The State Of The Art
By now, Four Wheeler's Top Truck Challenge has become one of the best known, most anticipated four-wheeling events anywhere. It's an event in which 10 trucks that best represent the state of the four-wheeling art, selected by Four Wheeler's readers, compete over a series of courses designed to illustrate which designs, types, and styles of 4x4 vehicles work best in which conditions.
But before we get to the actual competition, you readers have a job to do. Your job is to sort through the entries you now have before you and select the 10 trucks you think will make the worthiest assortment of Top Truck Challenge competitors.
Here's how you do it: Check the pictures, review the mechanical details, then, using the ballot you'll find on page 56 in this issue, select the 10 trucks you think will be the best representation of Top Truck Challenge 2002. Mark your choices carefully, then tear the ballot out and send it to us so that we have your ballot no later than April 1. Tear it and send it. Don't Xerox it, don't fax it. Tear it and send it. And no kidding now, April 1 is the cut-off date.
We'll tally your votes and, in the October issue of Four Wheeler, run detailed features on each of the 10 finalists. If you happen to be one of those finalists, we'll notify you during April so that you can begin making plans to be in Hollister, in central California, for Top Truck Challenge
Unfortunately, this is a completely closed and private event that cannot be operated with spectators present. We'll provide you with a complete report of how the Top Truck gladiators fared in the November edition of Four Wheeler.
Now, please, pick up your pencils. Read. Then vote. Then send.
Thanks.
-Jon Thompson
1. Wes Alderman
Halira, Georgia
'83 Chevrolet K20
A former diesel, this pickup now sports a high-output gasoline-fired big-block.
Engine: Chevy 454 V-8 bored 0.030 over, steel crank, oval-port heads, Hedman headers
Transmission: TH400
Transfer case: NP208
Axles (f/r): Dana 60/GM 14-bolt
Traction aids (f/r): Trac-Lok/Detroit Locker
Ratio (f/r): 4.11:1/4.10:1
Suspension (f/r): 8-inch Skyjacker springs, ORD shackles, dual shocks/5-inch blocks, add-a-leaves
Tires: 39.5x18-15 Boggers
Special features: Heavy-duty driveshafts, 3-inch body lift, front and rear receiver mounts
Driver experience: 24 years
Questionable: Is the chain-drive T-case the weakest link or is the lack of a winch?
2. Kevin Blalock
Homer, Georgia
'78 Chevrolet Silverado
This Chevy has been stripped down to the bare essentials, but what's left looks like it works like crazy.
Engine: 400hp Chevy 350 V-8
Transmission: SM465
Transfer case: NP205
Axles (f/r): Dana 60 with 35-spline outers/Dana 70
Traction aids (f/r): Detroit Locker/welded
Ratio: 6.17:1
Suspension (f/r): 4-inch leaf spring lift/4-inch shackle flip
Tires (f/r): 44-inch Swampers/44-inch Boggers on 15x10 Weld wheels
Special features: Ramsey 9500 front and QM9000 winches, AGR Rock Ram steering, Premier Power onboard welder, CO2 tank
Driver experience: Three years
Cool: Drivetrain is bulletproof, but even so, Kevin carries all the right tools and spares.
3. Eric Evers
Dallas, Oregon
'81 Chevrolet
It may look plain-Jane on the outside, but there's more to Eric's truck than meets he eye.
Engine: Chevy 454ci V-8 bored 0.030 over, balanced, blueprinted, fitted with hypereutectic pistons, oval port heads
Transmission: TH400 with Kevlar bands and racing clutches
Transfer case: NP208
Axles (f/r): Dana 60 with 35-spline axles/GM 14-bolt
Traction aids (f/r): Detroit Locker/Detroit Locker
Ratio: 5.13:1
Suspension (f/r): 4-inch Superlift springs/4-inch blocks
Tires: 39.5x18-15 Boggers
Special features: 3-inch body lift, AGR steering pump and box, crossover steering
Driver experience: 12 years
Cool: Eric's Warn 12,000-pound winch sits on a handmade receiver mount.
4. Jeff Bostjancic
Rockdale, Illinois
'73 Jeep CJ-5
Jeff used an entire page to list all the mods he's made to his CJ. The choice items are listed below.
Engine: AMC 304 V-8
Transmission: T-18 with granny low 6.34 First gear
Transfer case: Dana 20 with TeraLow 5.13 conversion
Axles (f/r): Dana 30/Dana 44
Traction aids (f/r): Detroit EZ Locker/Detroit EZ Locker
Ratio: 3.73:1
Suspension (f/r): 2.5-inch Skyjacker springs, Skyjacker shocks/same
Tires: 35x14.5-15 Boggers
Special features: 1.5-inch shackle lift, 1-inch body lift, trimmed fenders, Warn HS9500 winch
Driver experience: Seven years
Questionable: Hope that Dana 30 is stout enough.
5. Toby Harrell
San Angelo, Texas
'75 Chevrolet Blazer
Toby says his Blazer and his rockcrawling caused his divorce. So Toby, are you after the sympathy vote, or what?
Engine: Chevrolet 454 V-8 bored 0.030 over, with 10:1 pistons, steel crank, Holley 900-cfm Pro-Jection
Transmission: TH400
Transfer case: NP205
Axles (f/r): Dana 60 with 35-spline stubs/GM 14-bolt
Traction aids (f/r): ARB/Detroit Locker
Ratio: 5.13:1
Suspension (f/r): 6-inch leaf springs with heavy-duty shackles and hardware/"super long and flexy" '97 Chevrolet leaf springs
Tires: 44x19.5-15 Boggers on bead-lock wheels
Special features: 9,000-pound Ramsey winch, 10-point cage, crossover ram-assist steering, 1350 U-joints, rear traction bars
Driver experience: Been 'wheeling since 1987.
Cool: "Where's the tank trap?" he asks. We answer, "Be careful what you wish for."
6. Darwin Brock
Gayville, South Dakota
'78 Ford F-150
When we asked Darwin what had been modified on his rig, he said it would be easier to tell us what was still stock: "The body, frame and some wiring."
Engine: Ford 460 V-8
Transmission: C6
Transfer case: NP208
Axles (f/r): Dana 60/GM 14-bolt
Traction aids (f/r): Detroit Locker/Detroit Locker
Ratio: 5.13:1
Suspension (f/r): Superlift 6-inch coil springs with drop brackets, RS 9000 shocks/Superlift 6-inch leaf spring, RS 9000 shocks
Tires: 44-inch Boggers
Special features: hydraulic steering, Warn 9000 winch; Mobi welder
Driver experience: 16 years
Cool: This truck looks just hammered, so we'd bet Darwin would put on a good show.
7. Robert Bryce
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
'83 Chevrolet Blazer
Cadillac and Unimog provide the motivational power for this facelifted Chevy.
Engine: Cadillac 472ci V-8 with 10.5:1 compression, Lunati cam, Edelbrock intake, dual exhaust, DynoMax mufflers
Transmission: TH400
Transfer case: OTT Industries NP203/NP205 dual with twin-stick on 205
Axles (f/r): Unimog 404 with Exaxt disc-brake conversion/same
Traction aids (f/r): Stock cable locker/same
Ratio: 7.56:1
Suspension (f/r): BDS 4-inch lift leaf springs with Rancho RS 9012 shocks/stock F-150 leaf springs with shackle flip, Rancho RS 9012 shocks
Tires: 44x18.5-16.5 Dick Cepek Fun Country on military Hummer bead-lock rims
Special features: Driveshafts are Ford 1-ton/Land Cruiser hybrids; onboard air, Mobi-weld welder, Warn 8274 winch; rock lights, dual Optima batteries, custom E-brake on NP205 rear yoke
Driver experience: 12 years
Cool: Robert may win the "Lowest Gear Ratio" award.
8. Eric Burton
Cookerville, Tennessee
'97 Jeep Wrangler
Let's see: Extended wheelbase, check. One-ton axles, check. Four-cylinder motor-huh?
Engine: Jeep 2.5L I-4
Transmission: AX5
Transfer case: NP241 with slip-yoke eliminator
Axles (f/r): Dana 60R/GM 14-bolt
Traction aids (f/r): Detroit Locker/Detroit Locker
Ratio: 5.13:1
Suspension (f/r): Frontend extended 6 inches, BDS 2-inch springs with spring-over conversion/BDS 2 1/2-inch springs with spring-over conversion
Tires: 37x13-15 Boggers
Special features: Warn HS9500i winch, bead locks, full rollcage
Driver experience: Seven years
Questionable: The four-banger has got to go.
9. Barry Burich
Hudson, Florida
'86 Ford Bronco
Barry's "Armageddon" Bronc missed the top 10 by one spot last year. He's back and ready to play.
Engine: Ford 351 Windsor V-8 bored 0.030 over with Speed-Pro 9.5:1 pistons, World Product heads, Crane cam, Weiand Stealth intake, Edelbrock carb, MSD ignition, and Hedman headers
Transmission: C6 with B&M shift kit
Transfer case: NP208
Axles (f/r): Trussed Dana 44/trussed 9-inch
Traction aids (f/r): Detroit True-trac/Detroit Locker
Ratio: 5.13:1
Suspension (f/r): 4-inch Superlift suspension with Superunner steering and radius arms, triple Superlift shocks/Superlift custom leaf springs, dual Superlift shocks, traction bars
Tires (f/r): 38x12.5-15 TSL Super Swampers on 15x10 American Racing wheels/38.5x11-15 Boggers on 15x10 American Racing wheels
Special features: Custom tube bumpers for removable Warn HS9500i and XD9500i winches, front tube bumper is air tank, onboard compressor
Driver experience: Barry has been 'wheeling since he was 16. We're guessing he's not 17.
Cool: Barry has sealed his engine's intake system in a water-tight airbox fed by two snorkels so it'll run even if completely submerged.