2005 Ultimate Adventure 4x4 Trucks

Jake Good's 1971 Orange-Peel Bronco
Jake Good was a new reader this year dawning from Kansas City, Kansas. There's wheeling in Kansas? Yep, it turns out there is, and Jake knows the best of it. But he started his wheeling roots in Colorado, and has logged many hours of experience on both sides of the state border. Jake and his co-driver, Dave Fuggett, did a great job working together on the hectic trail days of the Ultimate Adventure, and came home with an almost unscathed Bronco, even after turning it on its side (the rollcage caught the rocks first and the body never actually hit the ground. Lucky bastard.) It was a pleasure to have them on the trip, even if they didn't totally waste their Bronco for our sick entertainment.

Tech Specs
Driver/Co-Driver(s): Jake Good, Dave Fuggett
Vehicle: 1971 Ford Bronco
Engine: 5.0 HO EFI V-8
Tranny: C4 automatic
Transfer Case: Klune-V (4:1) and NP205
Driveshafts: Inland Truck Parts CV driveshafts
Front Axle: Reverse-rotation Dana 44, 4.88 gears, Detroit Locker, alloy axleshafts, Longfield U-joints
Rear Axle: Fullsize Ford 9-inch, 4.88 gears, full spool, 31-spline Yukon axleshafts, high-clearance housing, rear disc brakes
Steering: Full hydraulic with balanced ram, high-steer tie-rod setup
Suspension: Custom three-link front and rear, BC Bronco coils, raised coil buckets, shock hoops front and rear, wheelbase is 6 inches longer than stock
Tire and Wheels: 37x12.50-17 BFGoodrich Krawlers on 17x9 Allied Monster bead locks
Winch: Warn 9.5 Ti
Bumpers/Cages/Guards: Hanson bumpers, custom rollcage, and rock skis
Cool Stuff: One of the sweetest and cleanest-looking old Broncos we've seen. Has the cool door inserts. Tried (for the first time) to do highway miles with hydraulic steering, and it did fine

Nate Marsh's Chalupa
As we went through the submissions for the Ultimate Adventure this year, we stopped at a fullsize Wagoneer from Colorado on 40s. "Now that thing's cool!" we all chorused. We decided right then and there that we wanted to see Nate Marsh and brother, Brad, bring that fullsize beast through trails meant for ATVs (and if nothing else it would make us feel better about smashing up our fullsize UA truck). The Marsh brothers did a great job all week, constantly putting the Waggy in positions that would make most people cringe, and that's certainly what we were hoping for when we signed 'em up. Thanks for complying, Nate.

Tech Specs
Driver/Co-Driver(s): Nate Marsh, Brad Marsh
Vehicle: 1973 Jeep Wagoneer
Engine: 350ci TBI Chevy
Tranny: TCI TH400
Transfer Case: GM 203/205 ORD Gen II Doubler kit, 32-spline front and rear outputs
Driveshafts: Jesse's High Angle front and rear CV driveshafts, 1410 U-joints, 0.120-inch wall tube, long-travel slip yoke on front shaft
Front Axle: Dana 60, 4.56 gears, Detroit Locker, 35-spline inner and outer axleshafts, one Warn hub and one Teraflex hub, BrawlinLaser diff cover
Rear Axle: 14-bolt, 4.56 gears, Detroit Locker, BrawlinLaser disc-brake kit and diff cover
Steering: Poison Spyder high-steer arms, crossover style linkage, Redneck ram assist
Suspension: Alcan front leaves 3 inches longer than stock, Superlift rear leaf springs, six RS 9000 shocks
Tire and Wheels: 40-inch Goodyear MTRs on stock H2 17-inch wheels
Winch: Warn XP 9500
Bumpers/Cages/Guards: Hooptiebuilder (Nate-built) custom cage, bumpers out of 0.120-inch wall tube
Cool Stuff: Telling him it's a Cherokee really makes Nate happy. Looked like a giant chalupa on the trails. Cool cage, with clear plastic cut for front of cargo area to keep safe without a rear tailgate. After going for ice, this big Jeep found the rest of the UA group lost in the forest on its way back to camp. Thanks, Nate and Brad!

Paul Chowanec's Totally Tubed Toyota
Paul Chowanec was an invited reader this year and, like all the readers accompanying us this trip, a real pleasure to have along. Paul and co-drivers Lee Jenkins and Scott Kittenger came from Colorado with his 1993 Toy and a whole bunch of tubework done to protect the fun trail Toy. You'd never know by looking at the body (which stayed relatively clean thanks to some good driving and good protection) that Paul won the Hobart welder, awarded by our sponsor, Hobart Welders, to the rig that incurred the most damage throughout the week. And even though Paul, Lee, and Scott faced lots of little problems from traction bars falling off and shifters breaking to clutches failing and no-name winch solenoids burning up, they still had their rig fixed and back on the trail every day we were in the dirt. Nice job, guys.

Tech Specs
Driver/Co-Driver(s): Paul Chowanec Jr., Lee Jenkins, Scott Kittinger
Vehicle: 1993 Toyota extended cab Hi-Lux
Engine: 3.0L V-6
Tranny: Manual
Transfer Case: Marlin Crawlers dual case kit, 4.7:1 and 2.28:1
Driveshafts: Custom
Front Axle: 1985 Toyota 8-inch, 4.88 gears, ARB Air Locker, Longfields
Rear Axle: Front Range Off Road Diamond axlehousing, 8-inch third member, 4.88 gears, ARB Air Locker
Steering: High-steer crossover
Suspension: Alcan front leaves, All Pro rear leaves RS 9000 shocks, All Pro shackles, All Pro spring-over-axle kit, custom traction bar, 122-inch wheelbase
Tire and Wheels: 37x12.50-17 BFGoodrich Krawlers on 17-inch black steel wheels
Winch: Warn M8000 (now with a Warn solenoid box after a no-name one burned out)
Bumpers/Cages/Guards: Custom Kittinger-built tube bed and rear of cab, Lexan panels in bed and 1/8-inch steel on cab (panels recessed so the tubes get hit by rocks first), front fender protection, and upper crossmember
Cool Stuff: Custom bed, cab, and recessed panels look super-clean. Broke more than anyone else, but still made it to every trail day. Won the Hobart welder. Longest wheelbase on the trip!

Off Road Design's Wally
Wally is what he is: a once-Blazer that has seen more trails than a mountain goat, and also one too many rollovers at the hands of Off Road Design's Stephen Watson. If you've been in the 4x4 scene for a while then you'll remember the inception of the big green Blazer that his father and co-driver, James Watson, bought new in 1983. In fact this used to be the carpool ride to school in the mornings for Stephen and his little brother, and after so much body damage, it was only natural to salvage what they could and make a giant fullsize buggy based on a Blazer chassis. What the Colorado-based father and son team came up with at Off Road Design was not only a serious machine, but also a great platform to test new ORD products.

Tech Specs
Driver/Co-Driver(s): Stephen Watson, James Watson
Vehicle: 1982 Chevy K5 Blazer
Engine: 505 Performance 504ci GM big-block, Eagle lightweight crank and rods, Ross pistons, Crane roller valvetrain, Edelbrock aluminum heads, multipoint EFI
Tranny: TH700R4 with every upgrade ORD could think of
Transfer Case: ORD Doubler 203/205 rotated flat for best ground clearance
Driveshafts: Tom Woods 1350 CV shafts
Front Axle: Dynatrac Prorock 60, 5.13 gears, ARB Air Locker, Superior axleshafts built to 1978 Ford lengths, CTM U-joints, Tera 35-spline locking hubs, Dedenbear end forgings and knuckles, ORD steering arms
Rear Axle: 14-bolt, 5.13 gears, Detroit Locker, ORD disc brake kit, Fabrimacated diff cover, 1410 pinion yoke Steering: PSC ram ORD full hydraulic steering
Suspension: Four-link front and rear, Speedway Engineering rear antisway bar, 16-inch stroke King coilovers, King hydraulic bumpstops, 116-inch wheelbase
Tire and Wheels: 42-inch Iroks on stock 17x8 H2 wheels with Staun bead locks
Winch: Warn 9.5 Ti
Bumpers/Cages/Guards: Custom evolved tube cage/chassis stemming from the original in-cab rollcage
Cool Stuff: Still has the whole K5 frame. Had it since new. Only 3 inches taller than a stock K5. Stock body skins over tube.