Custom Ford Prerunner Trucks - Off-Road Magazine

What's in a name? We've noticed that many of the best prerunners we've found come from fab shops bearing a pair of initials, such as H&M, B.K., and C&D. If you equate these initials with high-quality fabrication and fast-moving off-road trucks, then we've got another pair of initials to add to your list: JD.

JD Fabrication is the melding of two pairs of talented hands, namely those of Jesse Nelson and Dave Dinsmore. Jesse and Dave first became acquainted through a common interest in smaller-scale speed: R/C cars. As time passed, the R/C cars gave way to full-scale trucks, and the quest began to find ways to make their trucks faster and more capable in the dirt. Fast-forward a few years to find Jesse and Dave's talents and resources pooled into what has become a thriving business partnership. JD Fabrication began with long-travel kits for '86-'95 Toyota 4x4s, and now offers kits for several Toyota and Ford models and model years. From individual suspension kits to turnkey buildups, Jesse and Dave willingly apply their off-road expertise to a full spectrum of machinery. The JD portfolio also includes Chevy pickups, Baja Bugs, early Broncos, and Jeeps.We caught up with JD during a weekend of fun disguised as product testing. "I've been coming out here for years," Jesse tells us, speaking of the Ocotillo Wells OHV area.

Ocotillo Wells is part of the San Diego area's backyard and gives off-roaders a chance to test their mettle and machinery against a variety of off-road terrain types. Deep sand? That's found at Blow Sand Hill and at Devil's Slide. Nasty whoops? You can find those in several places such as San Felipe Wash and the Shell Reef Expressway. Once you conquer the whoops on the Shell Reef Expressway, you can test your truck's jumping ability (and your intestinal fortitude) on the Shell Reef jumps. Ocotillo Wells offers something for nearly everyone.

Check out this pair of Fords. We think you'll agree that JD can place its trucks, and its initials, among the best.

A Fine Brew"I had owned this truck less than 24 hours when my brother-in-law rolled it," Noah Ostanik laments. "When it was rolled back over, it looked like a crumpled Coors Light can."

Fortunately, Noah's truck was already equipped with a rollcage, albeit a shoddy one. After the rollover, Noah brought the wrinkled F-150 to Jesse and Dave and asked them to put a pair of 2-1/2-inch King coilovers on the stock I-beams. Upon consultation, Brett King put his suspension wisdom into play and recommended 3-inchers instead, because the weight and muscle of the 460 under the hood would overtax the 2-1/2-inchers and cause them to fade.

"We could see that this truck was going to be so fast that it would've been dangerous to have left the existing rollcage in place. The 'cage was probably made of exhaust tubing, and there were gaps in the welding the size of golf balls," Jesse informs us. "We told Noah that we wouldn't build his suspension unless he also let us cut out the original rollcage and build a safe one in its place."

Four months later, the F-150 emerged as a nicely built prerunner ready for weekend-warrior duty in the desert and the dunes. It's a good thing that JD got the go-ahead to proceed with a proper 'cage, because the "Beer Can" has been crumpled more than once. After a few episodes of crumpling, it was obvious that the best way to keep the Beer Can looking ready for the starting line instead of the recycling bin was to use fiberglass body panels all the way around. Each time the truck was rolled, or when something wore out or broke, it was replaced with something bigger, better, faster, or stronger. The truck has evolved into a full-blown, Class 8 race truck built to the specs set forth in the SCORE rule book.

Underneath all of the structural metallic trickery still lie a few shards of OEM sheetmetal. The firewall, cab floor, and rear cab wall have been left in place, and still protect the driver and codriver from the elements, hot automotive fluids, and fire. The balance of the truck's body panels, including the roof, is now rendered in lightweight, easily replaceable fiberglass.
Underneath all of the structural metallic trickery still lie a few shards of OEM sheetmeta
The rear shocks' upper mounts tuck neatly behind the bedsides and below a slick dimple-died plate. Note the "black box" rally tracker bolted to the rear 'cage. This device is used by SCORE to make sure racers stay on course and respect posted speed limits while on public highways in Baja. Out of necessity, each Baja racecourse traverses short sections of Baja's public highways.
The rear shocks' upper mounts tuck neatly behind the bedsides and below a slick dimple-die

The JD equal-length I-beams were fabricated using 4130 chrome-moly tube, plate, and billet which was machined to form the beam ends; precisely laid TIG welds hold it all together. Steering the 37-inch BFG Baja T/As calls for more strength than a steering box alone can reliably supply, so a Howe hydraulic assist works in concert with a Howe-built Saginaw steering box. Steering with one finger isn't too smart, especially at race speeds, but it is possible with these components.
The JD equal-length I-beams were fabricated using 4130 chrome-moly tube, plate, and billet
Kingpins give absolute reliability to this front end. JD built its steering knuckles around readily available Kartek spindles and hubs. Aurora rod ends are used to connect the tie rods to the JD knuckles. The JD design is both smart and well executed: The rod end is mounted to the knuckle in double shear (the fixing bolt goes through mounting tabs on both ends instead of just one), and the rod end's shank is held in place by both a jam nut and a pinch bolt. The red urethane spacers keep the rod end centered in its mounting clevis. No misalignment spacers are used, which means a bigger bolt can pass through the rod end. Bottom line: big-time strength.
Kingpins give absolute reliability to this front end. JD built its steering knuckles arou
Ford's big-block 460 V-8 is a portly powerplant at over 700 pounds, but when the throttle is mashed, things happen in a hurry. Since the motor was pulled from the engine bay during the buildup, it was a perfect time to add some extra oomph. El Cajon, California's Total Performance bored the block 0.060 over, added a stroker crank, and finally balanced and blueprinted the mill. An 825-cfm Demon carburetor sits atop a Weiand intake manifold and breathes through a K&N filter. Other engine goodies include an MSD ignition, a custom oil pan by JD Fabrication, and a custom exhaust via Vista Muffler's Matt Simpson. Noah's Class 8 competitors will have to out-accelerate 650 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque if they expect to pass the Beer Can.
Ford's big-block 460 V-8 is a portly powerplant at over 700 pounds, but when the throttle

As first built, Noah's F-150 was fitted with a nicely equipped Ford 9-inch rearend based on a stock housing. When the truck jumped into full Class 8 trim, the stock rearend was traded for a fully fabricated, full-floating Tube Works housing stuffed with 40-spline axles, a spool, and a 4.56 ring-and-pinion set. The housing's bracketry includes strike pads for the King bumpstops and small coves to clear the ATL fuel cell's tubular mounts. The four-link rear suspension travels 28 inches from full bump to full droop.
As first built, Noah's F-150 was fitted with a nicely equipped Ford 9-inch rearend based o
From the trail to the racecourse, spares are more than just a good idea, they're frequently the difference between having a good time and having to tell stories that will hopefully get funnier with time. Six quarts of oil rest at the ready, securely held in place. Military surplus ammo cans are tough, weather-sealed, and cheap to purchase, so additional spares and tools found their way into a U.S. Army castoff mounted aft of the ATL fuel cell.
From the trail to the racecourse, spares are more than just a good idea, they're frequentl
Climbing past a rolled-up Diest window net is the only way to get into the pilot's seat. The tubing isn't a jungle-gym climbing challenge, it's carefully triangulated to put each tube to proper structural use. Below the rearview mirror is a stub can. When the truck arrives at a checkpoint, a unique checkpoint stub is placed in the stub can to verify that the truck made it to the checkpoint.
Climbing past a rolled-up Diest window net is the only way to get into the pilot's seat.

Heat up your tranny and it won't matter how much motor or suspension you have - you won't be moving. Dual Fluidyne tranny coolers chill the Steve Culhane-built C6.
Heat up your tranny and it won't matter how much motor or suspension you have - you won't
Be a good codriver... or else! Yours truly was treated to a short ride in the Beer Can. For some reason, I never asked whether or not that switch really works.
Be a good codriver... or else! Yours truly was treated to a short ride in the Beer Can.
The 17x8-inch Ultra wheels bolt up to the Kartek hubs using burly 5/8-inch studs. Wilwood rotors and calipers are actuated by a CNC pedal and master cylinder combo.
The 17x8-inch Ultra wheels bolt up to the Kartek hubs using burly 5/8-inch studs. Wilwood

Once they've climbed inside, driver and codriver actually have spacious surroundings. The Beard seats tilt back just enough to give generous foot room, and the steering wheel is within easy reach of the driver. An Art Carr shifter controls the C6, and Auto Meter gauges relay critical info to driver and codriver. Like many competition machines, there's no speedometer, only a tach. Ground speed can be found by reading it on the Lowrance GPS display screen. First-aid supplies are at the ready in a translucent box fastened neatly out of the way on the tranny tunnel.
Once they've climbed inside, driver and codriver actually have spacious surroundings. The
Ford's stock steering setup is a funky one. The driver's side beam, which is the longer of the two, has the shortest tie rod. As a result, toe-in changes as the suspension cycles. JD complemented its equal-length I-beams with a swing-set steering linkage that's much more durable than stock and features equal-length tie rods for better handling. A grease zerk fitted to the swing set's outer shell makes maintenance easy.
Ford's stock steering setup is a funky one. The driver's side beam, which is the longer o
Having the hottest shocks in town isn't a good thing when you're in the middle of a 20-mile whoop section. Hot shocks fade, and the truck then handles like a pogo stick. To avoid the pogo syndrome, a 3-inch King bypass shock shares the load with a 3-inch King coilover. Together, the pair of shocks has enough oil capacity to resist fading, and the control added by the position-sensitive bypass shocks gives the driver added confidence and control at speed in the rough. High-tech parts can be rendered useless if they're bolted up to weak or poorly executed metalwork. No such trouble here - this front end is both aesthetic and athletic.
Having the hottest shocks in town isn't a good thing when you're in the middle of a 20-mil

Custom Prerunner Ford Ranger Landing Jump

One-Grand Beginning"Timing is everything."Maybe, maybe not. There's no question that proper timing is essential to making an engine run, and there's no question that proper timing was a key factor when Dave Dinsmore acquired his '95 Ranger SuperCab. It seems that Dave had a friend in need... of some quick money. Good timing allowed him to pick up a clean truck for just $900. During the first two years, the truck was a daily-driven stocker. When year number three came along, the time was right to begin transforming the truck.

"I built this truck with low costs in mind," Dave tells OFF-ROAD. "There are several things on this truck that work just as well as the high-dollar stuff, but cost much less."

His overall investment in this truck has been relatively mild because labor is usually the single biggest cost when building a high-end truck. In this case, the owner, fabricator, and driver are all the same person. Dave just needed enough after-hours time to do the work.

After putting together a string of after-hours fabrication sessions for about a year, Dave's Ranger has emerged as a TIG-welded chrome-moly creation capable of carrying its owner/builder/pilot and a few lucky copilots at high velocity across the unpredictable desert floor. The minimal dollars invested belie the topnotch fabrication that is the heart of a once-humble stocker. This one-grand wonder proves that sometimes, timing really is everything.

The curvaceous, dimple-died rear shock mounts look great, but they score just as highly in the strength department. The cab was pierced outside of the rear window to keep the stock rear window glass intact. Crossbracing adds additional strength and rigidity to the chassis.
The curvaceous, dimple-died rear shock mounts look great, but they score just as highly in
We've seen plenty of well-constructed light bars, and this one is no exception. Dave's version goes a couple steps further by using rubber grommets between the cab roof and the tubing. This keeps the weather out and minimizes noise. A quick-disconnect plug makes for clean, reliable wiring.
We've seen plenty of well-constructed light bars, and this one is no exception. Dave's ve

The radius arm pivots are braced with a simple piece of tubing that spans the distance and doubles as a tranny crossmember. Check out the brake line routing. Hard line runs down the frame to a short section of flex line, then more hard line runs forward along the radius arms, and finally to another section of flex line connecting to the caliper. This routing takes more work than just running long flex lines directly between the frame and calipers, but it does a much better job of keeping the brake lines away from harm. The JD J-beams produce 20 inches of desert-ready suspension travel.
The radius arm pivots are braced with a simple piece of tubing that spans the distance and
The factory frame was sliced off aft of the cab and replaced with a pair of tubes. The slicing and subsequent tube placement netted an additional 5 inches of bump travel. To counter body roll, Dave used a sway bar from Speedway Engineering and built his own sway bar arms. "I asked for a double-wide splined section on the sway bar, and I built the arms using two inserts per side instead of one," he says.
The factory frame was sliced off aft of the cab and replaced with a pair of tubes. The sl
The radius arm pivots are braced with a simple piece of tubing that spans the distance and doubles as a tranny crossmember. Check out the brake line routing. Hard line runs down the frame to a short section of flex line, then more hard line runs forward along the radius arms, and finally to another section of flex line connecting to the caliper. This routing takes more work than just running long flex lines directly between the frame and calipers, but it does a much better job of keeping the brake lines away from harm. The JD J-beams produce 20 inches of desert-ready suspension travel.
The radius arm pivots are braced with a simple piece of tubing that spans the distance and

The stock 3L V-6 is the only reason this truck isn't a rocket ship just yet. Plans are in the works for a Ford small-block V-8 crate motor.
The stock 3L V-6 is the only reason this truck isn't a rocket ship just yet. Plans are in

To keep costs down without sacrificing performance, Dave chose to retain the stock power brake booster and master cylinder. There's nothing inherently wrong with stock power brakes, except that the booster takes up a lot of room under the hood and can get in the way of shock mounts and rollcage tubing. Care was taken to mount the 3-inch King coilovers so they wouldn't contact the brake booster or master cylinder. This truck stops on a dime.
To keep costs down without sacrificing performance, Dave chose to retain the stock power b
A trio of Beard seats and Crow harnesses keeps pilots and passengers in place. Note the dimple-died tie-in plate next to the driver seat. This ties the rollcage to the cab, adding strength and minimizing squeaks and rattles.
A trio of Beard seats and Crow harnesses keeps pilots and passengers in place. Note the d
Why carry an F-150 door through the desert? "If it gets hot, I just roll down the window!" Kids, don't take any advice from this man.
Why carry an F-150 door through the desert? "If it gets hot, I just roll down the window!

Bending, cutting, measuring, welding, and many, many hours went into the rear suspension's lower links. All this careful construction is for good reason: They're highly stressed, and need to be both strong and tough. What's the difference? Strength refers to the ability to resist bending under loads. Toughness refers to the ability to resist bending or breaking under impacts, such as those received from rogue rocks that live in sand washes. Another of this truck's money-saving components is the Ford 9-inch rearend from a salvage yard. After it was brought back to the shop, the salvaged housing was filled with 5.67 gears, a spool, 31-spline 'shafts, and was capped off with Wilwood Superlite brake calipers. As with the Beer Can, the four-link nets 28 inches of rear wheel travel.
Bending, cutting, measuring, welding, and many, many hours went into the rear suspension's
Bending, cutting, measuring, welding, and many, many hours went into the rear suspension's lower links. All this careful construction is for good reason: They're highly stressed, and need to be both strong and tough. What's the difference? Strength refers to the ability to resist bending under loads. Toughness refers to the ability to resist bending or breaking under impacts, such as those received from rogue rocks that live in sand washes. Another of this truck's money-saving components is the Ford 9-inch rearend from a salvage yard. After it was brought back to the shop, the salvaged housing was filled with 5.67 gears, a spool, 31-spline 'shafts, and was capped off with Wilwood Superlite brake calipers. As with the Beer Can, the four-link nets 28 inches of rear wheel travel.
Bending, cutting, measuring, welding, and many, many hours went into the rear suspension's
In place of exotic spindles and hubs, items from an F-150 4x4 were used.A custom cap seals off the hub instead of using a non-functional 4x4 locking hub. Wilwood rotors and calipers are another part of the reason this truck stops on a dime. The primo brake parts aren't low-buck items, but Dave was able to pick them up at a bargain price one Bay. They're secondhand stock-car parts, and while the roundy-round racers decided they needed to be replaced, they've got plenty of life left for this Ranger.
In place of exotic spindles and hubs, items from an F-150 4x4 were used.A custom cap seals