Okay, let me start out by saying that I believe I'm the first one to ever come up with this mod, which makes me freakin' awesome. It should work on any year Cherokee or Comanche with a functional stock rearview mirror. Total cost to make all three was just $2.49, but could run a bit higher if you don't have some of the items on hand. Set aside about three or four hours before attempting this project for drinking beer.
The first thing I had to do was drive over to Pep Boys to obtain the one part I didn't have. Note that individual XJs, MJs, and stores may vary in appearance, location, and specification, but this should be good enough to get the idea across:
Next up was figuring out exactly the components that would be required to put this together. The parts list looked like this (and you'll want the paper, too):
The first step of the installation itself was to install the clinometer needle. Note that I used 'New Car' scented trees - they had others that were only $2.39 a pack, but I decided to splurge the extra dime for top-notch accuracy:
With that out of the way, it was time to build the gauge. Essentially, you'll use the pens to modify the paper as shown below. This was easily the worst part of the whole process, because trying to write while half-drunk isn't always a walk in the park. I'm pretty happy with the end result, though:
Okay, now the next thing you're going to do is cut the gauge you just made away from the rest of the paper. Sorry I don't have a picture of this part, but I had to run back upstairs to take a leak and forgot to get one when I got back. Anyway, you can see what it looks like below - and how to use the tape to attach it to the bottom of the mirror:
Congratulations! You've now made a fully-functional clinometer for $2.49, and are ready to go test it out! Here's a detail shot of the final result on my 2000 Limited - I think it's pretty factory-looking:
Now, remember that you purchased a three-pack of the pine tree air fresheners - just repeat this mod twice more and you've got no fewer than three clinometers! You can even reuse the same sheet of paper you made the gauge face from. I'd recommend attaching them to children and/or housepets when finished.
Incidentally, I'm working on a version to show pitch and yaw that tapes up to the driver's side window. Got a few bugs to work out yet, but I'll post more photos as work progresses. Might even get around to offering a few for sale if there's enough interest...
The first thing I had to do was drive over to Pep Boys to obtain the one part I didn't have. Note that individual XJs, MJs, and stores may vary in appearance, location, and specification, but this should be good enough to get the idea across:
Next up was figuring out exactly the components that would be required to put this together. The parts list looked like this (and you'll want the paper, too):
The first step of the installation itself was to install the clinometer needle. Note that I used 'New Car' scented trees - they had others that were only $2.39 a pack, but I decided to splurge the extra dime for top-notch accuracy:
With that out of the way, it was time to build the gauge. Essentially, you'll use the pens to modify the paper as shown below. This was easily the worst part of the whole process, because trying to write while half-drunk isn't always a walk in the park. I'm pretty happy with the end result, though:
Okay, now the next thing you're going to do is cut the gauge you just made away from the rest of the paper. Sorry I don't have a picture of this part, but I had to run back upstairs to take a leak and forgot to get one when I got back. Anyway, you can see what it looks like below - and how to use the tape to attach it to the bottom of the mirror:
Congratulations! You've now made a fully-functional clinometer for $2.49, and are ready to go test it out! Here's a detail shot of the final result on my 2000 Limited - I think it's pretty factory-looking:
Now, remember that you purchased a three-pack of the pine tree air fresheners - just repeat this mod twice more and you've got no fewer than three clinometers! You can even reuse the same sheet of paper you made the gauge face from. I'd recommend attaching them to children and/or housepets when finished.
Incidentally, I'm working on a version to show pitch and yaw that tapes up to the driver's side window. Got a few bugs to work out yet, but I'll post more photos as work progresses. Might even get around to offering a few for sale if there's enough interest...
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