Homegrown Jeeps Built For Wheeling - Jeep Shots

The Standards

 Anthony Standard’s wife Maria was not only nice enough to buy him a subscription to Jp, but she also sent us this submission of his ’99 Cherokee Sport. Under the hood, you’ll find dual Optima batteries, a Spectre cold-air intake, 24-pound injectors, 62mm bored throttle body, and Brown Dog motor mounts. To give the Forest Pearl Green XJ better legs for traversing the Colorado backwoods, a 61⁄2-inch long-arm suspension was installed. Custom bumpers add protection, while a set of chromoly front axleshafts and 8.8-inch rear axle increase confidence on the trail. To spin the 33-inch BFG KM2s, Yukon 4.56 axle gears were installed. 

Metric Mike

The ’12 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon you see here belongs to Mike Rydl. The JK is equipped with a 3-inch Synergy Mfg. suspension lift and Fox shocks. The 10,000-pound winch is nestled in an ARB front bumper, while a LoD rear bumper carries the spare and accessories out back. Ace Engineering fenders, skidplates, and AEV Pintler rims with 33-inch-tall tires finish out the list of mods. Rydl states that he has over 120,000 kilometers on the JK with lots off-road time and it has never let him down. 

Out of the Pen

Brian Woolever started modifying his ’93 Cherokee in 1999 and has continued to tweak the platform over the years. The Johnston, Pennsylvania, native’s XJ is powered by the stock H.O. 4.0L engine, which is backed by the AW4 automatic transmission. An NV241 Rock-Trac transfer case was transplanted from a Rubicon Wrangler and has ‘shafts Tom Wood’s Custom Drive Shafts attached at the outputs. Up front, a high-pinion Dana 30 axle is stuffed with an Aussie Locker, while a Ford 9-inch rests outback with a Trac-Lok differential. The custom suspension is said to be around 8 inches of total lift. This is more than enough to easily clear the 36-inch bias-ply IROK tires.

Willys Restorations

The ’48 Willys CJ-2A (green) and ’48 CJ-3A belong to Glade Meredith of Show Low, Arizona. Meredith states that both Willys were restored from the ground up. This included a complete rebuild of all of the drivetrain components, as well as extensive body and frame work. The result is two immaculate rigs that look just as they did when they were new.

Army Jeeper

Duane Shaw got his wheeling bug when he was stationed in Kitzingen, Germany, over two decades ago. After returning to the States, he bought a Jeep and has been part of the off-road community ever since. Now retired from the US Army, Shaw started olskool4x4.com, an online community of wheelers that invites soldiers from Fort Bliss to go wheeling once a month. To lead the pack, Shaw uses his ’85 CJ-7. The Jeep is powered by a 4.2L inline-six engine that now runs a 4.0L head. Behind the 252ci engine is a T-5 manual transmission and Dana 300 T-case, which was upgraded with a LoMax 4:1 conversion kit. The fully locked Dana 30 front and Dana 44 rear keep things going on the trail, along with the help of 4.88 differential gears. Making room for the 35x12.50R15 Goodyear MT/R tires is a 41⁄2-inch Rubicon Express suspension lift.

Sell to Buy

Marty Keylon states that he sold his ’93 Wrangler for this ’89 YJ you see here. Gone is the original inline-six engine and in its place is a smog-legal 5.7L TBI Chevy V-8. A Howell wiring harness allows the Jeep to communicate easily, while a Griffin aluminum radiator gets help from an electric fan to keep everything cool. Other under-hood goodies include a K&N air filter and Optima RedTop battery. The 700R4 transmission is fit with a remote cooler and Hurst shifter. Behind the automatic is a twin-stick Dana 300 T-case, which feeds Dana 44 axles. Along with 4.56 gears, both axles received chromoly axleshafts and ARB Air Lockers. The custom spring-over suspension uses Rancho springs and shocks, and easily clears the 37-inch Toyo Open Country M/Ts. On-board air, a Bestop soft top, custom ’cage and rocker guards, and a Warn winch are also part of the long list of modifications.

Simple White

Ben Graham didn’t give us a lot of info on his ’03 TJ, but from the photo of the clean Wrangler, we can sum up a few parts. Protection goodies from Warn were fit up front and bolted to the rockers, while an ARB diff cover takes place of the stock cover. A long-arm suspension uses Bilstein shocks and offer ample room for the BFG KM2 tires.

Unlimited Land

Jeffery Kirland’s ’07 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon is loaded with parts to help him and his son explore the great outdoors. To turn up the power on the 3.8L engine, an Airaid intake was added, along with Screamin Demon plug wires, and a TrailDash tuner from Superchips. To handle the increased ponies more reliably, the automatic transmission was upgraded by ATS. In front of the NV241OR transfer case is an Advance Adapters RubiCrawler for even more gear reduction. The Dana 44 axles received bracing, chromoly axleshafts, and 5.38 gears. To help the JK move more effortlessly on the trail, a MetalCloak 21⁄2-inch suspension system was installed. Goodyear MT/Rs of the 35-inch variety put traction to the ground, while an assortment of armor from Poison Spyder Customs, Smittybilt, and Rock Hard 4x4 work to keep the four doors intact.

Full Frontal

Timothy J. Fruitman of Chandler, Arizona, had this photo snapped by Michael McMillen on his way down one of our favorite Moab, Utah, trails, Hell’s Revenge. The ’11 Wrangler Rubicon boasts a 31⁄2-inch American Expedition Vehicles suspension lift and 37-inch BFG Krawler tires. A GenRight front bumper holds a Superwinch Rock 98, and addditional armor from TnT Customs and Asfir 4x4 protect the JK above and below. Inside, MasterCraft Safety seats keep occupants snuggly in place. Additional axle upgrades include Yukon 5.38 differential gears and some hardware from Poly Performance.

Can ’Con

Brad Hoeg, and his ’08 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, hails from Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada. Purchased new, the Jeep is running a 21⁄2-inch Old Man Emu suspension, along with 1-inch coil spacers. It currently has 35x12.50R15 Cooper mud-terrain tires and is equipped with an assortment of skidplates from front to back. Rugged Ridge bumpers add protection, while a 10,000-pound Superwinch gives him pulling power in case he gets stuck. Hoeg states that one of the best parts about owning the Jeep is all of the close friends he’s made.

Source: http://www.fourwheeler.com/news/1508-homegrown-jeeps-built-for-wheeling-jeep-shots/