Project Deep Six

by: Terry L. Howe

Deep Six - The starting point

Current state, everything rebuilt, but a Jeep is never done.

Project Deep Six is being built to handle the hardest trails that can be found, but also to be a comfortable daily driver. The extra room in the CJ-6 will make this a great drive to the trail head and camp all weekend rig. It is not being built to wheel extreme trails every weekend without failure, some compromises are going to be made for street and comfort.

Many of the parts originally on Project Deep Six will be sold off and replaced with newer and stronger parts, the old parts will be deep sixed. The idea behind this project, and any project I build for that matter, is to build a high performance Jeep without deep pockets. I'm cheap, but I want performance, so half the battle is finding good parts that don't cost much rather than just breaking out the credit card.

When I bought the Jeep, it had a 232 I6 engine, T-14 3 speed transmission, and a Dana 20 transfer case. The stock axles were a Dana 30 front and Dana 44 rear with tapered shafts with open diffs and 3.73 gears. I was having trouble getting the 232 to pass emissions and I had a 258 I6, T-18 4 speed, and Dana 300 transfer case combination sitting on my garage floor from my old CJ-7 I decided to start by swapping all that in since I knew I could get the 258 to pass emissions, which I did. I also purchased a used 2.5" lift kit from my friend Roger Wild so that I could fit the 33"x12.5" BFG MTs that I also had from my CJ-7.

So, that is where it stands now, lifted with open diffs and relatively low gears. It can do some relatively hard trails like this, but nothing extreme. The hardest trail I've been on with it so far with it is Hackett Gulch.

It is real nice as it stands, I drive to work in it every day and wheel it occasionally. The tub has a lot of rust holes in it though and the frame has excessive frame flex that cause the clutch to bind up. The tub needs a lot of body work in general and a stiffer frame and better suspension are in order. I also need to get rid of the hard top and get a soft top! Well, the list goes on, I have a lot of interesting plans in the works.

Deep Six Gets an 8274

Predator Four Wheel Drive was running a special on some brand new, old style Warn 8274 winches. The price was only $699 for this amazing winch and I couldn't pass it up.

Project Deep CJ-6: Daily Reports

Project Deep CJ-6 has shifted into high gear. The company I was working for has run out of money, so when I'm not looking for a new job, I'm working on the Jeep. Every day that I work on it, there will be a short progress report to get this rig on the street at last!

Daily Reports: Day One, Day Two, Day Three, Day Four, Day Five, Day Six, Day Seven, Day Eight, Day Nine, Day Ten, Day Eleven, Day Twelve, Day Thirteen, Day Fourteen, Day Fifteen, Day Sixteen, Day Seventeen, Day Eighteen, Day Nineteen, Day Twenty, Day Twenty-one, Day Twenty-two, Day Twenty-three

The Ultimate Jeep Step

Is your Jeep awkward to get in? When you start putting bigger tires and a lift kit on your rig, it can be pretty hard to get in and out. Sure, you could put steps on the rig, but they generally hurt your break over angle and they often get damaged four wheeling. Redneck Concepts has come up with a solution to this problem, the The Cowboy StirrUP Step ®.

Tuffy Deluxe Stereo Security Console

I've had a lot of Jeeps over the years and a lot of radios in those Jeeps. Locking up your valuables and keeping a radio working in the Jeep has always been a challenge. Tuffy Stereo Center Console provides the security for the radio, a secure place for valuables, protection from the elements, and an arm rest!

QuickLever Mirror Release

Adjusting the mirrors on your Jeep and moving them out of the way is always been a compromise. If you leave your mirrors loose enough to move them out of the way, they get bumped out of adjustment all the time. If you tighten them up so they don't get bumped, you cannot move them out of the way. The QuickLever mirror release allows you to keep the mirrors tight and still move them out of the way with no tools.