Coverboy Shawn Brown nailed the throttle in his '77 CJ-5 on this ledge climb, and we don't know how the mostly stock drivetrain stayed together. There's a 304 engine, T-18 tranny, and a Dana 20 T-case with Tera Low kit. The Dana 30 front and Model 20 rear benefit from alloy axleshafts, 4.56 gears, and Lock-Rite lockers. The wheelbase has been stretched to 104 inches thanks to a four-link and coil rear suspension.
Welcome to backyard wheeling. No, we're not saying that everyone in Texas has so much land that they can sport their own off-road park. We're talking about the continuation of Jp's burgeoning trend toward covering the cool wheeling spots near your hometown. We like the fact that we're getting invitations from all over the country to come hang out with fellow wheelers in their backyard playgrounds. It gives us a chance to bring our cameras and show the rest of the world the types of vehicles and terrain that dominate out-of-the-way areas. After all, there are only so many times we can show you Moab's Potato Salad Hill and Truckhaven's silty hill climbs.
For our latest excursion, we called up Matt Hodges of West Texas Off Road to see if he could whip together some buddies for a weekend wheeling trip -- Texas style. On short notice, Hodges had a group of friends assembled raring to go hit the trails of San Angelo, Texas. When you look at a map, San Angelo looks to be nearly dead center in the heart of Texas. And judging from the barbeque they serve, the large areas of open land available for wheeling, and the size of the cowboy hats, its geographic location is keeping with the state's spirit.
If you've got a cool place to wheel and a bunch of friends with Jeeps, give us a shout. Tell us about what your trails are like and about the Jeeps that tackle them. We may grab our camera gear, hop a plane, and come check it out.
Let us know by e-mailing john.cappa@primedia.com, christian.hazel@primedia.com, or pete.trasborg@primedia.com with "Backyard Wheeling" in the subject line. Or send us a snail mail to Backyard Wheeling, Jp Magazine, 6420 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048.
Playing the part of event organizer, Matt Hodges of West Texas Off Road, thrashed on the electrical system of his '91 Wrangler to make it out. An L98 Corvette 350 with TBI injection, a TH700R4 tranny, and a 4:1 Dana 300 throw massive grunt to the front and rear high-pinion Dana 60s. The axles are stuffed with 5.13 gears, ARB front, Detroit rear, and the suspension consists of a spring-over with 2-inch springs in front and a four-link rear with coils. The tires are 38.5 Baja claws on MRW bead locks steered, of course, by a Redneck Ram. | 
Scott Smith broke many of the trails outside of San Angelo in his trusty CJ-5. He's since traded up to an '03 Rubicon equipped with a 6-inch TeraFlex suspension, 35-inch MT/Rs on black 15x8 steel wheels, and a Redneck Ram steering system. Otherwise, the rig is dead nuts stock. | 
By far the youngest and, perhaps, the most elegant driver of the day was Randall Key. Key's '87 Wrangler turns an injected Chevy 350 and auto tranny with a flipped Dana 300 T-case. The Dana 30 front and Dana 35 rear are the weak links with only 4.10s, but with no lockers the open diffs help keep the shafts alive. A 4-inch Rancho suspension and 3-inch body lift move the fenders high enough for 36x13.50 Swamper Iroks on chrome wheels. |
Moments after we clicked the shutter, Rob Simmons turned his T-case output shaft and T-case tailhousing into shrapnel. The '88 YJ runs a 4.2L with a Motorcraft 2200 carburetor. The AX-15 and NP231 are stock, but the Dana 30 front and swapped-in Ford Explorer 8.8 rear run 4.56 gears with a limited slip and welded diff, respectively. The 36-inch TSLs on 15x10 black steelies proved to be a little too much for the stock output shaft, but Simmons nearly had a spare shaft and housing scrounged before the day was out. | 
Karl Westendorf made his first appearance in Jp Magazine a few years back during our Jp Mayhem event. Since then he's updated his '99 TJ with a 33-spline Superior Super 44 kit and OX locker in the rear, a Detroit Locker in the front, Poison Spyder cage, corners, rockers, tube fenders, a stinger bumper, and some OMF bead locks. The Rubicon Express long arm runs 4-inch coils and clears 35-inch Mickey Thompson Claws with a 1-inch body lift. The 231 T-case has a 4:1 Tera Low kit, but, otherwise, the five-speed and 4.0L are stock. | 
Although he owns Katemcy Rocks off-road park in central Texas, Randy Kruse brought his '76 CJ-7 and a big right foot. Closed for the hunting season, Katemcy is another Texas wheeling local we plan on visiting. Kruse's Jeep spins an AMC 360 on propane, a T-18 backed by a 4.3:1 Atlas, and '77 Wagoneer Dana 44s loaded with 4.56 gears and Detroits. A 4-inch BDS spring-under and a 2-inch body lift clear room for 36-inch Swamper SX tires. |