One of the questions we're most often asked around here is, "I want to build my rig for (fill in terrain here). How should I build it, and what do I need?" Generally speaking, of course, there's no single correct answer to this question-it all depends on how extreme your version of four-wheeling is, what kind of obstacles you like to run, and how much money and time you're willing to spend on it. But one good place to look-if you're looking for tips to build a virtually indestructible, go-anywhere trail rig-is in the November issue of Four Wheeler.
Each November, and again this month, we spotlight our finalists-chosen by you, our loyal readers-for our annual weeklong torture test known as Top Truck Challenge. Usually, we only have 10 reader super-rigs to show you, but this year, both of our alternates attended the event as well, and their rigs were so nicely built, we had to include them too. So check out the features in this issue for a good look at some truly sick rigs that have been built to conquer the worst bogs, the scariest boulders, and the toughest trail conditions on the planet. For events such as the Frame Twister and the Tank Trap, you've gotta be able to handle almost anything that the forces of man and nature can throw at you.
As you'll see, amongst this year's finalists we have more than one rig that was built for rockcrawling, and a few that specialize in bogging. They all take slightly different approaches in truck-building, but they tend to have a few things in common, depending on their application. And over the years, we've seen rockcrawlers, mud racers, sand buggies, expedition rigs, and the like all adhering to a few basic time-proven formulas. So as a public service (drum roll, please), for those of you who've ever asked, "How should I build for ... ?" here's the short list of What You Need to build the Ultimate 4x4 for ...
Mud:
Aggressive tires, lots of lift, spools or Detroits, a 1-ton driveline, and monster horsepower. Blower? Good. Nitrous? Better still.
Rocks:
Mega-flex suspension, long-travel shocks, transfer-case doubler or an Atlas II, selectable lockers, and rear steer. Tube-bending skills don't hurt, either.
Water:
Super-tall snorkels, extended vent lines, relocated fans and cooling gear, silicone everywhere, and some way to drain everything out when you're done.
Sand:
Light weight, flotation tires, light weight, a free-revving engine, light weight, lots of recovery gear, and did we mention light weight?
Expeditions:
Zillions of spare parts, spare fuel and fluids, onboard air and welder, and tools to repair anything that breaks.
Racing:
Good power to weight, remote reservoirs, durable tires, heavy-duty caging, a cast-iron bladder.
Top Truck Challenge:
All of the above ... and a few loose screws.
Naturally, there are many more elements involved in purpose-building any rig, and anyone who can run at Top Truck and complete all the obstacles without any breakdowns whatsoever ... well, let's just say there haven't been many 'wheelers who have been able to accomplish that feat over the years. But this year, a couple of our TTC entrants actually managed to survive the event unscathed and without breakage of any sort, and you can see them-and the rest of this year's finalists-starting on page 22. And next month, we'll tell you how all of them fared at the competition.
-Douglas McColloch