Fuzzy Stretch Math
In “The Long and Short” (Mar. ’12) some of the numbers are a little confusing. Ali Mansour says the starting wheelbase was 93.4 inches. One caption says he used a 3-inch stretch upgrade kit for the suspension. Another caption says the suspension was shifted back four inches and at the end he says he ended up with a 99-inch wheelbase (about).
Based mainly on the images with the article and my own experience performing a similar stretch to my TJ using the GenRight tank, 99 inches seems a little unlikely. Stretching it?
I had other axle and suspension things going on (F-350 Super Duty axles and modified Rubicon Express suspension), but I ended up with a 97.5-inch wheelbase.
The GenRight tank could let you get the suspension back as far as 99 inches, depending on your axles. It just doesn’t look like it from his pictures and the dimensions given.
Maybe he could measure it for us again?
Bob Crooker
Norman, OK
Ali’s Jeep is indeed stretched to a 99-inch wheelbase, measured at the centers of the wheel hubs. The Jeep features adjustable Superlift long arms front and rear. The rear arms have the 3-inch-longer ends and the front arms have been adjusted for around an additional 1.5 inches of wheelbase. The missing 1.6 inches is from the brackets on the axles. They are JK Dana 44 axles converted for TJ use. We didn’t cover all of this in too much detail since few people would build their Jeep exactly like Ali’s.
Ultimately, we found that the threaded Superlift arms have a lot of built-in adjustability.
Thanks, Willie
I see in the new issue that Willie Worthy is retiring! That’s a real loss—I’m very sorry to see him step down. I’ve learned a lot from his columns and features over the years, especially for practical upgrades to my Cherokees (’87, ’93, and ’01 … great trucks!).
I especially appreciated the Willie’s Workbench advice on two tire models—mine! I ran Cooper Discoverers for most of 20 years, including on a Tacoma at a mine in Chile in the ’90s. Now I have Goodyear Wrangler DuraTracs on my ’08 Tacoma. With over 44,000 miles gone, there is still another winter of tread left.
Thanks again, Willie, for all your expertise and detailed advice to readers over many years. You will be missed!
Steve Owen
Grants, NM
Beaters
I was getting caught up on all of my reading and I just finished Firing Order in the March ’12 issue. Loved it! My first experience with a beater was when I sold my little import car in 2001 to help finance my first house. A friend gave me an ’88 two-wheel-drive Dodge W100 with a 318 and manual transmission. Not long after getting it, I was going over Donner Pass in a whiteout and of course the bald tires and open diff were not getting me anywhere. I put on the chains that my uncle gave me (“gave,” see a trend here?), and they broke a link about a third of the way across the pass. No gloves? No jacket? No tools? Me, I just kept driving. Afterwards the side of the bed looked like it was beat in with a chain (come to think of it, it was!), and that is when I realized the value of a beater. I loved that truck!
Ever since then, no matter what I have in my stable, I must have a beater. My current beater truck is a ’95 two-wheel-drive Chevy C2500 that I paid $1,200 for. It has a big-block and the fuel mileage is my only complaint. I use it for a tow rig and even for “overland” trips (read: camping). There is a certain pleasure that comes from driving past “expeditions” in a truck that costs less than their roof-top tents!
Harry Wagner
Via email
IH Update
Just wanted to say thanks for refeaturing my old Scout in Trail’s End (Mar. ’12). You may find it funny that the Scout was rolled two days after these photos were taken. It collected even more trail damage over the years. I was the winner of the ugly truck award for six years running at the Rocky Mountain IH Rendezvous. It even won the seventh year although the truck was not at the show, so it was disqualified, but attendees loved the old thing. Thanks for keeping the legend alive. I need to get back into wheeling, as I have taken time away while working in Iraq for almost four years. Time to get to work on my Cummins-powered, ’Mog-axled ’36 IH.
Erik Stude
Via email
Firing Order Fan
Mr. Cappa, I really appreciate the article from the March ’12 issue (Firing Order). I have a family, kids, and college to fund, so it is nice to know I don’t have to break into the 401k to put together a fun 4x4.
Pat Long
Denton, Texas
Where To Write
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