1997 Jeep Wrangler TJ - Project Teal-J II, Part 9

So, what's up with Teal-J? Fine-tuned bolt-on fabrication.

By Robin Stover

Photography by Robin Stover

Teal-J has sure matured in...

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Project Teal-J II, Intro
Project Teal-J II, Part 1
Project Teal-J II, Part 2
Project Teal-J II, Part 3
Project Teal-J II, Part 4
Project Teal-J II, Part 5
Project Teal-J II, Part 6
Project Teal-J II, Part 7
Project Teal-J II, Part 8
Project Teal-J II, Part 9
Project Teal-J II, Part 10
Project Teal-J II, Part 11
Project Teal-J II, Part 12
Project Teal-J II, Part 13
Project Teal-J II, Part 14

We're asked about our project Jeep every time we attend an event or happen upon an old friend at the local 4x4 emporium. Oftentimes people compliment the change of direction Teal-J has taken in its latest segments. Others simply ho-hum our beloved project as too "bolt-on" for their liking. Either way, one thing's certain -- Teal-J represents the editorial staff of Four Wheeler as the official "in-house" platform available to showcase the latest TJ products we like.

With every regime change comes a new set of laws by which all efforts are governed. In recent months, some of you may have noticed some changes at Four Wheeler -- and in the case of this project, we're also making some changes. We're sure the next few segments of Teal-J II will resolve any doubts as to what direction we're heading with our project Jeep. So kick back and watch as we bend the rules while nobody's watching.

When we returned home to California from Moab, we decided it was time to break the long-honored code that everything installed on Teal-J be a readily available bolt-on production part. One trip up north to the San Jose area was all it took for Teal's first custom fabrication to occur. Overkill Jeep Fabrication of Campbell, California, built us a custom space-saving rack above the Tuffy oversized security drawer. Technically speaking, we didn't completely break the bolt-on rule because Overkill's chief fabricator, Jeff Ariabia, built the rack so that it could easily un-bolt if needed. Four wing nuts hold it in place. The brilliance of this design is that the Bestop soft doors fit perfectly under the rack in the space above the Tuffy drawer. Now our coolers and camera bags have a secure resting place where we can easily reach them on the trail.

We hope to never roll the company Jeep, but if there's one thing we've learned while out on the trail, it's that mistakes do happen. When they do, you're always better off when your rig survives the misfortune enough to escape under its own power. This radiator rollover hoop ensures exactly that--it provides some additional strength where you might need it most. Overkill's cage guru Phillip Schuyler came up with this idea and we thought it was a winner. This custom support hoop bolts onto the frame using existing holes, and then ties into the Poison Spyder Customs tubular fenders with a bolt through each fender gusset. Again, the rules haven't been completely ignored as this unit is completely bolt-on.