ABOVE-ALL TOY
No stranger to Moab's hard-core trails, Cody Stratton built this '94 Toyota pickup into a rockcrawling dream machine. The truck has a stock 22RE fuel-injected engine and manual transmission. The transfer case was prepped with a set of 4.70:1 Marlin Crawler gears and an All Pro parking brake. The rear axle features an All Pro spool and 5.29:1 gears. The front solid-axle conversion gets help from a limited-slip and 5.29:1 gears. 33-inch BFG Mud-Terrains provide the traction and a 3-inch All Pro lift keeps the sheetmetal up out of harm's way. A Can-Back canvas top and All Pro Hy-steering, rock sliders and bumpers complete the list of goodies. Cody can be found on trails around his home in Enoch, Utah.
LATE-MODEL ROCK LIMO
This '01 Toyota Land Cruiser has been transformed into a very capable trail rig without sacrificing any of its luxurious provisions. Owned and built by John Shotts, of Tucson, Arizona, this 100-series 'Cruiser was fitted with a 3-inch suspension lift and 35-inch tires. John also added a front ARB Sahara bar and Warn winch. To help the stock ActiveTrac 4WD system, 4.88 gears and ARB Air Lockers were added front and rear. Stout rock sliders were mounted, which can support the entire vehicle's weight. To avoid trouble when crossing water, John installed a Safari Snorkel. Lighting from a set of IPF900 auxiliary helps out in the dark.
LUCKY GUY
What happens when you turn in your TTC application after the due date? If you're lucky, we throw it in the pile for possible Readers' Rigs. That's what happened with this entry from Josh Gentle of Idaho Falls, Idaho. His little '67 Jeep CJ-5 might not have the big tires and axles, but that doesn't seem to keep Josh from 'wheeling it every weekend. A 225ci V-6 is hooked up to an SM420 transmission by an Advance Adapter, and then to a Dana 18 transfer case. The axles are stock except for a limited-slip rear differential. The Jeep sits on 211/42-inch Superlift springs that make room for 31-inch Kelly tires. Josh begged us to accept his application, which we received a month late. Sorry, Josh, you have to settle for a spot in "Readers' Rigs." But hey, there's always next year, right?
DUNE JEEP
When Al Gonzalez of Brownsville, Texas bought this '80 Jeep Wagoneer for $150, it was in sorry shape. The wagon was full of rust, the motor was done and the tranny was cracked. With lots of time and effort the Wagoneer was torn apart and rebuilt using four different donor Wagoneers for parts. When the basic restoration was complete, a 3-inch Rough Country lift was installed, along with Heckethorn shocks. A set of 33x12.50 BFGoodrich All-Terrains on 15x10 wheels helps the Jeep float down the beach to get to the good fishing spots.
1-TON XJ
Tony Starbird of Buckfield, Maine bought this '01 Cherokee new for his wife to drive. But he couldn't leave it stock. Tony added a 3-inch suspension lift, then replaced that with an 8-inch kit. With that much lift, Tony could fit a much wider set of 37-inch Boggers, for which he first needed a set of heavy axles. So he sourced two Dana 60s. First he narrowed them and then he equipped the pair with 4.88:1 gears and ARB Air Lockers. Custom bumpers came next. Then Tony decided to start over with the suspension. Right now he is swapping in coilovers. Tony's wife won't let him drive the Jeep around town. Instead, she only gives him the keys to make modifications for occasional weekend trail action. Tony's cool with that policy. He says the key to a successful marriage is sacrifice.
TROOPER FROM COMPANY G
Rick Dominge spent three years depending on four-wheel drive as an Army Ranger in the 75th Infantry during Vietnam. Needless to say, his '91 Isuzu Trooper keeps his 'wheeling passion alive. Running 32x11.5 BFG All-Terrains, Superwinch hubs and a 3-inch Calmini lift, this Trooper can tackle most of Southern California's trails. Rick also added Pro Comp shocks, a Detroit limited-slip and a Warn M6000 winch. In case those enhancements are unable to get him unstuck, he's got a 2-meter ham radio to call in reinforcements. Or an artillery barrage.
Want to Submit Your Reader's Rig?
It's easy! Send us a high-quality photo print (lab process prints preferred), color slide, CD, or floppy to:
Reader's Rigs - Four Wheeler Magazine
6420 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
If you want to submit a digital photo of your Rig by E-mail, you can send it to robin.stover@primedia.com. Images should be high-resolution JPEGs (No TIFFs or RAW images by E-mail, please) no larger than 600 KB. Please only submit one image by E-mail. If you have multiple images you'd like to submit, please send us a CD-ROM by mail. Submitted media become property of Four Wheeler, and cannot be returned.