Brian Fox came to the crawl with a secret weapon in his tube car, rear steer. Though the other guys gave him grief for "cheating," it was all in good humor, and truthfully it was useful in some places and nothing special on other obstacles. That is another cool thing about BTG: Everyone drives something different, so each member has to drive each obstacle in his own special way.
Tech Specs
Make/Model: '05 rockbuggy with a Toyota Land Cruiser hood
Engine: '02 Chevrolet 4.3L V-6
Transmission: TH400 with full manual valvebody
Transfer Case: Atlas 5.0
Front Axle: '94 Ford high-pinion Dana 60, Superior axles, CTM joints, spool
Rear Axle: '94 Ford high-pinion Dana 60, Superior axles, CTM joints, spool
Tires & Wheels: BFG 39-inch Krawlers on 17-inch Walker Evans bead locks
Suspension: Four-link front and rear, Fox 2.0 air shocks
Extras: Front and rear hydraulic steering
Jay Kopycinski is no rookie to the pages of a 4x4 magazine. He's written a few stories for our sister pub 4Wheel Drive and Sport Utility, and his buggy also houses the remains of his '85 Toyota pickup. Jay's ride is well thought out and not only capable but also comfortable.
Tech Specs
Make/Model: A little bit of '85 Toyota truck frame with a buggy built around it
Engine: 5.7L GM TBI V-8
Transmission: TH350
Transfer Case: Marlin Crawler dual cases (2.28 and 4.7 low ranges) with All Pro chromoly output shaft and FROR twin stick
Front Axle: Homebuilt Toyota front axle with stronger DOM tubes, ARB locker and 4.11 gears, All-Pro high-steer, hydro assist, Toys by Troy aluminum steering rods, 27-spline Longfield birfields, and Poly Performance Chromo inner shafts
Rear Axle: Toyota with stronger DOM tubes, FROR full-float kit, chromoly shafts, and 4.11 gears with a spool
Tires & Wheels: 38x12.5-15
Suspension: Datsun hybrid front leaf springs with Bilstein 7100s front and double-triangulated four-link rear with 2.0 Fox air shocks
Extras: Warn M8000, Powermaster welder, Corbeau seats, Nordskog gauges
The smell of a forklift was following Cary Gleason up the trail in his propane-powered Toyota buggy. Cary explained how his club runs have forced him to constantly upgrade and improve on his ride to keep up with the gang. Seems like the perfect excuse: "Hey, Honey, the guys in the club all said I need a Dana 60, so I guess I better get one."
Tech Specs
Make/Model: '87 Toyota that ran into a pile of 1 3/4-inch tubing
Engine: Propane-powered turbocharged four-cylinder (Cary states, "It can keep up with Jack's mustang motor just fine on a drag race.")
Transmission: Toyota five-speed
Transfer Case: Dual cases with 4.7 gears in the rear case
Front Axle: Toyota FJ-80 front axle with 4.10 gears and a spool (until the Dana 60 is found)
Rear Axle: Toyota V-6 rear with a spool and chromoly axleshafts
Tires & Wheels: 42-inch IROKs on 15-inch Champion bead locks
Suspension: De-arched front leaf springs, four-link with air shocks in rear
Extras: Built low and light, but still with a 24-inch belly height and a 110-inch wheelbase. Cary's front winch cable is run down to the front axle to help compress suspension during extreme climbs.
Scott Maiden is a quiet guy, so he lets his driving speak for him. He pilots the most hammered ride in the club, but can control it like it's a part of him. Scott's rig, based off a Jeep YJ, was the only one in the group to climb this crazy near-vertical waterfall the weekend we were there.
Tech Specs
Make/Model: Started life as a '93 Jeep YJ
Engine: Original 4.0L straight-six
Transmission: AW-4 Automatic out of a Jeep Cherokee with manual shift control from www.awshifting.com
Transfer Case: Dana 300 flipped to work upside-down and outfitted with Tera 4:1 gears and a heavy-duty rear output
Front Axle: Rockcrusher high-pinion Dana 60 with ARB Air Locker, 5.38 gears, Alloy USA axles, and CTM U-joints
Rear Axle: Ford E-350 van Dana 60 with 35-spline axleshafts, 5.38 gears, and a spool
Tires & Wheels: 39-inch BFG Krawlers on Trail Ready bead locks
Suspension: Custom front and rear four-link with 16-inch Fox air shocks up front and 18-inch Fox air shocks out back
Extras: Custom sheetmetal dents made by old rocks and designed to help slide over new rocks