed to the unbalanced nature of riding in the back of a Jeep Wrangler. (Had we started when he was younger, it probably would have been much easier.)

Plus, since we took the back seat out, there's a lot of open space back there -- especially in a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. It has taken him some time to get used to all the twists and turns, starts and stops.

Don't worry... From day one, he's been tethered to the seatbelt with a doggie harness every time he goes for a ride in the Jeep. But still, it took him awhile to truly get comfortable riding back there.

Here are some highlights...