In the beginning, a close friend of ours who owned and operated a body shop had acquired GRANNY as part of a package deal. In other words, he had to take GRANNY, along with something else, in order to get what he really wanted to buy. She didn't cost him very much and all he wanted was to get rid of her and break even. He offered her to us early in the spring of 1997, but we really didn't want her at that time. Over that summer it became very apparent that I (Don) could not live with the idea of abusing Lil-RED again, and old GRANNY was still patiently waiting on a new owner. You can figure the rest of that story out for yourself. ;-)

Anyway, GRANNY got a new home, a major overhaul, and became a full-fledged Trail-Jeep. In the process, she retained her original 258 cubic inch in-line six cylinder engine (now freshly rebuilt), but the rest of her stock driveline quickly became history. Her original T-14 three-speed transmission was swapped for a T-18 four-speed (6.32:1 low gear). It came out of a Ford 3/4-ton truck and is adapted to a Dana 20 (2.46:1 low range) twin-stick transfer case. The power is transferred to the axles by a pair of 2" x .120" wall driveshafts. Her narrow Dana 44 rear and Dana 30 front axles were both swapped for a set of wider Dana 44 axles (with 4.56:1 gears) from a 1979 Scout II. The stability difference is unbelievable and body damage has practically been eliminated due to the tires extending out past the body. She also has LockRite lockers in both ends, and a Warn 8274 winch mounted on the front end in case the lockers need some help. She retained her stock spring-under suspension and is running a set of 35X15.50-15-6 Super Swamper TSL/SXs on 15"X10" steel rims. A York on-board air system quickly re-inflates the tires at the end of the trail. The original Carter YF (flood-a-matic) carburetor has been replaced with a hybrid Motorcraft that has virtually eliminated all flooding. Other important, but less significant modifications include electric cooling fans, front disc brakes, 120 amp alternator, electric booster pump on the fuel system, full roll cage, heavy-duty skid plates, and numerous other smaller modifications.

During those first ten years, GRANNY served us very well, but as the sport evolved, with bigger rigs and more challenging areas to ride, there became a definite need to upgrade. That being said...

Basically, the upgrade began by converting the suspension from a spring-under to a spring-over with the end result being considerably more ground clearance. The clearance under the axles has improved by moving the springs and all related hardware to the top of the axles. The clearance under the chassis has also improved by lifting the vehicle nearly six inches higher off the ground. The body lift which was originally slated to be lowered has remained unchanged.

The "stretch", which followed, was accomplished by cutting the frame just forward of the rear spring hangers and adding a 19-1/2" section back into it. This has extended the wheelbase from 84" to 103-1/2". This has greatly improved the ride and handling, and has made the rig considerably more stable on steeper inclines.

The photos below illustrate the key points of the upgrade. I have placed descriptions under them, but for the most part they should be self-explanatory. I spent approximately 6 weeks on this upgrade and did all the work myself with the exception of the frame-welding which a very good friend, with a MIG welder, did for me. Thank you Glenn!

Other major modifications accomplished during the upgrade was the addition of a five gallon air tank which also serves as a crossmember, an in-floor toolbox, a rear storage compartment, and a rear passenger seat. A small cargo bed was also added to the rear directly behind the tailgate which serves to haul anything from the foodbox to firewood.

GRANNY's story is relatively short when compared to Lil-RED's tale as she hasn't been with us nearly as long as he has. Also, we we don't have any history as to who owned her before us or how she was used. However, it was fairly obvious that her last few years before we got her were probably hard ones. We make her work, but she is well maintained.