Fact: Vokoun says his buggy...
Fact: Vokoun says his buggy is street-legal and licensed.
The foundation for Vokoun's rig is a quality Campbell Enterprises Custom Fabrication chassis. There are many cool features integrated into the fat-free chassis, including removable nerf bars. The Jeep Liberty-based bodywork is fiberglass with tinted Lexan doors, and it has paint and graphics by The Paint Shop in Phoenix. With night wheeling in mind, the rig sports a number of exterior lights. Here you can see the two forward-facing 6 1/2-inch-diameter Lightforce lights, and the rig also has chassis rock lights and interior LED lights. Further, Vokoun can bolt on a removable lightbar with four forward-facing 9 1/2-inch Lightforce lights. This rig rolls on BFG Krawler T/A tires that are 40 inches in diameter and they're mounted to Walker Evans Racing polished aluminum beadlock wheels.
Have you ever seen a ratted-out trail buggy? Well, this rig, owned by Mike Vokoun of Mesa, Arizona, is not one of those. Vokoun's rig looks great and has the performance to match.
Back in the August issue, we put the spotlight on the 2009 King of the Hammers (KOH) mega-event that was held in the Johnson Valley area of Southern California. Well, now we're going to revisit KOH and show you some of the cool, non-competition rigs we found at the event. Yep, prowling the trails and nestled in the sea of recreational vehicles and competition rigs were a variety of incredible trail rigs. Naturally, we photographed a bunch of 'em. Each one of these notable rigs is locked for traction and loaded with trail-tough mods.
 An Atlas two-speed 3:1 transfer...  An Atlas two-speed 3:1 transfer case is shielded by a beefy skidplate. Sprouting from the 'case are a pair of custom driveshafts made by High Angle Driveline. |  It's all business inside the...  It's all business inside the rig, with an array of AutoMeter gauges relaying information to Vokoun while he and his three passengers sit in Renegade seats safely restrained with Simpson belts and protected by a multi-point rollcage. |  The rear suspension is almost...  The rear suspension is almost a duplicate of the front, only the RaceRunner shocks are longer at 16 inches in length, and the Eibach springs have a different rate than the front springs. The rear axle is a Currie high-pinion Dana 60, and like the front axle, it too has been trussed and fitted with a Detroit Locker. |
 Under the fiberglass hood...  Under the fiberglass hood is a 5.7L LS1 V-8 that has been modified by the folks at Turnkey Motors. It churns out an estimated 450 horsepower, thanks in part to custom headers and high-performance computer tuning. Also under the hood are an Odyssey dry cell battery and a Ron Davis Racing Products radiator. Bolted to the mill is a heavily modified 700R4 automatic transmission with aluminum pan, heavy-duty cooler and Art Carr shifter. |  The front axle is a trussed...  The front axle is a trussed Currie 9-inch with 30-spline axleshafts, a Detroit Locker, and Wilwood brakes. A Howe Performance Power Steering ram-assist steering system helps Vokoun point the big 40-inch tires, no matter how gnarly the terrain. The suspension consists of 12-inch Sway-A-Way RaceRunner 2.0 remote-reservoir shocks with Eibach springs, Sway-A-Way RaceRunner 2.0 hydraulic bumpstops, solid 7075 aluminum link bars, Beard limiting straps, and Currie Antirock Sway Bar Kit. | |
Specifications
General
Owner/hometown: Mike Vokoun/Mesa, Arizona
Vehicle/Model: Jeep Liberty buggy
Estimated Value: $80,000
Engine
Type: Chevy 5.7L V-8
Aspiration: Fuel injection, custom headers
Output, hp/torque (estimated): 450/na
Drivetrain
Transmission: 700R4
Transfer case: Atlas 3:1
Suspension
Front: Sway-A-Way 2.0 RaceRunner remote-reservoir 12-in. shocks, Eibach coil springs, solid aluminum four-link bars, Currie Antirock Sway Bar Kit, Beard limiting straps
Rear: Sway-A-Way 2.0 RaceRunner remote-reservoir 16-in. shocks, Eibach coil springs, solid aluminum four-link bars, Currie Antirock Sway Bar Kit, Beard limiting straps
Axles/Differentials
Front: Currie 9-in., 30-spline axles, Howe hydraulic ram-assist /Detroit Locker
Rear: Currie high-pinion Dana 60/Detroit Locker
Ring and pinion: 4.88:1
Wheels/Tires
Wheels: Walker Evans cast aluminum beadlocks
Tires: 40-in. BFG Krawler T/A