154 1104 Uphill Ice And Snow Wheeling Jeeps - six Speed Wrangler Jk - Photo 35912895

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This was the first time this six-speed-equipped two-door JK got out on a trail like this. A 31/2-inch Skyjacker lift and 33-inch Pro Comp tires helped to level the playing field, but the ice we were wheeling on meant that just about everyone was on the strap or the winch at some point.

Tom Thomson was our guinea pig for much of the run. With 37x13.50R17 Goodyear MT/Rs, 4.10 gears, a heavy foot, and a willingness to point his Jeep just about anywhere. He often attacked the next section before we snatched or winched everyone through the section we were currently fighting.

Kenneth McCrosson and his skinny pedal are good friends. He figures the six-cylinder isn't going to do much damage to the high-pinion Dana 44 front or the Ford 9-inch in the rear. Both axles have Detroit Lockers and 4.88 gears to help turn the 36-inch Super Swamper Iroks. The front owner-built three-link worked great all day. Kenneth runs a Sanden-based on-board air with a 5-gallon tank in the cargo area.

This '87 Wrangler runs Rock Krawler's 7-inch coil conversion to clear 37-inch Goodyear MT/Rs. The AX-15 was swapped-in from an XJ and the factory front Dana 30 and rear Dana 35 were stuffed with 4.88 gears. The rear axle sports a Lock-Right and the 258ci breathes easier through a Weber carburetor.

Here we have Justin Zmieske throttling his '00 Cherokee up the second climb. If it was dry and warm this could have been done in 2WD. As it was, his 4.0L was spinning the 4.56 gears in the front Dana 30 and rear Chrysler 8.25 with a lunchbox locker for all the engine was worth. A 61/2-inch Rock Krawler lift made room for the 33x12.50R16 Mickey Thompson MTZs on factory Rubicon-edition TJ wheels.

Gregory Miller was another one with no fear of standing on the gas pedal, trying to break ground, and forging ahead. With front and rear Dynatrac Pro Rock Dana 60 axles spinning 4.88 gears and ARB Air Lockers, he had no fear of breakage even though the inline-six was stroked out to a 4.7L. A 51/2-inch Rock Krawler suspension made room for the 39x13-17 Super Swamper Iroks wrapped around MDE Metal rims.

Frank Asenbauer's '99 Cherokee was a labor of love. He's had it for eight years and has been saving up and building it the whole time. It is the first XJ with Rock Krawler's coil-sprung rear suspension and has 61/2 inches of lift to clear the 35-inch Goodyear MT/Rs. The six-cylinder, AW4, and NP231 are in their stock locations handing power off to lightly modified stock axles. Up front is a high-pinion Dana 30 and out back is a Chrysler 8.25, both with 4.11 gears and ARB Air Lockers. The Protofab front bumper holds the winch and Pro Comp lights.

We've never seen anyone do so many 360s and 180s while sliding down an ice-slick hill next to a 15-foot drop, but Nick Zalucki did just that. Repeatedly. We were convinced that he'd slide right off the side, but each time his '76 CJ-5 would spin around he somehow maintained control. Then he'd line back up and flog his 0.40-inch-over inline-six up the hill with all the fury that his Offenhauser intake and Edelbrock carb could muster. The T-18 didn't care, nor did the swapped-in Dana 300. The front Dana 30 and the ARB Air Locker in the rear AMC 20 just kept on pulling against the ice.

This clean-looking '91 Wrangler has all the good factory parts in it still with the bad factory parts getting the heave-ho. Derek Sanderson kept the 4.0L, AX-15, and NP231 all in place without modifications. The NP231 has a Tom Wood's slip yoke eliminator and passes power to the front and rear Wagoneer-sourced axles. The front is a Dana 44 while the rear is an AMC20. Both axles are stuffed with 4.88 gears while the front has a Lock-Right and the rear has an Auburn ECTED. They are hung under the stock springs to clear 35x12.50R15 Maxxis Bighorns.

"Not much damage" to Kenneth means that locking hubs exploding is OK. It is an easy fix and he carries plenty of spares. He replaced about three of them that day on the trail; when his last spare went in, he toned the throttle games way down so that the remaining hubs would last the rest of the day.

This was the first time this six-speed-equipped two-door JK got out on a trail like this. A 31/2-inch Skyjacker lift and 33-inch Pro Comp tires helped to level the playing field, but the ice we were wheeling on meant that just about everyone was on the strap or the winch at some point.

John Pell in his Tomb Raider-edition '03 Rubicon did his share of spotting others up, but on the way back down we snapped him having some fun stretching his Jeep's legs. The "legs" are 3 inches longer than stock, thanks to a hybrid lift that clears 35x12.50R15 BFG KM2s. The drivetrain is still stock right down to the 4.10 gears and factory air lockers.