The final days of completing any project truck around here are a mad scramble, and the Ultimate Adventure buildup is the biggest scramble of them all. Every year we try to get the rig started early with plans of building and testing it prior to the UA trip. But then we look at the calendar, realize we have more time than the previous year, and we add even more extravagant buildup plans. This year we did it again with the most aggressive undertaking ever as we've been stuffing a Cummins 5.9L diesel and an entire Dodge truck drivetrain and frame under a new '07 Jeep JK Wrangler. It's earned the name Rubi Wagon since it's packed with the most extreme off-road parts from Jeep and Dodge similar to the Rubicon and Power Wagon. If you missed the build then you need to track down the last five issues or check it out on our Web site, 4wheeloffroad.com. Otherwise, here is a quick refresher.
We started with a two-wheel-drive four-door Wrangler that we took to Twisted Customs for a full rollcage. Next we worked with the crew from American Expedition Vehicles for more than eight weeks modifying the Jeep body and a Dodge frame in order to marry them with the Cummins diesel in between. The suspension uses a mixture of parts from Superlift and a stock Dodge truck, while the axles are AAM variants from a Dodge Power Wagon with 4.56 gears and selectable locking differentials. Then it was sent to get painted olive drab green (the only correct color for a Jeep, mind you), and finally hauled to Colorado for bumpers from Fab Fours. With just a week left we headed back to Poison Spyder Customs in Denver for final fit and finish. Luckily we had a Rolodex of friends to call on who we somehow conned into helping us wrench until midnight every night. Without all these amazing guys from all these shops we may never have gotten the Jeep finished. But once again we pulled it off in the nick of time and ended up with truly the ultimate Jeep rolling on the first set of massive 42-inch BFGoodrich Mud-Terrains.
Now seeing as we have six to eight months before next year's trip we figure we better get started next Friday so that maybe in '08 we'll get at least a short testdrive in prior to the trip. Hmmm, with that much time, a trick hover suspension with dual big-block engines and eight-wheel drive in a new Kia wouldn't be too outrageous.
With the bumpers on, we headed...
With the bumpers on, we headed to Poison Spyder Customs in Denver. We had about a week before the start of the trip in Texas and there was still a long list of things to do. We rounded up our local and out-of-town friends to stop by and give us a hand. Editor Rick Pw flew in to keep the troops motivated and well fed.
The custom radiator and intercooler...
The custom radiator and intercooler from Griffin arrived just in time. This thing was a piece of art! AEV had sent them drawings of what we wanted and it turned out near perfect. The radiator features two rows of 1.25-inch tubes and the intercooler has a new tube design, which reduces air resistance on both the hot and cold side. The Griffin unit is much thicker than the stock V-6 radiator.
The radiator and intercooler...
The radiator and intercooler fit like a glove down in the grille, and other than stuffing the radiator with mud during our trip, it worked great. Griffin also produces the "Dirt Dobber," a radiator whose fins do not clog up with dirt and mud and which is easily washed out with a garden hose. The louvers that are normally present in a radiator's fins have been replaced with dimples, which allow sand and dirt to pass through.
Former UA attendee Aaron James...
Former UA attendee Aaron James and his coworker Anthony Jones showed up to lend a hand. These guys are both qualified engineers working for a major corporation so we felt they could handle whatever we threw their way. They tackled the task of mounting our two 20-pound Powertanks. Powertanks are filled with CO2 to air up the tires. With 42s and a week of four-wheeling ahead we felt two tanks would be enough, and the bracket to mount the tanks to the rollcage worked out well.
In addition to the tanks,...
In addition to the tanks, James and Jones installed a set of Mastercraft rollbar grab handles. These are priceless when climbing in and out of the Jeep, especially while carrying expensive camera equipment.
James and Jones also attached...
James and Jones also attached the HalGuard fire extinguisher to the cage. The HalGuard from H3R is handy for driver or spotter in case disaster strikes, plus it isn't damaging to electronics, is easy to clean up after using in case the fire is inside a vehicle, and is rechargeable. In addition, the HalGuard is rated for both gas and electrical fires, so it's great for your trail or tow vehicle.