Nearly every 4-wheel drive measures their axle articulation in inches – maybe a few feet here and there. How about seven feet of axle articulation up OR down? Crazy? Insane? Are we lying?Nope – it’s true, and it’s real. Posted recently on YouTube, this chain-driven 4X4 tube buggy sports a Ford 5.0 liter V8 pulled from a ’93 Cobra Mustang that sends power down a C4 transmission and into an early Bronco t-case. From there, power is sent to a centrally mounted ARB air locker, which transmits power to chain-driven gears, through the swing arms, and finally to Hummer gear-reduction hubs. Weighing in at just shy of 3 tons (All of that DOM tubing adds up), this amazing articulator can wheel up and over just about anything. |
So how does it work? The driver has control over the swing arms via hydraulic actuators located inside the cab of the rig. He can control them individually or together with the toss of a lever. This allows the driver to move the swing arms (axles?) up and down 7 feet in either direction – amazing. With the centrally mounted ARB air locker, the power is sent to chain gears located at the swing arm pivots, and then through strong chains that are mounted inside of the swing arms (for added protection), that end up at 5.38:1 gears.
Do we have a winner for this year’s RTI ramp contest? Me thinks, YES!