Interactive guides, built for the driveway.
Free, no signup. 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.
NewGear Ratio Calculator
Select your vehicle and trim — factory axle ratio, transfer case low, and stock tire load automatically. Set your target tire size and get a specific gear ratio recommendation, highway RPM comparison (before and after), and crawl ratio. Covers 14 vehicles including XJ, TJ, JK, JL, 4Runner, Tacoma, Bronco, and more.
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.
NewEngine Swap Parts Checklist
Pick your engine path and get the full parts list, auto-filtered to your build. V8 swap paths are live for the JK Wrangler today — AEV-style 5.7L Hemi, 6.4L Hemi, DIY LS, MoTech LT, Bruiser LX3 — with more engines (Pentastar, stroker) and more platforms coming. Check parts off as you buy them and again as you install. Costs total live; expandable instructions and pro tips on every part. Progress saves to this device.
NewMy Garage — Maintenance Log
Add every rig you own. Log every service as you do it — date, mileage, parts used, cost, DIY or shop. The tool flags what's overdue and what's coming due based on standard intervals. Lifetime and YTD spend per vehicle. Export your garage as JSON for backup or to move to a new device. No account required — your data stays on this device.
NewWire Gauge Calculator
Pick amp draw, one-way run length, voltage, and drop tolerance — get the minimum AWG that keeps your circuit inside spec and confirms the gauge is fuse-safe. Full reference table with voltage drop per gauge, ampacity, and the formula shown. Covers winches, light bars, dual battery, and aux fuse blocks.
NewFuel & Range Planner
Enter tank size, loaded MPG, terrain type, and aux storage. The planner outputs a safe planning range with a usable-fuel reserve buffer, effective MPG by terrain, and a visual breakdown of how your fuel is allocated. Terrain factors cover pavement, dirt, sand, rock crawl, and mud.
NewTire Pressure / Airdown
Recommended starting pressures for airing down by terrain — sand, rock crawl, mud, snow, and dirt — adjusted for tire diameter and vehicle weight. Includes highway air-back-up targets and a full terrain reference table. Framed as starting points, not guarantees.
NewTrail Tool Kit Builder
Pick your build complexity (stock / mild / built) and trail distance (day / overnight / remote) and get a sized, prioritized tool list. Essential items are separated from nice- to-have, and the list notes what most people can skip. Includes a suggested packing layout by zone.
NewBuild Cost Tracker
Log purchases, tag each to a build phase, and track total invested, estimated resale impact, and remaining budget. Phase-by-phase breakdown chart, CSV export, and delete per entry. Data saves in your browser — no account needed.
NewWheel Offset & Backspacing Visualizer
Convert between offset (mm) and backspacing (in) and see a to-scale SVG cross-section of how the wheel sits relative to the hub — outboard poke, inboard clearance, and rub-risk flags. Compare two setups side-by-side to see how much a wheel moves in or out.
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.