TJ rally raid build

aldesso

Member
Joined
May 5, 2019
Messages
70
Location
Zürich, Switzerland
If you don't feel like reading through it all, here are the main links:

- FINAL PICS of the build
- my DAY TO DAY COVERAGE of the rally
- "RALLYE AICHA DES GAZELLES" website look up TEAM 208 for live GPS tracking

- MotorTrend Channel video from 10 years ago
- CNET article about the rally
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hello all first post here, second time Jeep owner, had an XJ way back when so I certainly will need some guidance here.

Embarking on a TJ rally raid build for the 2020, 30th Anniversary edition of the “Rallye Aicha des Gazelles” my GF will be taking part in.

EDIT: Due to the Covid Pandemic, the Rally was pushed back 3 times and is finally taking place now in September 2021

Base is a stock 1997 4.0 TJ Sport


The rally will run through Morocco and is almost entirely off road. Lots of gravel and lots of sand (think Dakar). It is a pure navigation rally, no gps, just coordinates, maps and compass. Shortest distance between checkpoints wins.

The build will be about mechanical simplicity and robustness as pilot and copilot must be able to tackle repairs themselves. There are professionals mechanics following the rally just in case but trying to avoid them.

EDIT: I forgot to mention this is a "budget" build. No skimping on quality and reliability while also keeping the costs as low as possible.
 
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Obviously, step one is to thoroughly inspect the car to see what needs to be replaced / repaired.

Besides gutting the car out for non essentials, I’ve started to do a list of things that will most likely come into the build:
- Front and rear bumper w/ tow hooks
- Front Winch
- 2” lift for obstacle clearance
- SYE
- Vortex pre filter intake
- radiator protection to keep sand out
- underbody protection
And possibly from what I already read on here:
- replace the radiator for a more effective unit
- aftermarket headers with thicker walls
Any comments or ideas are of course welcome.

EDIT: skip to most current list of upgrades
 
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Checked the car out yesterday, it looks like a solid contender.
Low miles, one owner Jeep (88500km/55300miles), the engine runs strong, very light surface rust outside but chassis is super solid with no evidence of rust anywhere inside or out. Finalizing with the seller and hopefully, she'll be ours.

The car sports alloys from a Cherokee ... I'll mount instead a set of 15" or 16" steelies for sturdiness

We are limited to a max clearance of 350mm (13-3/4") at the lowest spot between the 2 axles and as it sits, we are at 280mm (11") under the transfer case stock armor.

If I go the 2" lift route, and after the new tire/wheel combo, I may need to fabricate a slightly deeper pan to stay within regulations

The other big problem here, we are way more limited on what we can do to keep it road legal. I do miss living in the US, especially when working on/with cars. If we do go with wider tires, they will need to be completely covered by fenders. Same issue with the bumpers ... will have to find or fabricate something to be within Swiss laws.
 
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Sounds interesting.

Regarding your plan, I'm not sure there is a better option out there than the factory radiator. If anything, I would think that a straight replacement would be best.

Also not familiar with the vortex pre-filter. Does that install ahead of the factory paper filter?

Some H&R springs and 31's might be just the ticket for your clearance issue. That would be a 1" spring lift and maybe 1.5" lift from bigger tires. Plus the whole Jeep will be more efficient with the closer to factory tires.
 
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What is that color? I don't think i've seen that one yet! Love it.

X2 to the Mopar radiator being the one to go with (everyone will back up that statement). I would plan on bringing replacement radiator hoses, clamps, fluids, as well. New/spare belt, probably look into carrying extra fuel (not sure how far in-between refilling stations. Winch is always a solid piece of equipment there, especially make sure you have a ground anchor since your going to be in the Sahara and there no attachment point anywhere! Other sand specific recovery things too...Maxtrax/recovery boards, that sort of thing...probably tons of water in case you get stranded. Lol.

Oh and get an A/C recharge! ;)
 
u View attachment 92780 View attachment 92781

Checked the car out yesterday, it looks like a solid contender.
Low miles for a jeep (88500km/55300miles), the engine runs strong, very light surface rust outside but chassis is super solid with no evidence of rust anywhere inside or out. Finalizing with the seller and hopefully, she'll be ours.

The car sports alloys from a Cherokee ... I'll mount instead a set of 15" or 16" steelies for sturdiness

We are limited to a max clearance of 350mm (13-3/4") at the lowest spot between the 2 axles and as it sits, we are at 280mm (11") under the transfer case stock armor.

If I go the 2" lift route, and after the new tire/wheel combo, I may need to fabricate a slightly deeper pan to stay within regulations

The other big problem here, we are way more limited on what we can do to keep it road legal. I do miss living in the US, especially when working on/with cars. If we do go with wider tires, they will need to be completely covered by fenders. Same issue with the bumpers ... will have to find or fabricate something to be within Swiss laws.
I would keep the stock suspension except to build or acquire stronger lower arms and upper control arms.
Put 31" tires on it with your rim of choice although I'm not convinced that steel is the correct choice.
After the tires are on and the rig is loaded to rally weight, then measure the belly height and raise it as high as you can to meet the clearance rule.
Carry a spare draglink and swap on a V8 ZJ tie rod.
New set of OEM equivalent brake hoses.
Go over every bolt that holds the drivetrain together and make sure they are all tight.

They are pretty tough in stock form. The biggest issue that will cause a problem is bending the very flexible control arms.
 
Sounds interesting.

Regarding your plan, I'm not sure there is a better option out there than the factory radiator. If anything, I would think that a straight replacement would be best.

Also not familiar with the vortex pre-filter. Does that install ahead of the factory paper filter?

Some H&R springs and 31's might be just the ticket for your clearance issue. That would be a 1" spring lift and maybe 1" lift from bigger tires. Plus the whole Jeep will be more efficient with the closer to factory tires.

Thanks for the input Mike, I like your idea of the H&R ... The benefit would also be no need for a SYE at this point.


This is the type of prefilter I am talking about:

92788


The air is sucked in from the bottom and the spinning air leaves the larger particles stuck in the "tub" and the factory filter takes care of the really fine stuff.
I can either go the snorkel way and mount it on top or do a custom cowl setup.
 
Thanks for the input Mike, I like your idea of the H&R ... The benefit would also be no need for a SYE at this point.


This is the type of prefilter I am talking about:

View attachment 92788

The air is sucked in from the bottom and the spinning air leaves the larger particles stuck in the "tub" and the factory filter takes care of the really fine stuff.
I can either go the snorkel way and mount it on top or do a custom cowl setup.
Thanks for the image of the Vortex. I was worried that you were talking about replacing the factory paper filter...which would be a no-no in my book.

You got some VERY good advice from @mrblaine a couple posts up. Heed that...he has set vehicles up for racing before and knows what he's talking about. That tidbit about loading the vehicle down to "race weight" then measuring your belly clearance and adjusting from there is gold.

I read the article you posted...sounds like quite the adventure your GF is embarking upon. Keep us posted!
 
What is that color? I don't think i've seen that one yet! Love it.

X2 to the Mopar radiator being the one to go with (everyone will back up that statement). I would plan on bringing replacement radiator hoses, clamps, fluids, as well. New/spare belt, probably look into carrying extra fuel (not sure how far in-between refilling stations. Winch is always a solid piece of equipment there, especially make sure you have a ground anchor since your going to be in the Sahara and there no attachment point anywhere! Other sand specific recovery things too...Maxtrax/recovery boards, that sort of thing...probably tons of water in case you get stranded. Lol.

Oh and get an A/C recharge! ;)
Bright Jade satin Metallic ... different and the GF loves it ...

No need to carry fuel, the organizers take care of that every night , put some fuel tank armor is in the play.
Water, on the other hand, will be on board.
I was also thinking exhaust jack for the soft stuff. She can always use the spare as a ground anchor if need be but I'll look into it.
 
Bright Jade satin Metallic ... different and the GF loves it ...

No need to carry fuel, the organizers take care of that every night , put some fuel tank armor is in the play.
Save some weight and money by using the skid from an 03-06. If you can utilize a body lift of around 1", the skid can be raised by cutting and shortening the mount flanges in their vertical section by 1" with the body lift.
Water, on the other hand, will be on board.
Keep an eye on that. Water is heavy. Weight is not your friend.
I was also thinking exhaust jack for the soft stuff. She can always use the spare as a ground anchor if need be but I'll look into it.
What winch? If you are burying the spare, there are several recovery items you will need. Consider soft shackles and the high utility of the bigger ones. I have a special one that is about 6' long that I would use for attaching to the buried tire.
 
I would keep the stock suspension except to build or acquire stronger lower arms and upper control arms.
Put 31" tires on it with your rim of choice although I'm not convinced that steel is the correct choice.
After the tires are on and the rig is loaded to rally weight, then measure the belly height and raise it as high as you can to meet the clearance rule.
Carry a spare draglink and swap on a V8 ZJ tie rod.
New set of OEM equivalent brake hoses.
Go over every bolt that holds the drivetrain together and make sure they are all tight.

They are pretty tough in stock form. The biggest issue that will cause a problem is bending the very flexible control arms.
Thanks for all the input mrblaine,
Even though I did not mention it, I was going to upgrade all the arms with an RKS adjustable set ... Unless you had some other recommendations. If we ever decided to lift her some more, we can simply readjust them.

So if I understood you correctly, I should slap on the the new tire/rubber combo, load her up, and then decide on the lift?
 
Thanks for all the input mrblaine,
Even though I did not mention it, I was going to upgrade all the arms with an RKS adjustable set ... Unless you had some other recommendations. If we ever decided to lift her some more, we can simply readjust them.

So if I understood you correctly, I should slap on the the new tire/rubber combo, load her up, and then decide on the lift?
Who is RKS?
Contemplating this some more, I see that you are going to load it down far too much. I would load it to race ready condition after I measured the suspension height at every corner. Once you know that amount, then it might need a heavier set of springs to get back to stock height and corner travel.

Get it back to stock travel at the corners with the new tires on at the correct pressure and then measure the belly height. Raise the belly to your max clearance number if needed.

I would ditch the hard top. Too much weight for what you are doing.
 
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Save some weight and money by using the skid from an 03-06. If you can utilize a body lift of around 1", the skid can be raised by cutting and shortening the mount flanges in their vertical section by 1" with the body lift.

Keep an eye on that. Water is heavy. Weight is not your friend.

What winch? If you are burying the spare, there are several recovery items you will need. Consider soft shackles and the high utility of the bigger ones. I have a special one that is about 6' long that I would use for attaching to the buried tire.
LIFT: Would a body lift be more useful than a suspension lift? or in combination with suspension? I was only thinking suspension lift at this point.

WATER: required to carry (2x)5L or (1x)10L tank of water to be fillet every morning. I am thinking about securing these behind the seats to keep the CG centered and as low as possible ...

WINCH: I haven't yet looked at winches. Will have to see what is available here. I've mostly seen T-max and Warn around.
 
She can always use the spare as a ground anchor if need be but I'll look into it.
Lol, thats easier said than done to carry and bury a 50lb spare while trying to get your footing in soft sand when its 80-100F. I'm just saying consider recovery options for soft sand.

Also you may want to just play it safe and try to source a Warn M8000, most would agree thats just about the best winch out there for the TJ.

x2 to ditching the hardtop, you can find a nice cheap frameless softop for reasonably cheap these days. That will help balance out some of the weight you'll be carrying.
 
Who is RKS?
Contemplating this some more, I see that you are going to load it down far too much. I would load it to race ready condition after I measured the suspension height at every corner. Once you know that amount, then it might need a heavier set of springs to get back to stock height and corner travel.

Get it back to stock travel at the corners with the new tires on at the correct pressure and then measure the belly height. Raise the belly to your max clearance number if needed.

I would ditch the hard top. Too much weight for what you are doing.
RKS = Rock Krawler Suspension

I agree with you on the weight. The GF wants the hardtop for security during the trip down and since it is not a speed based rally, it should be alright ...

As far as the weight, we have a long list of things that must be in the car:

Required:
- 1 complete clutch mechanism with disk and thrust bearing (for manual transmission)
- 1 set of belts
- 1 universal joint boot
- 1 air filter
- 1 fuel filter
- 1 oil filter
- 1 oil cap
- 1 set of fuses
- 1 set of extra bulbs
- 5-6 wheel bolts/nuts (depending on vehicle)
- spare tire valve caps
- 1 complete wheel
- 1 jack (mechanical, hydraulic or inflatable),
- 1 thick wooden board to put under the jack (min. 25 mm thick by 250 mm wide by 250 mm long) to prevent it from sinking into the sand,
- 1 wheel spanner or wheel brace, iron bar to be used as a lever,
- 1 sand spade,
- 1 towing rope (10 m / 4 tons) & 2 shackles (minimum diameter 14 mm),
- 2 sand ladders,
- 1 odometer in perfect working order,
- 1 tire pressure gauge,
- 1 electric compressor,
- Various straps for fixing bags and equipment inside the vehicle,
- 2 instant puncture sealants or tire repair kits (make sure you know how to use them).
- (1x)10-litre or (2x)5-litre food-grade Jerrycan(s) of drinking water

- Miscellaneous items: tire plugs, gaffer tape, a few nuts and bolts/screws, hose clamps of different diameters (e.g. Serflex), tie-wraps (cable ties) of different lengths, a few lengths of hose (diameters to fit your vehicle), basic tools.
basic tool kit,

You may choose to bring additional parts (shock absorbers, universal joints, CV joint, drive shaft…).

Recommended (I'll skip the other recommended lighter stuff which also adds up):
Tent and sleeping bag (+/-5°C), sleeping mat/self-inflating mattress,
Clothes for temperatures ranging from 10 to 40°C
 
Lol, thats easier said than done to carry and bury a 50lb spare while trying to get your footing in soft sand when its 80-100F. I'm just saying consider recovery options for soft sand.

Also you may want to just play it safe and try to source a Warn M8000, most would agree thats just about the best winch out there for the TJ.

x2 to ditching the hardtop, you can find a nice cheap frameless softop for reasonably cheap these days. That will help balance out some of the weight you'll be carrying.
What about this ... any body use this one before? It should be relatively lightweight and can be used in multiple case scenarios.
92795
 
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We are going ahead with the purchase ... after that, the fun begins. Will probably add a loovered hood to the mix to get all the hot air out of the engine compartment ...

looking at wheels, stock is 15x7 w/ 215/75 15 giving me about 27.7" diam
Thinking of 16x8 w/ either 245/70 16 (29.5") or 255/65 16 giving me (29.1") to go with the stock dana30/35 3.07 gearing
 
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31-10.5 x 15. Much better selection of tires, plus a nice bump in REAL ground clearance. Shouldn't have to worry about the Dana 35 with 31's.

Of course, that tire selection thing is prefaced with the fact that I'm in the US and you're in Switzerland. Maybe 16" tires are more common there than they are here.