LARGE AND IN CHARGE
Benjamin Gadway's '79 Ford F-250 is built for as much fun as he can find around his hometown of Johnsburg, New York. The 39.5x18-inch Boggers are cleared by a 6-inch Skyjacker lift along with a 3-inch body lift. Power comes from a swapped and built 460 V-8 equipped with all the goodies. A stout combo of an NP435 four-speed tranny and an NP205 transfer case back up the engine. More beef is found in the form of Dana 60 front and rear axles. Both are equipped with 4.10 gears, with a Detroit Locker out back. A Warn 8274 rests up front to help the rig extract itself.
BIG CHEV
R.J. Morelli of Wilmette, Illinois owns this '78 Chevy 1/2-ton. A 6-inch Rough Country suspension along with a 3-inch body lift provides extra altitude. A set of Bushwacker fender flares helps to clear the 42-inch Super Swampers on 15x12 Mickey Thompson aluminum wheels. Under the hood rests a 350 V-8 that sends power through a four-speed manual and then to an NP205 transfer case. Still surviving is the stock 10-bolt front axle, along with a 12-bolt rear.
NEW AND IMPROVED
Bobby Watkins of Sheridan, Wyoming initially bought his '02 Chevy 2500 for work but modified it for a little play. A 6-inch Pro Comp lift kit was installed to make way for the 315/75/R16 BFGoodrich All-Terrains on 16x10 Ultra aluminum wheels. To make the 6.0L V-8 breathe a little easier, a K&N air filter system was used. Up front a billet grille was installed to make the Chevy easier on the eyes, and Westin nerf bars were put into place to make it easier to get in the now-taller cab. Finally, the interior was stuffed with a host of audio and video gear.
RED WRANGLER
Shawn Nichols of Bloomington, Indiana built this '90 Jeep Wrangler YJ. Under the hood is the stock four-banger that has been bored 0.060-over. It is aided by an MSD ignition system. Tires are 32-inch BFGoodrich Mud-Terrains that are cleared by a 4-inch Skyjacker suspension lift and a 3-inch body lift. Further flex is provided by TeraFlex shackles. Up front is a Warn 8000i winch to help recover the Wrangler when it gets mired in the Indiana mud.
THE RANGER
Austin Hatcher of Excelsior Springs, Missouri has done a nice job of building his '85 Ford Ranger on the budget of a high-school student. First to go on was a 3-inch body lift. Then spacers were inserted into the coil springs up front, along with add-a-leaves out back to provide another 1 1/2 inches of lift. All of this additional altitude, along with Bushwacker cutout fender flares, made room for 33x12.50 BFGoodrich Mud-Terrains on 15x10 Rock Crawler steel wheels. To add some power to the little 2.8L V-6, a K&N air filter kit and a Flowmaster dual exhaust were installed.
OREGON TACOMA
Cruising the trails around Hood River, Oregon is Brandon Schmidt and his 2000 Toyota Tacoma. Helping him out is a Revtek 3-inch lift with Rancho shocks. Tires are 33x10.50 BFGoodrich All-Terrains wrapped around 15x8 Weld Outback aluminum wheels. Adding more power to the 3.4L V-6 is a K&N air filter system and a Magnaflow exhaust system. Up front is found an ARB bull bar equipped with two Hella lights for nighttime fun.
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