Alex Pri Bangun of the Jakarta Indonesia based "Tranka Off-Road Club" decided to go Rally racing in Class 3T, He had something a "little different" in mind. How different you ask? You wouldn't believe....

When Craig & Sherrie Stewart of Stewart Raceworks invited us to their Santee Ca. facility for a closer look at what is perhaps the ultimate 4WD Rally Truck, we weren't about to say no. "You gotta see it", said Craig, "This thing is awesome!" So early into 1998 and already the understatement of the year has been made. The word "awesome" only scratches the surface of what this truck is all about.

Heartbeat? More like Heart Attack!

With a 3200lb. race weight, and an all aluminum fuel injected 406 C.I. Chevy small block built by Castillo Motorsports, the action comes fast & furious. The small block's 500HP & 480 ft. lbs. of torque add up to a power to weight ratio that exceeds several of the Trophy Trucks now competing in the SCORE / Laughlin Desert Series. Depending upon installed gearing, the hyperactive S-10 has a top speed in the neighborhood of 140 MPH!

A Richmond 5 speed transmission & Tilton 3-Disc clutch feed power to a reworked NV 241 transfer case. The "All Wheel Drive" system features a viscous coupling center differential to deliver the power to the end that needs it most. Shifting is handled by a custom shift / linkage assembly to accommodate the S-10's "Right Hand Drive" configuration. Craig tells us the shift linkage was one of the hardest problems to overcome during the entire project.

Putting It Down

While the spool equipped Ford 9 in. rear axle is the standard route to strength, reliability, and ease of maintenance, the front drive axle presented some unique challenges. The problem was getting 15 inches of travel out of the IFS.... and making it handle all that brute power simultaneously. No small task to be sure.

The unique solution involved narrowing a Ford 9 in. housing, adding Porsche 934 CV joints, and turning the entire assembly upside down. Outboard CV's at the hubs are connected by massive steel axleshafts, giving the combination a strength that the stock S-10 components could only dream of.

While this elegant solution solved one problem, it created several more. The truck had to be kept low to maintain cornering ability, and mounting the differential below the engine would have raised the center of gravity far beyond acceptable limits. The only option was to move the engine back in the tube framed chassis. With the relocated engine, the CG remained acceptable, and front to rear weight bias (and thus cornering) were dramatically improved.

Soaking It Up

The S-10 utilizes more than a little tried & true desert technology in it's chassis & suspension. Constructed of 4130 Chro-Moly tubing, the rigid chassis assembly is the vehicles backbone, serving as the frame and roll cage, all tucked away into one neat package.

Out back, the 4 link suspension sports 18 in. of travel, and relies on 2 Bilstein coilover shocks, outfitted with multi rate springs and 2 Bilstein bypass shocks, each equipped with high capacity reservoirs. Anchored to the chassis and rear axle housing via beefy Hiem Joints, the big Bilsteins are canted forward to reduce shaft velocity, and provide a slightly progressive lever ratio. Tubular steel control arms fitted with aircraft type Hiem joints provide total freedom of movement along with a huge increase in strength over bushings.

Up front, a single Bilstein coilover shock, also with reservior, controls the double wishbone suspension throughout it's 15 in. arc. With the engine out of the way, the Hiem joint equipped chro-moly arms were able to be built longer than previously possible, allowing for less angularity on the ball joints as the suspension reaches full extension, or full droop. Additionally, the coilover shocks were able to be mounted at an angle that results in a progressive rate, over and above that provided by the multi rate springs.

Steering the S-10 is accomplished by a hydraulic ram powered by an engine mounted power steering pump. Tie rods feature aircraft type stainless steel Hiem joints, giving the steering uninterrupted movement as the suspension absorbs the terrain.

Down In The Dirt

All the worlds power & high-tech wizardry will matter little if you can't get it hooked up to the ground. Craig chose the Baja proven 33x12.5 BF Goodrich Mud Terrain T/A's mounted to a set of custom fabricated aluminum beadlock wheels. The BFG Mud Terrain's are proven winners in a variety of terrain, including sand, rocks, pavement, and of course, mud. Since a Rally truck will encounter them all during the course of an event, the choice was a natural.

In the rare instances where spares are required, the S-10 carries two. The rear "bed" mounted location of the spares further improves the weight bias, and lowers the truck's polar movement of inertia.

None Of The Comforts Of Home

As expected, this is a race truck, and has few of the luxuries of a "stock" S-10. In fact, the roof panel & grille are the only stock parts on the entire vehicle. The Spartan interior is all business, with a full compliment of Auto Meter gauges, switches, on board fire suppression system, and little else. About the only "comfortable" things in the interior are the Beard Super Seats & 5 point harnesses, and that's just the way it should be.

Fuelish Endeavors

A 25 gallon Fuel Safe fuel cell is mounted aft of the rear axle, and feeds the hungry Accell DFI Programmable Fuel Injection system via electronic high pressure fuel pumps. Braided Stainless Steel line ensure reliability, and minimize hazards associated with rubber line on racing vehicles. Unlike it's desert counterparts, the S-10 does not use a "Quick Dump" system. The fuel cell is capped off at the cell itself.

Sexy Body

The body of the S-10 appears remarkably stock, but don't let it's looks fool you. The shell is constructed of removable lightweight fiberglass panels (the sole exception being the aforementioned roof panel) to keep weight down, and provide ease of access to the truck's inner workings.

We watched Craig and another SRW employee strip the body off for the photo shoot in less than 2 minutes. Try THAT on a stocker! Dzus fasteners provide that speed & secure mounting of the body panels, as well as the custom formed Lexan windshield.

Specs @ A Glance

Craig & the guys at Stewart Raceworks have come up with a vehicle sure to prove a winner. What's more the quality construction and attention to detail make the truck a rolling work of art. It's almost a shame to get it dirty....well, "almost" ;-) Craig tells us that Alex has only seen pictures of the S-10, and is chomping at the bit to get stateside and get his hands on the wheel.

Can you blame him?