2007 UA Jeep JK Wrangler - 4Wheel & Off-Road Magazine

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 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.
With the bumpers on, we headed to Poison Spyder Customs in Denver. We had about a week bef
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 custom radiator and intercooler from Griffin arrived just in time. This thing was a pi
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.
The radiator and intercooler fit like a glove down in the grille, and other than stuffing

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.
Former UA attendee Aaron James and his coworker Anthony Jones showed up to lend a hand. Th
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.
In addition to the tanks, James and Jones installed a set of Mastercraft rollbar grab hand
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.
James and Jones also attached the HalGuard fire extinguisher to the cage. The HalGuard fro

Clifton Slay from Poison Spyder Customs mounted our new BFGs on a set of his signature SpyderLock bead-lock wheels. Our new 42-inch BFGoodrich tires were mounted on the 20-inch SpyderLocks, some of the only 20-inch bead-lock wheels on the market. The wheels are cast from A356-T6 aluminum and designed specifically as bead locks, unlike other wheels that are cut and welded to be bead locks.
Clifton Slay from Poison Spyder Customs mounted our new BFGs on a set of his signature Spy
These wheels worked out great on our trip, and amazingly the 42-inch tires and 20x10 bead-lock wheels ran straight and true down the road without any balancing weight at all. We like the large center bore of the wheels to fit over hubs and full-floater rear ends, as well as the recessed 3/8-inch socket-head cap screws and hefty 6061 T-6 bead-lock rings.
These wheels worked out great on our trip, and amazingly the 42-inch tires and 20x10 bead-
UA alumni Sam Gillis and Keith Bailey were riding copilot with Clifton Slay and Trent McGee this year and they gladly flew into Denver to help us finish the Jeep. Bailey owns the Off-Road Connection in Gardendale, Alabama, and Gillis works for Uncle Sam taking care of trucks, tanks, and stuff like that, so we threw them both under the Jeep to help button things up. Their first project was installing a transfer-case skidplate and an antiwrap device from Superlift.
UA alumni Sam Gillis and Keith Bailey were riding copilot with Clifton Slay and Trent McGe

Superlift offers a torque fork for its Black Diamond X-2 suspension kit. We discussed an application with them for our Jeep and they offered to build us a bigger version since we are using rear leaf springs in a spring-over position. With the Cummins diesel, low gearing, and big tires, spring wrap is a very legitimate concern. The fork attaches to our AAM 10.5 rear axle and to the custom crossmember Bailey and Gillis built under the Atlas. The torque fork is roughly the same length as our rear driveline to help keep the shaft from overextending.
Superlift offers a torque fork for its Black Diamond X-2 suspension kit. We discussed an a
To protect the rocker panels of the Jeep we chose a set of rock sliders from Poly Performance. Made of 3/16-inch plate, these pieces of armor are designed to fit tightly against the body for more clearance. They mount by incorporating both tub-side mounts and using all the center body mounts for lower mounting points. At first we were apprehensive of drilling 10 holes in the side of the tub for mounting, but after a week off road we wouldn't trade these sliders for anything. We had situations where we drove the Jeep off a rock and dropped hard onto these sliders and they didn't even dent, and that is with a Jeep that weighs twice what a stock JK weighs.
To protect the rocker panels of the Jeep we chose a set of rock sliders from Poly Performa
To give the Jeep a uniform look, we had the seats covered in the same material as the Bestop bikini top, which happens to also match the factory upper half doors. This gray material (known as Kahki Diamond by Bestop), along with some orange piping made for a clean, consistent look that is extremely weather-resistant. Again calling in favors, we got our old friend Jason Huss from High Country Performance-a local Denver shop that specializes in Jeep JKs-to come over and help us install the seats. Up front we used two of the new Baja RS recliner suspension seats and in the rear a set of two low-back Rubicon suspension seats.
To give the Jeep a uniform look, we had the seats covered in the same material as the Best

Flowmaster again sponsored our Ultimate Adventure trip. We had the company send us its '06 Cummins Dodge after-cat exhaust kit with a 50-Series heavy-duty muffler and 4-inch tubes. We also checked out Flowmaster's new HushPower muffler for the Cummins and would have used it except the 50 Series tucked up slightly more within the frame. This exhaust gave the Cummins a great sound, but wasn't too loud on the trail or street.
Flowmaster again sponsored our Ultimate Adventure trip. We had the company send us its '06
With big 42-inch tires we went to PSC Motorsports for a steering ram assist. This not only helps turn the big tires when aired down, but reduces abuse to the steering box. The ram assist is plumbed off the steering box and offers more direct force when turning the wheel.
With big 42-inch tires we went to PSC Motorsports for a steering ram assist. This not only
Since we are using a Fab Fours steel diff cover, we welded the mounting tabs for the ram directly to the cover. Also note how we attached the ram to the driver-side knuckle. These are the knuckles we showed last month that were modified at Knoll Racing to give us crossover steering.
Since we are using a Fab Fours steel diff cover, we welded the mounting tabs for the ram d

One of the final additions to the Jeep was the tube fenders from Poison Spyder Customs. With the curved body panels this new Jeep poses complications for any aftermarket body armor. We got our hands on the first set of fenders for the JK. Poison Spyder general manager Paul Herrera had his crew working double-time to help us get the fenders on, and they turned out great.
One of the final additions to the Jeep was the tube fenders from Poison Spyder Customs. Wi
The rear fenders were so fresh that we actually painted and installed them during the check-in for the event in Texas. Both the front and rear have a tube frame with 1/8-inch steel skin. The fenders have extra bracing added to the tub for support since the thin bodywork would barely support the fenders alone. We didn't lay the entire weight of the Jeep against the fenders, but when squeezing between rocks and trees they did get rubbed at times and held up excellently. We were also able to stand on them to access the bed or engine bay of the Jeep.
The rear fenders were so fresh that we actually painted and installed them during the chec
A trip like this requires extra parts, tools, camping gear, a good cooler, and a place to put it all. Last year Slee Off-Road installed a set of drawers in our Ultimate FJ Cruiser and they were such a hit that we discussed a set of storage drawers for our Rubi Wagon. Christo and Ben from Slee came by to do the actual install. The drawer system we used is a prototype with a galvanized framework that bolts directly to the floor of the Jeep tub.
A trip like this requires extra parts, tools, camping gear, a good cooler, and a place to

Within the framework is a set of drawers that can support all our tools and spare parts. On top of the drawer system are tie-downs where we attached our ARB fridge/freezer that runs off 12 volts and keeps all our drinks and grub cold.
Within the framework is a set of drawers that can support all our tools and spare parts. O
Amongst those tools was a recovery bag from ARB with its new straps. The winch bag, affectionately called the "snatch pack," was very useful in the muddy, rocky, and steep trails of UA since it contained all the required shackles and straps. We especially like the color-coded orange snatch strap (we chose the 33,000-pound version), green tree-trunk strap, and crazy purple winch extension strap.
Amongst those tools was a recovery bag from ARB with its new straps. The winch bag, affect
In addition to the drawer system, Slee also supplied us with a Scepter 20L fuel jerrycan. You would think that with a diesel engine we would never run out of fuel, but running the small 19-gallon Jeep TJ fuel tank wasn't always enough.
In addition to the drawer system, Slee also supplied us with a Scepter 20L fuel jerrycan.

SOURCES
Advance Adapters 4320 Aerotech Center Way P.O. Box 247 Paso Robles CA 93446 805-238-7000	Rapco
American Expedition Vehicles www.aev-conversions.com	Rhino Lining of Western South Dakota
ARB 2-06/-264-1669 www.arbusa.com	Twisted Customs
Bestop	BFGoodrich Tires 877-788-8899 www.bfgoodrichtires.com
Centerforce 9-28/-771-8422 www.centerforce.com	Fab Fours www.fabfours.com
FordCummins	Flowmaster Mufflers Santa Rosa CA 8-00/-544-4761 flowmastermufflers.com
Griffin Radiator 100 Hurricane Creek Rd. Piedmont SC 29673 864-845-5000	Hobart Welders N/A www.hobartwelders.com
HeatShield Products	Jeep 800-925-5337 www.jeep.com
Ingersoll Rand Annandale NJ 8-00/-866-5457 irtools.com	Off Road Design www.offroaddesign.com
JE Reel	Optima Batteries 5757 N. Green Bay Ave. Milwaukee WI 53201 414-524-1200 www.optimabatteries
Knoll Racing	Poison Spyder Customs
Lizard Skin 877-278-9468 www.lizardskin.com	PSC Motorsports www.pscmotorsports.com
Lowrance N/A www.lowrance.com	Slee Off Road
Mastercraft Seats www.mastercraftseats.com	Superlift Suspension
Poly Performance N/A www.polyperformance.com	Warn 5-03/-722-1200 www.warn.com
Powertank N/A