1974 Chevy LUV Rockcrawler Built for the Rubicon and Beyond

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Jake Shurtleff's 1974 Chevy LUV rockcrawler is what happens when a Chevy guy wants a trail machine in Toyota-like package size. Jake worked with Chris Sparks and Alex Anderson at Rock Hound Off Road to build this LUV into the ultimate rockcrawler, with a wish list of high-end components. We crossed paths with Jake on the trails, where he showed us just how well his 1974 Chevy LUV rockcrawler worked. Read on for more details.

Power comes from a low-mileage 5.3-liter Gen III Chevy V-8 with a set of Texas Speed & Performance CNC-ported heads, an LSA camshaft, and trunnion bearings to eliminate the factory needle bearings. The factory ECU was tuned by B&L Performance of Roseburg, Oregon to work in conjunction with the intake and injectors from a '10 GM pickup. Exhaust is routed through JBA stainless shorty headers to a 3-inch exhaust that uses a Magnaflow resonator and dumps out the driver side in front of the rear axle.

Jake did all the sheetmetal work in the interior. "It was a big job," he confessed, "but I just did one panel at a time." PRP seats and harnesses hold the occupants in place, a Winters Sidewinder shifter selects the gears in the TH400, and an Auto Meter digital display monitors the vital signs. Devin Perry of Third Generation Auto did the wiring using a universal harness from American Auto Wire.

The front axle is a kingpin Dana 60 out of a Chevy K30 that has been upgraded with 5.38 gears, an ARB Air Locker, and RCV 300M axleshafts. Knuckles and kingpin bushings from Reid Racing are used on the ends in conjunction with aluminum hubs from Innovative Machining Solutions and Wilwood four-piston calipers.

The front suspension uses Radflo coil-overs and bypass shocks in conjunction with a triangulated four-link, so there is no need for a track bar to locate the axle from side to side. This type of suspension offers a huge range of motion, but it is not compatible with a traditional steering box with a drag link. The LUV uses full hydraulic steering from PSC Motorsports and steering arms from WFO Concepts to remedy that issue and turn the 40-inch-tall tires in the rocks.

Packaging constraints required the radiator to be mounted in the rear of the truck. A C&R crossflow aluminum radiator was used with Derale variable speed electric fans. Jake plumbed the radiator himself with -16 black braided nylon hose from the water pump all the way back to the radiator to minimize the number of fittings. The -16 bungs were welded on the water pump and the radiator, and used with XRP fittings. Jake says the truck never gets warm no matter how hard he pushes it.

The rear suspension is a triangulated four-link with lower trailing arms from WFO Concepts, where the shock is mounted on the arm rather than on the axletube to achieve more wheel travel. The frame was also cut off in the rear and replaced with tubing that was engineered by Rock Hound Off Road to maximize uptravel with the 14-inch-travel Radflo coil-over shocks and 16-inch-travel Radflo bypass shocks.

The rear axle is a tried-and-true corporate 14-bolt with 5.38 gears and an Eaton Detroit Locker. These axles only use 30-spline axleshafts, but they are 1½ inches in diameter and use a third pinion bearing to eliminate deflection, making them incredibly strong. Jake ditched the factory drum brakes and hubs for much lighter aluminum hubs from Innovative Machining Solutions that use huge rotors and four-piston Wilwood calipers to stop on a dime.

Storage is at a premium in the Luv, but Jake still wanted to take it on overnight trips to nearby trails like the Rubicon. He built a sheetmetal storage area in the bed under the spare tire that has enough room for an ice chest and camping gear for the weekend, but he must pack light!

Jake is not afraid to work his Chevy hard!

Drivetrain

Suspension

Tires/Wheels

Miscellaneous