It all started with an e-mail to the editor of OFF-ROAD. The West Shore Ambulance Service that takes care of Ocotillo Wells was having a real problem getting out to accident sites to rescue people. They were traversing through areas filled with off-road obstacles and sand dunes, and in a stock 2WD converted van! Not only did these vans have small tires and no four-wheel-drive, but they were also loaded down with a ton of extra weight due to the ambulance conversion. A rescue vehicle cannot afford to get stuck, and it needs to be able to make it out to accident victims. Something had to be done - if for no other reason than self-preservation! After all, it's likely going to be one of the staff members of OFF-ROAD magazine in back of this ambulance some day, and we want to make sure they get to us when we crash!
We quickly went about masterminding a plan to get this ambulance outfitted for off-road use. We remembered an ad that we had seen in the back of this very magazine - an ad for heavy duty van suspension lifts for 2WD Ford vans. After flipping through the back pages of a couple past issues, we found the ad: Action Van Suspension. Well, if you can build an action van then you can certainly build an action ambulance.
This would be the basis of our project, and we would choose tires and wheels accordingly. At the same time, we also wanted to throw in some type of traction-aiding device into the rear axle.
After a little research, it was figured out that the ambulance was running around with a rear Dana 60, and it would soon fit up to 285/75R16 tire once the 5-inch Action Van kit was added.
When we called up the Eaton Performance and told them about the plan to outfit an ambulance so it can better rescue people, the kind people at Eaton were happy to donate a Detroit Locker for the build.
Likewise, Mickey Thompson Tires was also very generous once they heard about our proposal and how it would help so many loyal customers of theirs who use the Ocotillo Wells recreation area.
We had all the hard parts, and now we had to find a couple shops willing to do a good deed and help out with the build. Full Tilt Off-Road in San Clemente, California was our first stop. They got the entire suspension installed while we waited for some Baja ATZs and a Detroit Locker to show up. Once the suspension was on and the locker, tires, and wheels showed up, we headed down to the Off Road Warehouse in San Diego, California, to mount up the wheels and tires and install the locker.
 We got the ambulance up on...  We got the ambulance up on the rack at Full Tilt Off-Road, and proceeded to tear everything down...... |  ......A little inspection...  ......A little inspection showed some obvious signs of off-road wear and tear...... |  .....The oil pan had a giant...  .....The oil pan had a giant dent in it, and the radius arm bushings were completely worn. |
 There are two levels of kits...  There are two levels of kits that you can get from Action Van Suspension. Pictured here are the Ultimate Suspension (top), the Basic Kit (middle), and the stock van radius arms. The Ultimate Suspension uses 1.75-inch DOM tubing with 1.25-inch FK rod ends. The Basic Kit comes with a modified radius arm and a modified pivot bracket with thicker metal plate used to prevent distortion. |  Here is a modified pivot bracket...  Here is a modified pivot bracket next to the stock one. |  This is a stock radius arm...  This is a stock radius arm (left) next to a modified radius arm (right). |
 Full Tilt's Patrick O'Donahue...  Full Tilt's Patrick O'Donahue went to work ripping down the stock suspension and installing the new drop pivots for the I-beams...... |  .....The pivot points of the...  .....The pivot points of the I-beams are dropped 4.5 inches to keep the caster and camber alignment within factory specs after lifting the van 5 inches.A new pitman arm is also supplied to account for the extra inches of lift. A new steering stabilizer is included as well. |  Once the drop pivots and the...  Once the drop pivots and the pitman arm were installed, O'Donahue went to work mounting the bumpstop and sway bar extensions. |
 At this point the original...  At this point the original I-beams and Action Van radius arms were installed on the Van. The new radius arm pivot bracket would definitely distort less, and the new urethane bushing on the end of the radius arm will last much longer during its off-road life. |  Action Van uses Edelbrock...  Action Van uses Edelbrock monotube shocks for their kits. They have tried multiple shocks over the years and found that the Edelbrock shocks deliver the absolute best performance with their kits. |  New 5-inch taller coil springs...  New 5-inch taller coil springs with a slightly increased spring rate were added to the package. |
 The front end was now finished,...  The front end was now finished, but since the van was already in the air, West Shore Ambulance decided to pay Full Tilt to replace the factory Y-link steering linkages since the original equipment was absolutely shot. |  Action Van offers two options...  Action Van offers two options to get rear lift. A custom spring pack can be added to the kit, or you can use a conventional lift block. The Basic Kit comes standard with the lift block kit, so that was what we used. |  With the suspension done and...  With the suspension done and the locker, wheels, and tires recently delivered, we headed down to the Off Road Warehouse in San Diego, California, to have the Eaton Detroit Locker and Baja ATZs installed on this action ambulance. |
 Sergio Lopez started by removing...  Sergio Lopez started by removing the old wheels and tires, and then unbolting the Dana 60 axle shafts. |  The fluid in the differential...  The fluid in the differential was clearly burnt, and it was a good thing that we were about to install a new Detroit Locker and fluid into this axle.Because there are variations of parts and we've run into similar issues before, we made sure to bring both a 30-spline Dana 60 Detroit Locker and a 35-spline Detroit Locker. But even when you are overprepared, things still sometimes do not go the right way.This particular Dana 60 axle had a 32-spline design that we had never even heard of before. We checked Eaton's website and found that there is no locker application for a 32-spline Dana 60.Therefore, we are going to acquire some 30-spline axleshafts to replace the 32-spline units, and then we will be able get Eaton's Detroit Locker dropped into this ambulance's Dana 60 axle. |  Mickey Thompson provided some...  Mickey Thompson provided some nice 16-inch Classic II wheels to fit the 8x6.5 lug pattern of the Ford ambulance, and chose the best tire suited for the duties of this ambulance. They sent us a set of 285/75R16 5-rib Baja ATZ tires that will have excellent street characteristics, but also get some good traction in the desert terrain..... |
 .....We know that they sent...  .....We know that they sent us a great choice because we've had multiple experiences on this very same tire.Lopez got the Baja ATZs mounted on the Classic II rims, and had them on the Action Ambulance is no time at all. |  How Did It Work Out? Well,...  How Did It Work Out?
Well, Chris Herring, the driver of the West Shores Off-Road Action Ambulance sent our editor-in-chief a report, and this is what he had to say:"Thanks for all your help getting this done for us. Our crews and patients are much happier with the ride through the desert. We have never been able to even attempt reaching the top of a certain sand dune before (its name is Devil's Slide) and now we have no problem making it to the top...... |  ......The suspension gives...  ......The suspension gives a way better ride and the tires are making our heavy ambulance float so much better in the sand and get better traction in the soft dirt.We cannot wait for the Detroit Locker to get reinstalled. And sorry about the weird axle in the back. We had no idea."Chris HerringWest Shore Ambulance Service |