Hi SSTJ,
I've recently bought my first Jeep Wrangler ever about 7 months ago. I LOVE IT. It's beautiful, and I've been wanting one since I was a kid but somehow life got in the way and it never happened. I (my wife, more specifically) found a 2001, 4.0 sport TJ for sale only 20 miles from town and it was, and is, in GREAT shape. It has 240k miles, a clean Carfax and zero rust. The previous 2 owners took really good care of it and I intend on keeping it, literally, for the rest of my life. With all that being said, I soon realized that I need to know how to work on this vehicle personally as much as possible in order to make the longevity a real possibility. Even if I could spend the money on having a professional take care of it, I know nobody will baby it the way it needs to be taken care of like the owner will. Of course I will need to call on a mechanic from time to time, I have almost zero experience or knowledge of working on vehicles. Tire changes, battery changes, alternators, serpentine belts, and brake pads and rotors is the extent of my experience. However, I am not daunted and am really excited to learn how to work on this Jeep. I've replaced the belt, brakes (rear drums were quite a lesson), tires and front soft brake lines on this Jeep and I want to continue to replace parts that should have been done so already. When I got it, everything was problably the original part(s), including the rotors and brake pads (yikes!). When I changed the brakes, the front driver's side was the ONLY brake with any pad left at all. I don't understand how the guy was driving the thing like that, it felt very unsafe and after I got the Jeep home I changed them before leaving the driveway again. I had no idea they could be that bad, it was grinding metal straight onto the rotors. Anyway... as far as I could tell the only items that weren't original were the aftermarket rims and tires, and an applied bed liner-type paint to the exterior, which I love, and Bed Bug interior liners. The interior needs the most love as it is all worn, dry rotted, and looking pretty rough. I will be replacing seats, consoles, dash, visors, etc... piece by piece. The reason I'm telling you all these details is that one of the most challenging things for me so far has been to find reliable information, like part numbers, maintenance and service instructions, etc... all in one place. This forum has been a god send, but I'm old school and have been looking for something tangible for a while. I've read a few reviews about the Hayne's manuals and the consensus is that they aren't worth buying except for instructions for a few tasks, so I haven't purchased one of those. Today, I stumbled upon this post that you made a few years back and you literally have compiled THE list I've been trying to find and I simply wanted to thank you. The internet is used for plenty of negative reasons and I grow tired of it quickly, but forums like this and members like you give me hope in humanity. I know that's a little extreme and cheesy, but it's true. The fact that you are willing to share your knowledge to complete strangers for free, for the sole purpose of making their journey better and easier, is noble, regardless of the topic. So, I am off to print all of these resources and draw up my short, meduim and long term maintenance and upgrade schedule for my Wrangler and thanks to you, it will be a much less frustrating task. Happy trails.
Sincerely,
Arcturus 1981
