The 38 1/2-inch Baja Claws...
The 38 1/2-inch Baja Claws on custom 16x10 bead-lock rims do double-duty well, paddling this truck through the desert and dunes at high speeds while being sticky enough to allow the K30 to claw its way up the rocks.
We're not sure we can remember the last time we saw a dualie--or what's left of a dualie--kickin' butt on the trail. Bob Williams of Las Vegas couldn't bear to part with his reliable old tow vehicle, so he sought to make it into his play toy that would now see the other side of the trailer.
Bob wanted a 4x4 that had more room than his old Jeep, with big-block power and big axles that didn't break every time he gunned it on the trail. His solution? To bob (no pun intended, Bob) his single-cab dualie, gut it, make it a four-seater, throw in a single rear-wheel axle, and mount some gnarly suspension that'll allow this thing to show up shorter-wheelbase vehicles on the tough obstacles as well as in the desert.
We caught up with Bob in Moab during Easter Jeep Safari this year. At 132 inches, his truck definitely gets the prize for the longest rock rig we saw in Moab this year, and after watching him in action, we wonder if we'll be seeing more super-long 4x4s on the trail next year.
The front Dana 60, filled with 4.56 gears and a Powr-Lok differential, is bound by 57-inch-long Skyjacker springs. That's a King 2 1/2-inch remote-reservoir shock damping the front end, while a crossover steering and an AGR hydraulic-assist setup lead the big buggy. Near the end of the axle's travel, it hits a Marvin Shaw hydraulic bumpstop placed at each corner. The front driveshaft you see is a prototype made by Outcast Products using 1480 U-joints. You might also be able to spot the extra crossmembers Bob added for strength and additional support.
Under the hood sits a Goodwrench...
Under the hood sits a Goodwrench 454ci engine left mostly stock for reliability. A Holley Off Road Avenger does adorn the top of a Holley intake manifold, while an MSD box fires the ignition, and a Flowmaster 3-inch exhaust expels the fumes. The big-block power is fed to a TH400 tranny and split off to the axles by an NP205 transfer case. In front of the grille, an Off Road Tech bumper preserves the front end and holds a Superwinch Husky 12,000-pound winch steady.
The rear of this truck has...
The rear of this truck has obviously seen the most visually dramatic changes. This once-dualie has been turned to a single rear-wheel Dana 70 loaded with 4.56 gears and a spool, sitting below a pair of seriously cut original dualie bedsides with a 32-gallon Jaz fuel cell plunked down in the middle. The 14-inch-stroke King shock and Marvin Shaw bumpstop combo was again utilized for the rear of the K30, which sits on custom 63-inch rear leaves with reinforced shackles.
To keep the passengers safe...
To keep the passengers safe and happy, Bob built a 10-point rollcage over the hacked-up single-cab dualie. With much of the body out of the way, four Mastercraft seats with RJS five-point harnesses were added to take more than just one passenger. Bob credited all other body mods to rocks when rolling over.
Tech Specs
Body: '83 Chevy K30 Dualie, bobbed and fully caged
Engine: Goodwrench 454 c.i. with Holley carburetor and MSD ignition
Transmission: TH400 with custom valvebody work
Transfer Case: NP205 with custom 1480 U-joint front driveshaft
Front Axle: Dana 60, Powr-Lok differential, 4.56 gears
Rear Axle: Dana 70, full spool, 4.56 gears
Tires & Wheels: 38.5x16 Mickey Thompson Baja Claws on custom 16x10 bead locks
Suspension: 63-inch rear leaves, Skyjacker 8-inch lift front leaves, King 14-inch stroke remote-reservoir shocks, Marvin Shaw hydraulic bumpstops