Off Roading Suzuki Samurai Top Truck Challenge

[50BMG]

Hello everyone, can someone please help me understand why the Suzuki Samurai's that compete in the top truck challenge often have Rockwell axles as well as other heavy modifications while almost everyone that I know that offroads with Suzuki Samurai's try their hardest to cut any weight that they can but the top truck challenge variants try to increase the samurai's strength over being light weight, what gives ? Which is a better build type ? Which is cheaper to do ? Which is easier to complete ? Thanks in advance for any thoughts, opinions, and answers.

 

[jhenderson]

I would imagine the number one priority in the TTC would be finishing. The weight penalty is long forgotten when you need to be towed from the course with broken axles or stripped r+ p.

 

[50BMG]

Yeah finishing the challenges would be more important than versatility I guess. There are basically two schools of thought that I can think of 1. Being light weight as to 'Skate' over the mud, ice, or snow or 2. Having a lot of power Horsepower and Torque as to 'Power Through' the mud, ice, or snow. So 1st school of thought would mean shaving every unnessary pound off of the vehicle or 2nd school of thought making as much power Horsepower and Torque as possible, I was going to use the 2nd school of thought I'd probably stick a 4BT Cummins in it as as far as reliability, extreme mile count, or part avalibility a Cummins engine is really hard to beat and if it already has Rockwell Axles then the required lift for using Cummins engines is already there.

 

[50BMG]

If I was making sure that my rig could finish the challenge then I'd load for bear and stretch the frame a little and use a 6BT Cummins to go with the Rockwells. Since I'd no longer be trying to shave weight. I mean I've seen people squeeze in a 4BT Cummins in a Samurai and if you're that far out of the box using Rockwell Axles what's a few more inches and a few hundred pounds? It will still be around the same weight if not lighter than a new full size pickup I've seen at around 7000-8,000 lbs even with its 'new 6BT and Rockwell's' someone could almost turn it into an ultra reliable Diesel powered daily driver.

 

[Thump]

TTC isn't anything like trail wheeling, for starters. It's more become a competition of "how can we utterly destroy their vehicles."
One event comes to mind for why the stupid stout is needed: the truck pull. You have to try and tow a loaded dump or water truck (can't recall which) up an incline. Seeing that the Tank Trap all but requires 44" or larger tires, you're not going to have axles survive the pull without some beef in them