setting up a jeep

[jmoore]

I'd like to set up a Jeep Wrangler for some mild to moderate adventure touring, e.g., Trans-Labrador Highway, Dalton Highway in Alsaka, and perhaps up to Inuvik in the NW Territory, CN. Mostly talking gravel/rock roads - with lots of potholes. Some mud, thawed permafrost and the like.

My question is do I really need anything above and beyond the standard 4wd of the Wrangler? ARB locked diffs, or is that overkill?

Any other suggestions for setting the Jeep up for this type of stuff?

TIA

jm

[A.B.]

A man after my own heart! I too have a Wrangler and I've built it over the year into what I humbly think as the ultimate off-road / touring machine on a budget. Click here for a brief description.

First off, you will need a good service manual. I’ve seen a lot of them for the Wrangler but can only recommend the original Chrysler shop manual. It’s a bit expensive at $80 but it’s definitely worth it. It’s the literarily the only manual that cover the whole Jeep and help you trace and fix any problems.

Next, the tires are a bit on the small side. To comfortably overcome obstacles and potholes a bigger tire would help. For what you describe I’d go for 31”x10.5”. The aftermarket dealers will tempt you to get bigger tires but you won’t need them for what you described. Besides with 31” tires you might get away without changing the gears. With 33” you must.

To fir the bigger tires you will need a lift. A 2” or 2.5” lift is enough. You don’t want to raise the vehicle more than that as it becomes unstable. We only want to lift it enough to the 31” tires, not built a monster Jeep. I only recommend Old Man Emu suspension for Wranglers. It’s very well engineered, comfortable on long trips and perform beautifully both on and off the road. Most important for us it has a better load carrying capacity to haul your camping junk; the stock suspension will leave your Jeep’s behind dragging on everything with moderate load. Beware that most of the suspension lift kits sold in the US lift the Jeep with harsh springs that will break your back; and that includes famous brand names like Rancho and Pro comp. Trust me I know, I tried them all and reverted to Old Man Emu.

The Track Lock limited slip differential that comes in your rear axle is also adequate for what you described. A locker would be great, but I would save the money. Just make sure the clutches are in good condition and change the oil often and never neglect to add the limited slip oil additive.

Once you do these modifications, you can start thinking about other cool stuff like on board air, dual batteries, winch, custom fuel and water tanks, etc. The list of possible modifications is endless and only you, and your budget, should decide what is really needed. Don’t listen to aftermarket dealers.

Hope this helps and feel free to ask for more details.


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A.B.

OasisPhoto.com – Images from the Magical Sahara.
ShortWheelbase.com – Jeep preparations.

[Ed Messenger]

I think for the areas you are talking about your going to do Ok with a relatively stock wrangler. Lack of space and small gas tank will be your biggest problems. The first thing I would do is put on a decent tail rack that also holds a couple of nato cans.
Then worry about a moderate lift and basic offroad upgrades.
-Ed



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Ed Messenger
VRAA Expedition Society
www.drivetheglobe.com
www.gpsaccessories.com

[rapaz]

I have a 99TJ, 4.0L engine. I'm currently living in Mexico (drove it down), have driven quite a few thousand miles around the country, and back north of the border once already. So far no problems. Down here I tend to do most of my driving on very small back roads (lots of river fording, rocks, mudholes, etc--I spend a lot of time in 4-low). The routes you are considering are probably in better shape, so my experience might be a decent guideline for you.

Tires--I am using 31x10.5's. If I had to buy them over again, I would look for 31x9.5 (only a few companies make this size) or the metric equivilent--the 10.5's look nice but toss rocks into the air which can crack your windshield (don't ask how I know...). However, if you anticipate much sand driving, buy the wider tires--for most everything else they aren't needed, but in sand I appreciate the floatation.

I added a small air compressor because airing the tires down (from ca. 30psi to ca. 20psi) makes a huge comfort difference on rocky roads. Lots of options for this; since you probably won't be doing this lots of times in a day you don't need the biggest and fanciest compressor; nor do you need an airtank.

Gas capacity: this is probably the wrangler's weakest point. I get about 20mpg on the highway (going pretty slow) but when I am using 4-low I am lucky to be getting 6 mpg. Be creative and find a way to mount some jerry cans (I've seen them mounted in front of the doors, behind the rear tires, on the back...)--you may want to remount the spare elsewhere for this. This is a pretty serious concern--I used over half a tank in under 60 miles last month! Around here that's no problem--lots of towns, plenty of gas stations--but things could get lonely up north.

I can see no need for lifts, lockers, etc unless you are doing some really serious offroading--I routinely ford rivers higher than the tires, edge over big rocks, etc, and have never run out of clearance or traction. I keep waiting for something to scrape, but so far nothing has, amazingly.

I would suggest, however, finding a way to carry a shovel (again, you need to be creative as the jeep is small!--mine is bolted to the front bumper) and either mount a powered winch (electric or hydraulic) or carry a good hand winch (do google searches for "tirfor" and "more power-puller" to see two options--I carry the More winch since it was cheap, but haven't had to use it yet.

[rapaz]

ooops, one more thought--

if you have a tj (post '97) you don't need a lift to fit 31" tires--you need to adjust the steering stops (add one or two washers to each side) but that takes all of fifty cents and five minutes.

If you have yj (pre 97) the advice in the previous poster's note applies--you'll need a small lift.