Wheels And Tires
It must be hard to have a few sets of rims and tires to choose from. Should we go with the 39.5x13.50-17 Krawlers partially filled with water on OMF 17x9 bead locks or the 37x12.50-17 Krawlers on polished Walker Evans 17x9 bead locks? Decisions, decisions. Heavy rocks dictate the use of the bigger meats for extra clearance. The partially water-filled tires effectively lower the center of gravity of Larry's Jeep and improve traction.
Good, Bad & What's It For?
The drivetrain on this rig is stout from the Atlas to the 60s. It was built not to break. For a daily driver it's a bit rough, but a bit stiffer suspension is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as it flexes on the trail. Like many spring-over Jeeps, Larry's YJ sits rather tall, but the water-weighted 39.5-inch Krawlers help keep the Jeep stable. While this may be cool on the rocks, it's harder on the drivetrain components and downright scary on the street. The aluminum skidplate coated in stainless is a cool idea, but another option that Larry may explore is Delrin. Delrin is a hard, lightweight, slick plastic that would allow the Jeep to slide over rocks easier.
What We Think
It's hard to stop staring at those Rock Jock 60s. When we shot the Jeep it was only running 37s, but the drivetrain could easily handle pretty much any tire on the market. We are just waiting for the stock motor to die so Larry can sling a new LS-1 in there. And Larry, stick with some version of a manual tranny, would ya?
Transfer Case:Atlas II with 4.3:1 low
Suspension:Spring-over with a combination of lift springs
Axles:Currie aluminum Rock Jock 60s (front and rear)
Wheels:Polished Walker Evans 17x9 bead locks (for the 37s), OMF 17x9 bead locks (for the 39.5s)
Tires:37x12.50-17 BFGoodrich Krawlers (for camping), 39.5x13.50-17 BFGoodrich Krawlers (for Johnson Valley rocks)
Built For:Family four-wheeling, camping and weekend trail runs