For the past two years, Chad Leising has been chasing his dream of owning a vehicle that would both rule the desert and exemplify the new generation of off-road lifestyle. Chad tells us, "I feel as if the off-road community is changing from a few guys camping with their friends to an entire lifestyle in the dirt. The vehicles are changing too, from the old-school, beat-up, 20-year-old trucks to caged trucks built with Baja - and with style - in mind."
When Chad purchased this '97 Ford Ranger, it was not a complete vehicle. He purchased just the cab and frame and delivered it to JB Motorsports of Oceanside, California. Unfortunately, JB Motorsports has recently closed its doors so we could not contact anybody there for further technical information. The early morning sun on the Barstow racecourse really makes the Daytona Sunset Orange Metallic paint typically found on the '06 lineup of Corvettes pop off the page. Epic Audio of Oceanside, California, was responsible for laying down the color.
If you follow the pages of OFF-ROAD, you will recognize that Chad echoes a theme to which we have often referred: Enthusiast owners are spending much more time and money these days building quality, show-winning vehicles that also perform as if they were born on a sand dune.
In the Oct. '06 issue of Off-Road, we featured Travis Siflinger's Ford Explorer and wrote about Siflinger's company, Dirt Alliance (DA), and its mission of promoting off-roading as a lifestyle, similar to the lifestyles associated with sports like skateboarding and surfing. Once Chad got wind of what was happening with DA, he knew he had found a kindred spirit. Chad got a hold of Travis and shortly thereafter he became the newest addition to the DA team of vehicles.
If you're looking to check out one of the DA team vehicles in action, look for the biggest launch pad at your local racecourse or sand dune and without a doubt you'll see DA's logo shooting through the air.
At the end of our day in the dirt with Chad, he assured us that this wouldn't be the last vehicle out of his garage to be featured in a magazine. While he still has a few more things planned for this Ford, that isn't stopping him from plotting his next dirt desire.
FiberwerX did an incredible job fitting its fiberglass fenders, bedsides, and F-150 X-treme hood to the vehicle. The hood scoop and louvers really make this truck stand out among other Ranger prerunners. A complete set of four Hella Rallye 4000 lights is mounted to the 'cage on the roof for night-vision duties. | 
Under the hood is a Ford 302 H.O. engine pushing over 300 hp through a Turbo 400 transmission. A Gibson exhaust system was also added to keep the truck breathing properly in dirty environments. Chad already has plans to upgrade the power of his Ford with a 343cc Stroker engine built from top to bottom. | 
The rear axle is a custom-gusseted Ford 9-inch stuffed with a Strange Nodular third member running a full chrome-moly spool locker and 4.86-ratio gears. |
Following the 'cage work just after the cab, you can see the three-link suspension setup. Chad chose King 2.5x14-inch coilovers, King 2.5x16-inch triple-bypass shocks, and King 2.5 hydraulic bumpstops for the rear. The rear travel was measured at 28 inches, which gives the driver plenty of confidence under most terrain conditions. The craftsmanship on Chad's truck is beautiful and makes us wonder why JB Motorsports is no longer in business. | 
JB Motorsports was also responsible for the construction of the suspension system under this flying Blue Oval. The front equal-length I-beams are 9 inches wider per side, pulling 22 inches of wheel travel. The front shocks are King 2.5x14-inch coilovers with a matching set of King 2.5-inch hydraulic bumpstops. Next up will be the addition of a set of King 2.5-inch triple-bypass shocks to aid in soaking up the whoops. The braking systems both front and rear were... | 
...pulled off a Ford F-150 using 4WD hubs and disc brakes. Since JB Motorsports has shut down, Brett Ferguson of Beyond Fabrication is now responsible for the fabrication and suspension on the truck. With how far Chad pushes his truck, Brett has already done a few minor repair jobs as well as doing all of the prep on the truck for each outing. |