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1981 Jeep Scrambler CJ-8 - David's FaultHow This Jeep Changed The World From the January, 2008 issue of 4Wheel & Off-Road By Fred Williams Photography by Fred Williams
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David Freiburger had done... David Freiburger had done many upgrades to his Scrambler while working as the editor of 4-Wheel & Off-Road, but none set his Scrambler apart as much as when he bobbed the tailend of the tub and shortened the front. Scramblers look funny in stock form, what with all that extra body hanging out back destroying departure angles, but when F-burger discovered the bobbing technique on a trail ride with some Scrambler owners and showed it to the masses, all of a sudden Scramblers became viable trail rigs. Plus to give it a stubby nose he replaced the original hood and grille with a shorter military Jeep M38 A1 style. Blame David and his Jeep. David Freiburger was the editor of Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road from 1994 until 1998 and he was responsible for helping to bring our magazine out of the show-truck and chrome-shock dark ages and into the real world of wheeling trucks that we currently cover every month. But he also did a very bad thing during his tenure. David built this Jeep Scrambler and singlehandedly increased the value of Scramblers across the nation. Jeep Scramblers, also known as CJ-8s, were the goofy long cousin of the CJ-5 and CJ-7, and when they hit the market from 1981 to 1985, they sold miserably compared to their shorter-wheelbase brethren. In fact, roughly one Scrambler sold for every 13 CJ-7s. Then David came along. David had seen some cool Scramblers on the trails and decided that their cheap prices and 103-inch wheelbase were a benefit to those looking for a great wheeling Jeep. Plus the long tailend of the tub, which got caught when turning tightly off road, could easily be fixed. So over a few years he took his Scrambler and lopped off 12 inches in the rear end, stuffed a V-8 under the hood, and gave it gobs of gearing. But then the winds of change blew through the halls of this publishing company and David was reassigned to the likes of Car Craft magazine before being drug up the corporate ladder to his current office as the head cheese Editorial Director at Hot Rod, Hot Rod Deluxe, Car Craft, Popular Hot Rodding, Engine Masters, Chevy High Performance, 5.0 Mustang, and Musclecar Review. Most people would kill for such a prestigious position, but David has found that it means less time to actually wrench on his own rides (some 30 different dilapidated musclecars, trucks, hot rods, and Jeeps parked in various storage facilities and garages around Los Angeles), since he is constantly dealing with bureaucratic red tape of running multiple magazines. As such he thought back through all the best Jeeps he had ever seen during his time at 4-Wheel & Off-Road and decided to approach the owner/builder of a favorite one and ask him to take over the buildup. What resulted is the Jeep you see here, and though it's been done for a few years now, we've been a bit wary of showing it to you, because you'll most likely love it. Then you'll go looking for a Scrambler to build similar to it, if not just like it, and the price of Scramblers will again shoot through the roof and we'll never be able to afford one ourselves. But don't blame us, blame David.  One of his favorite Jeeps...  One of his favorite Jeeps of all times was owned by Pat Helgeson of Custom Welding and Fabrication in North Dakota, and when Freiburger's career path resulted in a total lack of wrenching time he sent the Jeep up to Pat's place where it was transformed into the monster machine it is today. The main goal of the rebuild was to get massive 42-inch tires under the body while having all the drivetrain tucked up above the bottom of the framerails. To do this required all new motor mounts and transmission mounts located up on the inside of the frame as well as extensive body modification such as the massive rear wheel tubs and the cab floor being rebuilt around the raised drivetrain.  Check out this 300hp small-block...  Check out this 300hp small-block V-8 hiding under the shorter M38 A1 hood. It was supposed to be temporary while Freiburger built a custom 454 small-block, but as with so many things, the project of tearing it out and stuffing a different engine into the Jeep requires time he no longer has. However this measly old 350 is the HO variant from GM Performance Parts and is outfitted with a tried-and-true Quadrajet carb, Edelbrock intake, MSD distributor and ignition, and Hedman tight tube headers.  Up front it's all business...  Up front it's all business with another Dana 60, and this one matches the rear with 7.17 gears and an ARB selectable Air Locker. The leaf springs all around are Old Man Emu 2.5-inch rear lift springs for a YJ Wrangler using Currie shackles. The high-steer arms were built by Helgeson, all the steering joints are Heim rod ends instead of tie-rod ends, while the ram-assist steering is from AGR Performance. The front bumper and winch mount is Helgeson built with the proper Warn 8274 winch.  Behind the 350 is an NV4500...  Behind the 350 is an NV4500 five-speed manual, and above the custom Pat Helgeson-built skidplate is an Atlas 3.8 transfer case. The gearing is great for both trail and street driving, though the Jeep is hard to sneak by Johnny Law with the 42s sticking outside the body so much. Everything is either plated for abuse, tucked up for clearance, or both. But at the same time, bolts are accessible so repairs are painless if need be, such as the slot in the crossmember so the driveshaft bolts can be reached with a long wrench. We especially like the clean fabrication and the olive-drab-everything military look. Notice how the rear Dana 60 is sprung over with a trick antiwrap bar that ties into the rear truss and additional plating to the rear diff for both strength and a smooth surface when sliding over rocks. This axle has 14-bolt spindles and hubs to clear bigger 35-spline axleshafts, and it has a width of about 64 inches so it's wider than stock, but not full width. Even the Rancho RS 9000S shocks are tucked up high for protection and painted green to blend in.  With 103 inches of wheelbase...  With 103 inches of wheelbase and 7.17 gears, this Jeep is small with massive gearing, but what really finishes it off are the colossal 42-inch Super Swampers. When Freiburger began this monster, 35s were considered big. Nowadays 37s are the norm and 40s are gaining ground as the next mainstay, but anything over 40 is still a bit much for most trail rigs, especially Jeeps without 2 1/2-ton axles. It takes a lot of work to make 42s fit and work on a Jeep without it becoming a towering monstrosity, but with the body tubs in the rear and a groundbreaking hood with attached fenders (made of steel before the fiberglass versions were available), this Jeep looks perfect. The 42s ride on a set of Hummer military double bead locks that have been recentered for less backspacing. The Currie rear bumper carries a smaller 38.5x11 Bogger that acts as the skinny doughnut spare, yet is just enough to help get the big Jeep off the trail if need be. Don't miss the bolt-on cage supports, body-tight rocker protection, and flush-mounted rear military taillights recessed in the steel corners.  The insides of the Jeep are...  The insides of the Jeep are boringly functional with a few extra Auto Meter gauges, a stock tilt column, and some Bestop seats. The NV4500 and Atlas were moved upwards to give the Jeep a flat belly so the floor above was cut and channeled over the drivetrain. Then to seal up all the body work and keep out some of the noise, a coating of Rhino Lining was sprayed for a clean look that is easy to hose out. In the bed resides a Tuffy toolbox stocked with tools and spare bits. Though it looks like a trail-only machine, this cockpit has served as home base for a handful of long road trips, and if Freiburger could have it his way this would be his roaming home office. Make/Model: '81 Jeep Scrambler CJ-8
Engine: GM Performance Parts HO 350, stock internals, Edelbrock Performer intake, Quadrajet carb, MSD distributor, MSD Off-Road ignition box, Hedman Tight Tubes headers, single 2.5-inch exhaust, Flowmaster muffler, 15x6 K&N air cleaner
Transmission/Transfer Case: NV4500 by JB Conversions, stock bellhousing, 11-inch clutch, Advance Adapters Atlas 3.8:1
Crawl Ratio: 165:1
Front Axle: Dodge truck Dana 60 stock on the short side and shortened on the long side, 7.17 real Dana-Spicer gears, Air Locker
Rear Axle: Dana 60, 7.17, Air Locker
Tires & Wheels: Hummer wheels with the internal bead locks. Custom centers by Pat Helgeson, Super Swamper TSL 15/42-16.5
Suspension: Old Man Emu rear Wrangler YJ 2.5-inch lift springs at all corners, Mountain Off-Road shackle reversal up front, Rancho RS 9000 shocks, Currie shackles, spring-over, custom rear traction bar by Helgeson attached to the skidplate crossmember with a shackle and Johnny Joint, and attached to the rearend with a bolt-on truss that also supports the axletubes. The front bumpstops are loading-dock rubbers.
Steering: AGR rock-ram, custom 1-inch tie rod on top of the knuckles, Royal Purple fluid, Saginaw reservoir custom fabbed with taller body for more capacity, Heims at all connections, tie-rod rub guard on front diff cover
Other Stuff:
* Custom winch mount with integral shackles and hooks by Helgeson, Warn 8274
* Odyssey battery and Air Locker compressor on custom mount by Helgeson
* Front radiator rollbar and inside rollcage by Chris Overacker, who ran Stage West 4x4 Center during the buildup
* The radiator is a three-row unit from a Land Cruiser in a mount from an FJ-40 that is custom-fabbed to the front hoop that also has downbars that support the shocks. With a fixed five-blade fan from an old F-150 and a fan shroud by Helgeson, plus an Edelbrock short aluminum water pump, the thing never ever overheats
* Rear cage downbars are on bolt-through bushings so they can be removed to take the top off
* Interior is all Line-X on the floor. The Scrambler half-cab lower half is welded into the body. Bestop seats, console, Tuffy rear box.
* Currie tire carrier and rear bumper welded to the frame
* Auto Meter gauges. Stock steering wheel, no radio, CB behind the console
* Harold Off (Off Again Off Road) brake booster
* All wired with Painless kit. Note the blackout lights front and rear
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