2004 Off-Road Expo

T&J Performance Center was on hand, showcasing one of the most versatile off-road vehicles ever created: the XJ Cherokee. The XJ features a smooth-riding coil-sprung solid-axle frontend and a wheelbase that's short enough to be maneuverable, but long enough to provide stability at speed. XJ Cherokees also seat four and have generous lockable cargo space. Such a versatile vehicle provides a perfect beast of burden for off-roaders, fast and slow alike. T&J fabricates and sells preformed rollcages that tie into structural points on the XJ unibody and chassis stiffeners that join the rear spring hangers to the front link pivots.

Alan Pflueger brought his Trophy Truck-haulin' semi and several other trucks in his high-speed fleet. Each was an eye-candy feast, but we thought this view of the hood shed light on just how trick the Porter-built TT really is. Massive tire bulges provide clearance for the big Baja Project T/As to cycle beneath and feature louvered vents to minimize frontend lift from air packing beneath the front clip. In the center, the hood drops to provide maximum visibility and is also vented to avoid frontend lift. A glance under the hood revealed nothing but suspension control arms, steering components, and bright-blue King shocks. Porter Trophy Trucks use a mid-engine design, which feeds the power forward into a Casale V-drive. The V-drive turns the power 180 degrees to an offset rear pumpkin. Most competitors see Pflueger's rear axle and its offset pumpkin, but not much else, as "Pfearless" disappears in a cloud of Baja silt.

Currie Enterprises had a humble beginning when Frank Currie scoured wrecking yards in search of used Ford 9-inch rearends. The junkyard jewels were narrowed and fit to Taylor-Dunn industrial cars. Since those yesteryears, Currie has become a dominant supplier of 9-inch rearends and components. Currie's new CMAC housing adds a new dimension of strength for prerunners and race trucks of all sizes. Currie hasn't distanced itself from its roots, however. Those Taylor-Dunn industrial cars that ferry people and cargo around airports and school campuses still sport narrowed 9-inch rearends - we checked.