92 YJ wrangler rock crawler

[bv]

as it is today:





one of the nice things about living where i do is close access to world class off roading - the rubicon trail, fordyce trail, and many many others are within an hour or two from me. I also have a bunch of friends into crawling, I've done the rubicon and other trails with them, so after about an year of research (deciding between manx buggy, boat, or a crawler, and the infinite variations on each) I decided to make the 5th vehicle in my little fleet here a crawler. While I could tow it everywhere, I really want this thing to be streetable, regod and smogged.

Kind of hard to buy these things, they're all very individual, and how its put together is just about as important and what bits have been put on, you can get some real redneck barnyard built POS's that look great on craigslist but effectively make you waste a trip to see them.

pulled the trigger a couple weeks back on a YJ, was looking at these or a toyota, but very happy with this machine. I have lots of plans for it, and have bought a bunch of stuff for it already.

stock 6 cylinder and auto, about 100K miles. runs good. AC works!
lifted on 35" tires, 16" rims
full width axles - dana 61 (massive) in the rear, dana 44 in the front.
rear end is welded, barks a bit on the street. I will probably replace with a detroit when I gear it for bigger tires. front is open, but will be putting an ARB into it.
4.10's in both ends, tera-low 4:1 gears for 4wd and 2wd low in the transfer case, crawls nice ~ 90:1 reduction.
lotsa armour, massive skid plate underneath, bumpers, fenders, diff armour.
electronic line lockers front and rear.
nice stereo! rhino lined inside for easy hosing.

thought I'd edit this section out and add some recent pics as I 404'ed the old ones. From older to newer.

First day I had it out.














in the dunes at pismo beach, southern cali







new gearing, steering, wheels/tires/lockers

















in its natural habitat














video in action, slightly aggressive throttle work... HQ works better in utube (bigger, we were kinda drunk and filming in portrait)


so big plans for it. I've already bought a 8000 lbs winch, and air compressor, need to make a winch plate and mount for the compressor, have a 5 gallon tank thats going in too, for on board air and the soon-to-come front ARB.
have marine switch for dual batts, will be buying a beadlock kit (threw a bead the other day on it). Also needs a high-steer kit, I already have the driver side mount, but i bent the fuck out of the tie rod already.

will be chopping back the body for bigger tires. 36's probably, but I'm thinking HARD about putting 5:13's in and just going 38's or 40s, but thats putting the front axle into the danger zone a bit... the rear dana 60 is pretty much bomb proof.

will be documenting the adventure here, if I can ever get the time away from trying to keep on top of servicing, driving, and playing with 5 cars.

[DrNick]

Very nice mate! Could be put to very good use in the hills north of me!!

S

[bv]

so some updates here. I know its not strictly a performance car but who cares, I dig it.

I just decided to go and 'finish' this little beast, get it back this week with the following done to it.

Front end:
the dana 44 axle needed new seals, and was an open diff with 4:10 gears. I already have tera-low aftermarket cogs in the transfer case but decided bigger tires and still lower gears was the go, so:
- rebuilt front axle
- ARB air locker (I already had installed a compressor)
- 5:38 gears
- big fuck off knuckles
- high steer kit, all new tie rods and components
- I welded in new bump stops

rear end needed some stuff to go along with that, which turned kinda complex. I have a dana 60 rear end, or so I thought, it turns out its a Dana 61 - good cause its 100% stronger and bad because its really quite rare and people don't really make gear kits for them, they were out of an 80's 1 ton ford van with low gearing for the highway. After extensive fucking around my guy got a new carrier, had a spacer machined up and got the 5.38 gears in there, also put a lock-rite locker (like a detroit, locks under load) to replace the previously welded spider gears.

I also upgraded to a 35 spline carrier, so needed new axle shafts. Chromoly of course. The thing was indestructible before so now I think I'll snap the axle off the body before I break anything inside it.

to go along with all that goodness I also decided on 37" IROK swampers and lightweight beadlock rims.

a pic of it flexed up before the mods on the fordyce trail:






as it sits now


love these tires already... bias ply and about 3-6 psi should crawl up anything just about...



the front end d44 with new knuckles and high steer all done.



it does not fit in my garage without letting the air out of the tires or sucking down the suspension with cable straps.

[Sketchy]

Awesome

May I ask what you are doing for a gig over in the states? And how do the yokels react when confronted with a full blown aussie?

[bv]

Awesome

May I ask what you are doing for a gig over in the states? And how do the yokels react when confronted with a full blown aussie?

I have a global role with HP, who's moved me to singapore then to here.

seppos on the trail are generally cool, but occasionally you do run into the tweaker fuckwit ultra racist dickheads that give it a bad name. usually so bombed that safety goes out the window. Seen some near misses and some stupid shit, generally its a good crowd though that will help you out if you've broken something.

I just got this back from snow wheeling the other weekend, in the process of making a video... but before that with the 37's they were rubbing on the inner wheel well, so I decided to cut out the offending section, cut it back and weld it up.

Took the guards off, chopped back the metal in the front:



welded in panels of 18 gauge sheet metal:



all cleaned up and painted, this is after I got back from the trip:





I also removed the useless rear bump stops (designed for when it was spring under axle), made up some 2 inch brackets from some 3/8ths steel I had lying around (thank fuck for my bandsaw!) remounted the bump stops and moved them to the back of the spring. I was inverting the rear spings before, not a good thing, now they're bump stopped and work great, bonus I didn't have to buy bigger bumpstops.



as it sits in the garage:

[hrt5l]

This thing is awsome. What a beast.

[hrt5l]

Im surprised it fits in the garage.

[MR 1JZ]

how much steering lock do you have on the viper dude?

get a pic of the jeep flexed up on its front wheel

then wear an american flag as a cape and snort lines of cocaine off a live bald eagles beak

you will pretty much be known from captain america from there on out!


btw your jeep is fucking cool as hell...especially with the iroks and rims!

[msmola2002]

then wear an american flag as a cape

dear god you would be lynched.


they seem to be kinda precious about the flag over here...

example http://www.usflag.org/flagetiquette.html


By the way, that is some awesome redneck shit you have going on there. I endorse this event and/or product

[willsy01]

Needs more gun rack

[MR 1JZ]

dear god you would be lynched.


they seem to be kinda precious about the flag over here...

example http://www.usflag.org/flagetiquette.html


By the way, that is some awesome redneck shit you have going on there. I endorse this event and/or product

even more reason to do it

[itsnotagsr]

Awesome. How much does a toy like this cost in the US?

[Sketchy]

Needs more gun rack

On the viper

[bv]

hah funny you should say that.
I've recently bought my first gun (browning bps stalker 12 gauge) and started shooting trap on weekends... while snow camping the other weekend it was also part of the destruction of a large pumkin a mate had cultivated last year. I'd post a pic but am too scared of that other thread in off topic with the dickhead zombie apocalypse people..

those tires worked nice in the snow. 3-4psi with the front locker, I was pretty much the recovery vehicle for a couple of guys with crap tires. Winch got a work out pulling a couple of mates out as per the below... went the whole weekend and didnt take a single picture of my car!

Video of it going up a very VERY slippery and shitty mud hill at colfax, about an hour away, the bottom took a few goes to get up:



yanking a toyota mate out the other weekend:


a dark dirty hole for another toyota


one of the creek crossings


more winching (after turning around, which is fun and involves driving into and up the snowbank several times)




next will be installing a co2 tank as it takes too long to air up, outboarding the front spring perches (shackles are on an angle thanks to the bigger axle and stock perches) and flipping the u bolts. Oh, and waiting for summer to take the roof and doors off!

[Flem-Ball]

wicked

[Adrian128]

Look like a lot of fun... being a total n00b, I'd just like to ask... how much would huge tyres (tires) like those alter the overall gearing?

[Beavis]

bv have you been to Davis before? I am looking apply the the Uni there but I've never been to Davis myself. I have been to Sac though...

[bv]

Look like a lot of fun... being a total n00b, I'd just like to ask... how much would huge tyres (tires) like those alter the overall gearing?

alters it a lot. When I bought it it had 4.10 ratios on 35inch tires, was a little too fast off road and kind of in a power 'hole' on the freeway at 65mph. It's only a 3 speed auto so you already lose some ratio when compared to a manual box. I put 4:1 2WD low and 4WD low gears into the transfer case, and when I got the 37's and both axles done i went to 5:38's in the axles. Now it crawls in low nice, and sits at about 3000rpm at 70mph, a little high but seems fine. Next winter I might have to put a 350 in it with atlas and manual box, but im happy with it for now, I'm pretty much the tow vehicle for all my mates with 22RE's in toyotas.

bv have you been to Davis before? I am looking apply the the Uni there but I've never been to Davis myself. I have been to Sac though...

Yep, Davis is just down the road on the other side of Sac to me, I have a friend who lives there and commutes 40 miles each way. I skydive there. Downtown Davis is actually pretty cool, some nice food and cafes, not all strip mall shit - you've much closer to the bay area and not too far from tahoe. My preference is the other side of Sac closer to the mountains, its a little cooler in summer, although we usually have the week of 100+ degrees here too.

Pretty much doesn't make a difference, I think the whole placer county area is awesome. Tahoe + bay area + napa/sonoma + auburn means there's ALWAYS something to do if your interest is in any way outdoorsy. Riding road or mtb bike is all within reach, tons of dirt roads from graded to hard core rubicon trial etc, windy deserted tarmac roads, lots of camping spots and awesome backpacking (doing a backpacking trip this weekend). Sac drags is cheap and on every wednesday night (still need to take the viper for a pass), and thunderhill raceway is frigging epic and only a short drive away in redding. Snow in the winter at tahoe with great skiing, SFO for city shit and big concerts, north coast for fishing, yosemite 6 hrs drive away. Long hot dry summers though, and often wet/foggy winters in the valley.

[MR 1JZ]

BV ive been watching some youtube vids of Moab lately...mainly the escalator and the hottub...have you been there? Whats it like?

Got pics?

[bv]

BV ive been watching some youtube vids of Moab lately...mainly the escalator and the hottub...have you been there? Whats it like?

Got pics?

No, never been, have a couple of mates who have. I might try to make it over this coming summer if we can get enough people together, looks awesome

[bv]

Video I put together of some of the bullshit we got up to the past few months. Kind of an in-joke with my friends making it look pretty rednecky, but hey its fun.

http://vimeo.com/10767167

[MR 1JZ]

nice vid dude...the guns are hilarious

[bv]

done a bunch of work to this recently.

finally ripped open the transfer case to replace a leaky oil seal on the rear output shaft, who woulda thunk jeeps leak? an aftermarket rear housing made it a little more fun to track down a seal that works, but you can see the old and busted and new hotness here


then I decided to make up something a bit more permanent for my power tank. I've got a compressor that works great for the air lockers, but takes an ice age to fill up 37" tires, and is probably going to burn out if I keep it up. Solution: be a cheap bastard and put together a power tank setup from parts rather than paying $400 for a brand-name one. Got a 20lb co2 tank from airgas and a fixed 150psi reg from the internet, total cost $180, and now I just swap bottles for $30 when it runs out.

need to mount it somewhere, can't have 20 pound tanks just rolling around, so decided to mount it to the roll bar in the rear with a locking cage cause I equally dont want some fucking opportunistic fucker to run off with the tank when I'm running topless.

where the magic happens:


getting started knocking together the fixed portion:


my shitty welding




test fitting. Its nice and tight, you have to lever the tank in there and it doesn't rattle.


tacking up the door part



welded on hinges and attached the door




locking tabs in place, final test fit


grind it down, lick of paint, prep the car, stick to car, grind and paint and done:



before doing all this I went on a short camping trip to fordyce - one of the better known and harder trails around these parts. It was the end of May, just coming into summer, but we got snowed on pretty good.

camp:


the joop


my mates ramcharger, with 440 on 40's, in action from that weekend



my dog max in his cold weather duds

[YBS1OW]

that ram charger is the balls. nice work on the tank setup too!

[MR 1JZ]

so dude...where are the articulation shots?

im eager to see how well it flexes with the SPOA

[bv]

It's had SOA the whole time, the pics in post #3 are with it. now it has bigger tires/knuckles/steering and front/rear end work, shouldn't affect the articulation that much.

I will take some shots the next time I go out, probably on the weekend. I always end up taking pictures of everyone else's cars, and not mine

[hrt5l]

Looks like you guys have a stacks of fun. Camping looks freezing cold. cool vids too.

[bv]

so we went back to the same trail for 4th july weekend, around a month later from the snowed-on pics. No snow this time

on the trail




chevy stepside, he did good to get it over some of the sections. I'm sitting in the jeep





ramcharger and another mates toyota 4runner


my tank work




beer pond in the center console after some night wheeling


big toe going up a section called driveline

[bv]

more pics time

couple of trips recently... had the old fella and his new wife over for a few weeks, managed to get a night up the hill on a trail with dad which was nice. He used to bush bash around early mine 'encampments' in troopies but has never done any rock crawling





late july and there's still snow.


then last weekend I went on a full on two night trip onto the hard end of fordyce trail. big crowd, all day in the saddle saturday, just had to cross the river one more time to get to the camp on the other side (on the bank, more or less). I do this



went offline a bit. sunk the front end over the hood, no snorkel and it dies. The river is flowing at 300 cfm, fucking cold mountain water, I was in there about 45 mins. a few things happened:

i found out that iphones work amazingly well while a foot underwater (lid of the center console was wafting up and down with the river level) - I slapped my forehead and grabbed the phone after 20 mins and IT WAS STILL WORKING. my other htc smartphone died, but a day in a rice bag after worked.

i got winched out in the end, got home after a bunch of work under its own steam. time to tear apart again

[MR 1JZ]

holy fuck man...thats my worst fear in owning a 4WD with an 850kg kerb wieght...

is your donk fuckd?