4WHEELOFFROAD.COM 4-WHEEL & OFF-ROADNOVEMBER 2019 33
BY Trenton McGee
[email protected]
PHOTOGRAPHY TRENTON MCGEE
AND VERNE SIMONSI
N AN IDEAL WORLD WE WOULD
have every single thing we needed
for a vehicle build before we even
started. Unfortunately, much like
unicorns or hardworking millen-
nials, there’s just no such thing.
As a result, we had to do our best
to keep moving for ward on the Ultimate
International as parts trickled in. The prob-
lem is that the placement of most major
components doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
In order to place the engine, it’s a good idea
to know where the front axle is going to
live; in order to place the axles, it’s a good
idea to know where the tires are going to
live in the wheelwell s (and the location of
the wheelwells, for that matter). It’s a giant
jigsaw puzzle where everything intercon-
nects, but without all the pieces, it’s hard to
really know where to get started.
Fortunately, we did have some major
components arrive, and thanks to this
build not being our first rodeo, we could
cautiously proceed with some educated
guesses and assumptions about where
other pieces of the puzzle would fit. As a
result , we have been able to make some
real progress on our build—and that’s a
good thing because the deadline for the
start of the 2019 Ultimate Adventure gets
closer every day. Not showing up to our
own party is not an option.
A s we hinted last month , just about the
time we had mocked up and built the major-
ity of the rollcage, the engine and transmis-
sion showed up. So in this installment of the
Ultimate International we’re going to get
those parts connected and into their new
home, wrap up the rollcage, and prep for the
next major project: suspension and axles.1
When we wrapped
up l ast month we had
the bulk of the rollcage
built thanks to a lot of
1.75x0.120-wall DOM
from Industrial Metal
Supply. Tech Editor Verne
Simons put the finishing
touches on the cage with
these corner gussets
made from 1.50.120-wall
DOM. These gussets add
a significant amount
of overall strength to
the rollcage, and they
look pretty cool as well.
Both the A- and B-pillars
benefit from these gus-
sets. The rollcage is our
favorite part of the build
so far.1