Tom's Kaiser - 2005 Top Truck Challenge

Tom's Kaiser
The M715 is a great platform for a buildup because - thanks to its stout out-of-the-box design - most of the work is already done. Tom Lawlor has taken this M715 to an even higher level with a mind-boggling variety of mods, and he hopes that it'll help him reign victorious when dust has cleared from the TTC battlefield.

A massive front bumper/brushguard, a pair of Hi-Lift jacks and an auxiliary fuel can hint that this vehicle is more than at home on the trail. Inside, the cab is Spartan -- true to its military roots. It does, however, have a massive rollcage that's fabbed from 3x3x.250-inch tubing.

As if the Rockwell 2.5-ton axle isn't strong enough in stock form, Lawlor upgraded his with a Detroit Locker and Ouverson Engineering double-splined high-strength axleshafts with heat-treated drive flanges. To help turn the big 49-inch tires, there's a Rock Logic hydraulic ram assist.

Like the front axle, the rear sports a Detroit Locker and Ouverson Engineering axleshafts. The rear leaf-spring suspension features 2.5-inch tapered blocks, shackle reversal, and custom drop shackles.

Under the hood there's a 250hp 427ci V-8 engine. Built for grunt, the engine achieves its max 450 lb-ft of torque at only 2,500 rpm. This torque is sent through a Spicer 3053A five-speed overdrive transmission which has a three-speed PTO that powers the front winch. Power is split to the custom driveshafts by an NP205 transfer case with a PTO to power the rear winch.

Both the front and rear winches are 10,000-pound Garwood PTO units. The rear winch (shown) is powered by a PTO on the NP205 transfer case, while the front winch is powered by a PTO driven by the Spicer transmission.