The build of the Ultimate Adventure Ranch Truck has been very detailed and intricate for the last few months-it's hard to imagine it's almost over. A blur of sleepless nights in Offroad Design's shop and an incalculable amount of high-tech and creative fabrication have brought to fruition one amazing truck.
What started as a budget Ultimate Adventure truck had quickly progressed into one of the most impressive full-sized adventure trucks we ever built. James and Stephen Watson put all their efforts in the truck and unleashed their crew of talented fabricators on the rig. Nothing was just thrown together. Every inch of tubing that went on the truck was CAD designed. Every component bolted on had been we ll thought out. All their efforts and work are a testament to the Watsons' dedication to four-wheeling and the quality product of Offroad Design.
The UA truck needs to be indestructible; however, it's nearly impossible to build a rig that's damage-resistant and breakproof given the type of extreme terrain we travel during Ultimate Adventure. We can only build the truck as tough as possible and hope for the best. On the Ultimate Adventure in 2008, the Watsons didn't experience any breakage on their truck. That's why we chose them this year for our build.
Here in Part 4 we are winding down on the fabrication and are just about ready for the trail. Keep your eyes peeled for Part 5, which will contain more detailed fabrication, the complete specifications of the truck and components used to build it, and an in-depth review of how the Ultimate Ranch Truck performed on the trails and highway.
1. The Dynatrac Dana 80 axle...
1. The Dynatrac Dana 80 axle we installed is massive. Properly fitting such a big axle while getting it to articulate properly took weeks. The crew at ORD was able to pull off the feat by fabricating every bracket and hanger on the axle, then articulating it under the truck numerous of times. The Panhard bar and tie rod dimensions were changed a few times as well.
2. The truck bed and headache...
2. The truck bed and headache rack were built from a combination of square tubing and 13/4x0.120 DOM steel tubing. Out on the trail we will have to squeeze the truck through tight trees and obstacles, and the stout bedside will work perfectly as a pivot point.
3. Fitting for a ranch truck,...
3. Fitting for a ranch truck, our UA rig received a headache rack that was essential in tying the truck bed together to protect the sides of the cab. The truck is big for a trail rig, and we haven't seen too many Super Duty crawlers, so it needed all the protection it could get.
4. The fenders on the truck...
4. The fenders on the truck bed need to be high to allow the 42-inch Goodyears to articulate freely without limitations. Fourteen-gauge sheet steel was used around the fenders and toolboxes. All the panels were first tacked in place to ensure fitment and then stitch-welded in for a tough and cool ranch look!
5. Bilstein coilovers were...
5. Bilstein coilovers were used on the front suspension of the truck and fitted with 600-over-600 Eibach coil springs. We have had great luck with this coilover and spring combination, so we went with the 600/600 setup due to the massive weight of the 7.3L turbo diesel engine.
6. Due to the complexity of...
6. Due to the complexity of fitting a massive Dana 80 axle under the truck, we were limited on suspension designs. A four-link definitely wouldn't work, so the Watsons finally decided a custom radius arm setup would work the best.
7. We used a custom-made set...
7. We used a custom-made set of Atlas leaf springs and Bilstein 9100 remote reservoir shocks on the rear suspension. We are always impressed with the performance of the Bilstein shocks, and the Atlas springs are top-shelf too.
8. After months of building,...
8. After months of building, the truck was fitted with the new 42-inch Goodyear MT/Rs and a set of 17x8.5 TrailReady beadlock wheels. Nearing the end of any build is always a great feeling, but actually firing the engine of the UA Ranch Truck and backing it out of the shop was almost euphoric.