A blown Warn lockout hub wasn't enough to stop Erik Jordan and his '95 YJ. Apart from the waterfall that claimed his hub, Erik had little trouble negotiating the tough obstacles this trail has to offer. Boasting an Atlas 5:1 transfer case, Erik had the gearing to get through the day. With 4.88 cogs wrapped around dual ARBs in both the shaved 8.8 rear and CTM-equipped Dana 30, Erik motivated his 35-inch MTRs to go where he wanted them to go.
The young gun of the day was Brice Faulwetter, but he didn't let his age show. He had one of the best overall runs of the day with no breakage and very little body damage done to his '97 TJ. With an EZ-locked Dana 30 and ARB-actuated Dana 44 rear, the 4.10-geared diffs held up like champs to the load of his 35-inch Pro Comp XTerrains.
Russ Fichtelman piloted his '03 Rubicon over almost every obstacle with ease. His Rubi boasts a Kenne Bell supercharger, a Dynatrac Pro Rock 60 rear stuffed with 4.88s, and a prototype Electratrac. Russ puts the power to the ground with a set of 35-inch Krawlers wrapped around Trail Ready bead locks. However, the final waterfall did take its toll on the TJ. Russ lost two fender flares, bent a tie rod, bashed in a rear corner panel, and exploded a chromoly Dana 44 stub shaft.
Matt Pascoe made short work of the toughest obstacles in his '89 YJ, or what's left of it anyway. This spot in particular caused some body damage to more than one rig. The Sahara is equipped with a custom coilover suspension that locates the Currie high-pinion 9-inch rear and high-pinion Dana 30. Both axles are filled with ARB Air Lockers and 4.88 gearsets. Low gearing comes from a twin-sticked Dana 300 with a 4.1 gearset. And Champion bead locks ensure the 35-inch Goodyear MTRs stay on the rims.
Due to a last-minute mechanical failure, we hitched a ride with Geared 4 Fun member Mike "Tie Rod" Parsons. His was the smallest Jeep in the group, running 33-inch MTRs on his '98 TJ. His TJ boasts a homemade suspension system that supports a Dana 44 rear and Dana 30 front. Both axles are filled with chromoly shafts, 4.88 cogs, an ARB in the front, and a Rubicon Air Locker in the rear. Mike says he wants to replace his 33-inch BFG Muds with some 35-inch meats as soon as possible.