Fantastic Ford
Vehicle: '78 Ford Bronco
Owner: Lloyd Crites, Sparks, NV
Tires & wheels: 35x12.5R15 Cooper Discoverer Radial SST on American Racing 15-inch
Suspension: Rancho 3-inch lift with Rancho RS 5000 shocks front and rear
Drivetrain: Front Dana 44 with Warn axles and ARB Air Locker, rear 9-inch with Currie axles, ARB Air Locker, and TSM disc-brake conversion, 4.11 gears
Performance Mods: 460ci bored 0.030 over with 9:1 compression, Edelbrock Performer Manifold, 95cc aluminum heads, 650-cfm Thunder Series carb, hypereutectic pistons, Crane Cam Roller Cam, Competition Cam roller rockers, Milodon 8-quart wet oil pan
Other Doodads: Power Master high-torque starter, Optima deep-cycle battery, Be Cool aluminum radiator, Flex-A-Lite fan, L&L nickel-plated headers, Magnaflow exhaust, custom dash with full set of Auto Meter gauges, Smittybilt leather bucket seats with center console.
Funniest Wheeling incident: Going out with a Dodge in the backcountry of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and pulling it out all day long
Anything to add?: Great magazine, look forward to my next issue
Gray Ghost
Vehicle: '04 Jeep Wrangler TJ Sport
Owner: Thomas Pastore, Costa Mesa, CA
Tires & wheels: 33x12.50R16 Baja Claws on M/T Classic II
Suspension: 3-inch Currie lift, Currie Anti-Rock sway bar
Drivetrain: Five-speed tranny, Tera Low 4:1 transfer-case kit, Dana 44s front and rear with ARB Air Lockers
Performance Mods: Inline-six, K&N air filter
Other Doodads: Sun Performance rock sliders, Skid Row engine/tranny skid
Funniest Wheeling incident: Sliding down the ice and almost rearending my buddy in front of me on the John Bull trail
Does Everything work the way you want?: Very nicely
Anything you would change: How about a Hemi swap?
Buggified
Vehicle: '00 Chevy S-10
Owner: Joe Pierce, Shapleigh, ME
Tires & wheels: 44-inch Ground Hawgs on Marsh Racing Wheel 32-bolt bead locks
Suspension: Triangulated four-link front and rear, 16-inch Fox air shocks in front, 16-inch King coilovers in rear
Drivetrain: TH400 tranny, NP205 transfer case, Dana 60 front with chromoly axleshafts, 14-bolt rear, Detroit Lockers, 5.13 gears
Performance Mods: 350ci engine bored 0.060 over, MSD ignition, custom heads
Funniest Wheeling incident: Broke the upper front four-link and had to drive in brother-in-law's '06 Cummins Dodge up a Class II trail with a welder and generator in back
Anything you would change: I'd change to 44-inch TSLs and an Atlas II transfer case
Pic Of The Month
Smart Exploder
Vehicle: '98 Ford Explorer
Owner: Harold Nacion, Germantown, MD
Tires & wheels: 36-inch Swamper SXs on steel
Suspension: Front three-link with Fox air shocks, rear stock leaf-pack sprung-over axle, longer rear shackles
Drivetrain: Stock 5R55E tranny, BW 1354 transfer case, front Dana 44 with Aussie Locker, 14-bolt rear with Detroit Locker, 5.13 gears
Performance Mods: Stock 4.0L SOHC engine
Other Doodads: Whatever is visible in the pics
Does Everything work the way you want?: Yes! Lots of fun on the trails
Anything you would change: Hoping to do a four-link in the rear next Spring
Anything to add?: (Ed-Notice how Harold is winching with his hood up to protect him if the cable breaks? Smart!)
She's Got the Sickness
Vehicle: '01 Jeep TJ Wrangler
Owner: Autumn Rodgers, Marsailles, IL
Tires & wheels: 31-inch mud tires
Suspension: 2-inch lift, sway-bar disconnects
Drivetrain: Stock tranny, transfer case, and axles, front and rear lockers
Performance Mods: High-flow air filter
Anything to add?: I look forward to putting my application in for next year's Ultimate Adventure