Hemi
The original plan was to fuel inject the 360 but after researching how much it was going to cost, we realized we might as well start with a new engine. We liked the power of the Hemi engine and decided this was going to be the starting point for the new build.Story and Photos by Kyle Kuszneiryk of Northwest Fabworks
When Kris Berstein, the sales manager at Northwest Fab (NWF), first purchased the Jeep it had an AMC 304 4 speed transmission and Dana 300 transfer case. Stock Dana 30 front and model 20 rear sprung over on 35’s. It went through an initial build where it got an AMC 360, TH400, an Atlas 4 speed and Scout Dana 44’s with 4.56 gears, ARB’s and 37” BFG Mud Terrains.
Trouble was it didn’t perform as good as it should have on the trails and it needed to handle a lot better and be more reliable so it could be used as a daily driver.
The original plan was to fuel inject the 360 but after researching how much it was going to cost, we realized we might as well start with a new engine. We liked the power of the Hemi engine and decided this was going to be the starting point for the new build.
It would have been a lot easier to put the Dodge 545re behind the Hemi but this transmission is too long for our build. The TH400 is a great transmission when it comes to strength and aftermarket support but we felt the 700R4 was the way to go. It has a more aggressive first gear and the newer overdrive would help by reduce fuel consumption on the road.
The 700R4 started as a rebuilt 2WD that got a JB Conversions 23sp Short output swapped in along with a TCI Full manual Reverse Valve Body, Lokar Locking Dipstick and NorthWest Fab Short 6 bolt Round Adapter. Wilcap provided the adapter allowing the GM Automatic to bolt to the New Generation Dodge Hemi. Since the engine is drive-by-wire (no throttle cable) the transmission has to have the full manual valve body in order to hook up the very important Throttle Valve (TV) Cable. The TV cable controls the line pressure; full & part throttle downshifts, shift points and shift feel.
Although I already had an Atlas 4 Speed Transfer Case that would bolt up to the transmission, the front output shaft was on the wrong side. Since I work for NWF, it was an easy choice to decide to run a BlackBox-i, but my short wheelbase left me with only a few options for the transfer cases - STaK, Atlas II, Bronco Dana 20 or the Dana 300.
I ultimately decided to go with the Dana 300 because of its size and the ease with which it can be upgraded. The Dana 300 is stuffed with JB Conversions 4:1 LoMax Gears and 32sp front and rear outputs. The BlackBox-i and the Dana 300 mated together (using a 1350 CV flange) are only 17” long. This is an easily manageable install in a short wheel base vehicle. We still had to move the engine forward 4” to get more room for the rear driveshaft due to the small amount of rear stretch in the first build. The 4-speed transfer provides 3 separate low range ratios so whether the Jeep tackles sand, mud or rock crawling – you’ve always got the perfect low range ratio.
The front axle is a narrowed 1991 Ford High-Pinion Dana 60 stuffed with an ARB Air Locker and 4:10 gears. Protecting the gears is a Ruff Stuff Specialties 3/8” thick fabricated diff cover. The narrow side axle shaft is a Nitro 4340, blank cut and splined in house, the short side is also a Nitro 4340 Cromoly Shaft. The stub shafts are 35 spline Quality Gear Predator 4340 Cromoly shafts. Locking hubs were sourced from JT’s Parts (Just Differentials) and are 35 spline Mile Markers.
Steering is an inverted T set-up flipped to the topside of the knuckles and was made in house using Chevy one-ton tie rod and drag link ends. Material for the tie rod and drag link is heavy duty 1 ½” x 3/8” DOM. One of NWF’s full hydraulic steering arms is set up on the passenger side and gets pushed by a PSC 1.75” x 8” ram. On the driver side, a NWF Dana 60 spring eliminator cap replaces the stock spring and cap, helping the kingpins last a lot longer.
PSC also supplied us with a Jeep CJ steering box tapped for hydro assist with reverse rotation gearing. Using this steering box and having the pitman arm face forward was the only way to clear everything going on in the front end due to the 4” stretch.
The rear 14BFF has an ARB Air Locker and 4:10 Gears, again protected by a Ruff Stuff Specialties 3/8” thick diff cover. TMR Customs hooked us up with a 14BFF truss with pinion guard and support (a true beast - ½” thick material). As everyone knows 14 bolt drum brakes are huge and heavy and since I wanted to run disc brakes (and a parking brake to pass inspection), we decided to stay away from the common Cadillac El Dorado calipers and come up with something a little more modern. Using the brakes from a 2005 Chevy 2500 HD I was able to get everything to bolt up using a custom adapter machined in-house on our CNC mill. I got the best of both worlds with the reliability and braking power of dual piston calipers and disc brakes and the holding strength of the drum e-brakes. The axle has no axle shafts at this time but Dutchman 4140 custom axles are in the works.
The rear suspension is a custom triangulated 4 Link using 14” ORI STX struts, TMR Customs Strut Towers and Ruff Stuff Specialties link brackets. The lowers are made up of 2” x ¼” DOM and the uppers are made of 1 ¾” x 1/8” DOM with Currie 1.25” forged johnny joints.
The tires are being re-used from the first build. They are 37 x 12.5 x 17 BFG Mud Terrain KM2’s mounted on RaceLine 17x 8.5 Monster beadlocks with steel rings.
The tub, tailgate, and windshield have been replaced with Jeep YJ Parts. The fenders are Sniper Fab CJ Tube Fenders with 6” Flares. Rock sliders and rear corner guards are also Sniper Fab but meant for a YJ with a TJ wheel well and 6” flares.
Under the heading of miscellaneous but still important upgrades, we went with a GenRight CJ EXT gas tank to get the clearance to move the axle back 1” and still clear the large diff cover of the 14BFF. To cool the engine, we used a Griffin Aluminum CJ radiator with Hemi ports and a Flex-a-Lite dual puller fan.
In the interior, we went with Corbeau CR1 seats, Autometer Ultralite Electrical Gauges and a Fusion Marine iPod Stereo. Little Valley Restorations, in Ladysmith BC, did the bodywork and paint.
The front suspension isn’t finished yet, but the plans call for a custom 3 Link using 14” ORI STX Struts, TMR Customs custom extended length strut towers, and Ruff Stuff Specialties link brackets. The lowers will be made up of 2” x ¼” DOM and the upper of 1 ¾” x 1/8” DOM with Currie 1.25” forged johnny joints. The panhard bar will be made up of 1 1/4” x ¼” DOM with a poly bushing on one end and a 7/8” Heim Joint on the other. The panhard has to have a poly bushing on one end because the bar will have bends in it to clear the pumpkin and the upper link mount. Using the poly bushing will prevent the panhard bar from rotating and smashing into the oil pan or the crank pulley.
The Jeep is built to be a daily driver that will be a great performer off road. With lots of gearing choices thanks to the BlackBox-i / Dana 300 Combo and the super-flexi yet stable link suspension the Jeep will perform in any condition whether it is traveling tight trails or crawling rocks.