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PlanetRobby.Com

Capitalizing on a 10-year relationship with Lincoln Electric, Robby Gordon Motorsports has embraced the new addition to the Lincoln family and welcomed Torchmate CNC Cutting Systems onto Planet Robby. Gordon, who has acquired the Torchmate Racing built TTB car for the upcoming Griffin King of the Hammers event, will begin testing the rebadged Speed Energy #77 car this week and he has tasked rock crawling champion and former Pirate4x4.com owner, Lance Clifford, to navigate.
“Although I have not yet met Lance, he has come highly recommended and is a welcome addition to our team. We put a lot of value in having the right people to help us succeed,” said Gordon. Clifford, who has worked during KOH the last 4 years providing live web based coverage, is looking forward to racing. “I was just planning on enjoying the event with my family, but when the best off-road driver in the world calls you up and asks you to navigate you don’t think twice about accepting.”

The new relationship will put Torchmate CNC cutting systems to work in both Robby Gordon Motorsports North Carolina and Southern California facilities, and will see Torchmate as an associate sponsor of Gordon’s new venture into Ultra4 racing as well as his current SCORE Trophy Truck and Dakar off-road programs. “We’re excited to work with Robby Gordon and it’s a perfect fit with Torchmate philosophy on racing and business,” said Bill Kunz, general manager of Torchmate. “The same Torchmate machines the general public can purchase will be put to good use at the hands of Robby Gordon Motorsports,” Kunz added.

The demands of the King of the Hammers race test the merit of both driver and machine due to the brutal terrain. In its 6th running, this year’s course (which remains a closely guarded secret until race week) will be the longest and most difficult to date. The delicate balance of rock crawling’s technical skill set, coupled with wide open assaults in the open desert, require a vehicle that is comfortable at two completely different ends of the off-road spectrum. Gordon had this to say about his first impression of the vehicle, “The craftsmanship in the construction of this TTB car is a testament to the quality of products Torchmate builds. We build racecars of the highest standard in our fabrication shops, and this vehicle looks like something we built. I am excited to have a chance to race it in KOH and know we can do well. This relationship is not just a one-race deal; we are looking forward to building the Torchmate brand alongside our existing partners and introducing Torchmate to a new market.” A number of crossover drivers have attempted the King of the Hammers in the last 5 years, but few return, and even less make the leap to car owner.

The buzz created by Ultra4 racing fans suggests that Robby Gordon’s presence this year will no doubt be one of the highlights of the event. “It’s always great to see new drivers make an investment in our sport, but when it’s a driver as popular as Robby Gordon, that creates the potential to introduce a wide selection of fans and have a positive result for all of our teams,” responded Dave Cole of Hammerking Productions when asked about his newest racer. “It’s a lot like the Baja 1000,” Gordon closed with, “It’s a huge event people plan the whole year around. I can’t wait to give it a shot!”

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Family Car Guide
Off road enthusiasts are all the rage. The money, time, effort and energy owners of four-wheel drive vehicles put into their hobby is simply astounding. There's always something to install, from running boards to brush guards. Something new to be considered to make your enjoyment of the great outdoors that much better. The availability of legally sanctioned 4x4 trails in the United States is rather amazing.

Here then, is a brief look at seven of the top rated, and best loved destinations that you can have fun driving. If you don't own a truck with the right accessories or a four wheeler, don't fret. Many of the driving trails have rental businesses which are more than happy to provide you with a loner for the day. (And that includes some of the Hawaiian choices as well!)

Seven 4x4 Off Road Destinations You Must Experience!

1. Molokai Forest Reserve Road (Hawaii): drive the forest road and experience canyons, sea cliffs, waterfalls 3,600 feet high, and the Kamakou Peak up at 4,961 feet.

2. Allegheny National Forest (Pennsylvania): though inclement weather can close down the trails, from Memorial Day to the last Sunday of September you'll enjoy the river valley in all the beauty fall in western PA has to offer.

3. Grand Canyon & Monument Valley (AZ & Utah): One of the Natural Wonders of the World, the Grand Canyon is truly America's finest geological masterpiece. There are a number of trails in and near the canyon and Monument Valley that will provide you with days of off road fun.

4. Canyon Country (Utah): travel the 100 mile White Rim trail and be wowed by red rock canyons, mesas and 1,000 foot overlooks above the Colorado and Green Rivers. Apply well in advance if you want to camp out.

5. Munro Trail (Lanai, Hawaii): from the highest mountain peak, Lana'ihale, you'll see four different Hawaiian islands and loads of mountains, valleys, coast line and forest along this 10.5 mile trail.

6. Mendocino National Forrest (California): why not combine a trip to the Northern California coast with wine tasting and off highway vehicle fun? The forest service, in combination with the California Off Highway Vehicle fund promotes safe, fun and ecologically sound options to enjoy your 4x4.

7. Death Valley National Park (CA): as ominous as its name, Death Valley can be a real test of your rig and your ability to survive in severely punishing places. Go in the winter or spring when temperatures are unlikely to hit near the U.S. record high of 134 degrees!

These are but seven destinations for outdoor 4x4 off highway vehicle fun. If you're interested in learning more, check out what is locally offered in your area. Chances are you're going to find there is much more off-roading than you ever imagined. Just be sure to only visit officially sanctioned, legal trails. Otherwise, the chances are good you'll either be trespassing or could possibly irreversibly damage public or private lands.

• 100% CNC made.
• Housing and ball are machine from 1045 steel, (beware of copies that use trailer hitch balls!)
• 42 degree of angular misalignment
• The joints have been tested in Ansys for a rupture at 22 000 Lbs.

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MetalCloak

The MetalCloak 6Pak™ (Patent Pending 61/520,240) provides the longest shock travel relative to a compressed length for any off-road shock ever built in history, period. If you thought Coil-Overs were your next upgrade, think again. While the 6Pak is not a replacement for coil-overs, they could be your next step, providing the performance of a long-travel shock with the ease of a factory bolt-on shock. MetalCloak once again brings you the best performance and the easiest install.

Current Applications:

MetalCloak JK 3.5" Long Travel Suspension

• TJ Generic Long Arm Adapter Kit
• Other applications are only limited by your needs and your imagination.

All shocks are dyno-tested to ensure they meet our strick guidelines and are ready for your unique build.

MetalCloak's Floating Shock Body Technology (FST) provides a game-changing platform featuring parallel shafts extending from a floating body, centralized by dual opposing reservoirs; this revolutionary feature allows for twice the usual stoke over typical industry shocks.

Now the problems of low-hanging shocks or limited travel because of your shock body are fully and completely eliminated and the shock is no longer the limiting factor in your build.

Specifications:

Nitrogen Charge:
- Dual Opposing Reservoirs
- 150psi – 160psi per side (end user can custom adjust if desired)

Shaft (Rod) Material:
- Parallel Shafts Extend from a Floating Body
- AISI 1045 centerless ground steel shaft, Rockwell hardness C70 hard chrome plated, 12RMS finish

Rod End:
- Industry standard rod end (½ inch fine thread) ½ -20 UNF (multiple types of rod ends will work)
- Rod ends feature adjustable length & Teflon race

Tube Housing:
- Seamless 6061-T6 aircraft-grade aluminum
- Piston wearbands are Bronze impregnated Teflon (40% Bronze 60% Teflon)

Shaft Wiper-Seal:
- Teflon dual wiper & triple seal

Valve Disks (stacks): custom valve stacks available
- Butterfly style 17-7PH stainless steel, with a Rockwell hardness of C40
- Fully Rebuildable & Tunable

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Carl Jantz
Well its been nearly 11 years since I filed for the Patent on the Super Joint. (sold as the Yukon Super Joint) In that Time I've seen a few competitors come & go. (OX) I've seen some copy cats, and some very similar designs and some completely different. I've had competitors (CTM) send me letters to cease and desist manufacturing the Super Joint, saying theirs was patented, and mine was infringing on their patent. So I sent proof showing them that my joint was patented before their joint and they backed off.
Now yet another u-joint is in/after the market, the Nitro Excalibur 300M. So it claims to have some similar features to my Super Joint thus I had to get my hands on some and get them tested to see if they infringe on my patent.

• Internally, its gear tooth forms are optimized for strength and improved oil film retention over competitive designs.
• Our gear package is smaller, reducing overall mass, yet is more durable since particular attention was paid to the tooth strength - optimized for high torque conditions.
• Attention was also paid to the side gear/axle interface, putting as much material thickness as possible in this critical area - most important when power levels get high.

• The internal gears are made from high strength 9310 alloy steel.
• The diff bodies are machined from case-hardened steel billet.
• To complete the package, every Wavetrac® differential is built exclusively using high quality, high strength fasteners from ARP®, the world leader in fastener technology.

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Lance @ PBB
The rumors are true (sceep ), and Pirate4x4.com has been sold to Vertical Scope as of today.

It's been a hell of a ride. From its humble beginnings as a fun hobby back in 1996 to an industry power house with millions of visits a month, Pirate4x4 will always be my baby.

I know what you all are thinking. Change sucks. I couldn't agree more. However, I have been hired by Vertical Scope to continue to run the site so it will be business as usual around here. Will there be changes? I don't expect many, if at all. Their advertising structure will be nearly identical to what we currently have in place, so things should be virtually transparent to all users.

I love Pirate4x4, and I thank each and every one of you for being a huge part of making this place what it is.