Interactive guides, built for the driveway.
Free, no signup, no ads. Use them with greasy hands. Each tool is a single page — open it on your phone and work through it while the truck's on jack stands.
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XJ DIY Database & Rig Builder
307 entries covering maintenance, suspension, axles, drivetrain, armor, recovery, wheels & tires, interior, electrical, and body work for the 1984–2001 Jeep Cherokee XJ. Browse by category, search across everything, or run the Rig Builder to get a phased build plan for your goal and budget.
For the panicked ownerDeath Wobble Survival Guide
You just had it happen at 60 mph. Take a breath. The guide walks you through emergency response (don't slam the brakes, here's what to do), a plain-English explainer, a 6-question symptom quiz, a guided driveway inspection (saves your progress in your browser), and a prioritized fix plan that adapts to what you find.
Used Vehicle BuyingCheck out our used car buying tool
Shopping for a used rig? This tool walks you through what to research before you buy — common problems by model year, what to inspect in person, how to read a Carfax, and what to negotiate on. Built for buyers who want to avoid a money pit.
JK WranglerV8 Engine Swap Planner
Planning a V8 swap into a JK Wrangler? This tool covers engine options, motor mounts, transmission compatibility, cooling, wiring, and budget — so you can plan the build before you pull the trigger.
In the workshop
Coming as the platform grows. Email me a vote on which one to ship next.
Wiring Calculator
Pick amp draw, run length, voltage drop tolerance — get back the right wire gauge. Useful for winches, light bars, dual battery, aux fuse blocks.
Gear Ratio Calculator
Tire size + use case + transmission → recommended axle gear ratio. Includes RPM-at-cruise estimates and the "you need to re-gear" verdict.
Fuel & Range Planner
Plan trail and overland fuel needs: tank capacity, mpg loaded, terrain factor, aux fuel storage. Outputs a safe planning range.
Tire Pressure / Airdown
Recommended pressures by surface (sand, rocks, mud, snow), tire size, vehicle weight. Includes the airing-back-up calculation.
Trail Tool Kit Builder
Pick your build complexity and trail distance. Get back a sized, prioritized tool list with vendor options and a packing layout.
Build Cost Tracker
Save a build over time. Tag each purchase to a phase. See total invested, expected resale impact, and what's left to budget.
Got a tool idea?
Trail Manual's tools come from real DIY workflows. If you keep running into a calculation, a checklist, or a question that doesn't have a clean answer online — that's a tool the community probably needs. Tell me about it.