i cancelled my subscription a little over a year ago because i was seeing the same articles in Jp as 4 wheel and offroad. 4wor always came in the mail before Jp so when i got it i had seen everthing. i figured it was either a corporate/statistical brainchild of some non 4 wheeler in a suit to sell magazines, or you guys just couldn't think of anything to write about so you took articles from the sister mag. either way, it sucked! that's what i don't want to see.

     i would like to see more junkyard stuff. more homegrown backyard stuff. i plumbed turning brakes through my proportioning valve to the front brakes. sure, it's no air locker but if i have a tire in the air i can make the one on the ground spin, i can steer without jumping out and unlocking a hub, and it was dirt cheap. i bought a 72 wagoneer for $400. now i have a 360, th400, dana 20, and got a d44 out of an old cj5 instead of a 304, quadratrac, and amc 20 on my cj7. i used the longer wag' leaf springs with only minor adjustments to the hangers. made a rear traction link out of schedule 40 and hung it from a shackle made from flatbar steel. DIRT CHEAP! not king shocks, pro rock 60's, atlas t-cases, $5000 ford 9". a lot( or most of the readers) don't have that kind of $$.

I like your mag but it should come out every mouth. I would like to see more how to's, We own Jeeps(not land Rover)we get are hands dirty The largest growth in Jeep mod's are Xj's not YJ's.,Cj's I'll tell you Why The youth are in to import cars, The offroad group is getting older. We need to take are kids and loves with us. It's not fun with 2 kinds. wife in a CJ or YJ I know I did for a little bit . My points Xj and ZJ are seeing more and more offroad And your mag is missing it big time people don't have 40G to put on mod's ! I know you have to support you ad Dept by useing products that people are tring to sale in your mag but if you don't stop the people will stop buying your mag . Your mag is starting to look like one big AD (Get back to basics please!!!) I hope that helps if you need more info just ask me

    First off, I really dig your magazine.

What I want in JP is more, wait, any zj tech!  I mean, you guys know the prices on these excellent box stock SUVs are falling by the minute, right?  That means they're much more atainable for the average joe.  People are screamin' for ZJ tech articles and how-to stuff.  I don't think many people want to see an entire magazine devoted to just one jeep model, but I am sure people would like to see some more versatility from your magazine.  I know I would.  I would like to see more down to earth, regular guy, do-it-yourself-in-a-weekend articles.  More things that an average cheap-ass like myself could tackle, and feel confident, and pennies ahead in doing so.

    What I like already is the humor.  I'm sitting here reading all these replys to your question, and I'm hearing what everyone does'nt want in the mag.  This offends him, and that offends her, and we're offended by all of it, and blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah.  People need to lighten up.  Yep, maybe the Mayhem Tour burnt some bridges and left some smoking craters, it's too late to change the past now.  It's important to learn from your mistakes and realize what not to do the next time around. Is'nt that what Jeepin' and building your own rig, and magazine for that matter, is all albout?  I laughed out loud at the Mayhem Tour, and wished to hell there was some way I could have been a part of it, but Indiana is a long way from Vegas or Sturgis. Speaking of Indiana, how about A Badlands(ATTICA, IN) trip?  It's a long way from SoCal, but if readers can travel across the country, so can you guys, right?

    Anyway, I would like to conclude with letting you guys know that I really enjoy the magazine.  The only thing better than your mag, would be two or three all jeep magazines to chose from.(No offense towards your's.)  Maybe that is where the problem lies.  It seems impossible to please everyone with a manufacturer specific magazine.  So until I see a "Grand Cherokee Off-Road Monthly" publication, I will keep reading yours.  Thanks for the education and laughs. 

             Not easily offended, and patiently awaiting ZJ tech,

             Nate

             nate_mullins@yahoo.com

I picked up a couple of copies of your rag over the last couple of years and was not totally impressed. I love to look at $50,000 rigs but I'm not going to afford one unless some rich uncle dies and leaves me some cash. 

I've built my jeep completely out of wrecking yard parts and have actually wheeled with you in it. I just finished another ground up rebuild and included 5/4 ton axles and improved the coil spring/ link setup. It should actually stay together.

Lets see some more driveway build ups and low dollar how-tos. Real life workin' man projects. When that happens, I would glad become a suscriber. Thank you.

sounds like the discovery channel. i love the discovery channel. Jp TV sounds great.  like trading spaces but trading jeeps where offroad buddies trade rigs to upgrade them in a weekend with Jp's $$ and  staffers as design consultants. while you were out... drinkin' . where your wife and the staff has that high steer conversion done by the time you get home. monster jeep, self explanatory. american jeep, a-hole dad and lazy son try to run a jeep shop. c'mon cappa, find those network dollars. maybe spike channel.  unfortunately, i don't think the networks think enough of us would watch but everybody i know has seen that chick at moab bombing down that rock with no brakes on max x, the rock crawlers on extreme machines, jason bunch on junkyard wars, and jessie james building a rockcrawler and mud machine. if you don't get the mag on tv, you're missing the boat. i like the idea of reader competitions but that would be hard to cover because it would most likely be local CA . the rest of us wouldn't be interested. if they sent a staffer to colorado with $5000 to assist a team and one to oregon with the same amountof $ and time, and met up in arizona, new mexico, texas, 'bama, florida to compete, that would be cool. especially on tv. then i could get the mag. fix somewhere other than takin' a dump LOL!

I live in Pa. & about 100 miles from the nearest leagle trail. We used to have miles & miles of free trails.

Anyway how about a artical on establishing a offroad club & how to loby for new trails.

If it all goes well you can hogtie Hazelton & ship him out here to help us lay out the new trail & break it in too.  LOL  

   Do you really want to know what I want to see?  One word Jonnyboy: G-STRING.  Even the crappiest hunk of rust and primer looks good with a hot betty sitting on the hood.

   I'M JOKING PEOPLE!  You all need to chill, relax, count to ten.   Honestly, I only read about half of this thread because it all sounds the same:

   Way too much complaining about those dream rigs that none of us can realistically dream about.  Should HGTV air shows about south compton ghetto apartments or city parks with patchy yellow grass and jungle gyms more dangerous than a Jeep recyclers yard?

   NO!  We get the 2004 dream home and back yard gardens you would like to pitch a tent and live in.  You also learn a lot.  You would get this if you could get past your envy of other peoples flashy toys.

   I LIKE the 50,000 dollar pro-shop rigs and over priced parts, it gives me something to work towards.  I also like the bang-up ghetto jobbies which I see plenty of in JP.

AND ANOTHER THING!!

   You Jeep supremesists piss me off, my baby is part chevy and I love her!  Don't hate, don't discriminate.

   A little bit of recklessness and toilet humor is VERY liberating and it doesn't make you a bad person...well, not always.

   I agree with more history, more classic Jeeps and more joe-average projects.  But that doesn't mean that you have to take anything away.  It should be bigger, better, thicker and-god willing-12 or more issues a year. 

   Please don't take offense, I just had to get this off my chest.  I apologize to anyone falsly accused bashing JP.

What about an article about wheel offset and backspacing that goes beyond the mere definitions?  Can wheel backspacing really be selected when buying wheels?  If someone wants to use increased backspacing on a lifted Jeep to increase lateral stability, how is it practically achieved when the advertisers do not even mention it?  Can anyone advise how much the offset can be altered without incurring driveability problems and increased steering component wear?  An article fully exploring the practical selection of wheel offset and backspacing, with specific examples or test results, would be very interesting.  

Fabrication contest?...very cool idea!  

   It seems to me that alot of the people who read this mag are self- centered, because most of them *** about not having the money to build a monster jeep(tube buggy or other what nots) .yeah so what most of us don't have that kind of money,but is somtimes nice to be able to read articles about really cool toys that other people spent a bunch of money on.It keeps me buying this mag, don't get me wrong if I had that kind of cash I would build one hell of a ride or have it built for me, but I don't .When I do maybe my jeep could be on the cover .

    I currently don't have a jeep, but I have had an 85 CJ,and a 95 YJ.  I still have some of the parts to the CJ and have been getting alot of ideas from the mag for some intersting build ups. I know the na sayers are chompin at the bit to write a reply to this (because of the not having a jeep thing) but it does'nt really matter. I have the heart of a jeep lover just like the rest of you and the tube frame contraptions and severly modified jeeps that you see in this mag,might be the wave of the future. We also have to remeber the past, if wasn't for the older jeeps we wouldn't be where we are today. And if it wasn't for our fore fathers who modified and customized these early jeeps where would we be?

  It's not about my jeep or your jeep or who has the biggest jeep(cotraption)it's about all jeeps ,products,supplies and equipment.       

My suggestion to you  Mr.cappa is keep on doing what you have been doing so well, pumping out a kick ass magazine that covers all the trails,produces,new and old jeeps in an even balance for a wide range of readers.

I'd really like to see a Willys/Jeep project thats directed toward a useable daily driver/weekend trail rig.  Take any model that is solid, leave the body on and change the suspension,drivetrain,electical and creature comforts. Don't get bogged down with restoration and show details,concentrate on reliability and simplicity.Over the cource of a half year to full year, show guys how to build a Jeep(CJ,wagon,truck).Use common used donor/new after market parts.Keep it under 10 Grand,thats alot of money! When it's done have a contest and give it away. After that, build a different model and use different parts. One build up could be 50/50 hiway/offroad,next one thats hiway bias.I for one am getting tired of the articles featuring single purpose high dollar vehicles and the staffs road trip adventures(nothing personal intended). Motivate the average guy to build a jeep and its all good for the future of offroading.  

a-f'in-men brother!!!!  

Right on gunman.  I spend way too much time in the political-correct workaday life.  Jeeping and JP Magazine are a few of my favorite escapes from that BS.  The mayhem tour was entertaining.  Just what I wanted to see when I wanted to be, ready for this entertained!  Was it high-brow Pulitzer-quality journalism? Of course not - but that's NOT what I expected to find, and definitely not what I bought the rag for in the first place.  Jeeping is supposed to be fun.  In my eyes - so is JP magazine.  There can be "clean" fun, but the edgy stuff is cool by me.  Is all of the content suitable for all eyes?  Probably more so than anyone with kids is willing to admit.  A quick look at popular music videos, movies, video games, even "sk8r boi" magazines, and from what I hear, a ride on a school bus and playground conversations, one would see that the magazine content that everyone is all up in arms about is pretty tame, indeed.

Some valid points have been made about the magazine's possible portrayal of all Jeepres to the non-jeeper world as punkish adolescents, and I can agree with that.  To a point.  I tend to think that a tongue-in-cheek article here and there isn't going to hurt us as a group or individuals.

As far as wanting more tech - just how many articles do you thing any editor or other contributor can write about engine swaps, fender flares, axle re-gears and the like.  It's just about all been done before.  There really isn't THAT much new under the sun that a typical home-wrencher can tackle.  I'm a bit weary of lift kit installation articles. BORING! 

Rock Racing - Keep it.  One-off tube buggies with pseudo Jeep body panels - PPTTTPPPTTTPHTP!  Trash.  The gorilla -tech (fender trimming, hammer "releiving") does not appeal to me because this stuff is so mod- and vehicle-specific it does not apply well to everyone - but it is good content for others so inclined so keep it.  (see there, muttonheads - we CAN approve of magazine content that's not "ME-SPECIFIC!")

Give me as much DIY tech, trail tips, driving technique tips, "Rebuild Your Hi-Lift Jack", Jeep Spotter Guide, Long term product reports, "Don't do this or you're an idiot" articles, and even regurgitate some beginner stuff.  How about some real hard-core XJ/ZJ/WJ mods - WITH trail reports to validate/refute the vehicle's and/or modifications' capabilities?  More trail rides, with photos.  And not the typical out-west mountains and rocks.  PUH-LEEZE!  I mean forests, mud, even snow.  How about trying to get it through the heads of everyone that a LSDs are torque BIASING  and not torque equalizing?  Get them to understand that an open diff does NOT "send all the torque to the spinning wheel" - it's sendng an equal low-level to BOTH?  Can you take a Myth-Busters approach to parts suppliers' claims of better ride, more power, better traction?

Why not develop a "Campfire Talk" section in the rear of the magazine (or center for easy removal by thos so offended) just for the off-the-wall stuff?

Tech wise:

     * A legit, emissions legal (California standards) Chevrolet Vortec V-8 swap into a TJ using Advanced Adapters products. Cover everything, radiator, motor and transmission mounts, wiring, etc.

     * Cover a Sail Cloth top replacement/retrofit. It's been awile since you've done this.

     *Try some of the various polish/scratch removing compounds offered on the market for removing scratches/polishing your plastic Jeep windows, and let us know how they perform.

Featured Vehicles:

     *Fewer rock crawlers....99% of your readers rock crawl 1% of the time.

     *Dune jumping??????? What are you thinking? There are dunes over how much of the United States?

     *More "all-a-round Jeeps", very few of your readers build/own purpose built rigs.

     *Build a "Survival/Outback" rig.  A Wagoneer, Cherokee Chief etc. and build it with the proper parts and recovery gear so it will not overheat, break, get stuck, drown in high water etc.  A vehicle that you could take across any part of the globe and be sure that it will get you from point A to point B.

     *I've said this one before......A nicely restored, or histrorically significant Jeep once in a while.

How about you borrow some Juggies and have them drive some Toyota Tercels around with the tops chopped off and roll cages soldered in, jumping over some new sapplings on some national forest?