Jeeptoberfest Strum Wisconsin - Hill Climbing Muck And Mayhem

When we got the invite for Jeeptoberfest in Strum, Wisconsin, we were on the fence.

It came in the middle of a cross-country circumnavigation and we were half-way to not going. But, we were going to be an hour away, there was going to be some good mud bogging and a bunch of hill-climbing CJs and we were in.

When you think "Wisconsin", extreme wheeling is not what comes to mind. Cheese, sure. People whose only thing to do during the 10-month long winter is drink, sure. And of course, who can forget the fact that there is an entire state of people who voluntarily live where the temperature not only doesn't break freezing for months at a time, but they think zero degrees is a heat wave.

But, the thought of a bunch of resurrected CJs brought back to life only to go out and get thrashed-on was enough to get us out for a day. Then, of course, we got out there at 7 a.m. to a misty, overcast, 19-degree morning and we were having second thoughts. But, at the end of the day, we got to see about 45 Jeeps and near 100 people just out and having a blast with their Jeeps. All in all, we had a great time at the first annual Jeeptoberfest put on by Max-Bilt and look forward to next year's event.

Phil Norvold of Eau Claire,...        read full caption Phil Norvold of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, shows us how to navigate one of the smaller mud holes of the day. The '72 304ci V-8 in this '79 CJ-7 was frequently throttle-down throughout the day. A four-speed SR4 is coupled to a Dana 300 which sends power out to a Dana 30 front axle and an AMC 20 rear end with welded spider gears. The 35-inch Super Swamper Thornbirds wrapped around some aluminum American Racing wheels made short work of the mud and dirt. This Jeep was built in three weeks from the ground up and it wasn't without some bugs, but when it was on, it worked great.	We still swear that Paul Alf...        read full caption We still swear that Paul Alf of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, had more than a stock AMC 304 in this '79 CJ-5. Sure, it got headers with glasspacks, but that's it. Paul put his 33-inch Swampers to work all day long by powering up every hill. Maybe lightweight is the answer. The fiberglass tub and front clip were enough to get the power to weight ratio into the range of a rocket, or maybe it was the Power Lock in the front axle or the Detroit in the rear axle, but whatever it is, this seems like a Jeep that would give the $80,000 sandrails out on the dunes a run for their money.	This event had the biggest...        read full caption This event had the biggest AMC-era CJ turnout we've seen since the advent of the TJ. Our first clue we were in for a lot of CJ-whipping was this '83 CJ-7 owned by Mark Kittleson of Westfield, Wisconsin, and it doesn't look much different from the day it rolled off the factory floor. However, he paid only $1,200 dollars for what he calls a "rust bucket", then added an $80 dollar Tractor Supply Company paint job, and 30x9.50R15 Tread Wright retread tires. The rest of the Jeep reads like a factory spec sheet including a 4.2L inline-six, T-176 transmission, Dana 300, Dana 30 front axle, and AMC 20 rear (still sporting the 2.72 gears).
Heather Eslinger of Eau Claire,...        read full caption Heather Eslinger of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, did about 90-percent of the restoration of this '80 CJ-7 herself, including welding in new floor pans and a complete tune-up. This matte black Jeep still sports the inline-six, T4, Dana 300, Dana 30 front axle, and AMC 20 rear axle with one-piece axleshafts. A 21/2-inch Old Man Emu lift provides clearance for the 32-inch Widetrack Radial Baja tires, and welding in a new exhaust are just some of the things Heather worked on this Jeep.	This '01 Cherokee wasn't afraid...        read full caption This '01 Cherokee wasn't afraid of anything. Steve Girard of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, added 3.55 gears and Lock-Rite to the front Dana 30 and 8.25 rear axles. A 3-inch Pro Comp lift with Bushwacker flares provides the clearance for the 33x12.50R15 Goodyear Wrangler MT/Rs wrapped around 15x9 Teflon-coated American Racing wheels. The inline-six received a cold air intake, but otherwise the rest of the drivetrain was left alone.	If throttle-down climbs weren't...        read full caption If throttle-down climbs weren't enough, someone thought to put some logs across the trail which made for some interesting throttle-happy action. Most of the driver's, however, were also driving their Jeeps home, and opted for a more refined climb. A combination of patience, driving skill, and Mickey Thompson MTZs got this '97 TJ up the chute with no major drama.
Sometimes it doesn't matter...        read full caption Sometimes it doesn't matter how much time and effort you put into your Jeep, it just doesn't want to go. This yellow '82 CJ-7 is a fine looking specimen of the AMC-era CJs. With a ton of cancer removal in the body, a custom bed-lined interior, and bright yellow paint, it sure looked the part. The 4.56 gears, rear Detroit Locker and Summers Brothers axles in the rear AMC20, and 33x12.50R15 Mickey Thompson MTZ tires make it look that much more ready to go. However, the Rochester-topped 4.2L had issues starting and running all day long.	Kurtis Brown of Eau Claire,...        read full caption Kurtis Brown of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, had just flipped his '79 CJ-7 the day before. We never did the get the entire story, but he got his 400ci-powered Jeep back on its wheels and brought it out in time to show us how they wheel '80s-era sedans in Wisconsin. A Dana 44 front with ARB Air Locker, Ford 9-inch rear with a spool might not sound like the beefiest drivetrain, but Kurtis beats on it and its proven reliable so far.	Richard Dimpfel of Eau Claire,...        read full caption Richard Dimpfel of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, is a self-proclaimed rock-nut. His '89 Comanche shed its bed long ago, and often the doors come off of it for visibility and convenience on the trail. The inline-six still provides power and an NP231 sends it out to the front Dana 30 with a lunchbox locker and rear Dana 44 with a spool. Both axles benefitted from 4.88 gears that help to turn the 35x12.5R15 mud tires on AR767 rims.
Here is another one of those...        read full caption Here is another one of those Jeeps that went anywhere it wanted all day long. The lack of a full cage didn't deter either the driver or the passenger from anything all day long. This two-tone Kaiser-era CJ-5 still has the under-seat gas tank, optional fenderwell-mounted roll cage, and 225ci V-6.	This was Kyle Eslinger's first...        read full caption This was Kyle Eslinger's first time out in his '85 CJ-7. This Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, resident's Jeep was a father-son project with even the bright orange paint being done at home. Kyle estimates that a 6-inch lift was in place on the Jeep when he bought it and that provides plenty of space for the 31-inch tires. Scout-sourced front and rear Dana 44s with 4.56 gears are the only other swapped-in parts on the Jeep.	There were some newer Jeeps...        read full caption There were some newer Jeeps around too, such as this TJ attempting one of the steeper hills. A majority of the day was either loose dirt hill climbs or mud. Some of the hill climbs were straight up, and more than a few of them had obstacles in the middle. Some swapped-in mud tires are about the only modification to this Patriot Blue TJ, and that not only makes it more stable on some of the hills but makes for more of a challenge (read: more fun) trying to get up.
When we first saw Bob Leland's...        read full caption When we first saw Bob Leland's '04 Wrangler we thought it was a pretty nice Jeep, the dents on the hood notwithstanding. What we couldn't figure out was how he could be so nonchalant about the bent-up hood. The other issue was we'd never quite seen a hood mangled quite like this. This Rubicon was the recipient of 6 inches of lift, heavy-duty front and rear bumpers, and 35-inch Mickey Thompson MTZs that make an already capable Jeep even more so. But what really makes this noteworthy is that the dents in the hood were almost recreated on this hill climb, the Currie rear bumper saved him.	This CJ-5 was a late-comer...        read full caption This CJ-5 was a late-comer to the Jeepfest, but was a lot of fun to watch it tackle hills. Paddle tires out back, a healthy V-8, and some old-school sand tires on the front made short work of every hill around.	There really is a '67 Jeepster...        read full caption There really is a '67 Jeepster in there. We had gotten info that if you stay to one side of the mud pit which went through this high grass it wasn't too deep. Adam Schultz was the first one to try the mud pit, in his relatively stock Jeepster. With no lift, a 225ci V-6, T-14, Dana 20, Dana 27 front axle and a Dana 30 rear axle, he might have bitten off more than his Jeep could chew, even by staying in the "shallow part" of the pit. The only departure from stock was the N78 Buckshot Mudders, and they weren't quite enough to pull through the 3-foot-deep pit.
At the other end of the spectrum...        read full caption At the other end of the spectrum is this creation. We never did manage to get the owner's name though, because he was all over every obstacle that day. From the longest, steepest hill climb to mud-running to pulling other stuck Jeeps off of things, this thing did it all. Whether it was the Super Swamper Boggers, front and rear lockers, or the hammer-down driving that did it, this Jeep buggy was everywhere. A bunch of tube was added to a cut down, hacked up body and some air-shocks on a custom link-style suspension, and full-hydro steering were slung underneath to all make for a very off-road capable rig.