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Marlin Crawler, Inc. (Est. April 1994)

Marlin Crawler is the creator of and world leader in Rock Crawling. Since Sept 17, 1983, Marlin Czajkowski has been wheeling the world-famous 1980 red "Crawler Truck" finding ways to improve it's off road capability. Early innovations range from a homemade on-board welder, in use since the late 1980s that has helped hundreds of crippled rigs, to the world's first Heavy Duty Birfield joint, aka the Marfield, and the world's first Heavy Duty FJ80 TRE-equipped tie rod, aka the Marlink. But Marlin's most revolutionary creation came in 1994, with what he called the Marlin Crawler, taking Toyota trucks to new capabilities never before possible.

Prior to the Marlin Crawler, the absolute lowest possible final drive ratio in a Toyota pickup was 56:1 (1986 & 87 turbocharged models only). The "built" trucks of that time were in the 36:1 to 44:1 range. Combined with small 4cyl engines, it's easy to see why very few people wheeled Toyota pickups. Marlin says Jeeps easily out numbered Toyota pickup's twenty-to-one or higher. In comparison, Jeeps and Land Cruisers commonly had powerful 8cyl engine conversions with final drive ratios nearly twice as slow in the 70:1 range. The success of Marlin's two famous quotes, "I want to get respect for Toyota trucks!" and "I want to put Toyota trucks on the map!" is well represented in today's off-road world.

Since 1994, Toyota trucks can now use Marlin's inventions to easily eclipse a 200:1 final drive ratio making them more competent off-road than both Jeeps and Land Cruisers. Final drive ratios this low prompted a new term for which Marlin coined as a "Crawl Ratio". Other terms Marlin created are "Rock Crawling", "Crawl Box", "Crawler Gears", "Double Low Range", and "Dual Ultimate Crawler", terms that have since become so common that even automobile manufactures Chrysler and Toyota use Marlin's "Rock Crawl" term in their marketing materials and products.

Before the Marlin Crawler, no one said "Hey let's go Rock Crawl'n" because there was no such thing. It was impossible for a Jeep or Land Cruiser to have a 200:1 or lower final drive ratio, which is precisely what is meant by Crawling! Marlin's inventions transformed his 1980 Toyota Pickup to have a final drive ratio of 2,158:1. This is 58 times slower and more powerful than it's stock configuration and almost 20 times more torque than an 8cyl Jeep or Cruiser! Now we have the reliability and simplicity of a lightweight 4cyl Toyota truck with torque output greatly exceeding that of an 8cyl engine.

Our products are both the foundation of and set the quality standards for Rock Crawling
  • Increased Traction

  • Increased Torque

  • Increased Control

  • Increased Reaction Time

John Drives BigMike's Truck at 511:1
Discover how a Marlin Crawler
can make your truck unstoppable!
  • Less Bouncing

  • Less Breakage

  • Less Trail Abuse

  • Less Risk

To see a piece of nostalgia and to better understand where we've taken Toyota trucks over the last forty years, please visit our Vintage "Crawler Truck" Picture Gallery by clicking here. Today the Crawler truck has a Triple Ultimate Overkill Marlin Crawler Transfer Case System providing 30 forward and 6 reverse gear ratios, all selectable at any time while retaining normal city and highway driveability.

Marlin's Triple Ultimate Overkill Gear Info Chart
Crawler Truck's 36-speed
Gear Ratio Chart

We feed our passion by offering the absolute highest quality and longest lasting parts for your Toyota 4WD truck. We also build adapters and kits to adapt our products to other non-Toyota applications, both domestic and other imports. We also make Heavy Duty 2WD drive train parts that Desert Racers and Turbocharged Supra Drift Cars really appreciate!

Community Involvement

Please click below to play a Video Review of our 16th Annual Marlin Crawler Round Up event!

We are highly active in the community and use our resources to help keep it alive and strong for many generations to come. Here is a membership list of our past and present Four Wheel Drive Club and Organizations. We have been giving back to the community since 1983 and have a lot of experience with trail repairs, toilet installation, highway and trail clean-up, campground management, community fundraising, government public forums, and forest service OHV route redesignation projects.

When you support Marlin Crawler, you are supporting the community.

Additional community involvement:

  • Annual Marlin Crawler Round-Up Event has donated $140,682 to the Rubicon Trail (as of 2019)
  • Rubicon Trail Foundation (RTF) Rock Award recipient, Marlin
  • Rubicon Trail Foundation (RTF) inarguable Challenge Coin recipient, BigMike
  • Adopt-A-Highway Chairperson through the Department of Transportation, California (Hwy 168)
  • Certified Chainsaw Operators through the United States Forest Service, High Sierra Ranger District
  • Certified CPR through the United States Forest Service, High Sierra Ranger District
  • Distributor of Toyota 4WD Owner and TLCA Toyota Trails Monthly and Bi-Monthly Publications
  • Dusy/Ershim OHV Route Chairperson through the High Sierra Ranger District
  • H.A.M. Radio Operators, licensed and certified through the United States Forest Service
  • Toyota Land Cruiser Association Hall Of Fame, Inaugural Member since 2006
  • Vehicle Safety Coordinators for multiple 4WD Clubs

Marlin Crawler's Mission

Provide high quality & unique rock crawling and
competition parts by building innovative and reliable
products that meet our customer's needs.

In order to achieve this mission, our actions are guided by the following five values:

Marlin Crawler's Values

Continuous Improvement - Both in products and in staff

Industry Leading Knowledge - Employees are highly knowledgeable in Toyota Rock Crawling & Truck building

Natural Attitude - Our innovation stems from our Natural Rock Crawling Attitude

High Performance Service - Industry leading parts and knowledge requires industry leading service

Proactive - We identify and create opportunities to lead our employees to create the future we envision

Marlin Crawler's Passion

Old Dusy/Ershim
Marlin in the mid-1980s before he put Toyota's "On The Map"
Dropping down Whales Back, circa 1984 (Dusy-Ershim trail, CA)
New Dusy/Ershim
Here is Marlin dropping down the same Whales Back,
same truck, nearly 30 years later (Dusy-Ershim trail, CA)

Widely accredited as the founder of "Rock Crawling", we are a team of Toyota gear heads who develop highly reliable products and a wide range of services to meet your needs. Specializing in Toyota Drivetrain components, we also offer a broad range of genuine Toyota parts, in-house manufacturing, and custom services for on- and off-road, competition, desert race, and high powered Supra drag/race cars.

Our products have been featured in all major magazines including CRAWL, FOUR WHEELER, Petersen's 4 Wheel & Off-Road, 4 Wheel Drive & Sport Utility, 4WD Toyota Owner, and TLCA Toyota Trails. Our products have survived the King Of The Hammers an event record 6 times and counting, W.E. Rock and Pro Rock Formula Toy National Champion 2007, 2008, and 2009, twice through the BAJA 1000, numerous SCORE desert race events, numerous stadium truck events, as well as street racing where our extremely reliable transmissions and components can be found in track-prepared and drag-prepared Supra race cars.


Our Company's average Crawl Ratio is 434:1

No other company fulfills your truck's true Rock Crawling needs!

Company Directory


Marlin 'Mr Crawler' Czajkowski

Imaginative Genius / CEO
Crawl Ratio: 1,148:1

Dave 'CruzrDave' Carnahan

Operations/COO
Crawl Ratio: 104:1 (auto eq.)

Brendan Taintor
Sales Manager

Kyle Nichols

Sales & Tech Support
Crawl Ratio: 372:1 (auto eq.)

James 'Ruffwood' Woodruff
Order Fulfillment/Purchasing

Kolbey Gleason
Order Fulfillment

James 'JR' Costales

Order Fulfillment
Crawl Ratio: 506:1 (auto eq.)

Rocky Gleason

Fabricator
Crawl Ratio: 224:1

Chris 'FloRunner' Haldeman

Production Manager
Crawl Ratio: 217:1

Dylan Costales
Drivetrain Technician

Aaron Woodard
Drivetrain Technician

Joseph Herrera

Drivetrain Technician
Crawl Ratio: 245:1
(Click on an Employee for more information)

Marlin "Crawler" Czajkowski

CAL4WD Convention
The same truck, aka "The Crawler Truck", nearly 30 years later at the 2007 Cal4WD Convention
Crawler Truck One Crawler Truck Two

Marlin has been wheeling his 1980 Toyota Hilux Minitruck since 1983 when he became it's second owner. Pictured above, his truck has evolved into the Ultimate trail and recovery rig. Basic specifications include the following:

Specifications:
Final Crawl Ratio: 1,148:1
1980 Toyota Hilux, Longbed
1996 3RZ-FE 2.7-liter 4cyl Engine
Marlin Crawler Turbo R151F 5-speed transmission
Marlin Crawler Triple Ultimate™ Overkill™ Crawler
23-spline MC08 Billet Double Roll™ Adapters
Two sets of Total Spline™ 4.70:1 Competition Gears

Marlin Crawler 4" suspension Trail Flex system
ARBs front and rear
High pinion front differential
Alloy-USA Chromoly axles and UM06 Birfields
37x12.50x15 Goodyear MTR tires
15x10 Beadlock Specialties Beadlocks
Full Marlin Crawler USA-made Body Armor


Marlin's other rigs:
1992 V6 ExtraCab on a 1984 short wheelbase frame
1969 FJ40 Land Cruiser, lime green
1967 FJ40 Land Cruiser, rootbeer red, Chevy 400ci,
      with a FJ30 3-speed and 33" tires

Marlin's 1992

 

Michael "BigMike" Czajkowski

BigMike's Rig
Here is Mike coming down the Whitebark Gatekeeper (Dusy-Ershim trail, CA)
Specifications:
Final Crawl Ratio: 511:1
1981 Toyota Hilux, Shortbed, Factory Sunroof
1995 3RZ-FE 2.7-liter 4cyl Engine
Marlin Crawler W56-A-HD 5speed Transmission
Marlin Crawler Transmission Shortthrow Kit
Marlin Crawler Triple Billet Ultimate™ Crawler
Marlin Crawler Transfer case Twin Stick
Rhino Cage Triple Case Crossmember
Marlin Crawler 4" USA Trail-Flex Suspension
Marlin Crawler 25mm USA Billet High-Steer

Diamond Axle 63.5" Front Axle
Longfield 27-spline Birfleds with Moser Shafts
Marlin Crawler Drilled & Slotted Rotors
High Pinion E-Locker Front, Yukon 5.29:1
High Angle 0.190" Heavy Duty Front Driveline
Tacoma 61" Rear w/E-Locker, Yukon 5.29:1
Alloy USA Rear Chromoly Tacoma Axles
Marlin Crawler USA Body Armor
37" Goodyear MTR with Allied Beadlocks
RV2 V-Twin On board Air Compressor

Christine "CLC" Czajkowski

Christine at the CAL4WD Convention
Here is Christine in the World Famous Crawler Truck at the Hammers (Johnson Valley, CA)
  

Dave "CruzrDave" Carnahan

Dave's Rig
Here is Dave just past Ershim Lake (Dusy-Ershim trail, CA)
Specifications:
Final Crawl Ratio: 223:1 (new rig - Details coming soon!)
1969 FJ40 Land Cruiser
Trail Candy Dash Panel with Dolphin Gauges
1999 4.3-liter VORTEC V6
4L60E Automatic Transmission
1980 4speed T/Case, 1.96:1
FJ40 Front Axle with FJ60 Brakes
FJ60 Rear Axle
UM07 Birfs with Custom Moser Inner Shafts
4x4 Labs Steering Arms

Marlin Crawler Marlink Rod with FJ80 Ends
4.88:1 Ring & Pinion with ARBs
Old Man Emu 1.25" Leaf Springs
Man-a-free Shackle Correction Kit
Man-a-free Heavy Duty Longer Shackles
35" Goodyear MTRs (not pictured)
Man-a-free Heavy Duty 4+ Front Bumper
Andy Widner High Quality Interior Roll Cage

Kyle Nichols

Kyle's 4Runner
Specifications:
Final Crawl Ratio: 372:1 (automatic equivalent)

Rocky Gleason

Rocky's Rig
Here is Rocky on his way to Thompson Hill (Dusy-Ershim trail, CA)
Specifications:
Final Crawl Ratio: 223:1
1987 Toyota 4Runner
22R-E 2.4-liter 4cyl Engine
W56-B Transmission
Marlin Crawler Dual Ultimate™ Crawler
Marlin Crawler 4.70:1 Competition Gear Set
Marlin Crawler 30-spline Output F & R

Marlin Crawler 25mm USA Billet High-Steer
Toyota front axle with 30-spline Longs
Marlin Crawler 5.29:1 Yukon with Detroit Locker
Dana 60 rear axle
Marlin Crawler 5.38:1 Yukon with ARB Locker

Chris Haldeman

Chris's Rig
Chris playing in the Sluice Box at the 2013 Marlin Crawler Round-Up, Rubicon Trail, CA
Specifications:
Final Crawl Ratio: 217:1

Tim "TURBO" Collins

Tim's Rig
Tim "TURBO" Collins, Rubicon Trail, CA
Specifications:
Final Crawl Ratio: 219:1

James "JR" Costales

JR's s Rig
Specifications:
Final Crawl Ratio: 506:1

Joseph Herrera

Joe's Rig
Specifications:
Final Crawl Ratio: 245:1