oj The Ultimate Orange Jeep Part 5 - caliper Mounts - Photo 40868146

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Shamrock Machining also cut out some simple caliper mounts for the side of the Spidertrax knuckles (top). This aids in bleeding the brakes. They are notched and drilled through for our custom mounting location as compared to the Spidertax mounts (bottom).

Last month we showed you the custom Spidertrax Spider-9 axles with True Hi-9 high- pinion third members. These axle were built a little wider than stock, and both the front and rear were built to steer for optimal maneuverability. They were built with the Zone 4-inch front suspension and Synergy axle mounts.

The rear suspension is a three-link with a track bar. There are two custom lower links made by Zone for us and a set of Zone front coils springs. The upper link is a custom unit built by Hazzard with joints and threaded bungs from Poly Performance, while the mounts are from Spokane Water Knife, a local water-jet cutter.

We needed a custom rear track bar and decided to make one from the stock JK rear track bar because it is forged and quite strong. We liked the forged bend in the middle but had to shorten one side, as the front framerails we grafted onto the rear are narrower than the stock rear framerails. We cut, sleeved, and welded the bar for a strong reliable track bar.

The rear track bar uses a Synergy mount on the axle and a custom Hazzard mount on the frame. This keeps the track bar very flat for stability, but it also resulted in our Off-Road Connection rear steering ram being mounted a bit lower than desirable. We eventually built a strong skid/guard under the ram and never had a major issue with clearance on the trail.

A few parts we needed custom-made, and the metalsmiths at Shamrock Machining in Spokane were on hand for these tasks. Shamrock and Hazzard Fabworx developed lower steering arms for the Spidertrax knuckles. These line up with the Spidertrax steering arms and allow for a stronger double shear mounting of the steering bolts. (The washers and tubing were just there for mockup.)

One of the newest innovations on the Off-Roadster is the new Spidertrax Ultimate Unit Bearings. These unit bearings are a simple design that bolts onto the Pro-Series 60 knuckles with four bolts. These unit bearings have been through numerous abusive tests and hold up to large tires, big horsepower, and severe off-road use, such as rock racing.

These unit bearings have an integrated drive flange and are constructed of heat-treated chromoly. They are built with Timken bearings and have just 21⁄8 inches between the knuckle mounting surface to the wheel mounting surface. The unit bearings are also different for the left and right sides of the vehicle to help ensure against loosening, as they are assemble with a large spindle nut. An aluminum cap covers the end of the special stub shaft; there is no locking hub option with these unit bearings.

Over our 8-on-61⁄2 unit bearing we added Spidertrax’s 14-inch brake rotor and aluminum hat. These lightweight brakes are designed for off-road and racing applications but worked great on our street and trail Jeep. The Spidertrax supplied calipers are four-piston Wilwoods for precise, reliable stopping power, even with large tires.

Shamrock Machining also cut out some simple caliper mounts for the side of the Spidertrax knuckles (top). This aids in bleeding the brakes. They are notched and drilled through for our custom mounting location as compared to the Spidertax mounts (bottom).

When trying something new (such as putting Spidertrax axles under a new Jeep Wrangler) you may run into a few hiccups. We had to have custom speed sensor tone rings cut and mounted behind the brake rotor. This gave the Jeep a 52-tooth tone ring just like the factory tone ring but with a larger diameter. We had these made by Shamrock and then custom-mounted the speed sensors on the knuckles. It worked, but we still had some odd transmission shifting issues.

With the axles and suspension coming together we worked on the steering. Our front steering box was sent to Lee Manufacturing, where it was ported and plumbed for a hydro-assist ram. The pump was upgraded as well.

The rear steer ram is from Off-Road Connection and is run off a simple 12-volt Haldex hydraulic pump from Northern Tool. A small toggle switch in the center console directs the rear steering, while an additional battery helps power the pump. A Hi-Lift jack mounts beside it, should it be needed.

Between the trunk section of the Jeep and the passenger compartment Hazzard Fabworx built a steel firewall. Once it was installed, Luke Shuman of Hazzard coated it with Herculiner bed liner for noise and heat reduction.

On the rear firewall we mounted a ball valve from Offroad Design. The valve is in line to one of the rear brake calipers. When the brakes are applied it can be turned and holds the pressure, acting as a parking brake.

Bodywork was next on the to-do list. We opted to cover the rear seam with a sheet of 1⁄8-inch steel plate. This acts as body armor and helps to tie the front and rear sections together.

Below the steel plate, Synergy rock sliders were added. Because the wheelbase of the two-door Jeep had been stretched to 110 inches we used Synergy’s four-door sliders and cut them down to fit. After test fitting they were sent out for powdercoating. We also added a second pair of GenRight front fenders, but now on the rear.

Above the side armor Shuman assembled a fabricated steel rollbar. This ties into the factory bars and the body armor for a strong body-mounted system. The plating was laser-cut out by Shamrock Machining.

Inside the rollbar Rocky Dorame mounted an awesome LED dome light from Truck-Lite, capable of lighting the whole cabin.

Truck-Lite also supplied the LED front headlights and the massive 7-inch LED rear taillights. The taillights are actually designed for a school bus.

The rear of the Jeep also received a Warn winch in a Synergy front bumper, but this time it was a PowerPlant winch with a built-in air compressor great for airing up tires. The rear fiberglass hood is from Ansani Design and has an early K5 Blazer look; we chose it hoping for more underhood clearance since the rear hood is actually our decklid.

As the bodywork was coming together we also painted and installed the axles and suspension. Zone shocks were used front and rear.

To give the Jeep a clean finish while covering the various body panels and assembled parts, we opted for a wrap instead of a paint job. 3MWraps.com came on board with its unique flat orange wrap material.

The wrap experts from Designer Decal in Spokane came to the Hazzard Fabworx shop and did the install in place while we continued working on the Jeep. The wrap is very cool because if we ever need to touch up the color after severe trail abuse we can simply have it rewrapped. Luckily it survived unscathed from UA.

Our sponsors like their logos bright and bold, so we chose a glistening metallic blue color for them. Again Designer Decal applied the signage, and we quickly had a clean official-looking trail machine.

Our final days at Hazzard Fabworx had us calling in all our new local friends to come button up the Off-Roadster. Lots of little projects needed finishing, such as assembling and mounting the Mopar half-doors, so the help was much appreciated.

To fit our big 40-inch Nitto Trail Grapplers we had to do some massaging of the body panels and slight trimming of the inside mounting flange on the GenRight fenders. Cooper Rassmussen showed off his acclaimed smashing technique with a large hammer.

Before heading out on the UA we had a transmission shifting problem. We visited Cole Chrysler Jeep in San Luis Obispo, California. Technician Zach Bollinger quickly diagnosed that a pair of speed sensor wires had been accidently cut during the buildup. After repairs we were back in business.

We also stopped by Synergy for a complete set of its underbelly skidplates. These worked excellent during the trip, protecting valuable components like transmission and oil pans.

Our rear trunk compartment worked great as storage for our spare 40-inch Nitto Trail Grappler tire under a Poison Spyder Customs tire strap, and we set it up so that the wheel center could hold smaller items like toolbags, spare parts, and a trail spill kit from High Country Performance 4x4. Plus, we had a new Bubba Rope recovery strap ready should anyone need a tug.

Behind the seat we had just enough room for a small Engel electric cooler. Though not the biggest cooler, it did keep beverages and perishables cold during the trip, and without the possibility of messy melted ice in everything.