Back in May, I received an interesting email from the owner and general manager of a company called Powerline Patrol Services. Located in Gilbert, Arizona, this unique company specializes in high voltage asset inspections for utility companies and apparently, they were seriously looking into the options and possibilities of building a more capable patrol vehicle. As I would learn, most power line patrol vehicles today are built off of standard 3/4 ton trucks which have stiff suspension systems and have limited wheel travel. Unfortunately, these drawbacks significantly limit the patrol range of these vehicles to easy driving locations and, when the terrain gets too tough, the only other option available has been to employ the use of Helicopters. In the search for a better and more cost effective solution, Powerline Patrol Services came across a few of our YouTube videos and, as you can guess, that’s when they contacted me.
Inspired by what they saw in our videos, Powerline Patrol Services decided that a new patrol vehicle based on the Jeep JK Wrangler might be the solution they’ve been looking for. Eager to test market this concept, they hired a production company to create a promotional video highlighting some of the unique services they offer and asked if we might be willing to bring out our JK so that they could film it traversing the rough power line roads and difficult right-of-ways that are commonly found in the Arizona desert. Happy to help out in any way that we could, we hammered out the details and made our out to Phoenix. To watch a short video that Cindy made of our adventures, simply click on the link below:
Helicopter Video Shoot of Moby Dick
When all was said and done, this is what the final product looked like…
In addition to the primary promotional video that was made for Powerline Patrol Services, a fun secondary video was also made to highlight the Jeep JK Wrangler patrol vehicle (our Moby Dick) and this is what it looks like….
Powerline Patrol Services YouTube Channel
For more information about Powerline Patrol Services, please visit their website at:
www.powerlinepatrol.com
Powerline Patrol Videos were produced by The Reid Effect Production Studios
I found my next job!!
Nice video.
Down here in OZ we already use set up Toyota’s winch, F/R lockers, lift. but great to see the JK getting a look over.
Only thing I see is missing is a snorkel with a pre-filter for the dusty conditions.
Really neat concept and its nice to see a company thinking ahead.
How fast were you going in the videos?
not as fast as i would have liked – maybe 35-45 on average and 50-55 mph at most. while there were a few straight aways, the trail we were driving had a lot of twists and turns and that kept our speeds down. also, we were being directed from the crew in the helicopter and needed to follow their cues.
I love the Mods; do we have a list to build similar?
sure, you can see a build list here:
http://www.jk-forum.com/member.php?2-wayoflife
New to this and new owner. Have seen alot of JK’s with style points but nothing in action like these videos! Total motovation to get a build going. Any suggestions point me in that direction!
hey chad, try to determine how big of a tire you want to run and come up with a budget that you can work with and we can go from there.
I bought an 09 Rubicon from a guy and it currently has a 2.5 something? on 35 BFG MT KM2’s (25% tread left). That being said I need to buy tires. Not a whole lot of jeeps done up around KC to figure out what I should do. So based on your videos 37’s with a fair amount of driver skills should alow me to do the local stuff as well as some out west trips. No different then any other guy wanting to do it right the first time. The budget will be relitive, I do not want to skimp over a few hundred bucks and it is a weekend driver for our family. Any suggestions on your personal best suspension/tire combo would be greatly appreciated. Other then coil overs! As nice as they are I will need that money for tires. Dang it!
it really depends on your budget. 3″ of lift and 35’s is a perfect setup and one that will take you just about anywhere.
I was thinking a 4 0r 4.5″ lift. To alow for the 37″s. Long arm or regular? Have seen all kinds ranging from 2,300 – 4,200. I would prefer to stay at the lower end but again I do not want to compromise durability and ride. I understand the importance of COG but does the height of the lift determine your articulation? I have also been told that by going with 37’s I will need to replace both drive shafts and re-gear to 5.38? With this existing lift and 35’s I still get hung up on alot of what I think is small stuff. As for tires I was initially thinking BFG Krawlers. Again, having a hard time with finding testimonials on the life and ride of the tire?
i have run 37’s on factory arms and it works just fine. fortunately, factory length arms are pretty long as is and they do okay. long arms will give you a better on-road ride as they will help restore your suspension geometry to being closer to stock. depending on what 4″-4.5″ kit you get, you will most likely need to do some minor body trimming to prevent rubbing. trimming your factory fenders or installing flat fenders will help out a lot here as well. as far as tires go, bfg’s are nice but, if you play on the rocks a lot, you may find their sidewalls to be on the thin side. i prefer toyo’s for the reason as their sidewalls are practically bullet proof.
OK, Toyo,s it is. After reading around a bit more 3.5″ lift should do it. What 3.5″ lift is out there that you think is the most compleate? My budget is 3k. Would need to include shocks.
are you wanting something that’s closer to 3″ of lift or 4″ of lift because, most lift kits available today will not measure up to what they are advertised. if you want something closer to 3″, i would recommend the new full-traction 3″ srs ultimate kit as it is very complete. if you want something closer to 4″, the teraflex flexarm kit is a good option.
OK, went back and read your other comment on th SRS blog. New generation new bushings should provide quiet ride. Will the 3″ lift truly give way for 37’s? I have just ordered new fenders which should free up a few inches. Next the teraflex 4″ lift fully states that driveline mods are needed. Are they needed with the SRS 3″? “Should have regestered to win it” Bottom line I want it low with 37’s, the money saved from replacing both drive lines will buy a damn nice total under-body protection kit. Unless I am thinking about this the wrong way?
so long as you install flat fenders or trim your factory set and do some minor trimming of the body, you should be able to clear 37’s with just 3″ of lift. additional bump stop extension or a 1″ body lift may be needed depending on how much additional weight you add to your jeep with bumpers, skids, etc. with any lift 3″ or more, a new rear drive shaft will be needed if you have a 2-door and a front will be needed if you have an automatic. with the exception of an oil pan skid, aftermarket skids are not needed.
Just got 2011jeep jk sahara want to put 37 in tires 4 in lift kit srt8 rims want winch snorkel and bumpers my jeep is black I want to mill spec it out I live in ny I want this jeep to go anywhere any suggestions new to this and don’t have a clue?????