Rockota

Rockota.

The Tube Tube chassis vehicles...        read full caption The Tube Tube chassis vehicles are generally lighter in weight because there is a lot less material enveloping the entire vehicle. Mike’s custom-built tubular body is covered with 0.090 aluminum panels. The tubes double as the air storage tank for the ARB lockers and airbags. The design incorporates a full rollcage, which is a safety feature that nobody wants to go without.

Little Engine That Could...        read full caption Little Engine That Could You generally don’t associate the words “’81 Toyota four-banger” with blinding power. Regardless, Mike added a 20R head to the 22R engine and lets the gears shoulder a little of their responsibility. Additional accessories include a beltdriven air compressor, a 130-amp marine alternator, and a reverse-mounted Weber carburetor for antiflooding during hillclimbs. The custom 1 1/2-inch-diameter tube headers release their fumes to a SuperTrapp 2-inch tube muffler.

Inside Peek The attention-getter...        read full caption Inside Peek The attention-getter inside is definitely the dash. The aluminum dash houses Auto Meter liquid-filled gauges, and everything is ergonomically placed within arm’s reach for convenience.

Flex Frame Mike designed...        read full caption Flex Frame Mike designed the suspension, frame, and body on a computer. He then went to Custom Coast Motorsports who made the frame with 0.120-wall 2x6-inch rectangular tubing. If you’re thinking about building a similar setup, you should consider Mike’s experience. He says that his project cost about four times more than planned.

Flex Specs Front and rear...        read full caption Flex Specs Front and rear Ford Ranger leaf springs are supported by airbags. The suspension combo allows for 10 inches of ride-height adjustment at each end. Rancho RS 9012s assist in absorbing the bump and grind. The front wheel travel measures 14 inches, the rear a lengthy 24 inches, and there’s a total of 50 inches of articulation.

Driveshafts and Axles Interchangeable...        read full caption Driveshafts and Axles Interchangeable driveshafts. Huh? The Rockota’s driveshafts are interchangeable between front and rear so you only need one spare. Stock ’81 Toyota truck axles hold 5.29 gears and ARB air lockers. Ultralow gearing comes from Marlin Crawler transfer cases for a 223:1 overall low. The steering setup was transplanted from a ’78 Ford F-150.

Meet the Meat This extreme...        read full caption Meet the Meat This extreme lightweight weighs in at about 2,500 pounds. The total package rides on 38-inch Super Swamper Boggers and Rockcrawler 15x8 bead-locked wheels. Looking back on the build, Mike offers his advice. He says, “Look at what others have done and improve it.” Rockota on, Mike!

Indulge yourself in the memory of a really cool erector set and an idea. It’s almost as if life couldn’t get any better than tinkering with stuff. These ideas, like sparks, always lead to something bigger. One thing just leads to another and pretty soon you have a pretty cool-looking off-road machine. Michael Hendricks of Santa Margarita, California, had an imaginative idea and got to work on it. Let us explain—it’s lightweight, it’s bombproof, and it’s a Toyota. Well, kind of. It’s actually a tubular-bodied hybrid of mostly Toyota parts and Mike’s suspension ideas.

While on our mission to find fresh air, warm sunshine, and hard-core ’wheeling, we found Mike and what he calls a 2000 “Rockota.” The Toyota/rock-buggy was built for two reasons: (1) to go rockcrawling and (2) to try out his suspension ideas. We usually see vehicles with huge power, beefy axles, and low-geared diffs on the trails that we frequent. The Rockota showed us that nimble lightweights with ultralow gears have a statement to make.