Warn Rock Crawling Championships at the Outdoor Recreation Network

1999 Johnson Valley WRCC

Johnson Valley, CA - November 1999

Short Cuts

by: Jefe Reynolds

[

Trails

]

What You'll Need to Be a Contender...

[ Part I | Part II | Part III ]

Minimalism

The rigs with the least amount of body or sheet metal seemed to do the best. Less sheet metal meant less weight, less metal to rub or drag on anything, and the driver could more easily see the trail, and where the tires were at any given moment. Even with these big tires, the trend was to have the lowest center of gravity possible. Almost all of the 'dozen' had a relatively non-lifted, low profile look. Of course, they were lifted, but as little as possible to get the job done, and not so much as to pose a roll-over hazard. They all looked very stable on side hills. Many of the rigs also had a stripped, lean look, devoid of anything not absolutely needed for extreme rock crawling. Few rigs had the usual amenities such as heaters, AC's, radios, extra lights, glove boxes, mirrors, windshields, or fenders... although as a prerequisite, every vehicle did have to be registered. One thing I didn't see much scrimping on was roll cages. Some rigs had full exterior roll cages, and all the cages were well-gusseted. Cheap, off-the-shelf roll bars needed not apply.

The Killer Bee sports coil springs at all four corners, offering amazing approach and departure angles.
Todd Adams

Extreme Approach, Side-Approach, Break-Over, and Departure Angles

The approach and departure angles on all the rigs were extreme, with the edge of the tires at least flush with the front and rear of the machine on many. Those without a 90-degree approach and departure had close to 80 degrees. Bumpers, if any, were short and stubby, more like a cross member of the frame than a bumper. In addition, most of the 'dozen' had a very high break-over angle and a very smooth surface underneath, usually a full-width skid plate with nothing to hang up on, but plenty of surface on which to slide. It was not unusual to see 24 or more inches of clearance between the skid plate and the ground. On the sides of rigs, the outer edge of the tires were well out away from the edge of any sheet metal giving them, extreme side approach angles as well. Don't discount this side approach, as several contestants kept grinding away on the tires, while laying on their sides, with very little metal impeding their progress.

Odds and Ends

To be a contender, you MUST know the rules by which you compete. John and I made some tactical errors at the competition by not knowing EXACTLY how the rules read. You may want to try some VOC radios for communication between the driver and spotter. We tried these but found them cumbersome and went back to basic hand signals. A large elapsed time clock on the dash would be helpful for the driver on the timed courses. We timed out by seconds when we could have just blitzed the last 30 feet and made a good score.

When the dust settled, the small Sniper nabbed the top prize.
Robin Stover

Contenders to the Throne: Would-be Kings on the Rocks

Now for some observed techniques. These drivers have to have some talent to get that high up in the ratings and beat out all those other rigs. There is just no substitute for knowing instinctively what to do to get over an obstacle. Many of the drivers and spotters have spent untold hours plying their craft on the rocks, finding out what works and what doesn't. If you don't get out on the rocks much to test your skills with your machine, with a good spotter, you are probably doomed to mediocrity. It's one thing to just 'tractor' your way over the easiest route on Wrecking Ball. It's another thing to know when to give it the "Moab bump" to power over something, and yet another to know the difference between the two and the myriad variations in between. Many of the 'dozen' were very aggressive, with no fear, and could use momentum to just rumble right over obstacles that would stop the conservative 'tractor' style driver dead in his tracks. You need a lot of faith in your rig and in your abilities to be in this former category. The successful drivers knew where the edges were and could be right on the edge of breaking, and yet not break. Those with automatic transmissions displayed a great two-pedal technique with the gas and brakes. With one foot on each, they worked the pedals keeping the rig in control at all times.

Thee guys worked hard, but their long wheelbase, body panels, and breakage undermined their excellent teamwork.
Todd Adams

What Didn't Work

Did I mention why some didn't make it to the finals? Some of the problems were, starting with the most important:

Lack of GREAT rock crawling talent, technique and experience in driver and spotter
Drive train not bullet proof; too much power for the strength of the drive train; dependability woes. Many had not tested their rigs under these extreme conditions and suffered the consequences.
Not enough clearance under axles/frame/body/t-case; poor approach, break over, and/or departure angles.
Tires too small for routes; tire pressure too high for maximum effective traction
Axles/wheels/body, too wide for the gates
Rig too tall, with too high a center of gravity
Too much flex and/or not enough shocking to prevent instability; suspension not balanced
Wheel base too short or too long
Carburetors

To sum it up, the dirty dozen drove wonderfully built up, purpose-built rigs and displayed over and over again, a very high degree of talent and application to overcome the obstacles. The rigs were extremely well built and well tested, with all the bugs ironed out. I hope this gives you some ideas on what it takes for you to be a contender in the Warn Rock Crawling Championship.

[ Part I | Part II | Part III ]