Eight-Lug Jeep - 2009 Jeep Wrangler

Jason Von Eschen just isn’t satisfied with ordinary. This eight-lug ’09 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited started out with a question: “Can you build a Jeep with 24-inch wheels that still looks mean?” We think Jason answered the query in the affirmative, and here’s how he did it.

The Jeep had to be very tough but still be high-end all the way. “When I build a vehicle, it must have never been seen before,” Jason told us. “It needs to contain parts that are very rare or that are not on other vehicles, and it must be loved by all ages—both male and female. Lastly, it needs to work in daily life.” In Colorado, where Jason resides, there are a ton of Jeeps, so Jason felt he had to build something unique. As such, the usual tire and wheel combination alone was not going to make that happen. After finding out Interco made a 40-inch tire that fit a 24-inch wheel, he was sure of the direction to take. Overall, what really sets this vehicle apart is the axles, the wheel and tire combo, and the four Corbeau bucket seats.

When Jason says the Jeep has to work in his daily life, he means it. “It was built for rockcrawling in Colorado,” he said. “But I have another set of 17-inch wheels with 37-inch tires I use to four-wheel. I also drive it around town doing errands many days a week. I have some amazing tube doors from Warrior Products. They are so fun in the summer with the top off. It is a great daily driver and does well on the highway. The axles and gear ratio are amazing. It accelerates and drives much better since the build.”

The 3.8L V-6 engine has a K&N cold-air intake and a MagnaFlow cat-back exhaust with custom piping. Superchips supplied a Flashpaq for the Jeep to wake up the engine even more. Odyssey batteries were used, and that’s a good thing, because there’s a whole lot of stereo in the rig. An Alpine iDA-X305S with Pandora Internet radio and SiriusXM keeps the music flowing. A total of eight waterproof speakers and a 15-inch sub are all driven by more than 3,000 watts of power.

The wheels are 24-inch RBP 96Rs, and the tires are 40-inch Interco M16 monsters. The paint is not actually paint on the body; it is a matte black vinyl wrap from Wraptivo.

The Jeep was boosted 6 inches into the air with a TeraFlex lift and suspension, and the eight-lug axles add some height for a total of about 10 inches. The custom-built front bumper was welded in place with a Smittybilt XRC winch. The rear tire carrier and body armor are from Off Road Evolution.

This Jeep certainly is completely different than what you would normally expect from the rockcrawling crowd. It’s nice to see such creativity in the automotive world.