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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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