Bryan Irons
Words and Photos by Bryan Irons
The ubiquitous “shakedown” run is a time-honoured tradition among gearheads across North America. They could be held after completing a frame-off restoration, long-term upgrade project or even following a DIY oil change or tune-up. Whatever the reason, the feeling of taking out a 4x4 vehicle you wrenched on yourself is one of the great joys of off-roading.
The primary purpose of a shakedown run is to ensure repairs, upgrades and even tune-ups are trail-proven and that the vehicle is ready for the tasks you intend it to do. For some, a good, smokey burnout in front of the neighbours is just what the doctor ordered. But for off-roaders, a trip into the woods is what’s needed
So it went for our wheeling buddy Justin as he prepared to get ready for a shakedown run in his 1947 CJ-2A. This ramshackle Jeep received all of the TLC that Justin could offer. But he’s no dummy—he managed to rope in our other friend John to bring his ex-military 1951 M38 along for the ride. Justin also invited yours truly with my overpowered CJ-7 to tag along.
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Justin’s 1947 CJ2A has an odd-fire Buick V6, which was swapped many moons (and most likely many owners) ago, replacing the factory “Go-Devil” flathead 4 banger. The T-90 three-speed transmission and Dana 18 transfer case are what legends are made of and it could likely run even filled with gravy. Open axles and reproduction Goodyear military tires got Justin stuck a few times during the day, but since the CJ weighs just a wisp over 907 kg (2,000 lb), getting him unstuck was not an issue.
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The V6 has a Carter carburetor sitting atop an old Offenhauser intake manifold. Some adjustments of the float levels and idle mixture were required for an optimal rig run at the high altitudes. Once the engine was trail-tuned, the Jeep had just enough pep to get out of its own way.
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John’s 1951 M38 has a fuel-injected GM 4.3 L V6 attached to a T19 four-speed and a Dana 300 transfer case out of a Scout. Super Swamper TSL’s adorn the old Jeep and are mounted to a set of 15x8” ‘wagon wheel’ rims. Inside the axles are a set of Lock-Rite lockers and 5.38:1 gears. Elevation comes from an old rancho lift kit. The combination transforms the lightweight jeep into a mountain goat.
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We brought a bazooka to a game of Clue. Our AMC 401-powered CJ-7 gladly broke trail when we found snow and it easily walked through the rest of the terrain we came across. The 401 is backed by a T19 four-speed and Black-Box-I reduction box with a Dana 300 hanging off the back. Other goodies include heavily modified Dana 44 axles stuffed with 4.10 gears and an ARB air locker in the rear plus a Yukon Zip locker and Dana 50 gear set in the front. Yukon Chromoly axles of the 35-spline variety are in the front and rear with a set of Yukon Super Joints and hubs riding up front. The 37x13.5x17” bias-ply Pitbull Rocker tires have been tearing up the trail on a set of B.A.D. DOT compliant bead locks for almost a decade.
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You should begin any off-road trip by lowering your tire pressure. This helps improve traction and will even save your back when riding around in old Jeeps with stiff suspensions and large tires.
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Rushing water, ice, snow, and a sputtering carburetor can make for interesting times. Nonetheless, Justin made it across after only a few tries.
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The ruts we dug in the snow are the reason Justin got stuck. No worries—we broke out the tow straps and played ‘drag the flatty down the trail.’
Our trip in the late spring took us only a few miles outside of Kelowna, BC. With more than 65,000 sq km (25,000 sq mi) of Crown land, there are endless places to explore. The roof-down sunshine was a welcome change from winter. We were lucky enough to have plenty of mud, snow, rocky trails, and dusty forest service roads to test out Justin’s CJ.
It’s not an adventure without a few hiccups, and we weren’t disappointed. Rusty fuel, a misadjusted carb, a throttle pedal that didn’t want to stay in place, and a few high-centred moments in the snow all awaited us. We wouldn’t have it any other way. Be it a big project or just a little wrench turning, the next time you go on a shakedown run, relish in the adventure, setbacks, solutions and with any luck, victory!