How do you prep your offroad vehicles for their next trip? That's what Ian is going to show you today. He's getting his LJ buggy, which has been on the trails for almost seven years, ready for an end-of-your-off-road adventure.
If it has wheels and goes off road, Ian Johnson will work on it! He takes you along for the do it yourself ride, as we tackle everything from simple bolt-ons to full-on fabrication.
Ian builds out monster axles to handle the kind of abuse only 40-inch tires can dish out; sparks fly as he cuts and clears the inner fender wells, making room for all that rubber and travel.
Ian transforms a Factory Five Racing XTF test mule into a hardcore support rig for the Build for Off Road Adventure Ride; he starts by breathing life into the engine and then it's all about strength and control.
Ian wraps up the JK Buggy with powerful off-road lighting, durable protective flooring, a custom infotainment system, and one-of-a-kind exhaust; with the build complete, there's only one thing left to do: put it to the test.
Ian dives into one of his favorite body styles, a low-center-of-gravity crawler. This TJ build keeps lift to a minimum while running massive 40-inch tires on JT axles. Making it all work takes plenty of welding, clever fabrication, and ingenuity.
Ian completes wiring on a modified C10 and prepares for a dyno run; he upgrades the transmission, radiator and other components to manage increased power.
Ian teams up with friends and industry partners for the 2025 Adventure Ride.
The Build for Off Road Adventure Ride continues as Ian and the crew head into the legendary Johnson Valley, home of the world-famous King of the Hammers. The team takes on the brutal Sledgehammer Trail, then faces the infamous Backdoor Trail.
The build team from Factory Five Racing lends Ian a hand as he builds the all new Factory Five XTF Pre-Runner truck; the team creates the ultimate Ford off-road truck at half the cost of a new Ford Raptor.
The Factory Five team is back in the Build For Off-Road shop, and this time they're going to add the drivetrain components out of the F150 donor truck to the new XTF Pre-Runner; they also have a Supercharger surprise under the hood.
Ian creates the ultimate off-road beast: a custom Toyota FJ45 pickup with long travel suspension capable of conquering the toughest terrains and slamming through the rocks with ease.
Ian put a custom chassis under a Jeepster Commando and now needs to cut the body to make room for the larger wheels and tires; he also relocates the engine and transmission mounts so the custom Jeepster will be ready for a new drivetrain.
Ian picks up where he left off by bolting on new coil-over shocks and adding portals to the custom suspension.
Ian installs a new set of shocks, wheels, tires and a custom exhaust on the 2005 long-bed Chevy.
Ian returns to his body-swapped C10 build to show all the extra parts needed to get the twin turbo setup running; he tunes the engine and fires it up for the first time.
Ian changes some accessories on his custom two-door Jeep Gladiator.
Ian puts one of his creations to the test on some of the most challenging rock trails and hill climbs in the Southeast, as he embarks on a multi-day road trip through Golden Mountain Off-Road Park and the Sand Mine Trail.