Wanna go FAST! - JRT KOH Stock Mod Build

[JRTOffroad]

Well, like many of you I'm sure, I made the mistake of seeing KOH in person... leaving with one thought: 'I've got to do this!' Well, my shiny little jeep didn't look like it'd offer much competition for any one, but with the introduction of the new stock mod class my arm has been sufficiently twisted.

Luckily, I am independently wealthy so building a jeep for this should be as easy as a few quick phone calls right? HA! Yeah, not so much. Honestly, my budget is primarily based on the money I can get from selling my old parts (PM me for lightly used high quality jeep parts! ). In other words, don't expect to see any expensive new technology on this build. Rather you'll see some high quality reasonably priced parts from some of the great sponsors on Pirate4x4, but mainly a whole bunch of my own design and fab.

Big thanks to My co-dawg Case (aka fatmouse) for his help on this build and my GF Danielle for her patience and understanding!

Rough specs:
Car Number: 4580
-Engine: 5.9L Dodge Magnum (dyno'd 260rwhp & 320rwtq)
-Trans: 46RE w/ transgo reprogramming kit (upgrade to manual VB for race?)
-T-case: Stock Rubicon 241 w/ 4:1
-Front axle: Spidertrax 9 w/ 5.38's & Grizzly locker (was SD Dana 60)
-Rear axle: E350 FF Dana 60, 5.38's, Detroit Locker
-Tires: 37x12.5R17 BFG Blue Label Krawlers
-Wheels: H2's with Inner Air Lock Rings & Beadlocks
-Shocks: 2.5" 14" travel remote res FOA's
-Springs: 250/200 front, 225/175 rear
-Steering Box: Ported Astro Van w/ PSC 1.5" ram
-Radiator: 30x19" Summit aluminum
-Seats: Twisted Stitch

When she was just a young pup (doing some hardcore AL wheeling):


Here's how she sat at the beginning of this build:





Dyno Tuning Jeep Wrangler w/ 5.9 Magnum - YouTube

[JRTOffroad]

Step one, cut the front of the frame off. That's where everyone starts right?







Hood is temporary, hope to get a plastic one by race time.

You'll notice in those pics that I cut the back of the grill off, this was in an effort to save weight (hence why my jeep will look like swiss cheese at the end of this. Holes make it go faster right?) and to make room for the larger radiator. Sorry, didn't start taking many pics until this point.

I wanted a approach angle >90 degrees, and to have a strong integrated grill hoop. This was my solution. So, what to do about a steering box? No worries, scout II with a forward facing pitman arm to the rescue.

Next, was to remove and sell my old genright high lines (wanted to save some weight and get even more clearance) and build some new fenders. I also bent up some shock hoops and tied them all together:









Spring buckets gone. Originally I was going to run the FOA's as just shocks and keep my OME coils, but when in rome:

[JRTOffroad]

Steering box time. Had to remove a little tube work:



Just mocked up in it's position:



Now, a 40 year old steering box may have a LITTLE wear....



As you can see, the mounting holes were badly wallowed out. Even drilling out to 5/8" mounting bolts didn't help. Lincoln to the rescue:



Next, determined the final position and added a little frame reinforcement:







Sorry about the poor quality cell phone pic. Notice the frame notch, this is to clear the new axle at full bump.

Bolted up and new tube work in place:

[rajincajingt]

looks good.


i like the parts list

[JRTOffroad]

I lucked out on this one, I got a heck of a deal on a brand new dana 60 for a 2000's for superduty. Although many frown on unit bearings (and after the race I may too) but this is one beefy axle. One of my favorite points to the axle are the huge 3.5" diameter tubes.

Given the strength in stock form, to save weight, and give sufficient clearance for the oil pan at full bump, I decided NOT to truss it. Instead I built an upper link mount to the contour of the housing then welded and bolted it (3 5/8" bolts threaded through the housing with lock nuts on inside):









In the first pic you can see the blocks I added to locate the stock springs. These have since been removed.

True high steer would have been pricey and required extensive frame modification (beyond that I've already completed), so:





That's a 3/4" through bolt. All welding to cast was completed with pre & post heat and a slow cooling rate.

Don't have any real good pics, but I fabbed up some lower link mounts out of 3x3" 3/16" wall square tubing with washers added to reinforce the bolt mounts (same was done on the upper shown earlier).

[Xjcrawler736]

I really like where you are going with this. Nice work so far.

[JRTOffroad]

Steering links were fabbed up next. 1.25"x0.120 tubing was sleeved with some 1.5" hrew:



Ruffstuff heims 7x8" heims and threaded inserts:



A bend was required for clearance. Plan to reinforce:



Everything in position with creative track bar mount (good call Case):

[JRTOffroad]

Got a little side tracked...I was sick of drilling holes, so I ran down to the local quality tool store:



With names like Chicago, Pittsburg etc. surely these tools are all American made right??? Seriously though, I should probably try and get a sponsorship from these guys

I really only bought the kit for the dies, it was cheaper this way than individually. The setup would probably work great as intended, but having to drill a 3/4" hole would pretty much negate the time savings. So:

Get some scrap metal together:


Make some alignment pins:


Thread the upper and lower plates (7/16 fine), build some adapters to attached the 7/16 dies or 3/4 dies. Add a tube and set screw so the press would retract the upper assembly and hold everything in alignment:



Slap it in the 20T press And presto:



Works great for 1/8", but I wouldn't try any thicker. Very nice clean holes. Dimple dies aren't quite in the budget yet, but I hope to be able to use this same press with a set of conduit dimple dies eventually.

[JRTOffroad]

Time for bumpstops. Air bumps aren't in the budget, so I cannibalized the stock bumps and fabbed up some extensions so they'd land on the axles leaf spring mounts:

initial mock-up:





Then pull them off and box them in (note vertical plate is 3/16, top & bottom is 1/8")







Primed prior to install, since it'd be near impossible to get full coverage after installation. I guess this is the time to break the news to everyone....SORRY, this jeep will not be left bare metal and wiped down with wd-40 daily



Passenger side still under construction.

[hurleygo3]

Nice start. Very clean install on the 5.9.

Your not worried about that track bar mount finding a rock?

[JRTOffroad]

Originally Posted by hurleygo3

Nice start. Very clean install on the 5.9.

Your not worried about that track bar mount finding a rock?

Thanks.

Ha, yeah I sure am, but no more so than the steering. It's just barley lower than the tierod and fairly close to the passenger side tire, so it shouldn't be too vulnerable, but it will be thoroughly reinforced. Can't really tell in the pic, but it slopes downward toward the axle to help it slide up and over.

[cgmrdc]

awesome start! subscribing for sure!

whats the winch plan?

[fatmouse]

Originally Posted by cgmrdc

awesome start! subscribing for sure!

whats the winch plan?

Winch? We're from Alabama son. Back up and hit 'er harder!

[imped4now]

Very, very fine work. Really looking forward to this.

[Slangy]

Very nice work there Jordan, I am excited to watch this one unfold.

[AgitatedPancake]

Work looks great man, I like the ideas!

One question though...with how large/how far your bump cans extend outward from the frame rail, do you think you're going to have enough clearance for a set of coilovers? (I didn't see for sure what you're going with, but saw the coil buckets gone). Room between that bump and the knuckle looks to be gettin pretty small haha

[mallard15]

I like it. Can't wait to see it at KOH.

[JRTOffroad]

Thanks for all the compliments.

Originally Posted by AgitatedPancake

Work looks great man, I like the ideas!

One question though...with how large/how far your bump cans extend outward from the frame rail, do you think you're going to have enough clearance for a set of coilovers? (I didn't see for sure what you're going with, but saw the coil buckets gone). Room between that bump and the knuckle looks to be gettin pretty small haha

Very good catch, likely there is not enough room to fit a CO between the bumpstop and the knuckle. But, there also is likely not enough room to fit a 14" CO between the axle tube and the top of my shock hoop at full bump

I'm not really in love with the bumpstops, but it's a little tricky on the driverside to get the bumpstop right up to the frame due to the center section being so far offset. I'm planning to run the shocks slightly behind the axle tube, with a lower mount that integrates the lower CA mount. Only mocked up at this point, stayed tuned to see if it works out as planned!

[howyadoin]

Clean work, looking forward to the rest.

[gtxracer]

I'm diggin the budget minded fab and the way this is headed. Are you leaving the stock Ford metric wheel pattern on the unit bearings or are you converting to run standard wheels?

[charlieboyd65]

I might have missed it, but what wheel base are you shooting for? Also, are you planning to comp cut the rear or leave the rear corners?

[JRTOffroad]

Originally Posted by gtxracer

I'm diggin the budget minded fab and the way this is headed. Are you leaving the stock Ford metric wheel pattern on the unit bearings or are you converting to run standard wheels?

Thanks man. The H2's have a little too much backspacing to clear the steering arms, so I'm using spacers to convert the pattern.

[JRTOffroad]

Originally Posted by charlieboyd65

I might have missed it, but what wheel base are you shooting for? Also, are you planning to comp cut the rear or leave the rear corners?

It was at 99" before the build and is now 102" after adding 3" to the front. The plan for the rear was to keep it in the same position and re-use my genright fuel tank....but, since I need a new fuel cell, I may push the rear back a few inches. I doubt I'll do a true comp cut, but we'll see. Expect final WB to be ~105".

[JRTOffroad]

Got the passenger side bumpstop finished up:




and tacked in place (primed like the other one):

[miguelitojeep]

that tie rod really gonna work at full droop?