My SUCHKA--the work begins

[EDELWEISS]

I finally got my SUCHKA. Its a 2006 Wrangler with RIGHT HAND Drive and very low mileage. I went to look at a 1999 Wrangler; but the Lil bitch caught my eye and I kept coming back to her. I was looking for a father/son project that didnt require much work to get started and yet take years to finish.

I know Im breaking lots of Jeep rules, but I wanted an automatic. I figure its one less thing to worry about teaching a new driver. Its a hardtop with an electric defroster and wiper; but Im adding a soft top for summer.

The RH drive is just too cool. I have no trouble driving it; but switching back to "normal" vehicles takes a second.

This is gonna be our Rat Patrol / LRDG / SAS / Popski jeep, so it won't be a daily driver, until daily drives require armed escorts. The current plan is to start adding gas and water cans and then mounts for as many RPKs as I can figure how to fit.

I was gonna put a pedestal mount in the back, then I strated thinking the roll bar may be a better point since RPKs are gonna require some custom work anyway. Im thinking a twin SxS RPK mount on the roll bar and perhaps a single RPK on the passenger side. This is where drums should work pretty good. Id still like to have a rifle mount with in easy reach and perhaps a way to store a PCC close at hand.

We want off road lights; but Id also like to have blackout drive capability and perhaps a IR source for NV driving. Im also giving some thought to low profile BLUE/RED emergency lights (legal-now- if the inline fuse is not in place) and an air horn. WigWags are another possibility.

A second full size spare would also be nice, as would a good set of pioneer tools and perhaps a piece of corregated steel for a traction plate.

Id like to add some commo gear. A CB and GMRS/FRS are the easiest; but hardly the best and most secure commo option. A PD/FIRE scanner doesnt seem like a bad idea either.

Any other suggestions???

[randyho]

For your AO, you'll be hard-pressed to find much in the way of rock-crawling terrain. Traction issues are gonna stand out more than those of clearance... for any place it'll go legally, at least. So, I'd start with just enough body lift to fit a tummy tuck. And prioritize protecting the rest of the undercarriage from the ... whatevers that exist everywhere. I'd start looking at Currie's stuff.

From there, go for traction. Front and rear truetracs will be much more snow-friendly than lockers, which can be not so much functional as exciting in MD's winter mixes (this would be the time to regear as well). Add just enough lift for 33x10.5's (Old Man Emu makes nice stuff) which fit fine on the stock rims, and are lighter than the more common 32x11.5's, and they'll give the pumpkins a bit more clearance. Or go no additional lift and get yourself some tube fenders and an angle grinder for the rear. Low CG on a TJ allows you to keep a lot more stock/cheap parts happy.

Taurus electric fan swaps may be worth investigating. Otherwise, the 4.0 is best left for what it is: a tractor motor. Mod it, and it will bore you. Leave it stock, and it will bore you for far less $$.

Definitely lose the carpet and bed-liner the interior. If you're swapping out for a real roll cage, that's the time to do it.

Space is ALWAYS an issue with a TJ. Work storage issues into all your mod decisions.

Since you're adding electrics in the way of lights (I'm partial to cibie and hella over the domestics/chinese), go over to painless performance and find a fuse or breaker box that'll meet your needs. Keeping the modded stuff separate from the original stuff eases trouble-shooting, IME.

Enjoy! I'm looking for a samurai for similar duty right now.

[Dr. Dan Choi]

Good aquisition, Edelweiss. I wouldn't worry too much about getting an automatic. You won't have to worry about burning out clutch plates going rock climbing. You didn't mention anything about metal bumpers and winches.

[ImFromTheGovt]

RHD is cool. I have a RHD Subaru Impreza STi Version 3 RA myself. Automatic is usually the choice for rock-crawler off-roaders, and IMHO it is a great choice for a dedicated gun-truck jeep like you are planning since it lets the driver use one hand that would have had to shift the gears to now fire a pintle-mounted weapon.

I can't wait to see pics, especially after some of (and *ALL* of) your mods are done!

[EDELWEISS]

Randy, I can get my face slapped in 4 or 5 languages; but Jeep isnt one of them YET. I managed a few phases here and there in your post... I didnt mention it but skid plates for the underside seem like a good idea. My plan was to stick with the tires it has now until they need changing theyre more than servicable now and aggressive enough for any limited off roading if necessary. A seperate fuse box is a great idea, that I hadnt thought of; but as I suffered repeated fuse blowouts (in my Durango) when trying to used the cigarette lighter as a power point, it makes sense. I eventually added a 800 watt converter.

Gasman, Im pretty sure the bumpers are standard; but thats a guess. I winch seems like a good idea as well.

This project started out as a "Could We" when my then 13 year old ask about building a lightly armored anti riot truck on a Toyota Tacoma, after seeing the movie DISTRICT 9 and the use of Toyotas by SF types in A-stan. Finding a suitable and suitably priced Tacoma proved harder than I thought, so we morphed the project to a LRDG type jeep. At first it was just an idea that we talked about; but he really sunk the hook when he asked if he could drive it. I told him it was gonna be something that you took to buy groceries, and he said, "No Dad. I mean like when we go to shows and stuff you and me, together."

[chad newton]

Only thing bout mounting a machine gun to a role cage, what I have thought a little about, is that you cant swivle to the rear very easy. Mout a pedistol and you will be covered.

[randyho]

Randy, I can get my face slapped in 4 or 5 languages; but Jeep isnt one of them YET. Apologies. I did get my jeep nerd on there, didn't I?
Tummy tuck: This gets the transfer case up and outta the way of bad things. It's typically with a big skid plate that covers the entire center section of the jeep. But, in order to make room for it, you need to raise the jeep's body just a bit off the frame with some spacers. The spacers are a body lift. If you look around you'll see a lot of jeeps with bigger tires have this small gap between their frames and bodies. That's what goin' on there. Relatively large gains in clearance w/o raising the center of gravity too much.
TrueTracs (made by eaton): These are limited slip devices (lsd's) that limit the amount of rotation that one tire on an axle can complete before the other one also turns. TJ's typically have a lsd in the rear but the fronts are an open diff. Open diffs allow all the power to go to the wheel w/o traction. The resultant spinning will then cover you in whatever loose debris's available and make you stuck. Stuck sucks. The truetracs are a beefier lsd than what comes stock.
A lot of people choose what are called lockers. Lockers don't allow either wheel on an axle to spin independently. This works great in some terrain, and most hardcore rock crawlers use them. But, IME, they're a bear on ice and snow (until it's really deep). The jeep will want to go straight until it breaks traction and then it often will want to do something very exciting. Big tires on a hard surface also transfer a lot of stress to the drivetrain. And broken axles suck worse than stuck. MD's a better place for lsd's than lockers, IMHO.
Taurus Fans: Ford taurus electric fans are a rough fit for the TJ's radiator. Stock, the TJ comes with a fan powered off the engine's crank shaft. That's typically fine, until you aren't getting enough air past the rad' to keep it cool. Trudging through sand on Assateague would be a good example of when this can happen. The electric fans work independently of engine speed and will do a better job of keeping things cool. Louvers in the hood help as well, and look cool :crafty:
All that said, a bone stock TJ will do some relatively amazing stuff with someone who knows what they're doing behind the wheel. Prioritize accordingly. :finger:

[YARP]

That's awesome news EDELWEISS! I'm glad there's still a father out there teaching his son about using his hands. Randyho-I wish I understood "vehicle" language better, excellent advice.

[ImFromTheGovt]

The other problem with mechanical fan is water crossing. If you get into deep water, the fan tries to become a propeller and tries to pull itself through the back of the radiator. Never fun to get stranded because your radiator has a big hole in it. Electric fans with a switch in the cabin that let you turn them off for the water crossing and eliminate that issue altogether. Electric fans also allow for more airflow than mechanical fan at rock crawling slow engine speeds.

[EDELWEISS]

Chad--Thanks you saved me (hand slapping forehead). I was warned to be careful of mounting a pedestal improperly on the floor board because of the torque of the mount against the thin floor. The roll bar seemed a better option but it never occured to me that it wouldnt allow for turning to the rear. I had thought about adding a stop to prevent it from pointing too low (into the cab or hood); but turning to the rear escaped me.

Yarp--I cant take credit for teaching much about hand tools, other than knowning the left thumb is the one that gets smashed when a heavy tool is held in the right fist.... This is more a "we desing it" then find somebody to build it. My son is in a high school GT Program for computer design, so I show him some historical and current military pics, add a few thoughts about MP gun jeeps that I crewed as a gunner and team leader; then he/we decide whats gonna work for us and how much I can afford "this month". Beyond that we've started doing airsoft together for tactics.

Here it is as I bought it:
http://www.cstatic-images.com/main/MDC/12/418712/319402167.jpg (http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail/photos/multiPhotoPopup.jsp?paId=373518756&tracktype=usedms&aff=national)http://www.cstatic-images.com/main/MDC/12/418712/319402169.jpg (http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail/photos/multiPhotoPopup.jsp?paId=373518756&tracktype=usedms&aff=national)http://www.cstatic-images.com/main/MDC/12/418712/319402179.jpghttp://www.cstatic-images.com/main/MDC/12/418712/319402180.jpg (http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail/photos/multiPhotoPopup.jsp?paId=373518756&tracktype=usedms&aff=national)

I'll post mods as theyre completed.

[EDELWEISS]

I ordered a second spare thats a match for the wheels and tires I currently have. Two ready to go spares seem like a good thing; but now the question is where and how to mount it. Im tempted to put it on the hood as I have no plans to lower the windshield; but Im concerned about the extra weight. Id happily ad re-inforcement to the hood if thats all it will take. Id like some sort of easy to turn nuts to allow access to under the hood. If the hood mount wont work, I suppose its gonna need to be mounted inside.

I also ordered a no frame soft top. The hard top will be great in winter; but its too much on a Wrangler in the summer. Im ginna keep the hard top doors for normal use and Im looking at the various BaJa doors for my gun mounts. I still have to make the final decision on where to mount the guns. Currently Im thinking on the passenger side and the roll bar with possibly one facing rear on a bumper pedestal. This has changed daily. At one time I thought about putting one on the drivers door too; but now Im inclined to let the driver -- drive and have a SBR or pistol handy for him should the need arise.

My Snorkel is also coming, as best I can tell there shouldnt be any complications because of the Right Hand Drive.

Just for show I ordered stone guards for the lights.

I still have to decide where and how many gas and water cans too carry.

I have a high lift jack. I think a rear, perhaps tire mount is best.

Ive decided to add a CB (and perhaps other COMMO gear). For now a CB will give us some additional options and they are cheap enough. Im searching for a long antenna to be mounted on the rear fender on a spring mount bent forward and secured by a tie down. Oh yes, the CB has a PA option, sooooo I had to add a external speaker.

Amazingly I had great service at the MVA today when I went to order the vanity plates. You have to list four options: 1st-SUCHKA 2nd-USUTO 3rd-RATPTRL 4th-DSRTRAT. SUCHKA is available, as long as no one finds it offensive.

What else???

[Juju]

EDELWEISS,

I'm not exactly sure of your intentions with your Jeep. Are you trying to make a better offroad capabale vehicle or are you trying to outfit it for mere looks of some sorts? I don't think you can have it both ways unless you have removable components. If you want an offroad vehicle then it has already been mentioned as to some good starting points.

It looks like you have a suspension lift that might be 2" or better (small tires but still lots of wheel well space). This can be good or bad. If it is a Budget Boost (BB) spacers then you stand a good chance of tearing up your shocks with any serious use. But, with a 2" Suspension Lift (SL), 1" Body Lift (BL), and a 1" Motor Mount Lift (MML), you will be golden with a Tummy Tuck (TT) and some 33's to do full articulation while disconnected (disco'd) without having to get a Slip-Yoke Eliminator (SYE) or Constant Velocity Drive Shaft (CV). You may have to add wheel spacers with 33x10.5 to prevent rubbing at full articulation.

Some guys like to add too much "stuff" to their jeeps and they ride like water buffalo's in the rough. My theory is to keep it light and simple (like an AK) and it will handle faster and better. Even out here in the Nevada desert, I can be 100 miles away from everything and I can get by on a topped-off tank (before entry) with a 5 gal. reserve and barely touch my water reserve. I dare not stay out for more than two days when it is very hot thus reducing my survivalability chances (if need be), but I don't push my luck so I reduce my range as required.

One spare tire is enough with a good blowout kit. All of the unnecessary extras might be nice to have but the increased weight reduces MPG, range, and performance. In MD, I don't think you can get lost unless you get caught in a blizzard. As mentioned, a mostly stock rig with some minimal upgrades will do wonders as a multi-purpose vehicle (on/off road). Beyond that and you are getting into specialization that usually moves away from on-road worthiness--just choose a set up for your particular AO. Most importantly go out and enjoy your Heap for what it was made for. :)

[Netpackrat]

TrueTracs (made by eaton): These are limited slip devices (lsd's) that limit the amount of rotation that one tire on an axle can complete before the other one also turns. TJ's typically have a lsd in the rear but the fronts are an open diff. Open diffs allow all the power to go to the wheel w/o traction. The resultant spinning will then cover you in whatever loose debris's available and make you stuck. Stuck sucks. The truetracs are a beefier lsd than what comes stock.
A lot of people choose what are called lockers. Lockers don't allow either wheel on an axle to spin independently. This works great in some terrain, and most hardcore rock crawlers use them. But, IME, they're a bear on ice and snow (until it's really deep). The jeep will want to go straight until it breaks traction and then it often will want to do something very exciting. Big tires on a hard surface also transfer a lot of stress to the drivetrain. And broken axles suck worse than stuck. MD's a better place for lsd's than lockers, IMHO.

To clarify, a Truetrac is a gear driven LSD, with no preload, unlike the more common clutch driven LSDs which jeep rear axles are often equipped with from the factory. DO NOT install an automatic locker or a clutch driven LSD in the front axle of a vehicle that will see icy or snowy conditions. They are downright dangerous in the winter because you won't have enough traction to overcome the preload and allow the front wheels to turn at a different rate. If you absolutely MUST have a front locker and you will be experiencing winter conditions, go with a selectable unit like an ARB or an OX locker. That way, you get an open diff for road driving, but you can still engage the locker if you need it in an off-road/stuck situation.

I have a Truetrac in the front of my TJ, which is my daily driver, and we are driving on ice up here for at least 6 months out of each year. Even though it has no preload, I can definitely feel the effect of it being there, and as a result my Jeep requires a firm hand at highway speeds. It isn't unsafe, but you can definitely feel it hunting around for traction as you change lanes, etc. when the roads are icy.

[EDELWEISS]

EDELWEISS,

I'm not exactly sure of your intentions with your Jeep...... :)

The primary purpose is a father/son project. So this is a combination of LRDG Jeep photos, Rat Patrol memories, and my answer to the guys who show up at the Saturday night car rallies with the Corvettes they couldnt afford when they were 25.

If pressed for "practical" intent of the vehicle, Id say its some where between a scout vehicle to run in advance of other "friends & family" convoy vehicles AND possibly a patrol vehicle with some added firepower.


http://www.warandpeaceshow.com/images/comprofiler/plug_profilegallery/212/pg_2088571880.jpghttp://www66.tok2.com/home2/tankguy/beltring06/lrdg/lrdg-13.jpghttp://inlinethumb63.webshots.com/9150/2901633740101090334S500x500Q85.jpg

[62-10]

Cool project. What's the story on the RHD unit you bought? It doesn't look like any Postal Jeep I've ever seen.

[EDELWEISS]

Cool project. What's the story on the RHD unit you bought? It doesn't look like any Postal Jeep I've ever seen.

I bought it used so Im going on the dealers info. Heres the story I got, it was originally specifically ordered for a customer in Arizona as a Right Hand Drive and eventually found its way to Virginia, where my dealer bought it in an auction. Theres no back seat (the seat belts are there but the seat is missing and Im not sure there ever was one), so thats a point in it being a postal vehicle. Its been slightly lifted (dont ask me how) and Ive never seen a lifted postal vehicle and Im the second owner. Its got skid plates and they show some scratches; but maybe there were some rocky spots to deliver mail. Best of all theres a decal on the back window of US Jump Wings, which makes me think the original owner bought it and got transfered from Az to Va or ETS'd home to Va. Its a 2006 and its only got 45000 miles, so I doubt it delivered much mail.

I went to the dealer looking to buy a 1999 with 100K+ for not much less. When I saw this, it was a have to have. I left my poker face behind; but the dealer was pretty gentle with me.....

Best of all the RHD still gets a smile out of my son.

[Netpackrat]

So far as I know, the USPS hasn't used Jeeps as delivery vehicles in years... The last postal Jeeps that I'm aware of were some RHD CJ-8 export models that were purchased for use in areas with a real winter. We still see them running around up here sometimes, although the USPS got rid of them years ago. They were unique among postal Jeeps in that they were 4wd, the earlier ones (the DJ series) were all 2wd.

Anyway, that's kind of a long winded way of saying that you almost certainly don't have a former postal Jeep; it is probably an export model that made it back into the US as part of the gray market. Also, the back seat is very easy to remove, so it's entirely possible that yours just disappeared somewhere along the way. It used to be possible to order a Jeep without the back seat (maybe still is), but I kind of doubt they would include the rear seat belts in that case.

[ordinarysaint]

In my neck of the woods rural USPS drivers buy their own rigs and are comp'd for it to some degree.Because of that RH TJs,YJs and XJs are not unheard of.

All the previous advice about tummy tucking and doing a budget boost are spot on.If you like the flat fender look a flat fender kit from Blue Torch Fab is the way to go(if you have some basic welding skills) and you can probably recoup the cost of the kit easily by selling your factory fenders on craigslist.I would absolutely get a trans cooler even if you do very little offroad.If you like a military-ish look for your tires Buckshots are skinny and knobby(I think they still make them)

Anyway,thats my .02
Love your plan for the TJ,want to do something like that with my boy someday but he's not much into doing anything but sleepin',poopin,and eatin these days.Then again he's only 3 weeks old

[62-10]

I saw a RHD (yes, right-hand drive) late-model Wrangler Unlimited parked at a shopping center today, & thought of this thread...

[EDELWEISS]

I saw a RHD (yes, right-hand drive) late-model Wrangler Unlimited parked at a shopping center today, & thought of this thread...


Im not quite in the market for a new daily driver: but Ive been tossing around the idea of a 4dr Wrangler with RHD, for when I do start shopping.