photos courtesy of AEV

We’ve been really excited about the new AEV Brute Double Cab pickup conversion since seeing it at SEMA last year and wanted to share some photos and information on this exciting vehicle. The kit is produced by American Expedition Vehicles in Wixom, MI, and starts with a 4-door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited JK. The chassis is stretched 23 inches (for a final wheelbase of 139 inches) and a 5-foot truck bed is added. The AEV Brute demo vehicle also features a 6.4L  Hemi V8 motor swap to increase power and torque. Pricing for a turn-key vehicle is estimated to run anywhere from $65,000 to $95,000 and the first vehicles are expected to be ready by mid-2012.

Jay Leno’s Garage recently checked out a 2012 Jeep Wrangler JK-8 pickup built by VWerks Vehicle Systems in Michigan. This particular JK-8 was prepared for Red Jacket Firearms, the stars of the Discovery Channel show Sons of Guns. Budgets weren’t much of an issue for this build which features the JK-8 pickup truck conversion, 17″ beadlock wheels on 40″ BF Goodrich tires, hand made steel bumpers, custom paint and a number of other accessories. While Jay didn’t take this Jeep to it’s natural habitat, it was nice to get an up-close look at the build quality of this vehicle.

Here is the full video clip from the show:

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering how much lift your Jeep® needs to fit a certain size tire (without cutting up crazy amounts of metal and destroying your vehicle), we’re here to help. The chart above should tell you roughly how much lift you will need to fit larger tires under your Wrangler, CJ, Cherokee, Comanche, Willys Flatfenders, Grand Cherokee, and Grand Wagoneer without additional modification.

With that said, please use this chart only as a guideline. The weight of your Jeep can make a difference in the amount of lift you actually see.  And, some tires are taller than others when installed.  Wheel width and tire pressure can also affect tire fit.

Once you’ve done your research, browse our full selection of Jeep lift kits and pick one up for your ride!

Here’s a really nice look behind the scenes of Icon Automobiles with their CEO, Jonathan Ward. Icon creates their own hand-crafted versions of the classic Ford Bronco, Toyota FJ, and Jeep CJ series vehicles basically from scratch at their location in Los Angeles, CA. Every part of the vehicle is sourced or made in the USA, and each vehicle is made to order over the span of a few months. This video looks into the inspiration and great amount of detail that goes into every vehicle that Icon creates.

photo from Bigjonh/JeepForum.com

We recently came across a nice restoration of a rare Jamboree Commemorative Edition Jeep CJ7 over at JeepForum.com and we felt it was worth showing off. The 30th Anniversary Jamboree edition was limited to 2500 vehicles in 1982, and included features such as unique gold paint,a front brush guard, chrome rims, and a commemorative plate on the dash.

JeepForum member “Bigjonh“ picked up a Jamboree CJ7 a little over a year ago and quickly got to work. It began in fairly ratty condition, but after a number of months he had it looking almost as good as new. Check out the progress through the photos below and feel free to browse his full build thread here. Don’t forget to check out the full lineup of Jeep parts at DriveOffroad.com, we have everything you need for your Jeep restoration project as well! Be sure to send us any photos along the way, we’d love to share a few more stories here on our blog.

We have a very limited quantity of Warn M8000 winches that we are putting on sale for only $599.99 with FREE SHIPPING until supplies run out. As of today only 3 are remaining, pick one up before they’re all gone! The M8000 is part of the Warn premium series of winches and has been trusted by off-roaders for over twenty years. It features 8,000 lb. capacity and a low-profile mounting design to make it right at home on any Jeep, truck, or SUV application.

Click here to buy today!

Feel free to read on if you’d like to see even more technical specifications:

Read the rest of this entry »

Original story from Dale Neal of the Asheville Citizen Times / photo from John Fletcher

Warren Thornburg of Asheville, NC recently converted his 1970 Jeep Commando to run entirely on electricity. The original engine had blown and Thornburg wanted to be an early adopter of the electric motor technology. After a great deal of research and nearly $17,000 in the motor, batteries, and controller, he was able to do the entire conversion in his own backyard (aside from a little help from a local transmission shop who helped him keep the original transmission working with the new electric setup). Warren estimates that his old Jeep can now be driven for about 4 cents per mile.

For more details and photos, check out the original article here.

We have recently added a closeouts section to our site! Save up to 50% or more on quality name brand Jeep parts and accessories from Warn, Bestop and others. If you are looking for a great deal on Jeep winches, Jeep seats, Jeep bumpers, check out our Jeep closeout section on a regular basis. We continue to add new Jeep accessories consistently. These Jeep deals are limited in quantities and last until our inventory is gone, so hurry and order your Jeep parts today.

Click here to shop now!

We were proud to support the JKowners.com ride of the month contest for January 2012. Our sponsorship covered the Average Build Class (vehicles with 35″ tires or smaller, bumpers, winches, etc.), and the voting took place by members of the JKowners forum here. This month’s winner was “Hooligan” from Kansas who will be receiving a $50 DriveOffroad.com gift certificate. Congrats Hooligan, and thanks to everyone at JKowners for making this possible! Read on to see a few more pics of Hooligan’s JK.

Read the rest of this entry »

We are a proud supporter of Tread Lightly! and want to promote membership in this great organization. We have partnered with Tread Lightly! because it’s the right thing to do to protect our land, water, and trails.

We hope that you are already a member, but want to offer a free annual membership if you are not.

When you place an order for $250 or more with Drive Offroad and enter promo code tread-lightly during the checkout process, we will send $25 to Tread Lightly!. You will become a member, if you are not already one. If you are a Tread Lightly! member, your membership will be extended by one year. If you are already a lifetime member, we will donate $25 to Tread Lightly! in your name.

Thanks for dropping in. Please look around and see what we have to offer. The fun begins here.

Limit one membership per customer. Offer valid from November 10, 2011 through December 31, 2012. Minimum total purchase of $250 (before shipping) required. New membership information will be sent to Tread Lightly! on a weekly basis.