Teal-Brute's Trick Fenders
I have been following the Teal J/Teal Brute build for the past couple years. I gotta say that, initially, I hated the Brute conversion. But the more I look at it the more I like it and am actually considering doing that to my own 2001 TJ when I get back from Iraq. One of the things that really strikes me about the Teal Brute is the front fender flares. I have not seen their like before, and I really like the way they look. Where did you guys get them, and are they good for running bigger tires with less lift?
Chris Cilento
Ft. Riley, KS
The fenders on our Brute come courtesy of Metalcloak (916/631-8071, www.metalcloak.com). What's cool about them is that they require no custom bodywork while giving you two to three inches of additional fender clearance. So yeah, you can go a bit bigger in tire size without making any suspension mods.
Looking For LJ Unlimited Roof Rack
In regards to your tech article "Long-Armed & Ready to Rock," (May '09), I am trying to find out what was used to put the rack on the hard top of the Jeep you pictured in the story. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Steve
Via the Internet
Brute-builder Robin Stover replies: The roof rack installed on the khaki Jeep LJ we used in the story was built by Off-Road Unlimited; it's one of their "Defender" series roof racks. You can find them at www.offroadunlimited.com.
For installation, we utilized the common rubber and brass well-nut fastener. You can find well nuts at virtually any hardware store, usually in the fastener isle. This method works awesome as long as you do not overload the rack. I ran this arrangement on our project Teal-J several years back and found it to work beautifully, even on a trip through the Rubicon Trail. I did add a dab of clear silicon around each exterior surface of the well nuts, but I doubt it made much of a difference. Good luck with your project.