When I was at the helm of Off-Road magazine, I found a '94 YJ Wrangler sitting in pools of its own fluids on the side of the street in St. George, Utah. After finding the owner, I was able to purchase the Jeep and get it home. Rockworx 4x4 in Montrose, Colorado, built the YJ into something special.
We've recently run a few photos of this Jeep in 4WD&SU and on the website. The response to this has been great, with many asking, if the buildup of this Jeep hasn't run, will it run? Although we ran a three-part buildup in Off-Road, hardly any of our readers there cared, so we decided to listen to you and run a condensed feature on the Rockworx YJ here. If you were one who already saw this build in Off-Road, here it is again.
Craig, Will, and Steve at Rockworx built this world-class Jeep using great components. Dynatrac-built ProRock 60 front and rearends with 5.13 Precision Gear gears and Detroit Lockers. A brand-new GM GEN III 5.3L V8 was installed, as were an Atlas 3.8:1 low-range transfer case, a Rad-A-Kool aluminum radiator, and assorted parts and pieces, so everything works. The Toy Shop built a bulletproof 4L60E transmission for the YJ. Howell Engine Developments' OE-quality computer and harness control the engine and tranny.
Rockworx specializes in its own long-arm suspension designs. A three-link front and four-link rear with 12-way adjustable coilovers from Walker Evans Racing up front and coil springs with 12-way adjustable Walker Evans Racing shocks in the back make the Wrangler work great. The triangulated upper rear arms do away with the Panhard bar. Currie Antirock sway bars front and rear allow adjustable control on and off the trail. The crossmember is designed so the flat skidplate can be removed for easy servicing without affecting the transfer case or transmission. Tom Wood's CV driveshafts front and rear get the horsepower to the diffs.
Warn Rock Sliders protect the rocker panels in the rocks. A Currie Rock Crawler shorty front bumper sits ahead of a Warn 9.5xp winch mounted on a Warn YJ winch-mounting plate. With all the fancy bumpers with hoops and other protection available today, there's still something to be said for a lighter-weight, simple setup. A Currie Rock Crawler rear bumper with swing-away tire carrier was bolted up in back. Rockworx modified a 24-gallon Currie stainless gas tank to work with the 98-inch wheelbase the Jeep now has and the ProRock 60 rearend. Craig estimates the tank holds about 22 gallons now.
 Bulletproof M.O.R.E. motor...  Bulletproof M.O.R.E. motor mounts allowed the new GM GEN III 5.3L V8 to fit easily in the YJ's engine compartment. Advance Adapters supplied pretty much everything else to make this a painless project. Howell Engine Developments works with Advance Adapters and supplied the OE-quality wiring harness and computer. All sensors were utilized, and everything works like it does from the factory in a GM truck or sport ute. Rockworx built the coilover mount bridge and mounted the reservoirs from the Walker Evans Racing coilovers there. This made the reservoirs get too hot, so they've since been moved. An Optima YellowTop sealed gas recombinant battery was installed for reliable power. |  The Advance Adapters Rad-A-Kool...  The Advance Adapters Rad-A-Kool aluminum radiator and Spal electric fan keep the 5.3L mill cool on the hottest days. You can see the aluminum power-steering reservoir from PSC. A heavy-duty PSC power-steering pump is mounted below the alternator where you can't see it. Walker Evans Racing coilover reservoirs are mounted on the coilover mount reinforcement bridge. Check out the knobs on the ends of the reservoirs that allow easy 12-way adjustment. Each click makes a big difference! |  The PSC steering ram for the...  The PSC steering ram for the hydraulic assist is mounted to the housing and the knuckle - the optimum setup. |