Body And Interior
Drastic body modifications were necessary in order to accommodate the 105-inch wheelbase and 42-inch tires. The stock front fenders and hood were replaced with a Campbell Enterprises fiberglass hood with integrated fenders. Ditching the stock fenders required new turn signals, so amber Peterson LED marker lights were added to the grille. In front of the grille a Hanson Enterprise front bumper is topped with Warn SDB-160 dual-beam spot and driving lights and a trusty Warn 8274 winch wrapped in 125 feet of 3/8-inch Master-Pull Superline XD synthetic cable. Moving back, the rockers are protected by Durango 4x4 rocker guards and the rear "comp cut" corners from Blue Torch Fab allow the rear tires to be pushed all the way to the back of the Wrangler.
Moving the rear axle required the fuel tank to be relocated, so the stock tank was tossed in favor of a 15-gallon aluminum fuel cell from RCI that sits between the rear fenders. The cell feeds a Carter high-volume electric fuel pump that sits on the framerail at the rear of the Jeep which in turn feeds a Ford E-2000 pump that pushes pressurized fuel up to the 4.0L fuel rail. A full cage made by Dave protects the fuel cell, as well as the occupants. Mastercraft Rubicon seats and five point harnesses keep the people in the Jeep.
Good, Bad, And What's It For
Dave lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, smack dab between Las Cruces and Farmington, with Moab only a few extra hours away. Mud and rust aren't a concern for this Wrangler, but undercut rock ledges and huge dry waterfalls are encountered on the trails almost as often as other TJs. The extra wheelbase and width add stability to make the big climbs, but the ride height could be several inches lower and still accommodate the 42-inch Swampers. Also, even though the factory engine and tranny only have 50,000 miles on them, they have been hard miles. Turning 42s takes it toll, so Dave's next scheduled modification is to swap in a Gen III Chevy V-8 engine and matching transmission in front of the current Advance Adapters Atlas II transfer case.
Hard Facts
Vehicle: '98 Jeep Wrangler
Engine: 4.0L
Transmission: TF999
Transfer Case: Advance Adapters Atlas II
Suspension: Custom three link with coilovers (front and rear)
Axles: '79 Ford F350 Dana 60 (front and rear)
Wheels: 15x10 steel TrailReady beadlocks
Tires: 15/42-15 Super Swamper TSL
Built For: Big Rocks
Estimated Cost: $35,000
Why I Featured It
Normally I like sleepers that have trick running gear but require you to take a second look to notice it. With 42s and full-width axles that is definitely not the case with Dave's Wrangler, but it is so big-overbuilt that it is hard to resist. While coilovers and Dana 60s on a Wrangler aren't necessarily unique, they aren't commonplace either. Add a guy who throws out the parts catalog to build his own parts and you have a wolf instead of a sheep driving just another TJ.-Harry Wagner