This awesome Samurai was built by Joshua Hardy and competed in the 2014 Top Truck Challenge.
The first Four Wheeler Top Truck Challenge took place in 1993, and the event, also called TTC, was held annually at the Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area near Hollister, California. The last Top Truck Challenge was held in June, 2015. The original concept was to test the engineering capabilities of 4×4 vehicles, and it remained that way through its 23-year history, inviting readers “who own ‘the world’s best four wheeler’ to put up or shut up.
Joshua built the rig’s frame using 2×4-inch steel tubing, and the rig has a 121-inch wheelbase. He also built the exocage with the support of House of Diesel owner Chris Smith. Joshua reports he used 160 feet of DOM tubing to construct the exocage. One of the many unique features of the rig is a trick mounting system that allows a cradle-mounted winch to be mounted on the front of the rig at the same time as the permanently mounted 8,000-pound front winch. The result is that Joshua has an easily accessible backup winch. A set of 46-inch Mickey Thompson Baja Claw TTC tires are mounted to homebuilt 20×11 beadlock wheels. Joshua procured the Hunter Green paint from his local hardware store and painted the rig himself.
Keeping with his low-buck, do-it-yourself theme, Joshua installed a “swap meet” three-spoke steering wheel with quick release, a custom center console (with help from friend Jared Bishop), and some O’Reilly gauges. Interior door panels? Don’t need ‘em. Steering column cover? Nope. The cargo area of the rig holds a variety of things including the battery, a Kenwood head unit, Jensen speakers, Off Road Recovery-supplied recovery rope, and a compressed air tank that is charged by a converted engine-driven A/C compressor.
Nestled under the hood is a TBI Chevy 350ci V-8 with a Comp Cams camshaft. A custom air intake helps the engine inhale freely, and a pair of headers feeding a single exhaust (bent by Hollister Muffler) helps the engine exhale. A Griffin radiator with three electric fans (two pull and one pushes) keep the powerplant cool most of the time (more on that next month). Joshua used a wiring harness from a 1989 Chevy 1500 and a Caterpillar battery to handle electrical duties. Power is transferred through a TH400 transmission with custom valving. The tranny is helped by a custom cooler with electric fan and a Pontiac Firebird shifter to select gearing.
The rig’s 3.8:1 Atlas T-case is well protected by a custom skidplate, and power is carried to the axles via a pair of South Bay Driveline-made driveshafts. Out back is a 2-1/2 ton Rockwell axle and it sports a Mudpro Metalworks Mohawk pan, welded spider gears, and a pinion brake that uses the same components as the front brake. The rear suspension links are made from DOM tubing and each link is fitted with a pair of spherical rod ends. Knight Stalker 18-inch-travel remote-reservoir nitrogen shocks and 4-inch-travel F-O-A 2.5 bumpstops round out the suspension mods.
A beefy Rockwell 2-1/2 ton axle resides up front and sports a Mudpro Metalworks Mohawk pan, hardened axleshafts, and welded spider gears. Braking is handled by a pinion brake that includes a Mazda rotor, Toyota caliper, custom Rossie’s-bent brake lines, and Mudpro Metalworks Horseshoe pinion brake bracket. The pinion brake is protected by a custom three-point cage that is welded to the axlehousing. Joshua fabbed up the steering system and it includes a Mudpro Metalworks steering reinforcement kit, Trail-Gear double-ended ram and hoses, orbiter valve “from an old forklift,” custom cooler, and a large-capacity reservoir. The front suspension began life as a Trail-Gear three-link system, but Joshua converted it to a four-link system, and it has mostly Trail-Gear spherical rod ends. Other suspension components include 18-inch-travel F-O-A remote-reservoir coilovers and 4-inch-travel F-O-A 2.5 bumpstops. A center-mounted chain and a pair of limit straps are used to control suspension downtravel.
The Details:
Owner: Joshua Hardy/Hollister, California
Vehicle model: 1988 Suzuki Samurai
Engine: Chevy 350ci V-8
Transmission: TH400
Transfer case(s): Advance Adapters Atlas II, 3.8:1
Suspension (f/r): Four-link, F-O-A 18-in-travel remote-reservoir coilovers, 4-in-travel F-O-A 2.5 bumpstops, limit straps/four-link, Knight Stalker remote-reservoir nitrogen shocks, 4-in-travel F-O-A 2.5 bumpstops
Axles (f/r): 2-1/2 ton Rockwell, Mudpro Metalworks Mohawk pan and steering reinforcement kit, welded spider gears/2-1/2 ton Rockwell, Mudpro Metalworks Mohawk pan, welded spider gears
Axle ratio: 6.72:1
Wheels: 20×11 homebuilt beadlock
Tires: 19.5/46-20LT Mickey Thompson Baja Claw
Photos:
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