Chassis By Aaron Iha is no stranger to Mini Truckin' magazine or one-off-a-kind builds that can blow your mind.
Although many of his latest projects are hot rods and fullsize trucks, like the sick C10 they're building in our sister mag, Truckin', the crew always enjoys an innovative minitruck challenge.
Like most of Aaron's builds, he wanted this Nissan Hardbody to be in a league of its own. Opting to run hydraulic suspension, they got with the experts over at Hydroholics.net to show the world that hydros are indeed a safe and viable option for the minitruck world. The Chassis by Aaron crew consists of Aaron Iha (Owner, Designer, Fabricator), Ben Dodd (Fabricator, Installer) Dale Thomas (Fabricator, Installer), and Christine Iha (Manager, Customer Service). Together, this team thoroughly enjoys building some of the coolest vehicles on the road and prides themselves in continually stepping it up build after build.
This Hardbody is no different. A full-tube chassis was designed and built to incorporate a unique independent rear setup along with a one-of-a-kind front setup, all utilizing Hydroholics hydraulic system. Check out the build below and see what they came up with. Stay tuned for the full feature on this wicked Hardbody upon completion. For more information, contact the companies listed in the Source box.
1. Every build begins with...
1. Every build begins with an idea. That idea is turned into a design. Then, that design is put into action. To the untrained eye, this may look like a bunch of random tubing, but to us this is the makings of a wicked full-tube chassis.
2. The frame is jigged and...
2. The frame is jigged and squared on the table and begins to take on a life of its own.
3. The rear will house a Toyota...
3. The rear will house a Toyota Supra rearend, but this isn't your typical independent rearend setup.
4. The rearend is fitted and...
4. The rearend is fitted and mocked up.
5. Nothing is "guess worked"...
5. Nothing is "guess worked" here. Everything is designed and drawn in the computer to ensure the suspension will function properly. Here's a look at the front hydraulic mounts.
6. The engine and transmission...
6. The engine and transmission are mocked up so that the crew can build the crossmembers to fit.
7. The tranny mounts are planned...
7. The tranny mounts are planned ahead to leave room for the exhaust to run down the driver side.
8. The TIG was heated up and...
8. The TIG was heated up and more brace tubing was added. The rear hydraulic mounts and trailing arms were also built.
9. At this point, the cab...
9. At this point, the cab was mounted and the bed was fitted to check out placement for the rest of the frame work and fuel cell mount.