Four Wheeler – October 2019

fourwheeler.com FOUR WHEELER OCTOBER 2019 29

AT A GLANCE

GENERAL

Vehicle: ’59 Willys truck

Owner: Scott Norbryhn

Stomping grounds: Running Springs, California

Build time: 5 years

DRIVETRAIN

Engine: 3.9L Cummins 4BT turbodiesel

Transmission: Borg-Warner T-19 four-spd manual

Transfer case(s): Dana 20

Low range ratio: 2.0:1

Crawl ratio: 39.24

Front axle/differential: ’79 J-20 Dana 44 w/Ford

spindles, hubs, and rotors; 4.88:1 gears/open

Rear axle/differential: ’79 Ford Bronco 9-in, chromoly

31-spline axleshafts, 4.88:1 gears/Eaton Detroit Locker

SUSPENSION

Front: Custom three-link w/track bar; 0.250-in,

2.5-in-diameter lower links w/Trail-Gear Creeper Joints;

0.125-in, 2-in-diameter upper w/Johnny Joints; ORI STX

12-in struts

Rear: 63-in^3 ⁄ 4 -ton Chevy leaf springs, Rubicon Express

twin-tube shocks

TIRES/WHEELS

Tires: 37x13.50R17 Toyo Open Country

Wheels: 17x9 Pro Comp steel

MISCELLANEOUS

Steering: Chevy Astro Van w/PSC hydro-assist and Jeep

WJ pitman arm

Armor: Custom-built rear bumper

Scott realized that designing and building a three-

link front suspension was well within grasp. With the

4BT placed as low and far back toward the firewall

as possible, he used the transmission crossmember

as the center point for his links. The lower arms,

made of 0.250-inch, 2.5-inch-diameter tubing with

Trail-Gear Creeper joints on the ends, were mounted

inboard enough to maximize ground clearance

and clear the tires. The upper link was made from

0.125-inch, 2-inch-diameter tubing and capped with

Johnny Joints. Though there is space up front for

coilovers, Scott chose 12-inch-travel ORI STX struts

for their smooth packaging, internal bumpstops,

and self-limiting features. Scott took out the closed-

knuckle Dana 27 axle that came with the Willys truck

and sourced a Dana 44 from a ’79 Jeep J20 pickup.

He added 4.88:1 gears and Ford spindles, hubs, and

rotors. His future plans include installing a Spartan

Locker. The truck’s steering box came from a Chevy

Astro, and Scott personally drilled and tapped it to

accept the hydraulic lines for a refurbished PSC ram-

assist. He took the pitman arm from a Jeep WJ and

regrooved it to fit the forward-swinging Astro steering

box. The truck’s braking system consists of hydro-

boost from an Astro van, a ’90s Chevy^3 ⁄ 4 -ton master

cylinder, and the brake pedal from a WJ. Scott claims

he massaged the body and cab “a little” with a cut-

ting torch to make room for the pedals.

When she was 4 years old, Scott’s daughter hung the doughnut keychain from the rearview mirror as a Christ-
mas gift, and she now refers to his ride as “The Doughnut Truck.” The “12” on the dash is a helmet magnet
and harkens back to when Scott worked for the Forest Service Fire Department and the Willys was a commuter
vehicle. He custom-built the truck’s gauge cluster and the chain-link front axle shifter. Why is the main shifter
so tall? Scott told us he likes it that way.

A Borg-Warner T-19 came as part of the deal when Scott purchased

the P30 van, so he took the tranny to his shop and rebuilt it with a new

output shaft and bearings. Again considering space, Scott split the die-

sel power with a Dana 20 he already had on hand. All he needed was a

Novak adapter kit

to make it fit his

truck. Bolted to the

back of the T-case

is an overdrive unit

consisting of Ford

Ranger gears and

a tailhousing from

Advance Adapters.

Using 3.5-inch

piping, Scott ran

his exhaust straight

from the turbo and

out the passenger

side of the truck.