Started as 1997 Jeep Wrangler TJ Sport 5 speed soft top, half doors (early production TJ) optional rear Dana 44 3.55 limited slip. Purchased new in November of 1996. It had a 1st Gen Teraflex lift later updated with their newer flex arms and better coils, JKS sway bar disconnects, 33" tires by December of '96. Was hitting the rocks In Florence and Table Mesa Arizona with some of the big boys in early 1997, Mr ED & wife we're a great help back then I often weeled with their group where they video taped everything . Had rocker and body damage before just a few payments were made! Somewhere in early/mid-1998 it got 4.56 gears & ARB air lockers front and rear to prep for Las Cruces trip. Had Aloy USA shafts front and rear & 35-inch tires with Centerline wheels converted to beadocks by Champion Wheel. At first, jeep was made fun of on the trails... kind-of like the JKs/JLs were at first, then everybody saw how capable it was and how much a flexi coil suspension is worth on the trail. It was rare to see TJ's out on the hard trails back then. Later had TBT alumaflex high steer and full armor package, put in a rubicon TJ transfer case and it pretty much just evolves slowly from there. Around 2007 early 2008 decided to do a major rebuild based around one ton axles and extending wheelbase and wheel travel. Timing really sucked with the recession, build basically went into hibernation with a pile of some new build parts and cut apart Jeep with many old parts already sold, not sure what to do with a dwindling budget.
Slowly the NeverEnding One Ton build came together. As of mid 2023 specs are 1989 Ford f350 high pinion Dana 60 kingpin axle, ARB, yukon 5.38 gears, Yukon chromoly shafts & joints, steering is PSC full hydro double ended ram. Rear, '73 14 bolt SRW, stock shafts, ARB, 5:38s w/big shave. Double triangulated front suspension, single triangulated rear, 2" 7075 alloy lower links front and rear with 1.25" heims, upper links 1.5" .250 wall DOM with 3/4" heims. Cages 1.75" DOM, with some 1.5" bracing and seat base. Still has the original low mileage 4 liter engine, now converted from a manual transmission to a Cherokee XJ AW4 with RAD manual electric shift. ATLAS 4.3 transfer case, High angle drive lines with special 43° rear agricultural jointed shaft. The front is a custom two piece shaft. Ran 16" SwayAway 2 1/2" air shocks at first, then converted over to 2 1/2" in KING coilovers, 16" rear, 14" front. It's running 43" sticky TSLs on 20" Trail Ready beadlocks. I built it to be able to sit low, (low center of gravity) the Atlas is flat mounted under an almost completely flat 1/4" plate belly pan. Fuel system is all custom it has an upright tank mid-mounted that holds 16+ gallons with Walbro external pump. The only thing on this build that was not done in my small home garage was some of the gear setup in axles.
