Leah's Jeep

My daughter wanted a Pinewood Derby version of her High Tide Edition 2022 Jeep Wrangler, so this is our fourth build for the 2023 season.

The High Tide includes the Xtreme Recon 35" tire package, and I spent a weekend trying to figure out how to mimic those big tires and keep the pine version race-legal. She also wants it to be a Bluetooth speaker when it retires from racing.

So here's what I've come up with:

I'm going to 3D print a suspension lift, put some BlastCar wheels on it, and Velcro it to the underside of the Jeep.

The lift will have storage for the legal wheels and axles, so I can just detach the block and install the legal running gear before the race. And I found a 1.4x1" Bluetooth speaker that I'll affix to the bottom of the roof.

The Suspension Block includes lowered axle holes for oversized BlastCar wheels, and cutouts for race-legal Pinewood Derby wheel and axle storage. The axles will be stored at angles so they mimic suspension components.

BlastCar Wheels

A Pinewood Derby wheel on top of a BlastCar wheel

Here is the Jeep in race trim:

I drilled five holes in the roof above the front seats and covered the front part of the roof in cloth to mimic the Sunrider Fliptop. The sound from the speaker comes through the holes and the cloth and sounds pretty good, all things considered. But the speaker does put the Jeep overweight, so it has to be removed before racing.