April 2009 Jeep Shots

Idaho Tree HuggerWe saw this email titled "Tree Hugger" and promptly filed it. Then, 2 years later we are going through older Jeep Shots entries and open it. We like the way they hug trees in Idaho. Jade Wickham of Hagerman, Idaho, used an 8-inch long arm Skyjacker lift kit to clear the 39.5x13.50-15LT Interco IROKs on TrailReady beadlock wheels. Dynatrac Pro Rock 60s front and rear with 5.13 gears featuring an ARB Air Locker in the front and a Detroit locker in the rear round out this monster Jeep tree hugger.

Worldwide YJThis '88 Wrangler started life in California, then moved to England, then to Omaha, Nebraska, and is now in Stuttgart, Germany where this picture was taken. Jamie Manwell has ditched the 258ci engine in favor of a 383ci Chevy V-8, NV3500 and an Atlas transfer case. A 3 1/2-inch Superlift kit with 1 1/2-inch lift greaseable shackles provides clearance for the 33x12.50R15 BFG MTs.

Double WideThere are all kinds of jokes here that we are going to try to avoid. We don't know the name of the owner, but this '98 Wrangler has been widened 13-inches. The 4.0L, AX-15, and NP231 still provide locomotion while a 4 1/2-inch Rubicon Express Long Arm suspension kit coupled with a 3-inch body lift provide clearance for the 36x15.50R15LT Mickey Thompson ATZ tires wrapped around a set of 15x12 Mickey Thompson Classic rims. Gearing is 4.56 in the front Dana 30 and rear Dana 44 that have been loaded with chromoly shafts.

Orange-JThis '05 TJ belongs to Alan Keesee of Phoenix, Arizona. Alan added a Fabtech front bumper, a Smittybilt rear bumper and Smittybilt flares to fend of rocks and keep the Impact Orange paint intact. A 3-inch lift with 32x11.50R15 tires provide enough clearance for Alan to take the Jeep just about anywhere he wants to go in the wilderness North of Phoenix.

Ol BlueThis '89 Shortbed Comanche was sent in by Dave Riem of Moreno Valley, California, and it is really clean. The interior is immaculate; there are no dents in the body, and even with 250,000 miles on the ticker he is still taking it out to explore the back country. The 4.0L is still running strong and sends power through the AX-15, NP231, and out to the stock Dana 30 front axle and Dana 35 rear. The truck even still wears 235/75R15 tires. The only changes have been a K&N drop-in air filter, new paint, and a spray-in bedliner.

High AltitudeTome Zehrbach of Lakewood, Colorado has a '08 Grand Cherokee that he actually takes off-road. With a 4-inch Superlift suspension kit and Goodyear Silent Armor 285/75R17 tires mounted on AEV Pintler wheels cap off the modifications you can see. The rear crossmember has been moved rearward 2 inches so a 33-inch spare tire fits in the stock location, and custom rear armor protects the rear bumper when dropping off ledges in Colorado and Moab.

Surefire SubmissionSheri Scavo of Sedona, Arizona, hit the trifecta with her submission. A vintage Jeep on a knarly obstacle with a Jeep chick behind the wheel is a sure-fire way to get in the magazine. The '81 CJ-7 was handed down to her from her dad and spent 24 long, hard years on pavement before she moved to Arizona and took it wheeling. It is a stock CJ with a 258 I-6, automatic transmission, and all original working gauges.

High School GraduateWe don't know much about this '58 M-38. We know that James Bowers sent in some pictures which George Atiyeh took of Geff Marlatt's Jeep. Geff hails from Yoder, Wyoming, and mainly uses the old flattie to enjoy the scenic beauty of his home state. He got the Jeep for graduating high school 34 years ago, and it got a 283 V-8 Chevy engine installed at some point. This picture is taken on Potato Salad Hill in Moab, Utah.

Rockin' SevenThe first thing we saw about this CJ is that it has a Rockwell front axle. As it turns out, Dominick Forsdick of Mooresville, Indiana, is running front and rear Rockwells with Detroit Lockers and USA 6x6 shaved oil pans. A 350 ci V-8 with a 600cfm carburetor is mated to a Turbo 400 automatic transmission and a NP205 transfer case. The monster tires are actually 44-inch tall Super Swamper Boggers wrapped around MRW beadlock wheels.

Sideways ShotsRon Harrel of Michigan sent us in a bunch of pictures from a day of wheeling in Elkhart, Indiana at the October Jeep Days at Lochmandy Motors. Like any day of wheeling in mud, you are bound to get at least a little stuck. Ron eventually did, but not before he snapped off this shot of his TJ blasting through a mud pit.

Jeepin' Trailer Mike Gordon of Vacaville, California, sent us a bunch of water crossing pictures of his '00 Wrangler towing an M416 trailer. The Jeep runs 35x12.50R15LT Interco TrXus MT tires cleared by 4-inch Currie lift springs and a 1-inch body lift. Clearance for the 32-inch tires on the trailer is thanks to a 5-inch spring-over conversion. A Banks after-cat exhaust, 4.56 gears, rear Trutrac, front Aussie locker, and Alloy USA Dana 44 axleshafts keep things moving. A rear Olympic tire carrier also holds two 5-gallon gas cans while the front bumper holds a Warn winch and a pair of Hella driving lights.