When Brad Cohron bought this 1988 Jeep Comanche pickup, it was camo green and bone stock. The truck had been used as a hunting rig until the Peugeot manual transmission failed. The 4.0-liter I6 still ran strong, and the body panels were in great shape, making it the perfect canvas for the project Brad, the owner of Black Bear Offroad in Buford, Georgia, had in mind.
“The biggest thing about this build was creating a theme around a fictional forest ranger named “Ranger Bob.” Ranger Bob dreams of owning his own forestry work truck and building it to meet all his needs,” Brad says. “We took that story/theme and built a vehicle around it, creating a park ranger’s dream truck.”
Brad also chose the Comanche because he loves late-1980s–early-2000s body styles, because it’s a unique truck, and because he “just really likes old Jeeps.”
The 4.0-Liter I6 Stays, The Peugeot Transmission Gets Tossed
There was no reason to mess with perfection, so Brad left the 4.0-liter I6 untouched. Even with 200,000 miles on it, the engine still ran strong. He did add a custom exhaust system and an Optima YellowTop battery.
The transmission was a different story. Brad tossed the weak, unreliable Peugeot BA10/5 and replaced it with an Aisin-Warner AX15 five-speed manual pulled from a 1998 Jeep Cherokee. While scavenging parts from the ’98 Cherokee, he also grabbed its NP231 two-speed Command-Trac transfer case and swapped it in.
FAD Delete, Trussed Rear Axle, And A Pair Of Limited Slips
Brad kept the Dana 30 front axle but ditched the weak, trouble-prone front axle disconnect (FAD) system. In its place, he installed a one-piece passenger-side chromoly shaft from Crown Automotive and sealed the axle tube with a CavFab FAD Delete Plate. He also added a Yukon Dura Grip limited-slip, a Yukon diff cover, CavFab crossover steering, and a RockJock Antirock sway bar.
Out back, he swapped in a Chrysler 8.25-inch axle from the same 1988 Cherokee. Like the front, it runs a Yukon Dura Grip and a Yukon diff cover. Brad also welded on a Barnes 4WD universal axle truss for extra strength. Both axles are regeared to 4.56:1 with Yukon gears.
New Front And Rear Suspension
Up front, the 1988 Jeep Comanche runs Zone Offroad 4.5-inch coil springs, JKS Manufacturing 2-inch ACOS spacers, JKS adjustable control arms with J-Flex joints, and Fox 2.0 Performance Series shocks.
Out back, the worn-out leaf springs were tossed in favor of stock-rate Dorman Products springs paired with new Rusty’s Off-Road hangers. Brad set the axle up in a spring-over configuration, and the Fox 2.0 Performance Series shocks now sit on new mounts.
The rig rolls on 35×12.50R17LT Falken Wildpeak R/T meats mounted on 9-inch-wide Mamba Offroad M28 wheels.
Vinyl Wrap And Ample Trail Lighting
Outside, the Comanche sports a Mantis Green vinyl wrap, Notch Customs M-Max fender flares, and Oracle Lighting LED taillights. To light up the trail, Brad installed MPOWER lighting—a 12-inch bar on the front bumper, an ORV 2×1 on the rear bumper, an interior light bar, and more. ORV 4-inch Fascia Lights in the wheel wells illuminate the trail under the truck.
The bed carries a spread of functional gear, including a Harbor Freight gas can on a Motobilt mount.
Upgraded Interior
Inside, Brad upped the Comanche’s game with Corbeau Baja suspension seats and a full RetroSound audio system. An Avenue Performance steering wheel, a Core Shifters short-throw shifter, MPOWER lighting, and other upgrades round out the cabin.
The Bottom Line
Brad’s Comanche is a vintage rig that Ranger Bob would be proud to wheel.
Photos by Ken Brubaker and Brad Cohron
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