Posted 08 June 2008 - 10:17 AM
Hi. Shoulda done this before. Introduce myself that is. Got going on making replies and forgot my manners. So here it is. New here since a few days ago. Actually was a member a while back but computer info was wiped and lost information regarding user name and login so rejoined. Another sad but true tale, backup, backup, backup. You'd think at my age and experience I'd know better.
So some particulars. My wife and I currently own two Jeeps. First is 92 Cherokee with 232,000 plus miles. Second is 06 GC with 15,000 plus miles. Previous Jeep was a 75 Wagoneer, since departed. All of the Jeeps were purchased new. We don't do off-roading for fun and games because we live off-road. Our house is in the Virginia Blue Ridge foot hills at about 2,000 feet elevation. Other hills around us are up to 3,500 feet with some at lower elevations. All-in-all we're in a very rural setting. Nearest store is 8 miles (can buy staples if needed), town is 12 and nearest neighbor is about 1/2 mile. Drive is about 1 mile long with two neighbors before our place which is at the top of the ridge. Winters have much snow and ice. Snow not a bother ice is. We have Jeeps to navigate the icy, snowy andmuddy roads and get us in and out of here. Need to keep them running and able. Thanks for the tips so far. Old Jeep will need more care than new, but will seek assistance before I attempt anything I don't know about.
Potential tip for others: In driving icy roads up hill both ways (truly not an old fudge's tale, the road dips and curves in both directions), I have found out one thing about tires and tire chains. I ran M&S Michelins on the 92 for 12 years. They give great mileage, but I needed tire chains, both front and rear to make it up the road in the icy times. A couple of years ago it needed new tires and I thought "screw the French" they didn't support the US when we went after Saddam, why should I support them. So I bought some Cooper tires. Discoverer AST to be exact. Put them on in November 2005. We had much ice that winter. Came in mid-December and left in mid-March. Did not need chains one time to navigate road. Did not use chains any winter since either. Makes a difference for an old man not wanting to crawl under and around on the ground with snow and ice to lie on. What I have learned is the rubber compound in the Coopers is softer than the Michelin's. That said, if you want longevity out of your tires opt for harder rubber, if you need the grip on ice and wet roads opt for softer rubber. The downside is that the Cooper Discoverer AST tires will not last the 50,000 to 75,000 miles the harder Michelin's did; however, I am going to try an in between compound next winter, still Cooper's though. "Screw the French" they'll be there the next time they need us to bail them out. Besides, I make my own wine from wild fox grapes and wild elderberries I find growing on the mountain, don't need them for that either.
Help
BustedKnuckl, on Apr 4 2008, 09:55 PM, said:
Next on the list of things to do should be come out and play with us & get it dirty! 
Posted 25 April 2008 - 09:56 AM
, hope nothing breaks!!!! 
Look forward to seeing you around. 
