Editor's Note: Mail your submissions to 4 Wheel Drive & Sport Utility magazine, Trail Rigs, 774 S. Placentia Ave., Placentia, CA 92870. All photos remain the property of McMullen Argus Publishing.
Trail RunnerThis '95 YJ belongs to Scott Evans of Simi Valley, California. The four-banger has been equipped with a K&N filter, a Flowmaster muffler, and SplitFire plugs for a little extra grunt off road. Providing good clearance are Superlift 3-1/2-inch springs and Con-Ferr shackles. The stock axles have been outfitted with 4.88 gears, and the rear runs a Warn full-floater kit and a Lock-Right locker. The Jeep rides on 33x12.50 BFGoodrich MTs mounted on 15x8 American Racing wheels. Other accessories include JKS sway bar disconnects, Dick Cepek shocks, and Smittybilt nerf bars.
Scramblin'Mark Beguelin can often be found running his '81 Scrambler down trails near his home in Reno. The Jeep runs a spring-over suspension with RS 9000 shocks and custom shock towers. Up front, Mark swapped in a Dana 44, then followed up with a Ford Sterling 10.25 in back, installing 4.10s in both. Under the hood, the straight-six has been enhanced with a Jacobs ignition, a Mopar MPI fuel-injection conversion, and a Borla Cat-Back exhaust. The rollcage, diamond-plate guards, and front and rear bumpers were all custom-built. The Scrambler rolls on Geolander 35x12.5x16s.
Tomawanda TJLaunching from this little burg in upstate New York, Greg Spencer takes his '98 TJ through some serious East Coast obstacles. Greg looked to Rubicon Express for the 4-1/2-inch lift, then followed up with its track bar and slip-yoke eliminator. The factory 44 is equipped with 4.88s and a spool for ripping through the mud. Up front, the Dana 30 digs in with an E-Z Locker. The rollcage and rear bumper are custom units, while the front bumper, complete with a Ramsey 8000 winch, came via Olympic. For better breathing, Greg installed a Turbo City throttle body, a K&N air filter, and a DynoMax exhaust. The trick TJ currently runs 35x12.50 BFGs on 15x8 Rock Crawler wheels.
4x4PlayFor Chris Horstmeier, his '95 YJ is a work in progress. A springover conversion with Pro Comp 2-1/2-inch springs and RS 9000 shocks provides excellent clearance and control. The stock engine and tranny connect with an Atlas II transfer case for good, low-end crawl. And the 4.10 gears and front and rear Detroit Lockers provide good traction in the mud and rocks. Chris writes that he plans to ditch the well-worn Thornbirds and stock axles this summer and upgrade to high-pinion Dana 60s with 5.13s and Detroits with either 38-inch SXs or 39-1/2-inch Boggers. According to Chris, we can look for the 350/700-R4 conversion sometime next year.