2011 Jeep JK Wrangler - KOH Buildup - VIN Plate Racing

Full Bodied 2011 Jeep Jk Wrangler Buildup Suspension

Full Bodied 2011 Jeep Jk Wrangler Buildup Jeep Jk Wrangler

See pages 3 and 4 for web exclusive buildup images!

I guess this all started at SEMA 2010. I saw my friend, Chris Bolger, and went over to have a few words with him. He had become the main marketing man for Hammerking Productions (which puts on the King of the Hammers race, among others). After a few minutes, of course, I had to infuse my two cents upon him regarding the future of King of the Hammers and its vehicles: While I was truly impressed at how fast the race series had grown after four short years, I argued that the rising popularity would plateau out because of the way the race vehicles looked.

I went on: As long as the race vehicles look like buggies and not like real trucks or SUVs, there will be a limit to the race series’ popularity with people outside of the off-road community. If Hammerking wants its races to go more mainstream, the race vehicles needed to look like something found in someone’s driveway.

Full Bodied 2011 Jeep Jk Wrangler Buildup Truck

1. With 17 days to go, Dave Cole of Desert Concepts and Justin and Jason Abernathy of SureClick LLC dropped off a brand new 2011 JK Wrangler to get absolutely chopped up. At least it wasn’t brand new—it had 28 miles on the odometer! Poison Spyder took no time gutting the JK Wrangler and getting it ready to start receiving all the aftermarket parts to make this Jeep race ready in less than three weeks.

1. With 17 days to go, Dave Cole of Desert Concepts and Justin and Jason Abernathy of Sure

The conversation went on for a few more minutes and then we parted ways. A few weeks later I got a call from Dave Cole of Hammerking (Chris’ boss). He had a proposal. It turned out that Dave had been working to produce a "King of the Hammers Ready" JK Wrangler that would be sold through Jeep dealerships. It would be a street-legal JK Wrangler that would be outfitted to the hilt with Off Road Evolution and Poison Spyder equipment. And if I was game, he wanted me and Larry McRae of Poison Spyder to try to get one across the finish line at the next King of the Hammers race.

How could I say no? I had already committed the second I opened my mouth and told Bolger that the race vehicles needed to resemble the cars in people’s driveways.

Full Bodied 2011 Jeep Jk Wrangler Buildup Evo Long Arm Kit

2. EVO manufacturing will supply the suspensions for the KOH-edition Wranglers. The EVO long-arm kit was used on the front of the Jeep and the Lever kit was grafted to the rear of our prototype KOH Wrangler. We also chose the Double Throwdown option, which puts coilovers and external-bypass shocks at all four corners.

2. EVO manufacturing will supply the suspensions for the KOH-edition Wranglers. The EVO lo

With less than two months before the race, Dave started working his magic. He now had to find some partners and a brand new Wrangler for us to race. It should be no problem to organize a deal like this and build a Wrangler into a race vehicle before the King of the Hammers, right? Right.

Seventeen days before the race started, a 2011 four-door Wrangler was pulled into EVO Manufacturingso new that the window sticker still resided. The next two and a half weeks were an absolute scramble as Poison Spyder and EVO Manufacturing burned the candle at both ends to make sure that the race Wrangler would be ready to go.

Of course, the JK did get finished (would you expect anything less?) and we were able to make it in time for the February 2011 King of the Hammers race. Tune in next month to see the completion of the full-bodied race-ready JK Wrangler that is the concept of what you might find in Jeep dealerships very soon. And don’t forget to check out the catalog of build images at www.off-roadweb.com/KOHJK to see everything that happened to this Wrangler. OR

3. While the suspension was being grafted on, Currie was busy at work on an extreme rush order building Dana 60 axles for the front and rear. In the front, Currie utilized one of its famous RockJock housings, made with the differential cover sitting at a 60-degree angle to keep it from becoming a victim of a rock. The rear axle was a standard low-pinion Dana 60 housing, packed with an ARB 40-spline air locker. The rear was kept a low-pinion so that we were pushing on the strong side of the gear when going forward.
3. While the suspension was being grafted on, Currie was busy at work on an extreme rush o
4. On the rear standard Dana 60, Currie ended up using full-floating Trophy truck hubs for the ultimate in strength. The reasoning behind this was the fact that some off-road-equipped JK Wranglers are starting to weigh in at 7,000 pounds!
4. On the rear standard Dana 60, Currie ended up using full-floating Trophy truck hubs for
5. We stuffed an ARB 40-spline air locker into the rear Dana 60 to make sure we had the ultimate in strength. The 40-spline Dana 60 ARB locker is very similar to the 35-spline Dana 60, but with broaching made for 40-spline axleshafts. The 40-spline axleshafts met up with the full-floating race hubs.
5. We stuffed an ARB 40-spline air locker into the rear Dana 60 to make sure we had the ul

6. With the axles delivered from Currie, Poison Spyder was able to sling them under the Wrangler hanging from the EVO suspension. The rear kit uses a four-link to locate the axle and two links coming down from the cantilever arms to suspend the Wrangler at its ride height.
6. With the axles delivered from Currie, Poison Spyder was able to sling them under the Wr
7. EVO’s Lever kit is a cantilever setup that lays the external-bypass shocks and coilovers sideways under the body of the Wrangler so you do not have to cut through into the cabin at all.
7. EVO’s Lever kit is a cantilever setup that lays the external-bypass shocks and coilover

8. The front RockJock was slung from EVO’s front four-link long-arm kit, and was made to take the absolute worst rock abuse. Check out that long steel skid under the axle centersection that protects it from damage.
8. The front RockJock was slung from EVO’s front four-link long-arm kit, and was made to t
9. With the EVO Double Throwdown kit in place, the King coilovers and bypass shocks mounted onto the welded-on coilover frame mounts, and the RockJock slung under the Jeep, it was really starting to take shape. And with the Poison Spyder rock protection being added onto the outer lines, this Jeep was quickly becoming a race-ready competitor.
9. With the EVO Double Throwdown kit in place, the King coilovers and bypass shocks mounte
10. Patton’s Metal Working Solutions was the source for the entire rollcage. As per Ultra-4 racing rules, the entire ’cage was made from 2-inch tubing and properly braced at all points where it meets the frame. Although not required, chromoly was chosen for an extra margin of safety.
10. Patton’s Metal Working Solutions was the source for the entire rollcage. As per Ultra-

11. Poison Spyder carefully made tabs and used bushings to join the rollcage to the frame since there were still bushings in between the body and the frame. This ensured that similar movement would be seen between the frame and body and the frame and rollcage.
11. Poison Spyder carefully made tabs and used bushings to join the rollcage to the frame
12. The dash is brand new on the JK Wrangler for 2011…and it lasted all of about three days before the crew at Poison Spyder got into it and started cutting it up to fit a race-legal rollcage.
12. The dash is brand new on the JK Wrangler for 2011…and it lasted all of about three day
13. As the rollcage was being built and completed, Poison Spyder also garnished the body of the Wrangler with a full assortment of their guards and rock protection. All of the pieces were powdercoated by First Place Powder Coating in Banning, California.
13. As the rollcage was being built and completed, Poison Spyder also garnished the body o

14. Crusher Corners and Crusher Flares were used on the rear of the JK tub to ensure we did minimal damage while traversing some of the hardest rock trails in the world.
14. Crusher Corners and Crusher Flares were used on the rear of the JK tub to ensure we di
15. In addition to the Crusher rear protection, we had every other point on the Jeep armored as well. The most heavy-duty Poison Spyder rocker protection was a must, as was the BFH (Built for the Hammers) bumpers front and rear.
15. In addition to the Crusher rear protection, we had every other point on the Jeep armor
16. With this JK Wrangler quickly starting to look like a contender, we had to rush to find just the right tire and wheel package. BFGoodrich 39-inch Krawlers seemed to be a no-brainer for tire choice. It’s been proven countless times on the ‘Hammer trails, and the Krawler successfully race in the Baja 1000. The Krawlers were mounted on a set of Raceline 17-inch Monster beadlock wheels with a six-lug wheel pattern to fit our new axles. Tune in next month when we complete the race-ready JK Wrangler and go for a finish in the King of the Hammers 2011 race. And don’t forget to check out the complete catalog of KOH JK pictures at www.off-roadweb.com/KOHJK.
16. With this JK Wrangler quickly starting to look like a contender, we had to rush to fin

Sources
Currie Enterprises 382 North Smith Corona CA 92880 714-528-6957 www.currieenterprises.com	ARB USA 720 SW 34th Street Renton WA 98057 866-293-9078 www.arbusa.com
Raceline Wheels 12300 Edison Way Garden Grove CA 92841 714-893-4160 www.racelinewheels.com	Desert Concepts P O Box 1182 Twin Peaks CA 92391 909-366-8066 www.kingofthehammers.com
BFGoodrich P.O. Box 19001 Greenville SC 29602 877-788-8899 www.bfgoodrichtires.com	First Place Powder Coating 1177 West Lincoln St. #300 Banning CA 92220 951-849-1279 www.firstplacepowdercoating.com
King Shocks 12842 Joy Street Garden Grove CA 92840 714-530-8701 www.kingshocks.com	Patton's Metal Working Solutions 1095 E. California St. P.O. Box 273 Ontario CA 91761 800-792-9762 www.pattonscorp.com
EVO MFG. N/A AK 714-870-5515 www.evomfg.com	Sure Click PO Box 95603 #82774 Washington DC 20090 1-202-349-9620 http://www.sureclick.com/
Poison Spyder Customs 47275 Twin Pines Rd. Banning CA 92220 951-849-5911 www.poisonspyder.com