Depending on what you drive, it can cost close to or over $100 to fill up at the gas station. Without a segue into an OPEC rip-off diatribe, it's becoming less and less of an issue to drop $100 on a single item. So here are some cool drivetrain parts you can put on your Jeep for under a C-note.
1. Spidertrax Wheel Spacers: $99.95Whether you're looking to keep your 5x4.5 or 5x5.5 bolt pattern or convert 5x4.5 to 5x5.5, Spidertrax sells high-quality 1.25-inch wide wheel spacers by the pair for just under $100. Use them to increase your track width by 2.5 inches or to convert over to the bigger 5x5.5 bolt pattern to match an axle swap or use your existing wheels. Contact: Spidertrax; 800/286-0898, www.spidertrax.com
2. Spicer 5-760X U-Joint: $23.99If there's a bargain in the off-road world it's the cold-forged 5-760X U-joint, which replaced the weaker hot-forged 297X U-joint when the Rubicon models appeared in 2003. We found the joint for $23.99 through 4 Wheel Drive Hardware and several other places online. Contact: 4 Wheel Drive Hardware; 800/333-5535, www.4wd.com
3. Flow Kooler 4.0l Water Pump: $99.99If there's one easy way to alleviate an overheating condition-short of replacing the entire cooling system-replacing your stock water pump with one from Flow Kooler is it. We've found one for just about every Jeep engine with the 4.0L coming in at the most expensive. Contact: 4 Wheel Drive Hardware; 800/333-5535, www.4wd.com
4. Cast Aluminum 4.0L Valve Cover: $99.99It's pretty well known that a cast aluminum valve cover is a sure fire way to prevent leaks on the older 258 inline six-cylinders. However, later '93-'04 4.0L engines received a stamped steel valve cover that can leak once they are removed and reinstalled. We found a black cast aluminum 4.0L replacement 4.0L valve cover in the Quadratec catalog under PN 51104.07. Contact: Quadratec; 800/745-5337, www.quadratec.com
5. Superlift Diff Cover Rings: $99.99Trail armor can be expensive, but a Superlift diff armor ring can bolt over your Dana 30's diff cover and keep rocks from smacking through your sheetmetal cover and biting your precious ring gear teeth. Contact: Quadratec; 800/745-5337, www.quadratec.com
6. Warn Standard Hubs: $74.95Sure, everybody automatically goes for the premium hubs, but at about half the price, the Warn standard hubs are quite a bargain for the daily driver/weekend warrior and are plenty strong for rigs with open front diffs. Contact: Discount Jeep Parts; 800/490-7921,www.discountjeepparts.com
7. Speedo Gears: $24.99We don't know how many times we get asked why a Jeep's speedometer reads slower after larger tires are installed or why it reads faster after the axles have been re-geared. Simply swapping your T-case's speedo drive gear with the proper tooth count for your application will get your speedo reading correctly again. Quadratec has a handy reference chart in its catalog and online that will help you choose the right gear for your application. Contact: Quadratec; 800/745-5337, www.quadratec.com
8. Alloy Usa Billet Tube Seals: $99.99At just a penny under $100, the tube seals from Alloy USA are a pretty good way of keeping mud, dirt, water, and other nasties out of your axletubes and away from your inner axle seals. The tubes require the removal of the inner shafts to install, so the next time you're doing some routine maintenance, look them up and pop them in. Contact: 4 Wheel Drive Hardware; 800/333-5535, www.4wd.com
9. Skyjacker TJ T-Case Shifter Bracket: $60.99Once you add a body lift, high clearance skidplate, T-case drop, or other device that moves the transfer case closer to or away from the T-case shifter mount on the floorpan, the factory shift linkage will bind. Skyjacker's T-case shifter bracket moves the shift linkage to the T-case to prevent any hard shifting or binding. The auto tranny bracket lists for $60.99, while the manual tranny bracket goes for $89.99. Contact: Quadratec; 800/745-5337, www.quadratec.com
10. K&N Drop-In Filter: $43.99At just under $44, the '97-'05 4.0L TJ drop-in panel filter was the most expensive replacement element we found for Jeeps, with applications available for virtually every modern Jeep.Contact: 4 Wheel Drive Hardware; 800/333-5535, www.4wd.com