If you’re trying to install FreeCAD on Linux via an appimage and your running into a Squashfs image uses (null) compression, this version supports only xz, zlib error on startup it’s due to a bug in AppImageLauncher. This is a known bug that’s been fixed for a few months but at the time of writing this (2025-08-04) the fix hasn’t been included in any releases yet. Read more...

At some of the larger autocross venues I go to it can be a pain to walk around on foot because of how long it takes you to get from point A to B. To get around faster people usually bring an assortment of transporation mechanisms such as bicycles, e-bikes, drift trikes, or even ATVs to get around. Read more...

Syncthing rocks. I use it to keep my notes and docs synced between my two laptops and it’s never let me down. Recently one of my laptops went kaput after an OS upgrade and I was forced to set everything up from scratch (including Syncthing). Thankfully it’s pretty easy to set up. Read more...

Helpful calculator for comparing different b-series transmissions. Allows for custom gear ratios, and tire sizes. Read more...

I’ve made it pretty far on the metal work for my XJ without a chassis table but once I finish up the driver side I’ll need to start replacing the floor and frame rails so the rear suspension needs to come out and that means the XJ won’t have any wheels. That’s gonna be a problem because every so often I need to move the XJ around to make space for other projects like repairs on my daily so a chassis table just seems like the best option. Read more...

There’s several options for transfer cases when LS swapping an XJ. Two of the more popular options are running the stock NP231 / NP242 with an adapter so it’ll mate up to the GM transmission or use a GM transfer case such as the NP241 that can be adapted to work with the XJ’s driveshafts. Read more...

I recently built a chassis table for the XJ I’m restoring and figured I’d do a brief writeup. I’ve never built a chassis table before and from researching them online I quickly learned there’s no one size fits all solution. Read more...

Another year has come and gone and the XJ remains in pieces. I truly intended on starting to fix it last time I posted about the XJ but then I impulsively bought a second XJ and it needed some work of it’s own that ended up taking me almost a year to finish. Read more...

The OEM bell housing bolts are too short for an engine stand so you’ll need to pick up some longer bolts. Every engine stand is a little different but for the HF engine stand I used: Read more...

Having just passed 215k miles, the XJ from Colorado has proven to be a reliable daily over the past few months. It did have a recent incident with the alternator intermittently failing where it’d just stop charging and the “check gauges” light would come on but that was an easy fix by swapping in the spare alternator I had laying around. Read more...