• JP Magazine
  • Dirt Sports + Off-Road
  • 4-Wheel & Off-Road
  • Four Wheeler
  • Get A Print Subscription
  • Get A Digital Subscription
  • Gift Subscriptions
  • Subscriber Services
  • Back Issues
  • Personalized Covers

san Angelo Jeep Heart Of Texas - 1987 Wrangler - Photo 9309983

Back to Article
Share this
  • By far the youngest and, perhaps, the most elegant driver of the day was Randall Key. Key's '87 Wrangler turns an injected Chevy 350 and auto tranny with a flipped Dana 300 T-case. The Dana 30 front and Dana 35 rear are the weak links with only 4.10s, but with no lockers the open diffs help keep the shafts alive. A 4-inch Rancho suspension and 3-inch body lift move the fenders high enough for 36x13.50 Swamper Iroks on chrome wheels.
By far the youngest and, perhaps, the most elegant driver of the day was Randall Key. Key's '87 Wrangler turns an injected Chevy 350 and auto tranny with a flipped Dana 300 T-case. The Dana 30 front and Dana 35 rear are the weak links with only 4.10s, but with no lockers the open diffs help keep the shafts alive. A 4-inch Rancho suspension and 3-inch body lift move the fenders high enough for 36x13.50 Swamper Iroks on chrome wheels.
Coverboy Shawn Brown nailed the throttle in his '77 CJ-5 on this ledge climb, and we don't know how the mostly stock drivetrain stayed together. There's a 304 engine, T-18 tranny, and a Dana 20 T-case with Tera Low kit. The Dana 30 front and Model 20 rear benefit from alloy axleshafts, 4.56 gears, and Lock-Rite lockers. The wheelbase has been stretched to 104 inches thanks to a four-link and coil rear suspension. Coverboy Shawn Brown nailed the throttle in his '77 CJ-5 on this ledge climb, and we don't know how the mostly stock drivetrain stayed together. There's a 304 engine, T-18 tranny, and a Dana 20 T-case with Tera Low kit. The Dana 30 front and Model 20 rear benefit from alloy axleshafts, 4.56 gears, and Lock-Rite lockers. The wheelbase has been stretched to 104 inches thanks to a four-link and coil rear suspension. Playing the part of event organizer, Matt Hodges of West Texas Off Road, thrashed on the electrical system of his '91 Wrangler to make it out. An L98 Corvette 350 with TBI injection, a TH700R4 tranny, and a 4:1 Dana 300 throw massive grunt to the front and rear high-pinion Dana 60s. The axles are stuffed with 5.13 gears, ARB front, Detroit rear, and the suspension consists of a spring-over with 2-inch springs in front and a four-link rear with coils. The tires are 38.5 Baja claws on MRW bead locks steered, of course, by a Redneck Ram. Scott Smith broke many of the trails outside of San Angelo in his trusty CJ-5. He's since traded up to an '03 Rubicon equipped with a 6-inch TeraFlex suspension, 35-inch MT/Rs on black 15x8 steel wheels, and a Redneck Ram steering system. Otherwise, the rig is dead nuts stock. By far the youngest and, perhaps, the most elegant driver of the day was Randall Key. Key's '87 Wrangler turns an injected Chevy 350 and auto tranny with a flipped Dana 300 T-case. The Dana 30 front and Dana 35 rear are the weak links with only 4.10s, but with no lockers the open diffs help keep the shafts alive. A 4-inch Rancho suspension and 3-inch body lift move the fenders high enough for 36x13.50 Swamper Iroks on chrome wheels. Moments after we clicked the shutter, Rob Simmons turned his T-case output shaft and T-case tailhousing into shrapnel. The '88 YJ runs a 4.2L with a Motorcraft 2200 carburetor. The AX-15 and NP231 are stock, but the Dana 30 front and swapped-in Ford Explorer 8.8 rear run 4.56 gears with a limited slip and welded diff, respectively. The 36-inch TSLs on 15x10 black steelies proved to be a little too much for the stock output shaft, but Simmons nearly had a spare shaft and housing scrounged before the day was out. Karl Westendorf made his first appearance in Jp Magazine a few years back during our Jp Mayhem event. Since then he's updated his '99 TJ with a 33-spline Superior Super 44 kit and OX locker in the rear, a Detroit Locker in the front, Poison Spyder cage, corners, rockers, tube fenders, a stinger bumper, and some OMF bead locks. The Rubicon Express long arm runs 4-inch coils and clears 35-inch Mickey Thompson Claws with a 1-inch body lift. The 231 T-case has a 4:1 Tera Low kit, but, otherwise, the five-speed and 4.0L are stock. Although he owns Katemcy Rocks off-road park in central Texas, Randy Kruse brought his '76 CJ-7 and a big right foot. Closed for the hunting season, Katemcy is another Texas wheeling local we plan on visiting. Kruse's Jeep spins an AMC 360 on propane, a T-18 backed by a 4.3:1 Atlas, and '77 Wagoneer Dana 44s loaded with 4.56 gears and Detroits. A 4-inch BDS spring-under and a 2-inch body lift clear room for 36-inch Swamper SX tires.
Back to Article
< 1 - 9 of >

Related Galleries

Connect With Us

Newsletter Sign Up

Subscribe to the Magazine

Sponsored Links