I truly love off-roading! I love the outdoors, the camaraderie, the split second decisions, the fear of soiling your pants when going skyward up a hill, and, lately, the feeling of not being held back by my injury. Read more
After leaving the Marines Corps, I got married to my wife, Kelly, and moved to Tulsa in the spring of 2009. Since then, I have only done a few upgrades: a Hughes Plenum Plate Replacement, 180° thermostat, a rear Road Armor bumper, and just basic maintenance. I did, however, attempt to get my Jeep back. I bought a 1986 Jeep CJ7 I6 automatic D44 rear with a hardtop for $1000 in the fall of 2009. Read more
I joined the Marines in January 2003 and left for a year to train. All the while, my Jeep was scavenged by other off-roaders, my so-called friends, for parts at the barn we rented together. When I returned, there was essentially nothing left to build from and no one could answer where any of the parts had disappeared to. I still have the title to the Jeep but nothing else, not even the VIN to bring it back to life with another tub and frame. I learned a lot of lessons with that Jeep: the 6 Ps (Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance), why sharing space with other fabricators is bad, how missing parts can completely destroy friendships, and why credit cards are such a danger to college kids!
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I think if I give you an introduction of me and my truck, you will see where I am having trouble deciding on what to upgrade. My name is Kyle Irvin and I live in Tulsa, OK. We don’t have a 4 Wheel Parts here in town, so I do most of my shopping online, in Oklahoma City or in Dallas when I visit family. As you well know, us off-roaders have a lengthy list of upgrades we want, but when we actually get the money it becomes a ridiculous process of researching, planning, finding a better option, doing more research, trying to convince yourself it is the best plan and then actually pulling the trigger.
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I grew up off roading with my family every weekend. We started with Volkswagon Bajas, then a 4X4 Toyota, then Jeeps, back to Bajas, and now it’s a combination of them all with 4X4 Baja Jeeps. This is my ’98 Jeep Cherokee with the 4.0L in-line six cylinder motor that I use as a daily driver and a recreational vehicle. I chose the Jeep Cherokee XJ because I’m also part of a desert race team that races a Cherokee in the Jeepspeed 1700 series. We can use my Jeep for spare parts if the race car breaks and we’re in a pinch.
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I started lifting trucks when I was 17 in my parents’ driveway. I started with a 1991 Ranger, installing a 6-inch Superlift kit and 3-inch body lift with 35-inch tires. I then sold that and graduated to an ’86 Toyota. I put about 12 inches of lift on it with 39.5-inch boggers.
My desire for a full size truck put me in my current truck: an F-150. It has a 6-inch Pro Comp lift with Bilstein shocks in the front and Rancho RS9000 Reservoirs in the rear. I went with Pro Comp for the solid reputation of reliability, since the truck is also my daily driver. I added a 3-inch Performance Accessories body lift because I had to have 37-inch tires. I see so many trucks with 35-inch tires and I wanted to stand out a little.
My truck is a 2008 Ford F-350 4×4 Diesel. I chose this truck because it has a great track record and there are many modification options available. My truck is like my loyal companion. I drive it to work, I use it to tow when I camp and I need it for my general hauling needs.
I chose to go with a function over form approach. I want it to look good but quality and function is at the top of my priority list.
The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach has become a tradition for several 4 Wheel Parts employees. It’s a week when the very same streets we drive to work on every day are shut down to showcase some of the best drivers in the world.
Every year on the Thursday before the race, things get kicked off with a Hall of Fame ceremony that is always attended by famous drivers and can be attended by anyone walking off the street. This year Michael Andretti and Danny Sullivan both got inducted into the Hall of Fame. Sitting in the stands were Al Unser Jr. and Marco Andretti.
Below are the CAD designs for the rear suspension on my Chevy S-10. I decided to go with a 3-link suspension. These are the lower trailing arms, which measure 50″ long and will connect the rear axle housing to the frame. When complete, this should allow for about 30″ travel.
Our first step on the 1998 Chevy S-10 was building a cab cage, for which we used 2″ main tubing and 1 3/4″ support tubes. This process took about a month and was designed to allow for maximum clearance for both driver and passenger. Below is a picture of the complete cab cage:
