1951 Willys Jeep CJ3A Trail Gear - Rescue Me

Tailgate-Mounted Spare Tire Carrier
The factory position for the spare tire on these old flatfenders is on the passenger-side rear corner and even though our '51 has a factory reinforcement between the inner and outer body panels, they are still notorious for flexing metal under the weight of the spare. For this reason, we wanted to fabricate a rear spare-tire mount that would work without losing the functionality of the tailgate by bolting it shut. With a little shop ingenuity and a few spare parts, Mel at Off Road Evolution was able to design a spare-tire carrier to meet our needs and expectations.

Tuffy Series II Console
Since our Jeep has no doors, no top, and no lockable storage, we thought it would be smart to get a Tuffy console installed ASAP so we would have a secure place to store our wallets, winch controller, and whatever else needed to be locked up behind 16-gauge steel and a tamper-proof lock. While Tuffy doesn't make a flatfender-specific center console, we found that the dimensions of the Series II was a perfect fit between the seats of the Colonel, the only major installation issue was the need to add a tall spacer because the factory toolbox under the passenger seat creates an uneven floor. At tktk inches tall, it puts the armrest in a perfect location for longer drives. As an added bonus, the console includes cup holders, which we chose to mount on the rear of the console as not to interfere with our shift levers.

Power Tank
We love the Power Tank, especially in Competition Yellow. We have found that one 5-pound tank will last four or more outings if you are running 33s and have them aired down to 10 to 15 psi and back to 30. With our BFGoodrich M/Ts in 30x9.50R15, a single charge will likely last an entire season of wheeling. Any beverage or welding supply shop can refill it, which costs about $20 in our experience. We mounted our Power Tank to the Colonel using the rollbar mounts and speed bracket.

Mac's Custom Tie Downs & Straps
We love Mac's Custom Tie Downs. They sell just about any type of strap that you can think of and with the highest-quality materials. We have used Mac's straps for everything from keeping the Colonel on the trailer to securing gear in the bed of a truck. The Ultra Pack, which comes with four 8-foot ratchet straps and four axle straps, makes securing a vehicle to any trailer a breeze.

Another excellent Mac's product is the VersaTie track system, which provides great anchor points for just about anything you might carry. These versatile rails are great because they install easily, have a high weight capacity, and the VersaTie connectors can be installed at any point along the rail without having to be slid out the end. Numerous sizes and styles are available; we chose 24-inch rails for the Colonel.

Mac's also sent us an assortment of straps, our favorite being the ones that have VersaTie connectors on the ends instead of hooks. We guess this means these straps won't get borrowed by our "friends," at least until they read this story and get VersaTie tracks for their own vehicles.

Painless Performance CirKit Boss
Somewhere along the line, a previous owner had installed a cigarette lighter in the dash, but it wasn't wired to anything when we acquired the Willys. Figuring it would be nice to have a power point to recharge the GPS or run a light, we contacted Painless Performance for one of its weather-sealed three-circuit CirKit Boss wiring kit. The CirKit Boss is a safe way to add electrical accessories to any system and includes an in-line circuit breaker and relay. This kit was a snap to wire and gave us one constant (which we wired to the cigarette lighter) and two keyed circuits, so now we have the wiring to expand if we want to add a CB radio or something else down the line.

How Does It Work
Prior to Easter Jeep Safari in Moab last March, we had a chance to take the Colonel to the Tierra Del Sol event in Ocotillo Wells, California, for a shakedown run. We were impressed how well the Deaver/Bilstein suspension worked with the added weight of the 8274 and spare tire. The Jeep worked very well as a whole, with zero rattling from the Hi-Lift and only noise from the spare and tailgate on the hardest hits. The Tuffy Series II console worked out perfectly and gave us a place for our miscellaneous items as well as our bottles of water. Lastly, the Mac's VersaTie system kept everything from flying around. At the end of the day, we aired up with our Power Tank, loaded up the trailer, and headed home. These modifications did exactly what we wanted and we wouldn't change one of them.