The Ultimate Crawler SUV

When you think of the Dodge M37, you think of an American classic—a real war hero. In the past, these vehicles were forgotten, but every so often you’ll find them in museums and classic car shows. You’ll also find them rotting away in backyards across the country, unfortunately. Heck, they’re still even spotted driving around small Midwest towns, which is a refreshing sight.

When you go out on trails, all you hear is “Jeep Wrangler this” and “Jeep Wrangler that.” Then, sometimes all you hear folks talking about are Toyotas and pickups out there. But what about full-size SUVs? Yes, I’m talking about the lovely Jeep Cherokee, otherwise known as the XJ. These rigs are widely sought-after in the rock-crawling world due to their reliable motor and readily available nature. You can find these things cruising the streets with mild lifts or still even in factory condition, but every now and then you will find beasts like this one hammering and crawling rocks out on the trails.

This is Dylan Dixon’s Jeep Cherokee Sport—that just has one or two minor modifications, as you can see. Dylan is a local out of Auburn, California, and during his working hours, you can find him on heavy equipment and operating an excavator. This rig is outfitted with some industry-leading parts and captures the crawler lifestyle of the outdoors perfectly. Starting at the front of this rig, you can find a set of Roadshock Edge spot/flood lights to help light up the dark nights on the trail. This Jeep is also outfitted with additional lighting from Rigid Industries and KC HiLiTES used for rock lights and reverse/rear-facing lights.

Dylan’s Cherokee features custom bumpers from Filthy Addiction Offroad that keep that touch feeling and ensure maximum protection and safety. This Jeep does have some wheel well modifications, such as cut and raised rear fender tubs, to be able to stuff massive tires and offer more clearance. The front end is narrowed with the factory hood and fenders, which is a unique touch, but inside the engine bay, everything remains intact and functional all around.

Under the hood you’ll find Jeep’s flagship inline-six 4.0L motor, which is the cherry-on-top for Jeep owners. From the 90s to the mid-2000s, this motor was wildly loved because of its reliability and the torque it delivered from the factory. This inline-six is also equipped with a cowl induction intake manifold to get some more oxygen for this dragon’s breath. Paired with the 4.0L is another sought-after Jeep part—the Jeep AW4 transmission.

Where is all this power going? Well, this rig doesn’t have the traditional Dana 30 and Dana 35 combo. Instead, it’s rocking a 1979 Ford Kingpin Dana 60 in the front with 5.38 gears and an Eaton Detroit Locker and Yukon locking hubs. In the rear, it’s running a GM 14-bolt also equipped with 5.38 gears but with an ARB Air Locker. These axles are also equipped with a single-piston brake upgrade with a 1999 Dodge van master cylinder, which is a combo that I have not seen before but can definitely see that it works!

Helping move the axles and keeping everything stable, the Jeep is running a front 2.5×14-inch coilover and a rear 2.5×16-inch coilover, both made by King Shocks. Eibach springs can be found on all four corners. Steering the axles is a PSC full hydraulic system with a 2.5×8-inch ram, which is the best you can possibly have when it comes to turning these rock crawlers with massive tires and having the lockers on at all times. More about the tires: this XJ is gripping up with a set of Mickey Thompson Baja Boss X rubber in a 40×13.50R17 platform that we all love in the rock-crawling scene. Wrapped inside those Mickeys is a shiny set of 17×8.5 KMC Grenade wheels.

This Jeep is truly set up and used all around and definitely takes things to the next level of crawling the trails, but Dylan always has to remind himself about safety. This rig has some solid safety features, such as the PRP Daily Driver seats and harnesses to keep him strapped in, as well as a fully constructed cage inside and partially outside, also known as a hybrid cage, which is popular amongst the XJ community. To match the seats and harnesses, this rig is also using a PRP flat-bottom steering wheel. To keep the party bumping inside this Jeep, there are massive DS18 boat tower speakers wired up. Who doesn’t love some tunes when you’re out wheeling with the guys?

This weekend warrior of a rig is well covered. It’s exactly what we were looking for while out at King of the Hammers, and it offered a beautiful photoshoot opportunity. I thank Dylan for letting me capture this rig for our audience to see. Until the next one, tread on!