When Steve Wilson first got his driver’s license, he became interested in all things with wheels. His first car was a 1963 Volkswagen, but it wasn’t long before he bought his first Jeep, and Steve has fallen in love with Jeep ever since. Over the years, Steve’s son Steve Jr. has also grown up. One day, Steve Jr. asked Steve Jr. if he could modify a Jeep to participate in the Vermont Overland Rally in 2015, so this father and son came into being. The 2002 Wrangler TJ jointly built by the two.
Suspension/Axis
Steve’s 35 years of driving experience made him change the rear axle of Dana 35 to Dana 44 without hesitation. At the same time, he replaced the ARB differential and adjusted the gear ratio of the front and rear differentials. In addition, Steve Ive also upgraded the brakes on this 2002 Wrangler. In terms of suspension, this car uses a 3.5-inch MetalCloak suspension riser kit, which includes adjustable control arms and tie rods to ensure that the raised suspension can also have ideal geometry, as does the Bilstein 5100 shock absorber One of the upgrade results.
For the events they will participate in, 35-inch tires are the most ideal choice, so we saw 35-inch BFGoodrich KM2 tires on this car, matching KMC XD Enduro wheels. In addition, considering that there may be some rock climbing sections in the competition section, Steve also installed a Currie Antirock swingarm for this car to deal with the impact of the rocks.
power system
The NP231 transfer case has been upgraded and the transmission ratio has also been adjusted. Now the transfer case has a more ideal gear ratio for off-road conditions. The overall height of the transfer case has been increased by 1 inch and the ground clearance has been increased. Of course, the angle of the drive shaft is also optimized for chassis elevation to ensure transmission efficiency.
The foot position of the 4.0-liter inline-six engine has also been raised by an inch, and of course the angle of the drive shaft has been optimized, while the height of the cooling fan has also been raised. In addition, this engine was replaced with a Specter intake system, aluminum valve cover and MagnaFlow exhaust system.
body appearance
Body reinforcements are a must, and this Wrangler has been strengthened inside and out. In addition, the front bumper is upgraded to the bull head bar of Smittybilt XRC, and a winch is installed; the heightened jack is placed behind the driver. In addition, Steve also borrowed some inspiration from Steve’s own Wrangler as a child: orange body paint and black roof matching.
other
In addition to some race-ready modifications, Steve has also prepared for a weekend of adventure camping, and the rear seat space is taken up by a large storage box, which can store some cooking utensils and food. In addition, a laterally unfolded tent is also prepared on one side of the roof, which is more than enough for simple camping. The seats in the car were also replaced with Corbeau Baja VRS seats with better wrapping and better comfort. The roof rack is also very practical to fix some water tanks and fuel tanks, which will be more handy during long-distance crossings.
