Is It A...go-Kart? How a Mini Chassis Delivers Full-Scale Performance on the Rocks

Getting your hands dirty building something completely new is what separates the real builders from the keyboard warriors. FABN801 just dropped something that’s going to make you rethink everything you thought you knew about mini crawlers. They call it Yoshi, and it’s not your typical backyard build.

Most people hear “mini buggy” and think kids’ toy. Thomas and the crew at FABN801 had a different vision - what if you could take everything that makes a full-size crawler capable and shrink it down without losing the fun factor? That’s exactly what they did with Yoshi, starting with their proven Junior RockLizard chassis and adding four inches to the top and back to accommodate adult-sized humans.

The build starts with some serious hardware robbery. They yanked Suzuki axles straight out of a Samurai that was already sitting in the shop. These aren’t toy axles - they’re the real deal with chromoly shafts, 4.56 gears, and lockers. The whole setup is already proven tough from years of wheeling in the donor Zuk.

Building the suspension is where things get interesting. Instead of just bolting on some basic links, they’re running their custom 4 link setup that’s been dialed in over several years. The pinion angle gets set at full bump, which means the geometry works properly when you’re actually climbing instead of just looking pretty in the driveway.

Using their plasma cutter and tube bender, they shaped each lower link with a 30-degree bend that matches the driveline angle. The result is a lower link that naturally clears rocks at the breakover point while maintaining proper geometry. It’s the kind of thinking that separates professional builders from weekend warriors.

The chassis work is all 1 1/4" 0.120" wall tubing, which gives you serious strength without the weight penalty of going bigger. They’re not cutting corners on the important stuff - everything gets properly jigged and tacked on the build table to ensure the geometry stays consistent.

Power comes from a fourwheeler engine that slots right into the custom engine bay. The motor mounts use isolators to allow just enough movement to keep everything happy mechanically. They paired it with a transfer case from the Samurai, creating a drivetrain that’s already proven reliable in much heavier rigs.

The steering system runs full hydraulic with a double-ended ram. This gives you the precision control you need for technical crawling without the feedback and kickback you’d get from a mechanical setup. All the hoses get properly routed and protected so they won’t get damaged when things get rowdy.

Brake setup uses separate front and rear circuits with individual controls. The front brake pedal handles stopping power, while a hand-operated rear brake gives you options for different situations. This setup lets you lock the rear for sliding around or use just the front for controlled stops on climbs.

The real test comes when they finally get Yoshi on the rocks at Three Peaks. The low gearing from the TK case means it just crawls up obstacles that would require momentum in other rigs.

Watching Yoshi work through crack climbs and ledges shows how well the engineering translates to real-world performance. The bent lower links clear obstacles exactly as designed, while the hydraulic steering gives precise control in tight spots.

The wheelbase hits right around six feet, which gives you stability without making the rig too long for tight technical sections. Combined with 35" tires, you get serious ground clearance and traction without the weight and complexity of a full-size build.

You can follow the complete build process and see all the technical details on FABN801’s Instagram. They’re not just building one-off projects - they’re developing these as complete chassis packages that other builders can start with.

The adult mini crawler concept is just getting started, and builds like Yoshi show what’s possible when you approach the project with serious engineering instead of just scaling down a full-size rig. Sometimes the best innovations come from thinking completely different about what’s possible.