Bender Jambo - Johnson Valley Rock Crawling

Even the most capable rigs can become screwed up at the hammers. This FJ-40 Land Cruiser was outfitted with stout 1-ton axles, coilover shocks, and an old four-speed tranny, and though it made it around some stranded vehicles to offer a hand with the winch, the trail was anything but easy going. That's the great thing about the Hammers-any trail can offer a challenge to most any rig.

Tim Richards and his pal Kevin Glatzel were both running mid-'80s exocaged 4Runners. Stock 22RE engines with dual cases and Toyota axles stuffed with Longfield CVs form their recipe for trail time. Both of their trucks are daily drivers and run All Pro springs, but only Tim's truck was caught by our cameras.

Carlos Palomo's '84 Toy reminds us of our Clampy truck project, but mostly due to the olive drab paint job. Carlos runs a 22R four-banger, stock axles (locked rear, open front), and 38-inch TSL Swampers under All-Pro 5-inch springs.