JDS Blog

All Topics Install & Care Tire Covers Hood & Body Graphics Jeep Culture Buying Guides Decal Ideas Offroad News Overlanding Ford Bronco
A hand lifting the paper cartridge oil filter from its housing on top of a Jeep Wrangler 3.6L Pentastar engine
Jeep Wrangler JK 3.6L Pentastar Oil Change Guide (2012 to 2018): Capacity, Filter, Interval, and the Reset
A step-by-step oil change for the 2012 to 2018 Jeep Wrangler JK 3.6L Pentastar, with the 6-quart capacity, the 5W-20 spec (5W-30 in the 2012 manual), the cartridge filter and... Read more...
Underside view of a Jeep Wrangler on a shop lift showing the rear differential cover, axle tubes, and driveshaft
Which Axles Does My Jeep Wrangler Have? Dana 30, 35, 44, and M186 to M220 Explained, and How to Identify Them
A generation-by-generation table of the factory Dana axles under every Wrangler and Gladiator, what the model numbers and ring gear sizes mean, how to read the casting and tube stamps,... Read more...
A hand on the transfer case shift lever in a Jeep Wrangler, shifting between four-wheel drive ranges
How to Use a Jeep's Four-Wheel Drive: 2H, 4H, 4L, and When to Use Each
What 2H, 4H, N, and 4L do on a Wrangler or Gladiator, the owner's manual shifting procedure and speed limits, why part-time 4WD binds on dry pavement, how Command-Trac, Rock-Trac,... Read more...
Two all-terrain tires standing side by side on a shop floor showing the difference in overall diameter
Jeep Tire Size Calculator and Comparison: Diameter, Width, Sidewall, and What Changes When You Go Bigger
Compare any two Jeep tire sizes, metric or flotation, and see the overall diameter, sidewall, circumference, revolutions per mile, speedometer error, and a fit note. Includes the formulas, a comparison... Read more...
A Jeep Wrangler Rubicon on a dirt trail with the front doors removed and the windshield folded flat onto the hood
10 Jeep Wrangler Features Every New Owner Should Know How to Use
A ten-step walk-through of the 2018 and newer Wrangler JL's signature hardware, from the removable doors and fold-down windshield to the transfer case, sway bar disconnect, Tru-Lok lockers, Off-Road+, TrailCam,... Read more...
Hands easing a black fabric spare tire cover partway off the rear-mounted spare wheel of an olive green Jeep Wrangler on a mountain trail
How to Remove a Stuck Spare Tire Cover Without Tearing It
A stuck spare tire cover almost always comes off without damage once you stop pulling on one spot. Here is the order to work in, the two tricks that do... Read more...
Lifted Jeep Wrangler aimed at a garage wall after dark showing the low beam cutoff against a marked reference line
Feds Are Rewriting Headlight Rules. Here Is What It Means for Lifted Rigs
Nothing about your headlights becomes illegal today. But lifting a rig changes the aim, and that is the part of the glare problem you can fix in your own driveway. Read more...
Lifted Jeep Wrangler on an alignment rack in an off-road shop with a technician adjusting the suspension
Why Your Lifted Jeep Drives Badly (and What a Good Shop Fixes First)
A Jeep shop that spends its days correcting other shops' lifts says a modified Wrangler or Gladiator should drive better than stock, not worse. Here are the eight things EPIC... Read more...
Printed fabric spare tire cover removed from the vehicle and washed by hand with a soft brush and soapy water on a driveway
How to Clean a Spare Tire Cover Without Fading the Print
Cold water, mild soap, a soft brush, and air drying will not hurt a printed spare tire cover. Here is what actually fades the graphics and how to deal with... Read more...
Jeep in a dark garage with headlights, light bar, and ditch lights on, showing beam placement for aiming
How to Aim Off-Road Lights: Ditch Lights, Light Bars, and Hood Glare
A light aimed wrong is worse than no light. Here is how to aim ditch lights and light bars with the 25-foot wall method, how to stop a roof bar... Read more...
Split image of a Jeep Wrangler front winch with steel cable and hook, and a green Jeep Gladiator on a rocky forest trail with a red recovery strap anchored to a tree
Kinetic Rope vs Snatch Strap vs Winch: Which Recovery, and When
A kinetic rope and a snatch strap store energy and release it. A winch never stores any. Which one you want, how to rate the whole chain, the four mistakes... Read more...
Black Jeep Wrangler TJ parked on a wet slushy road, its body panels and wheels caked in dried white road salt spray, with dirty snowbanks and bare winter trees behind
Winter Jeep Care: What Actually Protects Your Rig
Cold-weather care for a Wrangler, Gladiator, or Bronco. Road salt, undercarriage washing, frozen soft tops, seals, tire pressure, graphics, and what to carry once the temperature drops. Read more...
Yellow Jeep Gladiator parked on a rocky trail below snow-covered mountains, with the title Oil Life Reset Guide set across the right side of the image
How to Reset the Oil Change Light on a Jeep
Reset the oil change light on a Jeep Wrangler JK or JL, Gladiator, Grand Cherokee, or Cherokee. Follow the exact button and pedal steps from the owner's manual. Read more...
Technician kneeling under a blue Jeep Wrangler JL Unlimited raised on a two-post shop lift, working on the driveline with an impact tool, spare tire mounted on the tailgate
12 Jeep Parts That Tend to Fail Around 100,000 Miles
A Wrangler at 100,000 miles is not old, but a dozen parts tend to give up around that mark, and a few go long before it. What actually fails on... Read more...
Green Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited flexing over red slickrock on a desert trail, front wheel articulating off the rock, with sandstone mesas and junipers behind
When Not to Use Your Diff Lockers: 8 Situations That Break Drivetrains
A locker will take a stock rig-up line that modified trucks walk away from, and it will snap an axle if you use it in the wrong place. Eight situations... Read more...
Owner working under the open hood of a Jeep Wrangler JL in a home garage at night, with a hanging work light, rolling tool chest, and an oil filter and drain pan on a tray
DIY Jeep Maintenance: What You Can Do Yourself
What a Wrangler or Gladiator owner can genuinely service at home, with verified Jeep intervals and fluid specs, and where the DIY line really is. Read more...
Long horizontal crack running the full width of a Jeep Wrangler windshield, seen across the hood with the wiper blades parked at the base of the glass
Why Jeep Windshields Crack (and What Replacement Costs)
Wrangler windshields crack more because they stand nearly upright. Why it happens, replacement costs, ADAS recalibration, and how to protect yours. Read more...
Printable Jeep trail pre-trip inspection checklist laid out for a driveway walk-around before a trail run
The Jeep Trail Pre-Trip Inspection Checklist: Look for Change, Not Damage
Most people prep their Jeep for the trip ahead instead of the one behind them, and that gap is what strands people. A seven-stage driveway walk-around that looks for change... Read more...
Gloved hands using an insertion tool to install a tire plug in the tread of a mud-terrain off-road tire
Tire Plugs: What They Fix and What They Don't
A plug is a great temporary repair and a poor permanent one. Here's what USTMA and TIA actually say about plugging a tire, and where it can't be used. Read more...
Orange Hi-Lift jack mounted to the side of a blue Jeep Wrangler
Hi-Lift vs. Bottle Jack: Which Actually Changes a Jeep Tire?
Jeep publishes two lug torque specs: 130 ft-lb for road wheels and 59 ft-lb for the spare carrier. Plus, why a Hi-Lift is the wrong jack for a flat. Read more...
Aired-down mud-terrain tire on a Jeep Wrangler flattened into soft desert sand
Airing Down: Tire Pressure for Every Surface
What tire pressure to run on sand, rock, mud and snow, how low is too low before you unseat a bead, and what to do when you air down to... Read more...
Trail tools and a first aid pouch laid out on a Jeep tailgate under the heading What to Carry
What to Carry in Your Jeep: Tools and First Aid
What to actually carry in your Jeep on the trail. A real tool kit built around your Jeep's fasteners, a modern first aid kit, and how to store both. Read more...
Underside of a lifted Jeep on jack stands with a drain pan below the drivetrain
Jeep Transfer Case Fluid: What Jeep Actually Says
What the Wrangler JL and Gladiator JT manuals really say about transfer case fluid, why off-road is missing from that row, and how to change it. Read more...
Jeep Wrangler with a full-color printed pirate ship graphic wrap and laminate coating on the hood and fender
Which Jeep Decals Hold Up Best in All Weather? An Honest Answer
Rain is not what kills a Jeep decal. UV is. Here is how cut vinyl and printed graphics actually weather, why durability depends on the color you pick, and how... Read more...
A cactus gray four-door Ford Bronco crawling over roots and rock on a narrow, densely wooded forest trail, under a headline reading Protect the Paint, Where Vinyl Saves You on the Trail
How to Protect Your Bronco's Paint on the Trail (and Where Vinyl Saves You)
Rock rash, trail pinstriping, and mud abrasion: how each one damages Bronco paint, how to prevent them, and the panels where vinyl protection earns its keep. Read more...
A white two-door Ford Bronco parked in a suburban driveway with the hood raised while a man in a navy shirt checks the oil dipstick, a red shop rag draped over the engine bay, under a headline reading Year One, Ford Bronco Maintenance Checklist
First-Year Ford Bronco Maintenance Checklist for New Owners
The first-year maintenance checklist for a new Ford Bronco: break-in, oil and rotation intervals, seal and hinge care, post trail washing, and recall checks. Read more...
A light gray four-door Ford Bronco parked on a dirt forest trail with the front passenger door removed and resting on a mat, and roof panels and soft top pieces stacked against the rear of the vehicle
Bronco Doors and Roof Off: How the Modular System Works (and How to Protect It)
How the Ford Bronco's removable doors and roof panels actually work: removal steps, storage, weather sealing, legality, and how to protect everything while it is off. Read more...
A gray Jeep Wrangler driving on an overcast highway with text overlay reading Jeep Death Wobble Explained
What Is Jeep Death Wobble? Causes, Symptoms, and How to Actually Fix It
A real explainer on Jeep death wobble: what it actually is mechanically, the worn parts that cause it, how it's diagnosed and fixed, and what to do if it happens... Read more...
Hands warming an old vinyl decal with a hair dryer and peeling it off a Jeep body panel with a plastic scraper, leftover adhesive residue visible on the paint
How to Remove Decals and Sticker Residue from Your Jeep (Without Damaging Paint)
The paint-safe way to remove old decals and the sticky residue they leave behind: gentle heat, patient peeling, the right adhesive remover, and the things you should never use on... Read more...
A vinyl decal lifting at the edge on a vehicle panel, showing a decal that will not stick
Why Won’t My Decal Stick? A Post-Install Troubleshooting Guide
An edge lifting or a decal that will not lay flat usually comes down to five things: surface prep, temperature, texture, pressure, or curing time. Here is how to diagnose... Read more...
Round American flag steering wheel horn-pad overlay, a laminated printed graphic, installed on a Jeep Wrangler airbag cover
Why Are Some Graphics Laminated? What the Clear Layer Actually Does
Lamination is the clear protective layer sealed over a printed graphic's ink, adding UV, abrasion, and moisture resistance. Here is what that clear layer actually does, why a printed graphic... Read more...
Factory RUBICON hood decal on a gray Jeep Wrangler with the black and red vinyl lifted and torn at one edge
Do Jeep Decals Come Off? What Reddit Says About Removal and Paint Safety
It is a common question from Jeep owners, and it shows up on r/Jeep all the time: do these decals actually come off, and if a dealer or a previous... Read more...
Protecting Custom Decals from UV Damage: 5 Proven Methods
Protecting Custom Decals from UV Damage: 5 Proven Methods
UV rays fade and crack vinyl decals faster than anything else. Learn five proven ways to protect your Jeep decals: a UV clear coat, regular washing, shade, a vinyl-safe protectant,... Read more...
Person removing a Jeep decal with heat gun without damaging paint
How to Remove Jeep Decals Without Damaging Paint: Step-by-Step Guide
Step-by-step guide to removing Jeep decals without damaging paint. Covers tools, heat application, adhesive residue removal, and how to tell when it is time to replace instead of remove. Read more...
Top Mistakes to Avoid When Installing Oracal 651 Vinyl Decals
Top Mistakes to Avoid When Installing Oracal 651 Vinyl Decals
Whether you're adding a trail club sticker, decaling up your Bronco, or putting a sponsor logo on your overlanding rig, vinyl graphics are one of the most satisfying ways to... Read more...
Professionally installed hood decal on Jeep Gladiator JT
How to Install Hood Decals on Your Jeep: Professional Step-by-Step Guide
Learn how to install hood decals on your Jeep Wrangler or Gladiator with this professional step-by-step guide. Covers essential tools, surface preparation techniques, wet vs dry application methods, bubble removal,... Read more...
Caring for Your Jeep Decals: A Simple Guide to Long-Lasting Graphics
Caring for Your Jeep Decals: A Simple Guide to Long-Lasting Graphics
Learn how to care for your Jeep decals to maximize their lifespan. This complete maintenance guide covers weekly cleaning techniques, monthly UV protection, bubble removal, edge sealing, and seasonal care... Read more...
WWII American Flag P52 Mustang Warhawk Perforated Window Graphic
How to Install Perforated Window Graphics on Your Jeep: A Step-by-Step Guide
Ready to upgrade your Jeep with custom perforated window graphics? This step-by-step guide shows you how to install your own vinyl graphics for a professional finish, while adding privacy and... Read more...
Vinyl Decal Installation: Wet vs. Dry Application for Jeep Graphics
Vinyl Decal Installation: Wet vs. Dry Application for Jeep Graphics
Installing vinyl decals on your Jeep doesn't have to be difficult. We break down the two most popular installation methods — wet and dry — to help you choose the... Read more...