Sponsor
Warn: Official Winch
2007 Custom Jeep JK Wrangler
Driver: Pat Meiwes
Co-Driver: Fred Perry
Stomping Grounds: OR, SC, CO
Warn Industries is the longest-running sponsor of the UA, and without them we might still be out on the trail! Warn winches are our off-roading parachutes. They literally save our butts when all else fails. Pat Meiwes, Warn’s Northwest sales manager, and Fred Perry, proprietor of Clemson 4-Wheel Center, represented the red W clan with the monster Big Red JK. This custom Jeep is stretched to a 110-inch wheelbase, packs a Hemi V-8 under the hood, and is outfitted with Warn parts, from dual winches to hubs to bumpers. Big Red suffered some minor issues during the week, such as a bent steering ram, a missing wheel, and a branch through the soft top’s window, but the Warn parts and representatives were always there to pull someone free or coordinate a rescue. Rumor has it that this is one of Big Red’s last trail rides. We are excited to see what Warn builds for 2013!
Drivetrain
Engine: 5.7L Hemi
Transmission: ’09 Dodge 2500 automatic
Transfer Case: Stock NV241
Front Axle: Currie Rockjock 60, 5.38 gears, ARB Air Locker
Rear Axle: Same
Steering: Hydraulic ram assist, removed during trip due to bent ram
Suspension
Springs & Such: 6-Inch custom lift, Skyjacker springs and shocks, Rubicon Express Arms
Tires & Wheels: 40x14.50 BFGoodrich on 19x9.5 Raceline beadlocks, 5-on-51⁄2 wheel bolt pattern
Other: Warn Rock Crawler Stubby front bumper with Warn 9.5 CTIS winch, Warn Rock Crawler rear bumper with Warn 9.5xp winch
Reader
Jimmy Jack Jeep
Willys/YJ/TJ
Driver: Jimmy Jack
Co-Driver: Dusty Domenici
Stomping Grounds: Rubicon, Fordyce, Hammers
Jimmy Jack has some buddies with buggies, but he knew he wanted something more streetable than the average tube car. His solution is a tube chassis under a Jeep body with equal on- and off-road performance. Jack and navigator Dusty Domenici are both from Northern California with families they like to take outdoors, so they had no problem with the camping aspect of the UA. Meanwhile, Jack’s Jeep had a few hiccups with fuel delivery early on in the trip, but kept coming back for more. In the end his buggy Jeep-mobile was a well-thought-out vehicle for a trip like this, where a 4x4 has to be ready for anything.
Drivetrain
Engine: Chevy LT1
Transmission: Junkyard TH400 with Art Carr shifter
Transfer Case: Junkyard 203 with Offroad Design first-gen Doubler adapter kit to a 205 (205 also junkyard)
Front Axle: Kingpin Dodge Dana 60, 5.13 gears, welded
Rear Axle: Corp. 14-bolt HD from a Suburban with a ballistic shave kit, 5.13 gears, and Detroit Locker
Steering: Hydraulic ram assist
Suspension
Springs & Such: 3-link with Bilstein coilovers built by Off Road Addiction in front, 4-link with Bilstein coilovers built by Jim Hatch in rear
Tires & Wheels: 40-inch Nitto Mud Grapplers on 17x9 TrailReady beadlocks
Other: Frame/chassis is custom 2x3-inch, 120-wall built by Roggy Enterprise, bumper and stinger all built by Bob Roggy of Roggy Ent., winch is an old-school Warn 8274 with a new high-speed motor from Warn
Offroad Design: Official Transfer Case
1999 GMC 2500
Driver: Stephen Watson
Co-Driver: James Watson
Stomping Grounds: CO
There is no denying that the Watson family behind Offroad Design is the premier family for bringing gear for big trucks to the trail. Stephen and his dad, James, brought back their capable GMC flatbed but now equipped with ORD’s new Magnum Underdrive gearbox (“Magnum Box,” Oct. ’12). These guys make mincemeat of trail obstacles where most people would assume fullsize body panels would cave. Plus their ’99 regular cab is a great truck that a regular guy could duplicate without too much drama or coin. Built big with big strong parts, it’s no wonder ORD’s motto is “We make big look good.”
Drivetrain
Engine: Stock Vortec 454 V-8
Transmission: Factory NV4500
Transfer Case: ORD Magnum Underdrive/NP205 system
Front Axle: ’79 Ford Dana 60 Superior shafts, CTMs, 5.13 gears, ARB Air Locker
Rear Axle: 14-bolt, ORD disc conversion, Crane diff cover, ARB Air Locker, 5.13 gears
Suspension
Springs & Such: ORD solid-axle conversion with ORD springs in front, ORD springs with extended shackles and 2-link traction bars in rear
Steering: ORD crossover with PSC hydraulic assist
Tires & Wheels: 40-inch MTRs on 17-inch TrailReady beadlocks
Other: Custom ORD cage and tube bed, Warn winch, 117-inch wheelbase (cut down to shortbed length from the original longbed length)