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Ultimate Adventure 2017

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,350
Location
Meridian, ID
Do you guys know about the off road magazine Peterson's 4 wheel and off road and their yearly event called Ultimate Adventure? If not its in the magazines every year and usually has a 4-5 part series on YouTube.

Well I have been wanting to apply since I got into wheeling and had a 4x4 goal of making it on Ultimate Adventure, a Hummer has never been on UA.

A little background for those who don't know about it, Ultimate adventure is truly an "ultimate adventure" Every year the big name magazine guys and industry leading companies have this event where you go wheeling anywhere and everywhere. People apply and they pick anywhere from 3-6 readers based on your vehicle, mechanical ability and other things, they look for unique vehicles! Its not easy to get in with a typical jeep or Toyota, they want oddball which is perfect for a SAS H3. There are requirements for your vehicle such as a rollcage and f/r lockers as well as other things. Either way if you get picked you are told to meet at a place by a date and time, anywhere in the country. You do not know where your going or what you will be doing but you will be tackling hardcore trails and driving to the next place...NO TRAILERS ALLOWED! So its a balance, you can build a big bad 4x4 but can it tackle a 500 mile road trip the next day? Or you can have a highway cruiser but can it handle to abuse of hardcore wheeling? Well its all a balance on UA. It is not uncommon that people are changing engines and transmissions overnight in a Walmart parking lot to catch up to the group the next day. It's a crazy event. so you need to be able to wrench, adapt and function in tough situations.

I built my rig for the hopes of making UA one year (back in 2008 I wanted to do this!) and its been an 9 year journey and wouldn't apply until I felt I was ready. Well I applied this year and on Sunday I got the call from Christian Hazel that I am in the "dirty dozen!" They are picking 3-4 rigs this year so my shot of making it is still 1/3. I will find out by the end of the week if I am one of the few picked. I wasn't going to post anything but the article is up online. There is no voting, the magazine guys pick but I am hoping my rig is oddball enough to make it. They did mention the D44 on 40s but its held up on a TON of wheeling and I told them that. I do have my 1 ton front axle in the garage ready to be finished.

Either way here's the article and I will know by the end of the week and I will keep you posted. This thread may be postponed until UA 2018 but at some point I will make UA!

I will also attach the first UA 2013 video to reference as well or just type in Ultimate adventure and you can watch all the years from 2012 on..(they started the event in 1999 or 2000 but only started doing youtube series in 2012 I believe.

http://www.fourwheeler.com/ultimate-adventure/2016/1705-ultimate-adventure-2017-dirty-dozen/

[video=youtube;StTJghDn88Q]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StTJghDn88Q[/video]
 

Big2dabank

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,216
Location
Central Florida
I follow it every year and had two friends from Florida make it in past years. Thats the ultimate for any off-road enthusiast, to get a chance to go bust knuckles and metal with some of the best rigs in the country. Good Luck Chris.
 

GreatDaneHummer

Well-Known Member
Messages
994
Location
Chicago
Best of luck to you! Hope you get it; some of those builds are sick. Dirt Everydays Jeep with the supercharged LSA motor and Dana 60's is just awesome.
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,350
Location
Meridian, ID
Good luck buddy. They won't be sorry if they pick you. If you need a chase vehicle let me know, the Scorpion could be available. :)

Thanks Dave! No chase allowed but what is allowed is wrenching at someone's house. A few years ago a guy punctured an oil filter, by the time they caught it the motor was toast. They found a guy who had a hoist and motor and spent all night swapping it in his driveway to catch back up.

If I make it and run into issues depending on where I am in the country I'll be contacting some of the H4O crew
 

4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,212
Location
Tardville
Not sure where you'll end up going but, the THORparts shop (and affiliates) is all yours.

It's actually all yours anytime (with or without UA).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,350
Location
Meridian, ID
Any update, call and article should be coming by the end of the week but I don't have time to wait...if I made it I need as much time as possible.

Bought 7 sticks of 1 3/4 .120 wall DOM, rear seats are out front fenders are off hybrid cage will be started tomorrow. The benefit of an internal cage is strength but the downside is head room (I'm 6'5") and if you roll it then the roof just caves into the roll cage. An exo will save the roof but lacks support at the B pillar and C pillar. That's where a hybrid cage comes into play, tube comes through the roof and it will be sealed. Google XJ hybrid cage for an envision of what I am going after...

The roof rack is off and will probably be for sale with the awning and lights. It has no sunroof opening and has the spare tire mount.

Dana 70 rear axle is chopped and the short side is cut to length to run a stock GM Dana 60 front shaft...The DOM tube showed up today and I dropped it off to the machine shop. They will machine the tube to a press fit. The sleeve will then allow me to add tube and make it accept a D60 factory long side shaft. I also have my plan for axle seals.

D70 ring and pinion, master install kit, and kingpin rebuild kit are here. I'm need to order my locker and disc brackets, I will modify them to accept H3 calipers. Tone rings for a D60 hub will be going on soon as well.

I spoke with reloader regarding cooling. Last year they were in 120 degree heat since reloader has a V8 and lives in AZ I got some advice from him.

I have plenty of other crap to do if I get picked but that's all a start!
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,350
Location
Meridian, ID
Will be? Yes [emoji4] have I yet? Nope...lol

An update for today...got the A pillar started and the C pillar inside the truck started.





The C pillar is pretty much straight up and down and will be awesome for strength. The bottom plate will sandwich to the body and that will go to the frame. A pillar will mount to my new sliders which will be welded to the frame the slider needs to be modified a tad to accommodate the tube...tomorrow will be a much longer day and will hope to start the b pillar and roof section

Machining tube wasn't finish today but they are working on it tomorrow. Hope to pick it up tomorrow
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,350
Location
Meridian, ID




Some progress on the cage. I'm helping with the cage but my buddy really gets it with the tube bender so I do notching, cutting and helping out while trying to learn and get his skills.

Picked up the axle as well. Machined tube for the seals are in! This was 2 3in pieces of 2.75in OD 2.5in ID. The ID of the axle tube was 2.66 so it was machined down then hammered in. I'm using ruffstuff double axle seals that fit in 2.5in tube.



Tomorrow I will get the slug in and get the right tube length so it will look like a real axle!
 
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