i am new to this site, i am building a 97 jeep tj strictly for off road use, this is a odd setup compaired to others listed on this site, but someone has to be different now dont they. some info on my project>>> what i have is a iron block 6.0l with lq9 flat top pistons & rods, and 317 heads. it will have a nv4500 5 speed & dana 300 t/case behind it. both of these are set up with all the upgrades to make them as strong as possible, the trans has a 32 spline output & both the outputs of the t/case have been upgraded to 32 spline as well. from there both drive shafts have all 1350 ujoints & hook to a dana 60 in front & gm 14 bolt in rear, both with arb lockers, 5.13 gears, front has 35 spline chromoly axles with matching drive flanges ( no lockout or weak link) & as for the front axle ujoints i havent decided if i will use ox or ctm joints just yet. as for tire size, i will be using anywhere from a 38" to 42" tall & 15" to 18" wide tsl bogger tires, with every other lug cut out for max traction, etc. i want the drivetrain as bulletproof as possible. one of the main points i am trying to get across is this is going to be a fairly heavy vehicle with alot of power robbing turning wieght that this engine will have to handle, so keep this in mind it is not your average street or strip car that is light wieght with very little resistance on getting it rolling, etc. some of the questions i have and some of my ideas are, one main question is what hp & tq. will the factory rods safely handle? should i upgrade the rods? also if my research is correct i should be right at 10.0:1 on comp. ratio if i dont mill the heads, etc. i would prefer to stay within 10.0 to 10.5 in comp. ratio. i also think it would be better to keep the long runner style intake for bottom end and midrange power, due to the wieght of this jeep. if i am on the side of a steep climb, i want to be able to get on and off of the throttle with no hesitation, etc. i believe this style intake will help me in that area. another note is i have a excellent tuner in my local area that can set me pcm up however i want it with what ever modifications i chose to make, etc. with that noted i have also concidered have it set up with a speed density program instead of running a maf sensor, what are some pros and cons on this with the 6.0l? or should i leave it alone and run a maf sensor. exhaust will most likely be shorty headers with flowmaster 40 mufflers, no cats, etc. i have concidered running a small cam or go with 1.8 rockers, etc. but not sure just yet which way to go. as for the heads, i would also prefer to leave them alone as far as valve size and port work, the heads i have should work well for what i am wanting just the way they are, if anything maybe cut the surface some to bump up comp. to about 10.5. what about the oem valve springs? upgrade or does the oem springs holdup well? if anything i have mentioned i would like to do you think i shouldnt, or if there are any ideas or suggestions on any other modifications i can make to the engine would be greatly appreciated... i know this is a long post, but i have a millon ideas going through my mind right now and would like some input from some of you with more knowledge on these engines. this is the first 6.0l i have setup other than a stock rebuild. i think i have made the right choice of engine for this project, but want as much info as i can on different ways to go and any weak links in these engines, etc. i will concider any and all ideas and comments. thanks