Fire ants have a nasty reputation. Building mounds that can be more than 2 feet above ground and 6 feet below, they're known for their tenacity and fierce demeanor. Fire ants' enemies quickly find out that the little insects have a sting that belies their small size. So when John Currie finished building his latest rockcrawling TJ, his brother Ray suggested they call it the Fire Ant, since the shrunken Jeep turned out to be capable and, to its competition, nasty. The name stuck.
John started with the burned-out hulk of a late-model TJ Wrangler. He decided that a narrower body might negotiate squeezes better, so 3-1/4 inches were cut from each side of the tub and 6-1/2 inches from the hood and grille. The frame remained stock width. For motive power, the Curries were tired of the anemic 4.0L I-6 that they'd used for the past few years. You I-6 owners can howl all you want but, let's admit it, they sure can't compete with a V-8. All the Currie V-8 swaps in the past have used Chevrolet engines and trannys. This time, John was able to salvage an almost-new 4.7L Power Tech V-8 and a five-speed automatic transmission from a Grand Cherokee. This accomplished two things: The Curries were able to show off their technical expertise by performing this difficult swap and making it work, plus, it kept Mopar parts under the hood. For years, Daimler/Chrysler has been upset that most Jeeps get Chevrolet power, or, if not Chevy, then Ford. Hardly anyone tries to use late-model Jeep or Chrysler engines because there are no wiring harnesses, motor mounts, or any other swap pieces for the Mopar mills. For a while, Mopar Performance was going to produce a swap kit for Jeeps, but, as usual, the person in charge of that was transferred, and the new people in charge weren't interested in continuing with it. So that's why there are more Chevy and Ford V-8s under Jeep hoods than there are Jeep.
Getting back to the Fire Ant, the engine not only went into the abbreviated engine compartment, but it looks super clean, too. The custom brass radiator from Mattson Radiator keeps things cool, and an air filter from K&N maintains proper airflow. The stock Cherokee exhaust manifolds were retained, but John Currie custom-bent the exhaust system, using some off-the-shelf pieces from Currie Enterprises' TJ Wrangler system. To keep the engine running, you need fuel. TJ gas tanks are a laugh; they hang down lower than almost any other 4x4's tank. A custom stainless 12-gallon gas tank was fabricated with the Cherokee fuel pump inside. John says that 12 gallons are more than enough for rockcrawling competitions, and the small tank doesn't hang below the frame at all. The beefy Atlas II gear-driven transfer case from Advance Adapters also doesn't hang below the frame. The 3.01:1 Low range ratio is perfect, John says, as is the ability to run in two-wheel drive in the front or the rear. Putting the Jeep into front-wheel drive allows the use of the rear cutting brakes, letting the Jeep pivot in its own length.
Currie Enterprises' claim to fame is its front and rear axles, so John pulled out all the stops to make the Fire Ant cutting-edge. Up front, a trimmed Ford 9-inch heavy-duty housing was used, complete with an integral skidplate. A Currie High Pinion 9-inch third member with 4.56 gears and a Detroit Air Locker keeps the driveshaft up and out of harm's way and relieves steep driveline angles at the transfer case. The axles are 35-spline, and 1-ton knuckles were used for strength. Let's face it, with tires getting bigger and bigger, wimpy Dana 44 or Jeep CJ knuckles and axles don't cut the mustard anymore. Wilwood disc brakes on all wheels stop the TJ on a dime. In back, a Currie high-pinion 9-inch with 4.56 gears, a Detroit Locker, 35-spline axles, and a cut housing for ground clearance ensures that the Fire Ant has no rearend woes.
In order to clear 37x12.50R15LT Goodyear Wrangler MTRs mounted on 15x8 Center Line Hellcat wheels with Champion bead locks, John used his custom, triangulated Currie rear suspension with coil springs and wrap-under, long, lower rear arms. Up front, the custom long wrap-under lower arms were used also, and we can report they work beautifully. Coilovers from Sway-A-Way, instead of separate TJ coils and shocks, were used.
The original steering column was burned to a crisp, so John installed a polished stainless column and steering shaft from Flaming River. AGR provided its Rock Ram hydraulic-ram-assisted steering kit to go along with its heavy-duty pump and Type II steering box. The Rock Ram and Type II box still allow some steering feel and feedback, which is especially important during high-speed runs. An extra-tough 1.25x.500 chrome-moly tie rod and drag link with Heim ends were fabricated to ensure that the common problem of tie rod or drag link failure didn't happen to the Fire Ant.
For rock protection, the body was mounted 1 inch higher on the frame by using modified and cut body mounts. Currie Enterprise's rocker guards and front and rear Rock Crawler bumpers also keep the rocks away. Underneath, custom 5/16-inch aluminum skidplates act as the crossmember and also protect the transmission and engine oil pan. A Warn XD9000i was installed to keep everything moving in a pinch.
To protect the occupants, James Gang Racing was recruited to build a beautiful full rollcage with spotter bars to keep the spotter in contact with the Jeep. The interior of the Wrangler is enhanced with Beard Super Seats with S-line seatbelts and a custom dash with Auto Meter gauges from James Gang Racing.The stock shifter from the Grand Cherokee was retained, and John reports that it works well. A 1/3hp Currie 12-volt compressor and a battery cutoff switch were installed under the front passenger seat.
Fire Ant impressed us when we went out to shoot the photos. There is a ledge that no one had been able to climb, whether they were in a regular Jeep or a rock buggy. After playing around on it for a while, John was able to get the Fire Ant up the ledge. This was quite an accomplishment because TJs usually don't climb as well as most other 4x4s. The V-8 was an eye-opener, too. It had plenty of low-end grunt, but the surprise came when we turned to go up a long dune. The engine revved and revved, seeming to be quite happy near redline and pulling like a freight train at high rpm. The five-speed, computer-controlled tranny was a little strange because it shifted gears, unlocked, and locked the torque converter and did many other things that made us raise our eyebrows. Once we got use to it, though, we found that the transmission worked well and that we had to trust the computer.
The Fire Ant is a testament to the quality of work Currie Enterprises is able to do. It is extremely clean and well thought out. When all is said and done, the final test is whether a 4x4 works in extreme conditions, and the Fire Ant seems to work very well. So well, in fact, that competitors may be looking for some insecticide to get rid of this pesky, aggressive little Jeep that will painfully sting its competition in rockcrawling competitions.
SpecificationsVehicle: '01 Jeep TJ Wrangler
Owner/Hometown: John Currie/Anaheim Hills, California
Engine: 4.7L Jeep Power Tech OHC V-8
Induction: Multiport sequential fuel injection
Transmission: Grand Cherokee five-speed automatic
Transfer case: 3.01:1 Atlas II
Frontend: 63-inch-wide Currie high-pinion 9-inch with 1-ton knuckles, 35-spline axles, a Detroit Locker, Wilwood brakes, and Warn locking hubs
Rearend: 63-inch-wide Currie high-pinion 9-inch with 35-spline axles, a Detroit Locker, and Wilwood disc brakes
Ring-and-pinion: 4.56:1
Suspension: Custom Currie long-arm with coilover front and triangulated rear with coils and long wrap-under arms
Tires/wheels: 37x12.50R15LT Goodyear Wrangler MTRs/Center Line 15x8 Hellcats with Champion bead locks
Estimated value: $75,000