About the owner, Ron Clothier.

You could say that Clothier Transmission and Traction Products initiated in the late 1970s, when mechanical engineering student Ron Clothier first combined his passion for 4WDs with his natural born innovation in a truly profound way. For his senior project at the undergraduate level, Ron developed a compound transmission system. Using a custom adapter designed and built by Clothier, he joined a GM Turbo 400 automatic transmission and a NP 435 four-speed manual. Power then flowed to a Dodge WM300 two-speed transfer case. This combination provided an astounding 26 forward speeds and a 13.33 to 1 low range, long before three- or four-speed transfer cases were available from the aftermarket!

After completing the Graduate Mechanical Engineering program at Northeastern University in Boston, Ron was immediately hired by IBM as a Manufacturing Engineer where he developed state-of-the-art equipment and processes that are still employed by the technology giant today. Meanwhile, Ron continued to hone his off-road skills in the unforgiving mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania. He particularly enjoyed off-roading in the winter months, when his custom 4WD vehicles were among the only street-legal machines capable of accessing the snow and ice covered trails.

Ron's completely custom 1966 International Harvester truck powered by a 500HP motor, which transfers power through a massive Eaton/Fuller commercial truck transmission and 5-ton axles to a set of 49" Interco IROK tires.

Today the Clothier name is recognized as one of the true pioneers in the 4WD world, and Ron's passion for off-roading has never been stronger. His reputation for building unique, pragmatic and unbelievably capable off-road vehicles has become the driving force for Clothier Transmission and Traction Products. And his willingness to share his knowledge and experience with like-minded enthusiasts has made Ron a highly respected figure and invaluable resource with his customers.