Monster Jeeps Attack New Mexico

John Sumner wedged his 44-shod and cut-up Scrambler nicely in this water-carved hole. Later in the day, he was rewarded with a broken axle and even a rollover just as it started to rain. Lucky guy.

It looked like a dead end to us, but Casey Groth drove his 125-inch-wheelbased CJ-7 right up this gully. Since the feature story ("Big Bird," Sept. '02), Casey has added rear steering and ditched the front leaf springs in favor of a link and coil suspension.

At a whopping 128 inches, David Yackley of Texas Auto Gear has the longest-wheelbased '93 Wrangler we've ever seen. The frame was built from 2x3 tubing, and National leaf springs were put on top of the shaved Rockwell 2 ½-ton front axle. The rear suspension is a custom link setup using Grand Cherokee rear coils attached to another shaved 2 ½-ton axle. A TBI GM small-block spins a TH350 and WMS-adapted NP203 and Dana 300 doubler. All of this rests on 44-inch Swampers directed by a full hydro steering system.

Jan. '02 cover boy Ed Hoffman made some changes to his Scrambler since his shining moment in Jp ("Budget-Built Big Jeep"). Ed's Jeep now swings home-built link suspension at front and rear as well as rear steering. An Atlas transfer case replaced the NP205 and a TH400 fit in where the SM465 was.

Paul Hanks of PT Welding and Fabricating probably finds all kinds of time to work on his own stuff, judging by the stance of his '72 CJ-6. A swapped-in GM Vortec V-8 with Howell injection and an LT1 cam sit under the hood. In the middle is a TH350 hooked to an Atlas 4.3 that then spins 2 ½-ton Rockwell axles with welded diffs and 6.72 gears at the ends. The Jeep is suspended and lengthened to a 123-inch wheelbase with custom three-links at front and rear that were built at his shop. With a little fender trimming, Paul fit in the required 44-inch Swampers.

Mike Green's '85 CJ-7 has an interesting combo of new and old parts. The engine is '97 Jeep 4.0L placed in front of a 999 slush box, which spins a Klune underdrive and a Dana 300 transfer case. The axles are from a '69 Kaiser M-715. The front Dana 60 and rear Dana 70 feature custom 35-spline shafts that replaced the weak stock stuff. Detroits and 5.87 gears are found inside the pigs. Up front you'll find a home-built link suspension using stock TJ coils, and out back there's a spring-under with 6-inch lift springs. Add this to the 110-inch wheelbase and trimmed fenders, and you have room for 44-inch Swampers on Stockton wheels.

Steven Turney's '87 Wranger was running comparatively smallish-looking 39 ½-inch Swampers on Hummer wheels, which were cleared by a 6-inch-lift home-built link suspension and some copious fender trimming. Under the hood, you'll find an '00 Chevy Vortec V-6 stabbed into a 4L60E tranny and Dana 300 transfer case with 4:1 gears. The frontend is a Dana 60 from an '80 Dodge 1-ton, and the rear is a Dana 70 from an '87 Ford. The rear axle is welded, and the front has a Lock-Rite locker. Both axles spin 6.17 gears.

If you run your own fab shop like David Hagan does with his company, Davco, then you could build a full tube chassis with link suspension and King coil-overs on your '87 Wrangler. You probably wouldn't stop at the 5.86-geared Dana 60 front and rear-steering Dana 70 axles. Just maybe the NP205 to NP203 doubler attached to the 700-R4 tranny would be enough gearing for your Ram Jet 350 engine. If it wasn't, then you could still use the Jeep and its 44-inch Swampers mounted on MRT wheels with Davco bead lock rings to churn up your neighbor's flower garden.

Local boy and Frank Sinatra look-alike Harold Off from Off Again Off Road brought out his "little" violated (bobbed) Scrambler. It's powered by a '79 AMC 401 with Holley Pro-Jection. This is attached to a 904 auto and a 3.8 Atlas transfer case. Up front you'll find a WMS Dana 60 axle, and in back there's a Currie Ford 9-inch. Both axles run 4.11 gears and Detroit lockers. A Black Diamond XCL kit and a 1-inch body lift provide clearance for the 37-inch Mickey Thompson Baja Claws on 15-inch Bart wheels.