My name is Melissa Fischer and I am one of the Ambassadors for Driveoffroad.com. I also blog for our local Moab Jeep club, Moab Friends for Wheelin’. You can check out some of my other blogs at http://webejeepinmoab.com
I was really excited to have Tracy Shayhorn come and visit with us local and semi-local lady Jeepers during the Easter Jeep Safari and to explain to her my passion for Jeeping as well as to teach and share the sport with other drivers. I was also thrilled when she took to it like a fish in water and I had her driving my Jeep up the slickrock on her very first day. By the end of the week, she was even driving our big rigs in Area BFE. Cool, huh?
Driving Jeeps off-road is a wonderful way to get outdoors, meet great people, and learn to challenge yourself. It doesn’t take any special skills, strength, or even a heavily modified vehicle. I know this on a personal level because even I can do it. In 2005, I moved to Utah and started modifying my 2002 Jeep Wrangler.
This is my Jeep, prior to modification out on Schafer Trail in Canyonlands National Park back in 2004 when I lived in Arizona.
In 2006, I made my first real upgrades which included a Tera-Flex Long Arm Kit and gigantic 33″ tires and of course, sweet rims. I’m still driving open here and had no limited slip or lockers, stock drivelines and axles, including the little Dana 30 axle up front. Then I went out to tackle Hole in the Rock down by Lake Powell which is a beautiful trail by the way.
Was I scared of this obstacle? Terrified!
I enjoyed the challenges and loved being out in the back county so kept on with the Jeep modifications. Eventually my Moab TJ looked like this.
This is me going over White Knuckle Hill at Easter Week in 2008. By this time, I had upgraded to Dana 44′s front and rear, ARB lockers front and rear, had my winch installed and thought I was “all that”. That was, until I tried to conquer Pritchett Canyon. My stock wheel base and little tires left me struggling on Pritchett so it was either major overhaul or look for another Jeep.
Then I ended up purchasing my “Big” Jeep Redroxx. Yes this was one ugly Jeep in need of upgrading but the price was right and I could play in the meantime. This was the photo I found of her on Ebay.
I have put tons of upgrades and mods on Redroxx, probably too many to mention. My favorite ones are putting the full width Dana 60 under the front and the 40″ tires. Now, we go almost anywhere together (as long as its not too narrow!)
If you’re wondering what this blogger looks like, I’ve sent you a photo…..
Thanks all and hope to see you on the trail. If I get to do another blog with Drive Offroad, I will feature another local lady driver.
Just wanted to let everyone know that we’ve uploaded a bunch of videos from EJS 2011 to our youtube page. Feel free to check them out and let us know what you think!
When we think of Easter Jeep Safari we all tend to think about how cool the Jeeps are going to be. I think it’s worth mentioning how cool a lot of the people who attend EJS are while we are at it.
Last year I met up Bill Burke again. Bill has owned BB4WA.com for 25 years now. This is addition to being the founding father of the International 4WD Trainers Association. Bill was also one of the Camel Trophy competitors in Africa in 1991.
Moses Ludel was at last years Easter jeep Safari, too. He wrote the Jeep Owner’s Bible and has penned over 3,000 articles. He has the ability to communicate very detailed technical topics in a clear and concise way. Moses currently has a web magazine called 4WD Mechanix Magazine.
Walker Evans was also in attendance. He is a well known and gifted off-road racer. After winning the Baja 1000 five times in other specially built vehicles. Evans became the first driver in off-road racing history to win that grueling event overall in a truck!
Rick Russell has been around since dirt was invented. (OK, not quite) He has owned Sidekick Off Road since 1988. Rick has written many trail guide books and videos, starred on TV, and generally been heavily involved in the 4-wheeling community.
Mark Allen, head of Jeep’s design team since 1994 was there too. Mark is a wheeler and he “gets it”. Unfortunately, the cool concept Jeeps in Moab probably won’t go into production. But hey, what a toy box he has to play in!
Most of the off-road magazines will have journalists there, too. Have a favorite magazine or editor? Chances are you good you’ll find them our in Moab.
And hey, if you aren’t interested in any of the legends mentioned—Tracy and I will be there to save the day! That’s clearly a joke, but we look forward to meeting all of you anyways! ~ Dave Logan
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., April 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Each year, thousands of diehard off-road enthusiasts descend upon Moab, Utah, for the Easter Jeep Safari and a week of fun on some of the country’s best and most rugged trails. Jeep® and Mopar are marking the occasion by returning to the annual event – which takes place April 16-24 – with six new customized vehicles.
“The annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari provides us a perfect opportunity to interact with our most loyal fans in a true Jeep setting,” said Mike Manley, President and CEO – Jeep Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. “We are able to demonstrate and test new potential Jeep production and customization ideas at our away-from-home proving ground, while getting instant feedback from our customers.”
More than 30 percent of the people who are in the market for a new vehicle are influenced by the breadth and availability of aftermarket accessories and Mopar comes to the party with a vast selection of accessories that will fit a variety of lifestyles.
“From full engine packages to slush mats, Mopar has everything for the avid off-roader,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and Chief Executive Officer – Mopar, Chrysler Group’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “In fact, Mopar covers the spectrum with more than 280,000 proven quality-tested parts and accessories that allow customers to personalize their Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and Fiat vehicles.”
Over the past decade, a dedicated group of engineers, designers and fabricators from Mopar and Jeep have customized more than two dozen vehicles and a host of off-road parts and accessories, and showcased them to the enthusiast crowds in Moab.
“Moparized” Jeep vehicles for the 2011 Moab Easter Jeep Safari
Jeep Wrangler ‘Pork Chop’
The primary focus in the development of ‘Pork Chop’ was to increase Jeep Wrangler’s off-road fun and performance even more through extensive weight savings. The project started with a new 2011 Jeep Wrangler Sport. Weight savings began with removal of a long list of items, including: doors, top, tailgate, bumpers, carpet and sway bars.
Body modifications began with removing the rear tailgate hinges and latches and creating a custom surround. The inner fender panels were reshaped and the taillamps relocated closer together. A custom roll cage was crafted and the windshield height was reduced two inches. Hanson Bumpers provided a set of unique aluminum bumpers and QMC contributed their prototype aluminum/carbon fiber hood, held in place with Drake aluminum hood latches.
Mopar added an aluminum cold-air intake kit, lightweight fender-flares, slush mats and mirror re-location brackets.
The interior was updated with bright red lightweight Sparco ‘Chrono Road’ reclining bucket seats. Gale Banks added a unique set of long tube headers and dual-exhaust with an integrated H-pipe to replace the stock system. Further weight savings was recognized courtesy of a Gen-Right-fabricated, prototype rear-mounted 20-gallon fuel tank and aluminum skid plate.
A smaller evaporation canister for the emissions system was borrowed from a 2012 Fiat 500. The massive weight savings actually lifted the suspension, which was combined with a moderate Mopar lift to clear Mickey Thompson 35-inch Baja Claw radials mounted on lightweight 17×8 E-T Vintage V wheels. The suspension includes Bilstein 2-inch shocks with reservoirs and TeraFlex air bumps at all four corners. Dynatrac Axles designed lightweight ProRock 44 front & rear axles fitted with 4.88 gears, ARB air lockers and prototype aluminum differential covers. The axles are located with unique aluminum control arms provided by Full Traction.
The result is a weight savings of more than 850 lbs., and even more open-air Jeep Wrangler fun.
Jeep Compass Canyon
For 2011, the team has built up its first Jeep Compass. The project began with a new 2011 model equipped with Freedom Drive II drivetrain. The Compass Canyon features a 2-1/8-inch lift kit provided by Rocky Road Suspension, making room for Mickey Thompson Baja ATZ 225/75-R16 tires with 16-inch alloy wheels from a Jeep Liberty.
To gain additional wheel articulation, front and rear sway bars were removed. Select items from the Mopar catalog include a cold-air induction kit, cat-back exhaust system, slush mats and a sport pedal trim kit.
To protect the underbody, the team installed an extensive set of front and rear skid bars, sill guards and longitudinal skid plates to fend off the harsh rocks on the trails of Moab.
Jeep Cherokee Overland
The mission for the Jeep Cherokee Overland was to create a small, light adventure platform alternative. The template is a built-for-export 2011 Jeep Cherokee (Jeep Liberty in the U.S.) equipped with a 2.8-liter CRD 4-cylinder turbo diesel and Selec-Trac II 4×4 system.
ARB offered their steel roof rack, awning, compact refrigerator and prototype rock rails to set the Overland’s mood.
To increase off-road capability, an ARB 3-inch suspension lift and Old Man Emu shocks clear the way for Mickey Thompson 265/75-R16 MTZ tires mounted on steel wheels. Traction is increased with the addition of an ARB air locker in the rear differential and on-board air compressor.
Mopar provided a host of underbody protection including skid plates for the front suspension, transmission and transfer case. Additional items from the Mopar catalog include front and rear tow hooks, slush mats, cargo tray liner, sill guards and sport pedal kit.
To blend in with the wildlife, an update of the classic zebra safari pattern paint scheme is added to the exterior.
Jeep Wrangler Renegade
At the heart of the Jeep Wrangler Renegade is the all-new 475 horsepower, 6.4-liter HEMI™ V-8 from Chrysler Group LLC’s Street and Racing Technology (SRT) engineering team. Harkening back to the 1972 Jeep Renegade, which was offered with a V-8, Jeep and Mopar mated the HEMI to a 6-speed manual transmission feeding a Dynatrac prepped ProRock 44 front axle and ProRock 60 rear axle, both equipped with ARB air lockers and 4.10 gears. To clear the 35-inch Mickey Thompson Baja Claw radials mounted on AEV Pintler wheels, an AEV/Nth Degree 4-inch suspension lift was installed.
Mopar added a heat dissipating hood and a new winch-mount front bumper. Other Mopar accessories include: fuel door, sill guards, bikini top, rock rails, slush mats and a half-door kit.
Warn provided their all-new 9.5 CTi series winch and AEV finished off the Renegade with their rear bumper/spare tire carrier combo. The interior was treated to a Katzkin seat trim kit sourced from the Mopar catalog and the exterior was finished in a black and gold paint scheme that recalls the early 1970′s CJ5 Renegade model.
Jeep Wrangler JK-8 Independence
Taking cues from the popular Jeep Scrambler CJ-8 from the 1980′s, Mopar has designed a kit for do-it-yourselfers that converts a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited into a pickup truck. The bed length is 50 inches and the width between wheel wells is 44 inches. The team created body panels to cover the second-row entrance and removed all of the interior parts behind the front seats—transforming the vehicle into a two-seater with just enough room for gear inside, and a pickup style bed to be used for outside cargo.
The JK-8 drivetrain is fitted with a Mopar/Dynatrac ProRock 44 front axle and stock Dana 44 rear axle, both spun with 4.88 gears. Linking the axles to the frame is a 4.5-inch long-arm suspension kit and 37-inch BF Goodrich Mud Terrain KM2 tires make the connection to the ground. A fresh coat of yellow paint and Mopar’s off-road bumpers for the front and rear were utilized along with a new fuel door and slush mats.
The JK-8 kit includes bed floor, inner/outer body panels, half hard top (works with Freedom Top panels), and a new bulkhead.
Jeep Wrangler Blue Crush
Inspired by the King of the Hammers race in the deserts of California, the Jeep Wrangler Blue Crush combines high-speed off-road racing and rock-crawling capability. At the core is a Mopar 426 cubic-inch HEMI with 540 horsepower. The all-aluminum V-8 is paired with a 545RFE performance transmission and a gear-drive transfercase.
To help the suspension keep up with the engine, Mopar added a high-speed, performance off-road suspension system with internal bypass shocks, front stabilizer bar and full hydro-steering. Gigantic 39-inch tires are turned with the help of custom driveshafts. The Wrangler Blue Crush also features a baja-style full cage, race seats, fuel cell and short aluminum bumpers.
Jeep and Mopar at the Moab Easter Jeep Safari
Jeep and Mopar will have a large display in the center of downtown Moab during the Easter Jeep Safari with these and a number of other customized vehicles on exhibition, including the previously introduced Jeep Grand Cherokee Off-road Edition, Jeep Wrangler Mayhem, Jeep Wrangler Immortal, Mopar Camper Trailer, Jeep Wrangler Tan Man, Jeep Wrangler “The General” and a fully dressed military version of the Jeep Wrangler J-8 with turret and passenger mounted-machine guns.
Jeep Brand
Built on 70 years of legendary heritage, Jeep is the authentic SUV with class-leading capability, craftsmanship and versatility for people who seek extraordinary journeys. The Jeep brand delivers an open invitation to live life to the fullest by offering a full line of vehicles that continue to provide owners with a sense of security to handle any journey with confidence.
The Jeep vehicle lineup consists of the Compass, Grand Cherokee, Liberty, Patriot, Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited. To meet consumer demand around the world, all six Jeep models are sold outside North America – and all are available in right-hand drive versions and with gasoline and diesel powertrain options. Chrysler Group LLC sells and services vehicles in approximately 120 countries around the world.
Mopar Brand
Mopar is Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand. Mopar distributes approximately 280,000 parts and accessories in more than 90 countries and is the source for all original-equipment parts for Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and Fiat vehicles. Mopar parts are unique in that they are engineered and tested with the same teams that create factory-authorized vehicle specifications for Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and Fiat vehicles – a direct connection that no other aftermarket parts company can provide. A complete list of Mopar accessories and performance parts is available at www.mopar.com
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