How you build your 4x4 depends a lot on where you live, the terrain you drive, and what parts are available to you. But as we returned from our Ultimate Adventure trip we started contemplating the Anywhere Wheeler. We all know that it's easy to build a dedicated wheeler to one type of terrain-rock buggies rule rocks, sand rails are king in the dunes, and mud trucks power through slop that would drown other rigs. But what would be a good recipe for a do-all machine?
Maybe you want to hit the road for a month (better yet, a year) and go see the country, taking on trails and terrain from across the nation. Though you may not outwheel the locals on their home turf, you want to at least be able to hang with them and attempt their toughest obstacles. When you're done wheeling it might be nice to just unlock the hubs and cruise down the road without the headache of a truck and trailer. Sounds like we're describing Ultimate Adventure, eh?
Consider this a recipe for building a UA-ready truck. We've seen a lot of different stuff, and though anything can be made to work for this type of cross-trainer wheeling trip, some things work better than others. We're not saying this is the only way to build your truck, but if you want it tough, reliable, easy to fix, and still super capable, then consider these upgrades.
Suspension
We've seen crazy coil links work great off road, but we've also seen more than a few rod ends peel open and send expensive coilover shocks straight to the Dumpster. At the same time, leaf springs can be twisted into pretzels in seconds. We recommend overbuilding your suspension, using big link joints, and don't forget the antiwrap bars to keep leaves alive. We've had suspension components peeled off frames and axles over the years, but if you build it tough and keep it as low as possible, you'll be sidehilling like crazy, dune running, and still be clearing big rubber for the mud holes.
Axles
It's hard to beat the combination of a Dana 44 or 60 front and a Dana 70, a Ford 9-inch, or a 14-bolt in the rear. Yes, lighter axles have survived for years, but these axles can be repaired anywhere (if they break), and they are supported by a huge aftermarket. The 70 has a smoother bottom to help clear rocks, but we also like the 14-bolt for its pinion support and commonality that results in spares in most junkyards. Our favorite setup is a 4.88 to 5.38 ratio with either ARB or Detroit Lockers, depending on your personal preference. Leave 'em full width, swap in some drive flanges for extremely tough rockcrawling days, and use at least 4 1/2 backspacing to keep the track width within reason.
Tires
Our UA trip is sponsored by BFGoodrich Tires, so you'll see their rubber on most of the trucks on the trip. But it's important to remember that for all-around use, a good knobby mud-terrain rules. We'd recommend a radial for smooth street days with tough sidewalls, and don't forget a spare. We've found that 35s to 37s on any wheelbase under 100 inches and 37s to 42s for any wheelbase over 103 usually result in a good breakover angle.
Armor
Body armor is a tricky decision depending on your vehicle and your outlook on body damage. You want as little as possible so you don't get caught up on big bumpers or side steps, but enough to still protect the body and slide over obstacles. The front bumper needs to be solidly mounted and housing a winch with pulling power 11/2 times the weight of your truck. Trust us, we've tried to pull 7,000-pound trucks with 9,000-pound winches and it wasn't fun.
Start with Tube?
One more thing about where to start. As you know, tube buggies are now an integral part of the wheeling community and they can make great dedicated or dual-sport wheeling rigs. However, getting them past the long arm of the law will take more work than it is sometimes worth, especially when you want to drive them on the street. (Future Fun Buggy articles will show you how we did it.) If you have a truck and trailer then just tow and forget it, otherwise you may wish to start with an OEM platform, or start with a factory frame and tube off of that like this Jeep TJ buggy.
Driveshafts
Driveshafts can make or break a wheeling trip, so our advice is to check that they don't bind or separate under extreme articulation. Bringing a spare set, or at least a spare rear, allows you to swap in the balanced shaft for road days, then run a thick-wall version for trail days. Run your links or antiwrap bar to provide rock protection.
Wheels
Beadlocks help in just about any terrain because tires work better at low air pressures. We've remounted tires in the mud and it's almost as much fun as a stick in the eye.