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David Killey's "FN YJ" Buildup
by Todd Adams

I think I have helped to create a monster. And I don't think his wife is too pleased with me either. It is a good thing we are best friends or else I would really be in trouble. It all started over the July 4th weekend a couple of years ago. David Killey and his wife Judy, have been our friends for many years. We have vacationed together just about every year for the last 15 or so. They couldn't figure out what the big deal was about Moab and the Jeep Safari. Then their daughter Kim bought a new Jeep Wrangler and joined us for a camp out in the mountains over the 4th of July. There was still a lot of snow on the higher trails and I wanted to see if I could get to a favorite fishing hole. Playing in the snow

While Judy and my wife Linda stayed in camp, David and Kim followed me in her Jeep. We took off up the mountain to see how far we could get. Knowing I had the winch mounted to the Amigo, David drove Kim's new Jeep as far as he could into a very large snow drift and buried it up to the doors. We never made it to the fishing hole but spent a couple of hours pulling each other out of the snow. We had a ball! When we got back to camp David said that was the most fun he'd had in years. I told him that is why we went to Moab every year. Maybe not to play in the snow, but there were plenty of opportunities to get the winches and straps out.

David in his '87 YJ on "Mother Inlaw Hill"

David was no newcomer to four wheel drives. He even had a Willys when he was a kid. He's had some type of four wheel drive truck or SUV ever since we met. But he used them mostly for hunting and didn't do much trail riding just for fun. Linda and I had been four wheeling in southern Utah for over 20 years but David could not find anything in the desert appealing so they never came with us. We had always spent our vacations boating or just camping in the mountains. Well, after that July 4th campout it took David less than a week to buy and start building his first YJ. On David's first trip to Moab we did Pritchett Canyon. We both got an education on that trip. I learned that the Amigo had met it's match and David learned that there was more to this Jeeping thing than just traction.  

"FN YJ" on Flat Iron Mesa Trail before the build up

Now lets jump forward a year or so. I had to fill in some history so that you could get some understanding of why anyone would go through the build up that David is now undertaking with his 1995 YJ. It also helps to know someone with some kind of disorder to relate to us Jeepers. Maybe I should have put extreme in there somewhere. After being somewhat disappointed in the ability and the age of his 87 YJ, David bought an already built and Moab tested 1995 YJ. The list on this Jeep was quite impressive. 2 1/2" Skyjacker suspension lift, 2" body lift. In both axles were 4.56 to 1 gears and ARB air lockers. 35X12.50X15" BFG AT's on aluminum wheels plus much more. Most people would be satisfied with a newer, ready to do anything, rock crawler like this but not David.

He called Foothill Four Wheel Drive in Auburn California and had them build a Dana 60 with an ARB for the rear. For the front a Dana 44 with an ARB was ordered. Both axles were equipped with 4.56 to1 gears. Next he talked with Advanced Adapters and ordered the new Atlas 2 transfercase. This transfercase uses a little lower gear ratio (3.77 to 1) than the original Atlas and also allows for the twin stick modification for low range 2 wheel drive. I am of the opinion that the Dana 60 will hold up to the abuse it will get in low 2WD. He also ordered an NV 4500 transmission to mate up to the Atlas from Advanced Adapters.

Because the new axles would have a different wheel bolt pattern it was necessary for David to order new wheels. He not only ordered 5 American Racing AR8 directonal wheels from Discount Tires in Sandy Utah but he also bought 5 new BFG MT's wanting the more aggressive tread than the AT's that were now on "FN YJ". Besides he has future plans for the old tires and wheels.

The Dana 60 ready to be installed

The build up began with the installation of the axles. New Polly spring pin bushings were installed as well as Currie Enterprises greasable spring pins with tow shackles in the front and boomerang shackles in the rear. The boomerang shackles add more articulation to the rear axle and do not hit the rear frame member when all the way back. The most difficult part of the axle installation was welding the new shock mounts to the axles. They had to be just right to give enough length to the shock without the shock hitting the axle. The other problem was having to fabricate new brackets for the front brake lines. This took David about half a day to get right 

Centerforce Dual Friction Clutch

The next part of the project started with the removal of the stock transmission, transfercase and clutch. I installed a new pilot bushing custom made by Advanced Adapters to allow the use of the G.M. input shaft installed on the NV 4500 transmission. I then installed a new Center Force Dual Friction clutch assembly

Advanced Adapters bellhousing

The Advanced Adapters custom bellhousing was installed next, which allows the New Venture transmission to be bolted to the Jeep 4.0 engine.

We then bolted the NV 4500 into place and then the Atlas II was bolted to the transmission. Do not attempt to do this without a good transmission jack that pivots in all directions. These parts are just too heavy to man-handle. The skid plate was then held up so I could mark it for the modifications that were needed to clear parts of the transmission and new rear motor mount holes.

Atlas II transfercase and New Venture 4500 transmision Just before instalation

The transmision and twin stick levers in place

After the skid plate was modified and bolted into place, David cut out the floor pan to accommodate the twin stick levers and I was left to connect up the hydraulic clutch.

The clutch proved to be a time consuming little problem. The fitting that goes into the clutch master cylinder has to be pulled out and a new custom made fitting from Advanced Adapters installed in its place so that a different hydraulic line can be used to connect to the new style slave cylinder. The problem became apparent when the supplied fitting did not fit the bore in the master cylinder. Seems like Jeep uses a different master cylinder in California ( where Advanced Adapters is ) than the rest of the world. After a few phone calls, Barry at Advanced Adapters called back saying he had gotten the specs on a new fitting from the Chrysler people and would have one out to us in a day or so. Now here is the problem. I had drilled out the fitting bore of the master cylinder, thinking that was all I had to do, but the new fitting Barry was sending would require a new master cylinder. I milled down the fitting to fit the now slightly modified bore and got it to work just fine. The only problem would be is if the master cylinder was to fail down the road. An easy replacement would not be possible without the new fitting supplied by Advanced Adapters.

Rear driveshaft in place

Using the NV 4500 with the Altas II transfercase moved the rear drive shaft output forward over 3 1/2" for a much better drive shaft angle even with the skid plate bolted up to the frame without any spacers. Driveshafts Utah Inc.of Murray Utah, shortened the front drive shaft and built a new rear drive shaft. When David installed the rear axle he left in a 3 1/2 degree wedge, which I thought we may need to remove. As it turned out the drive shaft angles were perfect with the rear joint less than 1 degree and the double cardan joint taking up all the angle. After I installed the rear shaft and looked it over I knew there would be no vibration and a test drive confirmed this. Not even a hint of vibration at any speed! This is one of the few things we didn't have any problems with.  

Heim joint steering linkage

When we started I told David it would be the little things that would give us the most problems. He was surprised by all the little hang ups. I was not. The next major hang up that was not anticipated was the steering linkage problems. Jeff Beach was contacted to come up with a solution. Jeff owns Beach's Off-Road Specialists in Salt Lake City Utah. His awesome Jeep was on the front cover of 4 Wheel Drive and Sport Utility Magazine April of 1997. Jeff measured the front axle and built up a heim joint drag link and tie rod assembly. I had to ream out the steering linkage holes at the steering knuckles and pitnam arm, bolt the new links in and then adjust toe in and steering wheel to center. This proved to be a very strong and clean way to go. David and I had agonized over this problem for a couple of weeks. If you ask the right person, they can come up with an easy solution like Jeff did.

"FN YJ" rolling out from under the patio. The heim joint steering was not built yet.

Working on our days off it took from the first of December until the second week of February to get the "FN YJ" back on the road. We still have a few things left to have the project complete, but after the first trip to Moab, everything we have done so far is working great. This setup not only gives "FN YJ" a super crawl ratio but is about as bullet proof as you can get. The NV 4500 has a first gear ratio of 5.66 to 1. The Atlas II transfer case has a low range ratio of 3.77 to 1. With the 4.56 to 1 ratios in the differentials, the final crawl ratio is 97.3 to 1! Even in 2nd gear which is 3.04 to 1, it comes out a respectable 52.3 to 1.

David learning how the new stuff works on "Rock Chucker Hill"

A few things still left to do are the installation of the Currie Enterprises 1\3hp air compressor and one gallon air tank to replace the smaller ARB air compressor. The installation of the Rancho RS 9000 shock controller kit. The Rancho shocks were installed earlier. Also, the Currie Enterprises steering gear brace.

The "FN" on the license plates may have something to do with the amount this Jeep is putting the Killey's in the poor house. David called me and asked if I would give him a hand with this hole he was planing to dig. He had just ordered the axles, transmission and transfercase and needed help with his grave. David is getting even with me in his own way. Our next vacation with the Killey's is going to be a tour of Colorado's toughest trails this summer. There is also talk of trips to all of the other extreme hot spots as well. What have I done? To think it all started with tug out of the snow. "FN YJ" specs

1. 1995 Jeep Wrangler
2. Stock 4.0 liter engine
3. Dana 44 4.56 ratio front drive axle with Super Winch front hubs
4. Dana 60 4.56 ratio rear drive axle
5. Advance Adapter Atlas II transfercase with twin stick
6. ARB air lockers in both drive axles
7. NV 4500 transmission
8. Skyjacker 2 1/2" suspension lift with a 2" body lift
9. Warn XDI 9000 winch with full molded cover
10. 15X8" American Racing aluminum wheels model number AR8
11. 35X12.50X15" BFG MT's
12. Bushwhacker extended fender flares
13. Steel Horse chrome grill, mirrors, door and hood hinges
14. Cobra Radio weather band C.B.
15. Tomken Machine's rear receiver bumper and front winch bumper
16. Currie Enterprises Greasable shackles and pins, tow front and boomerang rear
17. Foothill Four Wheel Drive U-bolt skid plates
18. Rancho RS 9000 Shocks with dash control kit
19. Beach's Hiem Joint steering linkage
20. Center Force Dual Friction clutch
21. Currie Enterprises 1/3 hp compressor and one gallon air tank
22. Currie Enterprises steering gear brace
23. Driveshafts Utah rear c.v. drive shaft
24. No change left in David's pocket.(J.ust E.mty E.very P.ocket)

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