Matt\'s name and fabrication from his previous work on Off-Road\'s Project

Tag : Tube Fabrication


If we didn't know any better, we would have thought the racenumbers were stripped from the truck. A full complement ofGlassworks Unlimited and Trailer Products fiberglass panels shroudthe truck along with the multicoat Sikkens Victory Red paintjob byFracture Paint of Upland, California.

The interior of the prerunner has been fully caged with 4130chrome-moly tubing that has been concealed by the interior'supholstery and headliner that was made by Lil J's Custom Upholsteryin Riverside, California. Three PRP race seats were alsoreupholstered in matching fabric for a show-stopping look. CrowEnterprises five-point race harnesses complete the race feel andprovide the much-needed restraint that is associated with the 460horses that are on tap.

Looking more like it belongs in a Trophy Truck than in a prerunner,only the best instruments and components grace the dash. A VintageAir A/C and heating system provides the much-needed creaturecomforts when in Glamis and other hot spots of the desert. A10-inch Lowrance GPS unit is nestled between the Auto MeterSport-Comp gauges and Icom F121 VHF race radio. The center consolesports a PCI Race Radios 4 Link Pro Intercom and various switchesthat have all been fused and wired just like a Trophy Truck by JaxMotorsports of Las Vegas, Nevada. An Art Carr transmission shifterand iPod complete the console.

The rolling stock consists of 17x8 Center Line Champ XL rims withOMF beadlocks. They are wrapped in 37x12.50-17 BFGoodrich Baja T/Atires, which are attached to Cone racing hubs. Stopping the massivetire-and-wheel combination are six-piston Wilwood disc brakes.

Dual spare tires have been placed at the rear of the truck for easyaccess in the event there is a tire failure. Also housed in therear is a 30-gallon Fuel Safe fuel cell that has been encased in acustom-built fuel tank.

The front and rear suspension components were custom-built by handby world-class fabricator Matt Walrath Designs of Rancho Cucamonga,California. Longtime readers may recognize Matt's name andfabrication from his previous work on Off-Road's Project Super Dutyrear bedcage and bumpers. Each front upper and lower A-arm has beenbuilt with a combination of 4130 chrome-moly tubing and platesteel. Doubled-up Pyrotect limiting straps help protect thesuspension from overexerting itself on those high jumps. Thesteering components were also custom-built and are comprised of aLee Manufacturing power-steering pump, a Saginaw steering rack, andan aluminum Howe power-steering-fluid reservoir.

Each of the front corners of the truck feature King race shocksthat have been installed in a tandem configuration of one 2.5-inchcoilover unit and one 2.5-inch bypass shock, both 12 inches inlength for a total of 19 inches of wheel travel. The rear shocksfollow the same tandem configuration as the front but have beenupsized to include 3-inch bypass and 2.5-inch coilover units thatare 18 inches in length. The rear wheel travel is a staggering 28inches. King 2-inch bumpstops have also been installed at eachcorner.

Being the serious prerunner that it is, PWR aluminum raceradiators, a Speedway Engineering sway bar, and other essentialcomponents of the vehicle's operating system have been installedwhere the bed usually sits. To cover all of the components, CuttingEdge Aluminum Fabrication of Riverside, California, fabricated theincredible 16-gauge aluminum cowl and air, powdercoated thecomponents. Residing atop the cowl are five Hella Rallye 4000 HIDlights mounted on a moveable frame, that upon the flip of a switch,rise to the occasion.

Matt Walrath Designs also fashioned the intricate system of tubingand fasteners that secures the bedsides onto the truck. On thepassenger side of the vehicle, a prerunner jack is in place, whileon the driver side, an air bottle resides for airing up the BFGs orrunning air tools.

A TubeWorks 10-inch rearend replaced the factory GM rear axle. Someof the custom touches the new rearend contains are 5.41 gears,40-spline axleshafts, and 4130 chrome-moly tube and plate trussingperformed by C&D Fabrication of Hesperia, California. Deliveringthe power to the axle is a custom-built 1350 driveshaft that wasfabricated by Inland Driveline of Ontario, California.