Off-Road Modifications
There’s nothing like an impending event inspection to motivate an install. Lorne Pearson was looking forward to the PNW4WDA Trail Jamboree in Naches, Washington where he was planning to run the challenging Rimrock Trail. This often-off-camber route required front & rear lockers, CB and winch along with some wheel base and tire specifications – all of which Pearson had. What his YJ lacked, however, was the mandatory full roll cage.
Off road racing in the desert Southwest has been around for almost forty years now and we’ve never gotten tired of looking at vehicles and hardware associated with going off-road. Off-roading–racing or just having fun presents problems. We’re always intrigued by some of the solutions.Here’s what we found on a recent trip to Baja.
The gear driven RF1A Toyota transfer case found in 1979-1995 4 cylinder pickups and 4Runners fits the needs of many wheelers. It offers a strong, lightweight package with growing aftermarket support. These transfer cases have been used in numerous pickups, 4Runners, buggies, and even Jeeps! Everything from dual transfer case adapters, low range gear sets, twin sticks, and low profile crossmembers are available for Toyota transfer cases from a bevy of aftermarket sources. The RF1A is lighter and less expensive than a Dana 300, though they are not as easy to “clock” and do not allow front wheel drive operation.
Steering is one of the two most important systems on any vehicle, along with the brakes. Unfortunately, steering is often neglected for modifications that yield more visual impact, such as suspension lifts and larger tires. These are the exact modifications, however, that make attention to steering so important. Suspension lifts can alter steering geometry while big, heavy tires may cause increased wear to steering components, particularly if the tires are out of balance.
After a springover conversion was performed on the Dana 44 front axle in our ’67 Toyota Land Cruiser, the new spring location interfered with the steering geometry. The draglink was then bent as a temporary fix, but this sacrificed strength and resulted in poor steering angles.