Who is Reid Johnson? AKA badassmav
- Thread starter NIKAL
- Start date
megadesertdiesel
Well-Known Member
now this is a great thread. I love off road history.
badassmav
Well-Known Member
Rick Hasselow was the first person, that I was aware of, that made a hydraulic bump shock, and yes, he also is the first person that I was aware of, who made bypass shocks. We ran his bump shocks on Scott's truck, and Rick lobbied for us to use his bypass shocks as well. If I recall correctly, he didn't quite have the package 100% dialed in yet. I believe the Arras bros. were the first team to run them on their Mc Donalds 5-1600 car. Consequently, he only built 2" bodies at that time. Rick was good for using surplus components when and where he could. I remember when he delivered the completed bump shocks to our shop for Scott's truck, he asked what we were using to build the rear link bars with. So, he shuffles of to his van, and comes back with this massive, zinc-chromate painted helicopter landing strut, with swedged ends and massive 1 1/2" rod ends from a time long ago
!
Anyway, from the beginning of the project, Scott was pretty adamant about tried and tested components, so he introduced us to Lance at Kuster. I think the coil overs at that time were about 5k apiece! They were delivered with a beautiful anodized red finish, and had these massive coil springs (for the day). I may be wrong here, but thought I remembered Lance saying that based on his calculations, Scotts truck would see up to 7 or 9 g's of force at full bump.
Interesting you say that Lance's last name was King. I knew there was a connection between King shocks, and the Kuster's of old. I didn't realize that Lance was King! How old are you Todd, and where did you get your wealth of knowledge from?
! Anyway, from the beginning of the project, Scott was pretty adamant about tried and tested components, so he introduced us to Lance at Kuster. I think the coil overs at that time were about 5k apiece! They were delivered with a beautiful anodized red finish, and had these massive coil springs (for the day). I may be wrong here, but thought I remembered Lance saying that based on his calculations, Scotts truck would see up to 7 or 9 g's of force at full bump.
Interesting you say that Lance's last name was King. I knew there was a connection between King shocks, and the Kuster's of old. I didn't realize that Lance was King! How old are you Todd, and where did you get your wealth of knowledge from?
Reid I'm 42. I've grown up around the sport and have been surrounded by good people.
A little more info I found out about Rick Hasselow tonight from Steve "Animal" Lakin. Animal raced with Max Razo in 5/16 back in the day. They were also one of the first to run Rick's shocks. Animal confirmed he does believe Eric Arris was probably one first to run Shock Tech bypass shocks. Animal met Rick @ Shock Tech through Earl Hardesty as Hardesty was using Ricks shocks. Animal & Max won the 1985 SCORE Championship on Rick Hasselow shocks
I was told Rick learned about shocks working for Mickey Thompson. When Rick went on his own he was modifying Bilstein shocks, building bigger reservoirs, adding cooling fins ect.. The bypass shocks were 100% his own design. I guess in some cases he would still use some Bilstein internal parts.
In 2001 when my race partner & I built our 5/16 car & team we pulled some 1985 2.0 w/3/4 shaft fully machined Shock Tech bypass shocks off our shelf and put them on our car. (The Bypass tubes are about the diameter of a pencil!) In 2 years we won two or three Score races with those shocks. We were beating guys with 2.0 & 2.5 7/8 shaft bypass Fox shocks. We actually had one team accuse us of cheating as our car worked so well with old school small shocks. We had to retire those shocks as we were having a hard time rebuilding the shocks. Now we have 2.5 triple bypass shocks on the front of our car. Hell Yeah try getting a triple bypass on the front of a 5/1600 car. It was a bitch. Todd @ Fox had to make us 2 sets of cans to try to get it to fit. But we did it!
Reid do you remember Dave Silva? From what I was told Dave still has the 1970? Chevy short bed prerunner that "Rick & Reid" built for him. I have not seen it in years, but Animal is sure its still sitting in his side yard.
I was also told tonight that you & your brother were the first to make those folded over sheet metal tube gusset's. Is this true?
A little more info I found out about Rick Hasselow tonight from Steve "Animal" Lakin. Animal raced with Max Razo in 5/16 back in the day. They were also one of the first to run Rick's shocks. Animal confirmed he does believe Eric Arris was probably one first to run Shock Tech bypass shocks. Animal met Rick @ Shock Tech through Earl Hardesty as Hardesty was using Ricks shocks. Animal & Max won the 1985 SCORE Championship on Rick Hasselow shocks
I was told Rick learned about shocks working for Mickey Thompson. When Rick went on his own he was modifying Bilstein shocks, building bigger reservoirs, adding cooling fins ect.. The bypass shocks were 100% his own design. I guess in some cases he would still use some Bilstein internal parts.
In 2001 when my race partner & I built our 5/16 car & team we pulled some 1985 2.0 w/3/4 shaft fully machined Shock Tech bypass shocks off our shelf and put them on our car. (The Bypass tubes are about the diameter of a pencil!) In 2 years we won two or three Score races with those shocks. We were beating guys with 2.0 & 2.5 7/8 shaft bypass Fox shocks. We actually had one team accuse us of cheating as our car worked so well with old school small shocks. We had to retire those shocks as we were having a hard time rebuilding the shocks. Now we have 2.5 triple bypass shocks on the front of our car. Hell Yeah try getting a triple bypass on the front of a 5/1600 car. It was a bitch. Todd @ Fox had to make us 2 sets of cans to try to get it to fit. But we did it!
Reid do you remember Dave Silva? From what I was told Dave still has the 1970? Chevy short bed prerunner that "Rick & Reid" built for him. I have not seen it in years, but Animal is sure its still sitting in his side yard.
I was also told tonight that you & your brother were the first to make those folded over sheet metal tube gusset's. Is this true?
Best thread I have read in a long time, I love the great info.
I rememder my first SCORE race was at Phoenix International Raceway in the mid 80's sometime and it was a 2 day short course race. It turned in to a shoot out between Robby Gordon and Walker Evans with Robby winning the first day and Walker saying his guys worked all night to put a more powerful motor in it. Walker got the holeshot and was winning easily until he had a failure and RG won.
This was also when I saw the 1/4 eliptical spring setup for the first time and couldn't believe how cool it was. I wish I could remember what the shock setup looked like.
I rememder my first SCORE race was at Phoenix International Raceway in the mid 80's sometime and it was a 2 day short course race. It turned in to a shoot out between Robby Gordon and Walker Evans with Robby winning the first day and Walker saying his guys worked all night to put a more powerful motor in it. Walker got the holeshot and was winning easily until he had a failure and RG won.
This was also when I saw the 1/4 eliptical spring setup for the first time and couldn't believe how cool it was. I wish I could remember what the shock setup looked like.
facteryfmf
Looking For a Few Good Men - UTVUnderground Approv
All i remember is Frank Turben. Lol.
badassmav
Well-Known Member
Rick confirmed that Hasselow worked w/Mickey Thompson and he told Rick that he got the original Idea for the bypass shock from Mickeys yellow V-8 single seat buggy w/ the 3 foot long rear shocks and big ass wing.
Dave Silva was a down to earth dude. we enjoyed building his pre runner in our driveway. Got his name from Phil Santos. Did you ever meet Phil and Mary? Rick talked to him (Dave S.) 4 or 5 years back at a Baja 1000 drawing, and he still had the brown monster! Razo and Animal. Wow
Those were two "wild and crazy guys"! A friend of ours at the time, Dan Rowin was building the motors for Steve's 5-1600.All of these names from the past that we both have an interest in shows that it is still a small community, off road racing. I'm just surprised that we share as many mutual acquaintances from the past. Rick has a bunch of old school off road pics on his Facebook page. Here's a link. Based on you knowledge of off road racing history, you'll love the album.
https://www.facebook.com/RockstarRichey/media_set?set=a.745567948797715.100000335507985&type=3
One more name you mentioned. Johnny Johnson. Talk about a 5-1600 master. Or how about a 7s master? What ever he touched WON. Period. Rick called him the "SUITCASE JAKE" of off road racing!! He's a veteran of our sport. Hard core to the bone. He'd come by our shop often times to rummage through our 4130 scrap bin with Budweiser in hand! We always had a strong inventory of alloys on hand. No minimum charge! The racing that guy has seen. Wow!
Bajaxp
SXS Racer Extraordinaire - UTVUnderground Approved
Sorry for the hijack, but you spoke of the Mickey Thompson Challenger. Rory Ward, the guy who draws the custom t-shirt cartoon art for race teams, bought Mickey's car from his daughter and restored it. Amazing car and an amazing re-build. He is racing it in a couple of weeks at the NORRA MX1K. Here is the build thread. http://www.race-dezert.com/forum/threads/mickey-thompson-challenger-iv-restoration.95506/ It has bypasses on it...in the 70's!
Todd you should start an 'off road history' thread. There is a an amazing number of stories about cool people and cool cars/trucks out there.
Todd you should start an 'off road history' thread. There is a an amazing number of stories about cool people and cool cars/trucks out there.
badassmav
Well-Known Member
Yep. I tried single space plus a margin, but when it posts, the margin is gone but the next thought still starts on the next line. From now on, double space! The humungous, paragraph that you get lost in is how it comes out of my head.
Scary, huh?
PickupTrucker
Member
awesome thread! fun to read about!
badassmav
Well-Known Member
Me and my brother went to that same race! In an effort to fill the emptiness in our off road souls that Riverside closing down caused us, we headed out to Phoenix. Parked an RV in the infield, brought the dogs, beer, and bicycles. That was a heated battle between Walker and Robby. Didn't quite compare to the excitement of Riverside's Thompsons Ridge, or when they flew past the turn 6 grandstands en-route to the fastest un rythm section short course racing has ever seen. Does anybody remember seeing Jack Flannery driving his red and white Ford, in only his second year at Riverside, catch about 30' air for a couple of hundred feet, right before the course u-turns back onto Thompsons Ridge? Or how about Robby, driving his fathers buggy in '84 or '85, smoking any and all challengers at age 15 or so? Now those were the best of the good ol' days! Back to the midnight oil. Putting the suspension arms on this morning + a 4 wheel alignment. Hopefully will have it ready for testing early tomorrow, but I doubt it. For sure though later in the afternoon.
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I was on a RV right where Walker broke down. I could see the v belts hanging down and Walker wasn't to happy when he got out of the truck.
