Jason's '96 1-ton crew cab...
Jason's '96 1-ton crew cab was originally purchased as a tow rig while he was looking for an old Jeep to build. Then he decided he'd rather build a buggy, so he started collecting parts. One thing led to another and the next thing you know, he was wheeling the tow rig. It went from an independent front suspension to a solid axle early on, and before long he was stuffing it down trails that were better suited for smaller 4x4s.
Did you ever know one of those guys who, no matter what time you call him, he's willing to come help you out of a bad situation? Jason Payne was one of those guys. He would come if you needed a tow strap, a jump start, or even just to lend a hand moving. Even though he was only in his early 20s, he had the skills to completely rebuild his off-roader multiple times. In fact, Jason was that guy that wouldn't just talk about some crazy upgrade for his truck; he'd pull it in the garage and have it rebuilt over a long weekend.
But life is strange, and sometimes things happen that no one can explain. While on an off-roading trip, Jason was swimming in a mountain lake with a bunch of friends. He lost his life in a drowning accident.
This type of accident can destroy a family and devastate your outlook on life because it's hard to imagine something so unfortunate happening to a guy with so much promise. But it can also lead to something amazing. For example, Jason had been working on the final upgrades to his truck, which involved some big new axles swapped in, a bunch of tube work, and cleaning up unfinished upgrades. The story could have ended right there, but Jason's family and friends decided that getting the truck completed would keep his spirit alive as well as help them all deal with the loss. Jason hadn't been building some mini-truck that barely fits two or a built-from-scratch tube buggy. Instead he literally turned his old tow rig into a giant crew-cab truggy rockcrawler, a machine big enough that everyone could lend a hand working on it, and perfect for family and friends to take off road when it's finished and remember their lost friend.
For years we'd been trying to lock down a photo shoot to feature Jason's big wheeler, yet each time we called his truck was either under the knife for a new upgrade or our schedules didn't match up. It's a bummer Jason couldn't make it to the photo shoot in person, but we're pretty sure his big truck is helping his family and friends get through a tough situation, the same way Jason would.
The big truggy has been through multiple rebuilds under both Jason's watch and the dedication of his friends and family, but now it is ready to go wheeling again. And wheeling it will go. Jason's father and mother have made it available to his close friends and have renewed their own off-road adventures, something they hadn't done for years. Jason's dad Ken thanks his friends John Reynolds, Esteban Solano, and Kyle Crowley for their work on the truck and his friends in the NorCal and SoCal Big Dawgs off-road clubs as well as his many acquaintances on the various online forums who helped with support and parts donations when they were finishing the truck.
Tech Specs
1996 Chevrolet K3500
Drivetrain
Engine: Stock Vortec 454
Transmission: Stock 4L80E four-speed automatic
Transfer case: Stock BorgWarner 4401
Front Axle: Mercedes Unimog 419 portal axles from a U.S. military SEE tractor with 6.5:1 gearing and factory air lockers
Rear Axle: Mercedes Unimog 419 portal axles from a U.S. military SEE tractor with 6.5:1 gearing and factory air lockers
Suspension
Springs & Such: Custom triangulated four-link front and rear with 18-inch Sway-A-Way coilovers at each corner and matching air bumpstops
Tires & Wheels: 47x16.5 SS LTB on HMMWV eight-bolt beadlocks with custom rock rings and new centers for the unimog pattern
Steering: Orbital valve controlling the 2 1/2x10-inch double-ended ram with a 1 1/2-inch shaft
Other Stuff: 3/8-inch AR360 plate skidplates, Beard suspension seats, 32-gallon Fuel Safe fuel cell, frame cut off behind the cab and replaced with tubing, frame notched under engine for axle uptravel
The 47-inch tires are wrapped...
The 47-inch tires are wrapped around a custom set of eight-bolt Humvee double beadlock 16.5 wheels. The rims have been recentered to the Unimog bolt pattern and cover a custom disc-brake setup using Ford F-550 calipers and the original Mercedes rotors that Jason machined down in his own garage.
Under the hood is a tried-and-true...
Under the hood is a tried-and-true Vortec 454 big-block that sucks fresh air in via a big snorkel that is routed into the cab of the truck for a clean cool charge. The rest of the powertrain is also stock stuff. A 4L80E four-speed automatic transmission and a BorgWarner 4401 transfer case offer plenty of gearing to multiply the big-block's torque when combined with the Unimog axle's 6.5:1 axle ratios.
Jason's big trail truggy has...
Jason's big trail truggy has seen its fair share of abuse from running such epic trail areas as Moab, the Rubicon, and Johnson Valley. The front sheetmetal has been narrowed to keep it out of the way of the big rubber and massive rocks they crawl over. The fullsize doors were modified to allow Jason's friends or father to lean out and see the big obstacles ahead. And under the door the rocker panels were cut and boat-sided for additional clearance over the rough stuff.
The interior of Jason's truggy...
The interior of Jason's truggy is comfortable and safe for four passengers with Beard suspension seats and safety harnesses. The big canister in the center of the front seats is the custom urn that was made from some spare axle parts. The urn held Jason's ashes before his family and friends spread them in the wind on his favorite trail.
As the truck progressed, the...
As the truck progressed, the bed disappeared and was replaced with a jungle gym's worth of tubing. The rearend had been a Corporate 14-bolt for ages, with a matching 1-ton Dana 60 up front, but as the tires progressed up to some 47-inch Super Swamper LTBs, Jason sought some bigger axles and found a pair of Unimog 419 axles from a government auction.
Jason didn't get a chance...
Jason didn't get a chance to finish the portal axle swap on his truck, but his friends and family got together and, with the help from some experienced fabricators and mechanics, got the beefy axles under the truck, along with a four-link suspension. The suspension is built using massive 18-inch Sway-A-Way coilovers at each corner with matching air bumpstops. The links themselves are beefy 2 1/2x9/16-inch-wall thickness fitted with 1 1/4-inch rod ends. The frame was modified front and rear for greater uptravel of the big portal axles.