Getting run over is not a fun way to start a trail run, but that's just what Trasborg did. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and the trail ride in Wellsville, Ohio, only went uphill from there.
Wellsville, or "The Pits" as it's known to locals, is an area bordered on three sides by camping areas and we were fortunate enough to get invited out for a day of high-throttle crawling.
The Pits features a lot of twisty terrain and hill climbs with a few rocks here and there for variety. There are a few rock-crawling trails, but the leaves and mud between the rocks make what should be an easy run into a very difficult trail very quickly. To top it off, we were there the day after it rained, at the tail end of a week of storms. So, things were good and slick, making for a great combination of wide open throttle attacks and controlled low-speed crawling.
 Brett Sommers came out to...  Brett Sommers came out to play with his '00 Wrangler. The 2.5L engine is still coupled to the stock transmission, transfer case (with slip-yoke eliminator), and axles. The front Dana 30 and rear Dana 35 both got 4.88 gears with the rear getting a Super 35 kit and a locker. A 3-inch BDS lift provides almost enough clearance for the 32x11.50-15 Super Swampers on Dick Cepek DC-1 wheels. Tubular rocker guards keep trees and rocks out of the doors and a Mile Marker winch rests up front just waiting for Brett to get stuck. |  Robert Crow from On and Off...  Robert Crow from On and Off Road 4 Wheel Drive was our trail leader for the day in what he calls "just a family station wagon"- his lifted '01 Grand Cherokee. With custom high-pinion Dana 44s front and rear stuffed with ARB Air Lockers and 4.56 gears, we'd say it's more than your average station wagon. Sure the stock 4.7L V-8 and stock automatic transmission are still there but a 6-inch lift clears the larger-than-stock 285/75R16 Mud Country tires on DC-1 wheels. |  Dan Sears' 33-inch TrXus Mud...  Dan Sears' 33-inch TrXus Mud Terrains sure lived up to their name on this run. It just rained the day before, so there was mud and water everywhere. Nonetheless, this '05 TJ with 3-inches of lift and 4.56 gears took it all in stride. With Riddler differential covers, a Kilby Enterprises steering skid plate, and an Nth Degree oil pan skid, the underside of the Jeep is well protected. Meanwhile, a Tuff Designs rear bumper with swing-out tire carrier and A to Z Fabrications rocker guards keep the body in good shape. |
 This clean '79 CJ-7 sports...  This clean '79 CJ-7 sports an AMC 360 with a recently-installed Howell fuel injection, a TH400 transmission and a Dana 300 stuffed with Tera Low 4:1 gears. John Demsey built the front and rear Dana 44s with 4.56 gears and Warn alloy axle shafts. The front Dana 44 sports an ARB Air Locker while the rear runs a Warn full-float conversion and a Detroit Locker. Stock YJ leaf springs with a spring-over conversion clear way for the 38.5x14.5-15 Super Swamper SX tires mounted on 15x10 Eaton beadlocks. |  There is a fine line between...  There is a fine line between fully decked out and going completely overkill. Considering the 35-inch Cooper SSTs that this '99 Wrangler sits on, we'd say Rodney Fox did a good job with component selection. A high-pinion Dana 30 from a Cherokee resides up front while a Ford 8.8 is hung out back. Both axles benefitted from 4.88 gears, while a Warn fuel tank skid, Poison Spyder rockers, and a Bestop bumper fend off the rocks. A 6-inch suspension lift and a T-Max 9000 winch round out the package. |  There is just something about...  There is just something about a nice CJ on the stock narrow axles that looks cool, and Scott Kennedy's '79 CJ-7 is no exception. Like many CJs back east, most of the original parts are long gone. A 4WD Hardware fiberglass body sits on a '85 CJ-7 frame with a '98 4.0L six-cylinder between the framerails. Backing the 4.0L is a '75 TH400 automatic transmission and a '58 Spicer 18 transfer case. The Dana 30 front axle spins 4.10 gears and a Power-Loc with the rear AMC 20 getting a Lock-Rite and matching gears. |
 The only Cherokee of the day...  The only Cherokee of the day was this '98, which belongs to Bob Sears. Rocker protection fends off those stray shopping carts and Bob removed the plastic body cladding off the front end for tire and trail clearance. A BDS lift provides enough clearance for a set of 31-inch Super Swamper TrXus Mud tires. The stock inline-six, AW4, NP231, front Dana 30, and rear Dana 35 were all left unharmed in the build of this Jeep. |  Dana Sibuty has done a ton...  Dana Sibuty has done a ton of neat and unique modifications to his '01 Wrangler. An AW4 from a '01 Cherokee was swapped in using all Jeep parts for a factory look. The NP231 was modified with a six-gear planetary, a wide chain, and a Teraflex 2-Low kit. A 4.56-geared ARB-stuffed high-pinion front Dana 30 was swapped in the front while out back a similarly geared and locked Ford 8.8 was hung with a pair of leaf springs. The front of the TJ was elevated by way of a 4-inch lift, and an additional 1-inch body lift provides clearance for the Super Swamper TrXus tires. |  This daily-driven '06 TJ was...  This daily-driven '06 TJ was put through its paces all day long. Rich Taylor kept the 4.0L and associated stock drivetrain, only swapping the rear Dana 35 for a Ford 8.8 with a Detroit Locker. Both axles were regeared with 4.88s to better turn the 34x10.50-15 Super Swamper TSL bias-ply tires. A 3-inch BDS suspension lift and a 1-inch body lift provide plenty of clearance, and if that wasn't enough, an Nth Degree tummy tucker and oil pan skid keep the vitals out of harm's way. |
 With a license plate that...  With a license plate that says "Hemi CJ" our interest was piqued (it doesn't take much), and we weren't disappointed. James Fortney swapped a '05 5.7L Hemi out of a Dodge truck into his '84 CJ-7. Behind the Hemi resides a '98 Dodge-sourced NV4500 and a 3.8:1 Atlas II. All that power is channeled through a pair of Dynatrac Pro Rock 60s with ARB Air Lockers, 5.38s, and a set of 38x12.50-15 Super Swamper TSLs mounted on 15x10 OMF beadlocks. A spring-over suspension lift with 2-inch-lift Alcan springs gives a smooth ride and keeps the tires out of the fenders. |  It seems like Mike Kile ran...  It seems like Mike Kile ran every obstacle we were shooting pictures of--we've got a ton of pictures of this yellow '01 Wrangler. The 4.0L with automatic transmission and NP231 transfer case are all just as the factory intended but the front Dana 30 now has 4.10 gears and an ARB Air Locker with the rear Dana 35 getting a Super 35 kit with a Detroit Locker. A 4-inch Pro Comp suspension lift and a 1-inch Pro Comp body lift provide clearance for the 36x13.50-15 Super Swamper Irocs on 15x8 steel rims. |  "Throttle down and power up...  "Throttle down and power up it" has got to be Bill Sturgess' motto. With a 4.7L stroker engine he sure has the power on tap to pull that motto off. A pair of Currie 9-inch axles with ARB Air Lockers and 4.56 gears handle the torque that the 5.0:1 Atlas II dishes out. Rubicon Express got tapped for the suspension in the form of a 5-inch long-arm lift that was customized with a three-link rear. A set of 36-inch Super Swamper Irocs put all that power to the ground. A tubular front bumper with a Warn winch and custom tubular fenders front and rear fend off any obstacle that gets too close. |
 The spec sheet for Robert...  The spec sheet for Robert Fenohr's '97 Wrangler doesn't read like a Quadratec catalog, but that just proves he knows his limits. With only four cylinders pushing this Jeep around, simple is the name of the game. A 2-inch spacer lift clears the 31-inch Super Swamper TSLs. The stock axles were left untouched with 4.10 gears and open carriers are still in the front Dana 30 and rear Dana 35. Tubular rocker guards keep the body straight while an aftermarket bumper provides recovery points. |  With a 360ci AMC V-8, you'd...  With a 360ci AMC V-8, you'd think Jon Strittmatter's '80 CJ-5 would be better-suited to mud than slow-speed crawling. But with a T-176 and Dana 300 it does pretty well in the slow stuff. Jon proved that it handles mud well too, by lighting up the 36x12.50-15 Super Swamper TSLs bolted to the front Dana 30 and rear AMC 20 with one-piece shafts. A spring-over conversion on 2-inch lift leaf springs keep the tires out of the body even when the horses are set free. | |