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2009 Ultimate Adventure Participants & Sponsor 4x4s - The Posse
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Sponsor: Off Road Design Stephen Watson and his father, James, are the proprietors of Off Road Design, the shop where the official UA truck, the Ultimate Adventure Super Duty (UASD), was built this year. This makes them the official fabricators of UA '09. With so much time going into the UASD, the Watson team decided to simply spruce up Stephen's old trail rig for the trip. The GMC Jimmy was originally his parents' truck, the one Stephen drove while in college. Over the years it has grown and morphed into a Frankenstein monster of ORD parts and off-road engineering, becoming a family trickster for Stephen, his wife, and three boys. Rig Recipe Driver: Stephen Watson Co-driver: James Watson Vehicle: 1982 GMC Jimmy Stomping Grounds: the toughest trails of Colorado and Utah Engine: 505ci Chevrolet big-block V-8 Transmission: 700R4 automatic with full manual valvebody Transfer Case: Off Road Design 203/205 doubler Front Axle: Dyntrac ProRock Dana 60 with Reid racing kingpin end forgings and knuckles, Superior axleshafts, CTM U-joints, 5.13 gears, ARB Air Locker Rear Axle: GM Corporate 14-bolt, disc brakes, Superior axleshafts, 5.13 gears, ARB Air Locker Suspension: Off Road Design custom four-link with 16-inch King coilover shocks Tires & Wheels: 42x14.50x17 Goodyear Kevlar MT/R on Trail Ready beadlocks Winch & Bumpers: Warn 9.5ti, Amsteel rope, custom tube bumper Other Stuff: PSC hydraulic steering, custom top, windshield for mud protection
Readers: Jonathan Cooper and Andrea Miller Jonathan Cooper came with us on last year's Ultimate Adventure, and upon returning home he tore apart his Tundra and reworked most of it. Even though he had some breakage issues last year, we saw his never-say-die attitude and figured he deserved the coveted reader return invitation. Plus last year he had brought his lovely co-driver Andrea Miller, and we hoped she would be along this year as well. Jonathan began wheeling back in the day with a CJ-5 he bought out of high school. Over the years he progressed (or regressed, depending on your point of view) through a CJ-7, a Willys, a Cherokee, a Commando, and a Bronco and eventually ended up on the snow-white Tundra. Trying to curb his enthusiasm he swore the Tundra would only be a work truck, but after just 28,000 miles he broke a front axle CV joint on a mild trail. The next thing you know his Tundra was up on jackstands and the independent front suspension was lying in a smoldering pile on the floor of his garage. The modifications never stopped. As the wheeling progressed, Jonathan was constantly mumbling about bigger tires this and flexier suspension that. Copilot Andrea has already been upgraded to fianc status, so now it is a question of what mods will be done before the wedding. Rig Recipe Driver: Jonathan Cooper Co-driver: Andrea Miller Vehicle: 2001 Toyota Tundra Stomping Grounds: Rubicon Trail, CA; Harlan, KY Engine: Toyota 4.7L V-8 Transmission: Toyota (A340F) automatic Transfer Case: Atlas four-speed (5.44:1) Front Axle: Solid D-60, 35-spline 4340 Yukon shafts, Yukon Super Joints, 4.88 gears, ARB Air Locker Rear Axle: GM 14-bolt, 4.88 gears, ARB Air Locker Suspension: Alcan front and rear leaves, Fox shocks Tires & Wheels: 37x12.50x17 Goodyear Kevlar MT/R on 17x8.5 TrailReady HD17 aluminum beadlocks Winch & Bumpers: Warn 9.5xp, Viking Combo rope, custom tube bumpers Other Stuff: PSC steering, dual Optima batteries, Engel fridge, Tom Woods 1350 driveshafts, LineX cab floor, Lightforce 170 Striker HID lights, Ready Welder II, T-case parking brake, Lite Spot rock lights, Power Tank CO2, custom antiwrap bar and rear axle truss, full interior cage Dimensions (in): wheelbase 132, height 79, frame height 231/2, length 192, front track 841/2
Sponsor: LightForce Lightforce Lights came on board as the official off-road lights of UA '09, sending two bright guys out as its representatives. Chris Corbett and Chris Begley were smart enough to rent/borrow a Jeep from UA '06 alumnus Mac McMillan. Plus by outfitting their rental with a set of Lightforce HID lights, they were ready not only for any night driving but also just setting up camp after we rode in late from a long day of asphalt or rock wheeling. If Lightforce returns next year, we may add a night run to the schedule. Rig Recipe Driver: Chris Corbett Co-driver: Chris Begley Vehicle: 1999 Jeep TJ Stomping Grounds: Southern California and Moab Engine: Stock 4.0L I-6 Transmission: 999 automatic Transfer Case: STaK three-speed Monster box Front Axle: Dynatrac ProRock 60, 4.88, Detroit Locker, Superior axleshafts Rear Axle: Dynatrac ProRock 60, 4.88, Detroit Locker, Superior axleshafts Suspension: BDS long arm, 6-inch kit with just 4-inch lift springs Tires & Wheels: 37x12.50x17 Goodyear Kevlar MT/R on 17x8.5 TrailReady aluminum beadlocks Winch & Bumpers: Ramsey 9500 winch, Fab Fours bumper Other Stuff: S&N Fab rollcage, Trophy Truck spare mount, Chris Durham hood, Lightforce HID lights, Poison Spyder rock sliders and crusher corners, Kilby skidplates
Sponsor: K&N Air Filters Ryan Hagel has come on the UA a few times representing various sponsors. This year he and his wife, Terra, came with the official K&N Jeep Commando. Actually it was Terra's own Jeep, commonly referred to as the Terra Crawler, and it was constantly earning stares of envy from other UA attendees and passers-by. Built by the crew at Off Road Evolution and outfitted with a K&N-fed Chevy V-8, this mad rig with the wild woman behind the wheel made mincemeat of the Michigan mud and Ohio obstacles we encountered. Rig Recipe Driver: Terra Hagel Co-driver: Ryan Hagel Vehicle: 1969 Jeepster Commando Stomping Grounds: Southern California Engine: 6.0L '03 Chevy LQ9V8 Transmission: 4L60E Transfer Case: Atlas four-peed Front Axle: Dynatrac ProRock 60, 5.38 gears, ARB Air Locker Rear Axle: Dynatrac ProRock 60, 5.38 gears, ARB Air Locker Suspension: Off Road Evolution coilover front, ORE Evo-Lever rear, 8-inch lift Tires & Wheels: 40x13.5R17 Goodyear Kevlar MT/R on 17-inch Spyderlock beadlocks Winch & Bumpers: Warn M12000 Endurance winch, custom Off Road Evolution front and rear bumpers Other Stuff: Custom headers by David Chappelle of Chappelle's Exhaust and Kustoms, Custom rollcage by Off Road Evolution, Mastercraft Baja RS seats, Mastercraft 3-inch restraint system, paint and bodywork by Syndicate Automotive Concepts of San Diego
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