If you’re into off road racing chances are you have heard the name Greg Adler. Adler, CEO of 4Wheel Parts, has been an off-road household name for many years. He started racing just over 20 years ago and doesn’t show any signs of stopping. Early in his racing career out he raced buggies then trucks in various desert events. Spending a short time racing Tpec trucks out at Irwindale Raceway in California, the desert racing scene kept beckoning him to return to the dirt.

Adler is ready to sling some dirt and push his rig to the absolute limit.

In the last few years Adler and the rest of Team 4Wheel Parts has made Ultra4 and KOH (King of the Hammers) their focus. As with most teams the short courses and KOH events were run by a purpose-built rig carefully thought out and created specifically for the type of event. Several years ago Adler had an epiphany, why not build a capable rig that can handle the demands of both events? Ultra4 races consist mostly of mile-long courses with short sections of rock piles and various obstacles.

Before every race the buggy is worked over guaranteeing its in perfect operating condition.

These races start with all the racers lined up per their qualifying times and start at the same time. At KOH drivers must traverse some of the worlds’ most difficult rock formations to complete the course but there are many miles of desert between them.

Adler takes the inside on the first corner at last years King of the Hammers.

KOH racers line up in pairs and start with a 30-second stagger between the pairs. This 165-mile course must be completed in under 14 hours and racers must pass through all seven checkpoints along the way. The rigs are capable of 100mph through the desert and yet have upwards of 100:1 gear ratio.

Every rig is completely custom-fabricated from lightweight tubing, typically from 1.75-inch .120 wall thickness chromoly steel. Sponsors team up with various teams to not only showcase their latest products, but also put their parts to the ultimate test. These races are not only against racers, but they are pitted against Mother Earth and some of the nastiest terrain she has to offer.

Massive control arms give this rig the dexterity and speed it needs to handle any obstacle on the course.

Solid axles have been the norm for most teams, and are still very common due to their strength, and most notably for their massive articulation. However, the trade-off is that they tend to be less stable at higher speeds. Solid axles are constructed of cast or a welded plate steel center section with tubes extending out the knuckles this makes each wheel mimic the other in turning and flexing.

The soft spring rate and high articulation work adversely with the vehicle speed causing the driver to slow down in order to maintain control. When a driver hits a rock the affected tire will want to lift and change direction. Shannon Cambell’s team had the first independent front suspension buggy only a couple of years ago, yet only a handful of teams are running IFS currently.

IFS can accommodate both speed and articulation. The world of desert racing seems to produce faster trucks every year. These vehicles have very long control arms in the front that can cycle more than 20 inches of wheel travel. This is great for speed when one tire hits a rock the other front tire is virtually unaffected, thus allowing the driver to maintain speed and control. The massive travel with this suspension is perfect for the rocks and obstacles, as all four wheels are nearly guaranteed to stay solidly planted on the terra firma.

Lets take a closer look at Adlers rig. The beating heart of this buggy is a massive 454 LSX motor that is mounted in the rear and oriented backwards from what most would consider normal. This gives the buggy exceptional weight distribution while blasting through the desert.

The motor was custom-built in house with LS7 heads, rods, pistons, and valve train. Keeping the elements out of the motor is a K&N intake. Kirby fabricated his signature Crossover X-Pipe exhaust system with Magnaflow setting the tone. Odyssey batteries and MSD teamed up with Adler and the team to make sure the rig had a bit of spark to this beefy powerplant.

All that power makes its way to the ground through a Reid case with 300M internals and is cooled by a CBR transmission cooler. An Atlas transfer case is employed to not only spin all four tires but provides all the gearing one could need to get up and over the obstacles.  When speed gives way to traction it’s all about finesse of the skinny pedal.

That power needs to be stopped at some point, and Wilwood 6 piston calipers at all four corners to make that happen. The IFS upper and lower arms were custom built by Kirby. Massive tubular-construction control arms and FK Rod Ends all strapped to 18 inches of wheel travel thanks to KarTek.  In the rear lies a G2 Axle and a Gear Core 44 Locker boasting 26 inches of wheel travel.

Fox set Adler up with the whole package; 2.5 inch coil-overs front and rear with 3.0 inch shocks up front with 3.5 inch triple bypass shocks in the rear. Pro-Comp 17 inch Vapor Pro Alloy beadlocks are wrapped in 39 inch BFG KRT2’s. BFG recently came out with its competition ready tires and Adlers team has been pushing them to the limit. So far they have proved to be one of the best competition tires on the market.

In the cockpit Autometer and Lowrance have appointed the space to equip Adler with all the information he needs to know about the rig and the course, which drivers must maintain, and cannot deviate by 100 feet. Through the KOH desert sections there may be existing trails and dirt roads. Drivers must know when to follow the roads and how to get to the next checkpoint. Navigation is key, along with the attention of the co-driver instructing Adler of the upcoming course.

The navigator gets out of the vehicle to help Adler navigate the rocky section.

Navigators don’t just sit there and say “turn left at the next rock.” Sure, they are constantly calling out directions the driver should go, along with describing the terrain ahead, but they are also allowed to get out of the vehicle and spot the driver. Helping the driver navigate over the rocks and placing the winch line are just some of the common duties a navigator is responsible for outside the vehicle.

Teams are allowed to “Pre-Run” the course prior to the main event. The co-drivers take notes of the landmarks, turn, checkpoints, and specific obstacles they will come across. They watch the gauges and dials make sure the rig doesn’t overheat or have any other race ending issues. The goal is to allow the driver to drive the best they can and remove any other distractions.

Mastercraft provided its racing seats so that Adler and Lee are comfortable and safe. All the rigs are equipped with their own self-sufficient safety and recovery gear. KOH is a chaseless event. Repair or recovery must be performed by the racers during the event. Smittybilt X20 winch up front is an insurance plan Adler hopes they don’t need to use.

Every year KOH and Ultra4 races grow in popularity. By 2020 KOH attendees are expected to be over 50,000 people.

While KOH and Ultra4 have only been around for just under a decade the events get bigger and bigger. It’s no surprise that 4Wheel Parts has teamed up with the creators to help grow the event. “The unique racing environment is a natural fit for 4Wheel Parts,” said Adler. “Ultra4 Racing is the ultimate test of both driver and race car. Where else can one watch a rock crawling event and a desert race at the same time?,” Adler continued.

Tens of thousands of spectators descend on the Johnson Valley annually for the KOH event. Every Ultra4 race around the country grows as well garnering several hundred thousand attendees annually. Projections have KOH reaching 50,000 attendees by 2020. Let us know if you plan to cheer on Team 4Wheel Parts on its upcoming 2016 Ultra4 Season in the comments below.