Clifton "The Spyder Man" Slay wowed us with wheelstanding action on Axle Breaker. Sure, his Poison Spyder Customs Unlimited is longer than a regular TJ - but not long enough to take this line without getting a little light in the front. Don't worry, Clifton didn't roll. If he had he would have flattened our art director, Alan Huber, and you never would have seen these photos.
The final obstacle on the last trail of Ultimate Adventure 2005 was this ledge-climb pinch that made the vehicles want to flop on to the driver side. Here you see readers and Bronco Brothers John Hughbanks and Jake Good (no relation) trying the long- and short-wheelbase lines. Everybody tried, but nobody could crawl this terrain, and in the end everyone had to throttle up it.
By some miracle every single one of us was off the trail long before dark. All that was left to do was throw a party. To celebrate our new friendships, and to get an early start on exaggerating our trail stories, we took over Warehouse Willy's in the center of Poteau. We kicked back and made ourselves feel a little too at home, wrote our names on the wall, and even stapled a few 4-Wheel and Off-Road license plates to the men's room door. You should have been there!
On the trip home, we had to brave a few days of triple digit heat and make a few roadside repairs, but we all made it back safe and sound. Plans for next year's trip are well underway, and it promises to be the best route yet! All we need is you. Do you think you've got what it takes and a rig that will take you there? Then we want to write about you next year on Ultimate Adventure 2006. You better get wrenching.
The Scott Frary Damage Report
The Ultimate Adventure is tough, with lots of casualties along the way. "How tough?" you ask. Well, just take a look at the number of parts that were tortured, busted, or just plain used up in one week of wheeling.
Readers
Paul Chowanec
Steering-arm studs ripped out of steering knuckle
Broken traction-bar rod ends
Two broken CBs
T-Max winch remote box failed
Jake Good
Torn rear shock mount
Temperamental steering pump
Minor body damage
John Hughbanks
Disc-brake caliper retainers fell off
Broken front driveshaft
Lost parts from transfer-case shifter
Enough body damage to turn his fullsize Bronco into a 3/4-scale model
Nate Marsh
Torn brake line
Bent rear leaf springs
Blown front locking hub
Destroyed roof rack
Body-side molding scattered among three states
Repeater Readers
Keith Bailey
Blown front locking hub
Blown front locker
Destroyed rear driveshaft
Rear driveshaft U-joint
Aaron James
Torn tire
Valve stem torn off
Additional body damage is hard to find on old body damage
Sponsors
Fred Perry/BFGoodrich
Nut fell off tie-rod end and allowed drag link to separate from tie rodnBroken front track-bar mount
Replaced leaky steering box
Leaking air shocks
A/C quit working
Stephen Watson/Off Road Design
Slight body damage
Loose power-steering belt
That's it. Nothing else. Nada. (Steve - you suck. Wait!! You missed the first day. Yeah, you would have torn your rig up in Seymour.)
Clifton Slay/Poison Spyder Customs
Broken sway-bar mount
A few scratches
Lost a nut of lower link mount
Mike Cox/Sam's Offroad
Broken shock mount
Cut fuel line
Rick Franco/Sam's Offroad
Broken shock mount
Broken inner and outer front axle
Broken steering knuckle
Two CB antennas
Sam Patton/Sam's Offroad
Burnt spark-plug wire
Hole torn in sidewall of Bogger
Replaced power-steering pump
Scott Sweeny/Tuff Country
Blown fuse on ARB
Slight (very slight) damage to body wrap
Pat Meiwes/Warn
Two front axle U-joints
Replaced two rear springs
Rear fender flare pulled loose from body
The Cast
Jeff Nasi
One motor mount
Clutch issues
14-bolt ring-and-pinion
Jeez ... imagine if he had wheeled more than one day
Rick Pw
Torn tire
Non-operational rear ARB (now known as the Allen Locker)
CB antenna
Leaking front steering ram fitting
Multiple taillights torn off
Brake line leak
Cooler lid hinge broken
Body damage? Everywhere. Twice.
Fred Williams
Blown front locking hub
Broken exhaust hanger
Multiple repairs to rear mud flaps
Multiple rear-spring failures due to driver ...ummm... tenacity
Body damage was minimal and no one cares
Dead alternator
The Usual Suspects
Tom Boyd
Three blown locking hubs
The high-quality fiberglass fenders almost proved to be Boyd-proof ... almost. "Almost" means they spent time in the bottom of a waterfall.
Tim Hardy
Broken steering-box bolts
Ripped off a rear fender flare
Hassled the entire week by locals trying to recycle his Suzuki's body
Trent McGee
Two blown locking hubs
Two blown rear taillight bulbs
One valve core (yep, core)
Two slightly dented front fenders
2005 Ultimate Adventure, Part 1
2005 Ultimate Adventure, Part 2