July 2014 - Low Range Off Road Blog

Copyright© 2014
Orem, Utah July 2014
Issue #19
COMING EVENTS
Formerly known as
I
The Main event
Badlands Off Road Park
Attica, Indiana
n late 2013, Jim Christiansen,
the creator and owner of Inchworm Gear,
merged forces with Low Range Off-Road
to continue building the Inchworm Gear
brand and product line. At that point we
did keep things somewhat quiet as we
wanted to make a few changes. We
updated the logo, some of the
July 10-12, 2014
ZookiMelt Dirty Turtle Off Road Park
Bedford, Kentucky
July 10-12, 2014
products, revamped the kits to make
them more complete, updated the
instructions, and increased inventory on
hand. We are still in the process of doing
this but at this point we did feel like we
were far enough along that we wanted to
start "tooting our horn" so to speak. GonZookin
Rausch Creek Offroad Park
Tremont, Pennsylvania
August 1-3, 2014
For close to 2 decades Inchworm Gear
has been a market leader in the Toyota
Transfercase and Drivetrain Adapters to
help you go slow on the trail.
Here is the history in the words of Jim
himself: (Continued on Next Page)
Follow us on
801-805-6644
Follow us on
Facebook
Continued From
Front Page!
Inching Forward In A Big Way
By Jim Christiansen
Inchworm Gear started in 1991 with my ’82 Suzuki SJ410. I
started my own design. I tinkered with it for a year or more
bought it with a huge lift and a Buick V6. It ran well, but was
before I had it all figured out to my liking. When I made my first
tall and even narrower than the Samurais we’re all familiar with.
prototypes in late 1994, one went into my Suzuki and one went
In my effort to make it lower and/or wider, I ended up putting
into my brother’s first generation Toyota Pickup. They worked
the body and engine onto a shortened 1980 Toyota Pickup
well and we spent a lot of time on the Rubicon and around
frame. I used a bell housing adapter to bolt the Buick engine
Moab trying out my new creation and having a good time. It
up to the Toyota 4 speed and all the drive train was stock 1980
was amazing what a difference that gearing made! From there
Toyota from there back. It was pretty quick, fun to drive, and it
the word spread and others wanted to go slow too. By then I
did really well off road from day one. I kept hearing about the
had graduated so I hired a local machine shop to manufacture
Rubicon Trail and soon I was on my first run.
my first run of Double Transfer Case Adapters.
I had a great time, but could see that the Jeeps and
Landcruisers that had the truck 4 speeds (like the SM420) with
the granny first gear, had a significant advantage. What could I
do with a Toyota Pickup drive train to get the same advantage?
At this point I had been taking machine shop classes in college
for a few semesters and I started to think of ways I could solve
this problem. I built an adapter and put an SM420 into my
Suzuki. Immediately the world changed! I could go slow! Most
of my family and friends had Toyota pickups. They wanted to
go slow too, but the SM420 wasn’t such a great swap for a
My dad had said the vehicles with the extra low gearing
seemed to “inch” along like an inchworm and the name just
stuck. Inchworm Gear became a formal business in 1999 and
since then the company has grown significantly. We have
continued to design and enhance the product line of Double
Transfer Case Adapters, Transmission to Transfer Case
Adapters, fully Built Transfer Cases, and Differentials for the
Toyota 4wd
lineup. We
have acquired
our own CNC
machining
stock Toyota. About the same time there was an article in one
of the magazines about guys in Iceland using two transfer
cases to get low enough gearing to run 44″ tires so they could
float on top of the snow. I realized this was a great idea and
equipment
and we
manufacture
our adapters in
house.
[2]
801-805-6644
Follow us on
Facebook
Continued From
Page 2
Inching Forward In A Big Way
By Jim Christiansen
Many of our customers will remember Clint, Reid, Corey,
Low Range
Matt, Jonathan, Russ, Cameron, and Josh. Each of these
Off-Road became
employees has made great contributions over the years to
the marketing and
make Inchworm Gear what it is today; we appreciate each of
support force for
them and all of their efforts as part of the Inchworm Team.
the Inchworm Gear
In mid 2013 my wife and I decided it was time for a
Website and my
Tech
Support
designs. We still
produce the products with the Inchworm name and will
continue to bring more adapter combinations and other
products to market. We are thrilled about this new business
adventure!
Jim Christiansen
Inchworm Gear
12/21/2013
change of scenery and started making plans to move both
our home and business from Northern California to Northern
Arizona. I felt it was time for some changes in the way we did
business as well. After much thought, I contacted Low Range
Off-Road. I knew they had done well to make a name for
themselves in the Toyota market and had the customer
service I wanted to be associated with Inchworm Gear. Low
LROR
Show
Room
Range had been an Inchworm dealer for several years, so
they were already familiar with many of our products. After
some negotiations, we agreed to join forces with Low Range
Off-Road in late 2013.
So, with all that being said, we are very proud to
Introduce Inchworm Gear products from Low
Range Off-Road.
Another step in making Low Range Off-Road your
One Stop Toyota Shop!
Please visit the new Inchworm Gear landing page
within Low Range Off-Road's website at
inchwormgear.com to see all the current products
and keep an eye out for more coming soon.
Sean Conk
Low Range Off-Road
Orem, Utah, USA
Low Range Off-Road
[3]
801-805-6644
Follow us on
Facebook
Owner: Paul Land
From: Fort Bragg,
RIG OF THE
MONTH
July
North Carolina, USA
Tires & wheels:
32" TSL Super Swamper
on 15x8 steel wheels.
Suspension: SPOA
Drive train: Freshly rebuilt 1.3 Stage 3
center force clutch.
Performance Modifications: Weber
32\36 carb, stainless header, 2" exhaust, and a
2" Body lift.
Other accessories: LED trail lights, cb
radio, after market stereo.
1988 Suzuki Samurai
Does everything work the way you want:
So far things are working the way I like.
Anything you would change:
There is still tons of room for improvement. I'd like to do a
Toyota axle swap, 6.5:1 transfer case, and eventually a 3 link 4 link suspension.
Toughest Trail or Obstacle: The toughest trail I've ever run was Daniels Trail in Uwharrie.
This trail tested the limits of the vehicle's current capabilities.
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
Meet:
Kaleb Prerost
Q: What is your job/role at Low Range Off-Road?
Q: How long have you been working here?
Inventory Receiving
2 years
Q: What is the best thing you like about working here?
Working with offroad parts and the atmosphere; but mostly the opportunity to always learn new things.
Q: Where are you originally from?
Q: What's your background?
Northern Wisconsin
I grew up on a farm 5 minutes from Lake Superior.
Q: Any favorite sports teams?
Green Bay Packers
Q: What vehicles do you own?
I just sold my 1990 4 Runner, and plan on getting
another. I currently drive a 1984 Honda XR500R.
Q: What is your family like?
I am one of 4 kids. My family is one of the most
important things to me, they are supportive and always helpful.
Q: What are your hobbies? Off roading, dirt biking, camping, fishing, hunting, skiing, and working on my
vehicle is something I really enjoy.
Q: When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A farmer or in construction
and building.
Q: What is your favorite restaurant?
I like almost all of them.
Q: What is something that people may not know about you?
[4]
801-805-6644
I always hated school but love learning.
Follow us on
Facebook
Project:
July
1990 Toyota 4Runner
Kaleb Prerost
UPDATE
Owner:
PROJECT
Kalab said, “I bought my 4Runner
from a co-worker here at Low Range.
It was almost stock except for a 2 inch
lift and 33" tires. I wheeled it like that
for awhile before I put on Rock Sliders
and went to 35" tires. I bought a
Yukon Grizzly air locker for the rear
and a straight axle which was to be 3
linked in the front. I also had plans to
do a disc brake conversion and 4 link
suspension in the rear. But, I sold it
before all my plans could be done, so I
am looking forward to putting all my
parts and plans in my next rig.”
[5]
801-805-6644
Follow us on
Facebook
FEATUREDPRODUCTS
July
9
$19
.00
Details
This kit is to allow the use of
Rear Samurai Springs in the
front. Why would you use rear
springs in the front of a
Samurai? The rear springs are
longer which allow for greater
articulation and increased ride
quality. Generally with Rear
springs in the front, people use a
standard rear spring and a 3"
Extended Shackle to match the
front. For More
information
Click Here
Kit Features:
• CNC Laser Cut Bracketry, CNC Press Bent for Accuracy
• 1/4", 3/16" and 3/8" Thick Steel used throughout for stronger than OEM strength.
• Zinc Plated Bracketry and Hardware for Corrosion Resistance.
• All Grade 8 or higher Hardware included for ultimate strength.
• Polyurethane Missing Link Shackle Bushings and Bumpstops
• Missing Link has an anti-inversion feature designed into them so that the shackles
do not invert on full droop.
• Increased Flex and Ride Quality.
Details
Low Range Off Road has been
$119.00
constantly evolving the Suzuki
Samurai world with new and
innovative products that not only perform
awesome, but also don't break the bank. For a long time,
there was a transfer case bracket kit manufactured by
Spidertrax that everyone came to know and fall in love
with. It was great for stock to 4.16:1 Transfer Case gears.
However, Spidertrax discontinued this product near the
end of 2013. Since there was no "intermediate" transfer
case bracket kit, we decided to make something that
Click Here
would fill the void that the Spidertrax mount filled nicely. For More
If you do not replace your bracket even with stock
Information
Samurai gears, there is a chance that your transfer case
bracket will bend and cause permanent damage to your transfer case.
Since the Stock to 4.16 gears put less stress on the mounting of the transfer case, we decided to make a step
below our EOS kits and make the EOS Jr. This kit is by no means a weakling. Fully tig welded and zinc
plated from 3/16" and 1/4" Thick Laser Cut steel plate, this bracket will last forever compared to your weak
stock mounts. This suits all vehicles running from Stock - 4.16:1 Transfer Case gears. For all 4.9:1, 5.14:1, 6.4:1 and
6.5:1 Transfer Case gears, we would recommend our original EOS transfer case cradle.
All prices subject to
change without notice!
801-805-6644
Follow us on
Facebook
$399.00
July
Per Set
$399.00
NEW PRODUCTS
Per Set
1989-1998 Suzuki Sidekick/
Tracker 2 Door 3" Fender Flares
1989-1998 Suzuki Sidekick/
Tracker 4 Door 3" Fender Flares
$299.99
$649.99
Smittybilt XRC-9.5K
Waterproof Winch Gen2
Smittybilt X2O-12K Waterproof
Wireless Winch Gen2
$1,599.00
$364.25
Each
All prices subject
to change without
notice!
2000-2004 Toyota Tacoma 3.4L V6
Front Catalytic Converter, Carb
Approved, Direct Fit by Magnaflow
We now have FULL COLOR
INSTRUCTIONS for many of our
products. Check it out! CLICK
HERE!
Reid Racing Super Hydra 400
Transmission Case Off Road Version
[7]
801-805-6644
Follow us on
Facebook
FEATUREDMANUFACTURER
July
For years Corbeau
has been in the street
and off road racing
markets. No other
company offers a
bigger selection of
quality seats at such
an affordable price.
Over 50 Years ago, Corbeau began by offering
custom seats for race cars in Europe and quickly
became the seat of choice for race car enthusiasts
worldwide. That reputation allowed them to expand
their expertise in race car seats to offer them for just
about every vehicle imaginable. Corbeau
manufactures brackets to fit almost any seat in any
car, truck, or SUV. Most of the top race sanctioning bodies require a seat
to be FIA (Fédération Internationale de
l’Automobile) approved for ultimate safety. Corbeau
has a full line of FIA approved seats and that
knowledge of manufacturing FIA approved seats
allows them to apply that same knowledge in
providing quality seats for other vehicles, not just
race cars. With over 50 years
experience you can
imagine the amount of
feedback they have
received from customers. Corbeau has applied that
feedback to design some
of the most supportive
and comfortable seats
imaginable. They also
have a full line of
harness belts to
compliment their seat
line.
Corbeau's USA headquarters is situated here in Utah.
Since Corbeau does not sell directly to the public,
Low Range Off-Road has 8 of the top selling
Corbeau seats in our showroom so that you can sit in
the seats and see which one fits you best. Come on in
—dream of being in a race buggy, take a nap in a
seat...we welcome anyone to sit in our Corbeau seats.
Did you know? Low Range Off-Road
Manufactures Seat Brackets for the
Suzuki Samurai and Suzuki Sidekick /
Tracker to fit Corbeau seats. Did you know? "Corbeau" or
"Corbeaux" is french for Crow or Raven. Thanks Corbeau for providing great seats at an
affordable price!
801-805-6644
Follow us on
Facebook