Dennis recipe for a...
Dennis recipe for a bright yellow Jeep: Have your local automotive paint store mix you 98 Ferrari Yellow, decide its still not bright enough, and slam a half quart of straight yellow into the mix. Pay attention to detail by planning out your vehicle. Build it right by pack-ratting the desired parts for a year then build from the frame up.
The rockcrawling front bumper...
The rockcrawling front bumper holds a Warn winch with its very own grille that protects the winch from any bumpercar action. The carrier also grips a Hi-Lift jack.
A 3/4-ton Dana 44 front axle...
A 3/4-ton Dana 44 front axle houses 4.56 gears and holds the 15x10 Ultra wheels. The spring-over adds 7 inches of lift with an additional 2 inches of body lift to clear the 35x14.50x15 TSL Swampers. Mathematicians would call that 9 inches of total lift. In the background is a B&M 1,800-rpm low stall converter shift kit. A little further back behind that is the transfer case with 3.15:1 TeraLow gears.
The engine compartment was...
The engine compartment was gutted and an 89 IROC 350 Tuneport 228 was dropped in with matching IROC radiator and fan. Dennis says that one of the best performance mods is using the Chevy motor mounts and inserting pedestals for the motor. It greatly reduces engine vibration and engine noise. It also has a 20,000-pound transmission cooler with a temp gauge, a Hypertech performance chip, a 3-inch Flowmaster, and a K&N filter and filtercharger system.
Frame modifications include...
Frame modifications include reinforcing the factory frame buckle points with a little extra steel and a welder. Custom fender cutting created a spectacular view of the custom shock mount hoops. The mounts give character and strength to the matching yellow Rancho 9000s controlled by in-cab switches and displayed on their own gauges.
The seats are from an Infinity...
The seats are from an Infinity and were reupholstered to match the color scheme that would make Andy Warhol jealous. A little push from the thumb yields shifting power on a Lockar shifter.
The custom gas tank skidplate...
The custom gas tank skidplate was fabricated with a 3/16-inch steel plate, which was designed for 747 landings. A fullsize full-floating Dana 60 rearend contains 4.56 gears and a Detroit locker. The driveshaft was retubed by Driveshafts of Utah, and includes a CV conversion and a rear 7-inch slip-yoke. D&Js traction bars assist with axlewrap situations.
They rolled into town towed on a three-Jeep trailer, dusted their boots, and dismounted. All three Jeeps, two YJs, and a TJ coordinated their contemptible Ferrari Yellow paint jobs. Even their attention-attracting windbreaker jackets were Jeep-coordinating Ferrari Yellow. Later that Jeep Safari day, we crawled along on the Poison Spider Mesa trail in Moab. Thats when we met Dennis Wood, a technician and All Terrain Auto Care owner from Salt Lake City. Dennis YJ sat capably on the side of the trail while he and the crew helped his buddy with a broken driveline. Of course we did not know how capably until we continued with him up to the Golden Spike. What must have at one time been mild interest blossomed into wild enthusiasm for wheeling.
His buildup story begins with a set of Rancho 9000s and its controller he won as a prize. The problem was thisat the time, he didnt own a vehicle that would fit the 9000s, so then and there he decided that he had to build a Jeep. A few years later and a measly $10,000 that he tells his wife hes spent, Dennis lives by his T-shirts slogan, Jeeps are Built Not Bought.
The body and frame are all thats left of an 88 Wrangler YJ. An 89 IROC 5.7L pounds power surges from under the hood. A robust Dana 44 front axle houses 4.56 gears and a Lock-Right locker. The rear Dana 60, locked by Detroit, holds 4.56 gears. Behind all four 15x10 Ultra wheels are disc brakes. The 35x14.50 Swampers just wouldnt look right without a spring-over, a shackle reversal, a 2-inch body lift, and matching yellow Rancho 9000s. He painted those too. Dennis attention to detail doesnt stop at the yellow shocks. The imported Hydromatic 350 tranny assists crawling with a 3.50:1 First gear ratio. Additionally, he finds that the enjoyable lower gearing in the TeraLow transfer case lets him float over obstacles with minimal power surges from under the hood.
We all know that the right combination of power, traction, and gear control are critical when addressing the demands of the terrain. Dennis understands. He plans. He is his own research and development team. We recently caught up with him in Moab, Utah, and watched as he traversed some more difficult trails.