Fuelie
Greg Dalton of Ceres, California, was pretty proud when his 19-year-old nephew, Ryan, piloted his '89 YJ cleanly over the Rubicon trail. Not to take anything away from an eager young Jeeper, but with Greg's list of modifications we're betting the trail seemed a little easier than in a stocker. The 4.2L six benefits from a Howell fuel-injection conversion and the 4:1 gears in the NP231 certainly help finesse. A spring-over with Rubicon Express springs and a M.O.R.E. shackle reversal clear room for the large and in-charge 35-inch Pro Comp Xterrains. Up front, the Dana 30 axle runs an ARB Air Locker, 4.10 gears, and Warn alloy shafts, while the rear was wisely ditched in favor of a Currie high-pinion 9-inch loaded with matching 4.10 gears and a Detroit Locker. Crossover steering with rod ends, lotsa body armor, and pearly orange paint round out the package.
Mr. Big Shocks
At least we assume the shocks are big. We mean, with 13-inches of total lift ya can't just run stock shocks. Or can you? Maybe that's fodder for future tech articles. But in the meantime, check out Clint Ward's '93 Wrangler out of Palm Bay, Florida. Fresh from the mud circuit, the big lift amply clears the 38x12.50-15 Swampers mounted on 15x10 rims. We assume the axles are stock since Clint doesn't mention them, and we're gonna guess the engine is a 4.0L six since Clint says he runs an aftermarket throttle body with an Airaid intake, a Borla header, and a Borla Cat-Back exhaust. And at that lift height, the front shackle reversal and T-case slip yoke eliminator seem like good ideas to us.
Number 47,014
This '73 CJ-5 has been in the family since late 1971 when Pete Dunkel, then stationed in Okinawa, placed the order for it and began making payments. Upon coming back to the states, he picked it up in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and drove it across the country to Loring AFB in Maine. The Jeep served as a daily driver until 1978 when it became a second vehicle. Pete started the frame-off restoration in 1996 and finished in 1998. Among the more unique options Pete checked off when he ordered this Jeep are a Meyers full steel hard top, a Ramsey DCB200R-609 electric winch, a 304 V-8, and a swing-away spare tire carrier. The Jeep now resides in Westerville, Ohio, and looks even better than new.
Valley of Fire
Jeff Jorgeson of Las Vegas, Nevada, sent in a few pictures of his '03 Jeep Wrangler Sport wheeling at the Valley of Fire State Park outside of his home town. The list of modifications could fill out at least three Jeep Shots submissions. The nitty-gritty of it is a Rubicon Express 31/2-inch lift, front Dana 30 and rear Dana 44 stuffed with 4.88 gears and ARB Air Lockers, and 33x12.50 Mickey Thompson MTZs get the job done. The headlights have been converted to HIDs, there are HID driving lights on the stinger with four 55-watt rock lights inside the bumper and the frame with LED rock light strips, but that doesn't even dent the lighting list. A Cobra 75 CB Sony head unit, and Sirius Satellite Radio keep the entertainment going.
Home-built HD
The '74 CJ-5 of Ken Speltz hails from Altura, Minnesota. There's no doubt that the harsh salty winters lead Ken into swapping on a 4WD Hardware fiberglass tub and one-piece front clip. Scout Dana 44 axles stuffed with 4.88 gears and lockers spin cut 15/38.5-15 Ground Hawg tires in the rear and 10/37.50/15 Buckshot Mudders up front. A spring-over with 4-inch Skyjacker leafs clears the meats and full hydro steering steers 'em. The healthy AMC 401 V-8 lays down the power and cranks into a TH400 tranny and Dana 20 T-case mated with a heavy-duty billet aluminum 4x4 Unlimited adapter. Other features of this home-built Jeep include a custom aluminum dash, RCI seats, five-point harnesses, a six-point cage, and an RCI fuel cell.
Wrongo
Don MacKenzie opened his letter to us with, "Dear Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road." Now that doesn't make us feel all warm and fuzzy. Normally we'd just make fun of Don's Jeep in retaliation, but seeing as how the '74 CJ-5 is actually very nice, we'll share the sordid details instead. The factory 304 has been rebuilt with a 0.030-over bore, RV cam, and a Cagel vacuum-operated fuel regulator. The factory T-18 four-speed sits in front of the Dana 20 T-case, but a Currie Enterprises Dana 44 front with a Detroit Locker and 4.27 gears replaces the factory drum brake Dana 30. Out back, the stock Dana 44 remains, still wearing its 4.27 gears and enjoys twin spin via a Lock-Right locker. Oh, and a 4-inch lift clears room for 33x12.50R15 Wild Country mud tires.
Nice Scout
We guess if you've got to own the ugliest Jeep that Jeep ever made, it may as well sport a cool green paint job and nostalgic white wagon wheel rims wrapped with retread tires. And if you add on a factory AMC 304 V-8, TH400 tranny, and Dana 20 T-case, we may even admit we know you. Go the extra mile and convert the suspension to spring-over on the Dana 30 front and Dana 44 rear axles and we may just run a photo of you in a magazine. Don't believe us? Just ask Trinity, North Carolina's Travis Short. He'll vouch for us.
Sunshine State
Maybe we are easily amused, but when we get a picture of a Jeep, such as this '95 YJ, and the title of the email is "Sunshine State" while the picture is taken on an overcast and rainy day, we can't help but chuckle. Rob Boggus of St. Petersburg, Florida, bought this Jeep in stock dress, but by the time we got these pictures a few things were added. The lift consists of 21/2-inch Skyjacker springs, 11/4-inch-lift Daystar greaseable shackles and a 1-inch body lift. It all conspires to clear a set of 33x12.50 BFG ATs bolted to some Yukon shafts stuffed in the Ford Explorer-sourced rearend and Dana 30 front stuffed with a Detroit Trutrac and Alloy USA chromoly shafts.
Sideways Submission
Really, that's what we think of whenever we see a photo of a Jeep on less than three tires, but Dave Vattani of Jacksonville, Oregon, didn't provide many good photos from which to pick. Despite the less-than-horizontal stance, Dave's '61 CJ-5 is very well set up for vintage wheeling, with a '76 231-cube Buick V-6 fronting a SM420 transmission and a Dana 20 T-case. Dave claims a Dana 44 front and a Dana 60 rear on his spec sheet, but it sure looks like the factory Dana 25 or maybe a later Dana 30 front axle to us. But who are we to call Dave a liar? Mr. Liar Pants also runs 11-inch brakes, and a Rancho suspension, but that's about all the facts we were provided with.
Slick JK
At first glance, we thought that John Cooper, Jr's '07 Wrangler Unlimited X was shod with racing slicks. The tires are actually 35-inch Mickey Thompson ATZs bolted to the stock Dana 30 front and Dana 44 rear. A 3 1/2-inch Teraflex lift with a heavy-duty front track bar provide plenty of clearance. Since October of '06, John has racked up 104,000 miles thanks to his surveying work that often takes both John and Jeep off-road. Highrock front and rear bumpers take up guard duty, a 9,000lb-rated Warn winch gets him out of any tight spots, and some Hella off-road lights light the way for those late-night journeys.
Smiley Rock
This '05 Wrangler was shot on a trail called Smiley Rock in Arizona. Owner James Bramble of Prescott Valley, Arizona, has added a bunch of parts to make it the Jeep you see here. Currie Currectlync steering, JKS Quicker disconnects, an Advance Adapters slip yoke eliminator kit, and a 31/2-inch Rubicon Express Lift are but a few of the things underneath that you can't see here. Inside, a CB and Raptor spray-in bedliner make the cockpit more trail-friendly, while a front Fabtech bumper with Superwinch EPi9.0 wrapped with Viking synthetic rope and a rear Rock Hard 4x4 bumper and tire carrier combo hold the 33-inch BFG AT spare tire.
Old Restoration
Chuck Smith of Wesson, Missouri, completed a full frame-off restoration on this '65 CJ-5 about 10 years ago, back when aftermarket parts just weren't as available, and eBay was yet to come. The Jeep was bought new in '65, and the drivetrain was in great shape, so all that was needed was some gaskets. Like all good Jeep restorations where the Jeep isn't going to be a concourse competitor, Chuck upgraded a few things. The generator was tossed in favor of a more modern alternator, the old points got the heave-ho too and an electronic ignition was swapped in, an electronic fuel pump replaced the rubber-diaphragm-on-a-lever stock unit, and a polyethylene gas tank replaces the stock steel unit.
10-Year Time Warp
We found Bruce Coleman's '80 CJ-7 entry hidden behind Trasborg's desk dated September 1999. Bruce originally found this rotting Jeep behind a machine shop in his hometown of Rochester, New York. He purchased the Jeep for $300 in 1994! Five years later he ended up with the show-stopper you see here. We have no idea if it's still rolling on the 4-inch Trail Master lift and 3-inch body lift, or if the 35x15.50-15 Super Swamper SX tires on 15x10 American Eagle wheels still have tread left. But, we dig the '69 Chevy Hugger Orange paint with ghost flames, healthy '70 GM V-8, TH350 tranny, Dana 20 T-case, and the fact that Bruce did everything but the paint in his 2-car garage with his boys Kyle and Tyler.
CJ in Disguise
It sure looks for all the world like a military jeep, but Darren Ayles's '48 CJ-2A is all civvy under the skin. Despite the cool black-out light and bumper shackles, Darren's Jeep still runs the stock civilian 134-cube Go Devil four-banger, T-90 three-speed, and Spicer 18 T-case. The Dana 25 front and Dana 44 rear still have the stock 5.38s and offer up enough gearing to cope with the 29x10.50-15 Swamper SX tires. Darren uses the Jeep off-road around his hometown of Nashville, Michigan, including the Silver Lake sand dunes and trail runs around Yankee Springs, Michigan.
Kitchen Sink
Bruno Sbraccia has added everything but the kitchen sink to this Sicklerville, New Jersey, '85 CJ-7. Having owned it since 1985, Bruno has put it through several builds. Today it rolls on a 4-inch Skyjacker lift with a shackle reversal and 33-inch Super Swamper SSRs mounted to 15x8 aluminum wheels. A built 4.2L inline-six mated to a Hurst-shifted T-5 torque into a stock Dana 300. The stock Dana 30 front axle hosts 4.56 gears, and a Detroit Locker. Out back, the AMC 20 holds its own thanks to 4.56 gears, an ARB Air Locker, and one-piece axle shafts. Nearly two pages of other bolt-ons adorn the Jeep and it's no doubt that at least a few of them were needed to extract Bruno from the bog pictured.
Similar but Different
Lance Van Buskirk of Kenton, Ohio, may have started out with only a spring-over lift on his CJ-5, but he later added a 360 bored .060-over which was hidden under a fiberglass 4WD Hardware tub and one-piece front clip. The stock three-speed whimpers into a '70 Scout T-case and 4-inch-narrowed Dana 44 axles from the same rig. A limited slip in the rear helps in the traction department and four-wheel disc brakes bring the whoa. The engine, tranny, and T-case were lowered 4 inches to improve driveshaft angle and the rear of the frame was modified to accept a 40-gallon fuel tank. The whole shebang rolls on 38-inch Ground Hawgs on 12-inch-wide American Racing wheels.
Mud Waller
What started out as a daily driver and weekend fun runner quickly evolved into a hardcore trail toy. Funny how that happens. Mark Crosier hails from Roanoke, Virginia, and bought the '99 TJ at the request of his wife. He left the 4.0L, AX-15, and NP231 factory drivetrain alone, but has loaded the stock Dana 30 front and Dana 35 rear with 4.10 gears and a limited slip out back to better spin the 35-inch Dick Cepek Fun Country II tires mounted on 15x10 rims. A 2-inch Skyjacker suspension and a 2-inch Skyjacker body lift keep the fenders out of the rubber while this Jeep does its thing in the mud.