The driveshaft connects the 'glide to a Dana 60 rear axle fitted with 4.88 gears, 31-spline Dana 44 shafts from a Postal Jeep, and a disc brake conversion using Samurai calipers and rotors. Lower gears would make the Jeep even faster, but the 4.88s are Dad's way of making sure that Kaitlyn doesn't get too crazy. The larger ring and pinion of the Dana 60 were necessary to withstand the shock loads that the trans brake and paddles create, but the smallish axle shafts don't seem to have any problems holding up to abuse. An open differential is used so that if a shaft does break at the drags, it won't put the Jeep into the wall.
The front axle uses standard Dana 30 knuckles in conjunction with a CNC master cylinder and brake pedal. The Postal Jeep tubular beam axle was retained, but the knuckles were flipped to put the steering behind the axle. A Vega steering box was attached to the frame behind the axle.
Body and Interior
Most of the attention paid to the body consisted of "custom" graphics laid down over the primer paint job with a silver Sharpie pen. The body is still surprisingly straight and rust free for being 60 years old, particularly given the amount of time that it spends near the ocean. The factory gas tank was ditched when the wheelbase was stretched and replaced with a 14-gallon tank from AeroTanks and a 3-gallon tank that sits on the front bumper to keep the tires on the ground when Kaitlyn launches the Jeep.
Inside, Perks Tube Works constructed a cage from 0.120-wall, 1.75-inch tubing that connects to the chassis in six locations and also acts as the framework for the Beard Super T1 suspension seats. The rear fenders were cut to allow the seats to be mounted farther back in the tub, and DJ Safety 5-point harnesses and wrist restraints were added for safety. Atop the cage, a pair of HID lights aid the factory headlights to let Kaitlyn safely play after the sun goes down, with the only other illumination coming from the 5,500 RPM shift light on the 5-inch Auto Meter Monster Tach.
Good, Bad, and What's It For
The sand drags consist of bracket racing, where being consistent is more important than being fast. This allows Kaitlyn to be competitive without her father having to dump a ton of money into the Jeep. There is plenty of room for improvement in the future as funds become available.
Why I Featured It
Most sand "Jeeps" evolve into vehicles with independent front suspension and fiberglass bodies with air-brushed headlights. Kaitlyn's flatfender may end up like that some day, but for now it still retains the battered, vintage Jeep sheetmetal. The money that was spent went into the drivetrain and safety gear, not pretty paint or chrome widgets. That is the essence of what a Jeep is supposed to be: functional first and foremost. -Harry Wagner