'92 Jeep Cherokee

Motivating the rear is the stock Dana 35C axlehousing, but an ARB Air Locker and 4.56 gears hide under the diff cover. A fabricated skidplate protects the tranny and transfer case. Tomken springs provide lift in the rear, but it was necessary to add 1 ¾-inch lift blocks to level the truck. The lift also caused some driveline vibration, but a new rear driveshaft with a CV joint cured this.

A coil-spring/solid-axle front suspension is arguably the best setup for 'wheeling because it offers great articulation and a superior highway ride. The 6-inch lift Tomken coils do both of these things admirably. Kyle chucked the original front bumper in favor of an ARB Bull Bar, which provides a sturdy yet concealed platform for the 9,000-pound Warn winch.

In action, the Tomken springs offer superior articulation and keep the 33x12.50-15 Yokohama Super Diggers mounted on 15x10 Center Line wheels connected to the ground, even over the toughest obstacles. In fact, it was a rare occasion when we saw this Cherokee lift a tire.

Under the hood is a stock 4.0L, still going strong with more than 90,000 miles on it. These engines provide plenty of torque for 'wheeling, so Kyle left his alone with the exception of an engine pre-luber tucked away in the upper left hand corner of the photo. An ARB air compressor stands ready to feed the lockers in both diffs, and an Optima battery handles the extra power needed for the winch.

A Tomken bumper guards the rear and can be converted to an air tank. You can also see the Tomken nerf bars that help keep the rockers straight. These are some of the best nerf bars we've seen because they're extremely strong yet don't eat up precious ground clearance.

Here is a perfect example of when a long wheelbase can be an advantage. More distance between the axles often lets you have one axle on top of the obstacle and the other on the bottom, netting you greater traction.