Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2016 i Four Wheeler

SLITHERING ROLLING STOCK Mamba Offroad Wheels now offers the M19. The new aluminum wheels feature a six D-window design with accented drill holes around the outer perimeter. Mamba M19 wheels are hosed in matte black or full bronze in 15x8, 16x8, 17x9, 18x9, and 20x9-inch sizes. Available applications include popular 5, 6, and 8-lug wheels. INFO: Mamba Offroad Wheels, 800/645-3878, mambawheels.com BATTERY MECHANIC Parking your 4x4 for an extended period of time can lead to a dead battery. Auto Meter now offers the new BEX Series battery extenders to help you keep your battery fully charged and ready to run. The BEX battery extenders are available in 11⁄2-amp (BEX-1500) and 3-amp (BEX-3000) outputs. Both are fully automated smart chargers and are compatible with nearly all battery types, including AGM batteries.…

SUSPENSION LITERALLY SETS 4X4S APART FROM CARS AND 2WD TRUCKS. THE TYPICAL 4X4 OWNER spends early and often on suspension kits and components. The ongoing quest is to create the optimal blend of ground clearance, suspension travel, and handling predictability. This guide presents a slice of the available options. Most of the manufacturers below offer several other systems and solutions, so peruse these companies’ websites for even more info. AEV RAM DUAL SPORT 3-INCH LIFT For ’14-’16 Ram 2500/3500 4x4s, AEV’s Dual Sport system is designed with OE-level engineering to clear larger tires while maintaining factory load carrying and improving vehicle handling. The kit retains the factory springs and supplies 3-inch cast-aluminum coil spacers and 2-inch rear castiron blocks. Bilstein 5100 shocks are custom-valved for the kit. INFO: AEV, 248/926-0256,…

WE JUST RETURNED from a 1,000-mile two-day round trip to Prescott, Arizona, in our long-term Cherokee, and now it’s clearer than ever. The key to this rig is in its ability to silently cruise all day at 85 mph on I-10, carve up Highway 89 through Prescott National Forest like a sports sedan, but then be able to hit the trails around Sedona with all-terrain tires, low range, and a rear locker. That same trip in an XJ would have been exhausting. That same trip in a JK would be OK but not nearly as comfortable or economical as with our little Trailhawk. No, the new Cherokee doesn’t have the beloved 4.0L and straight axles like the XJ, and it doesn’t flex like a JK, but that’s OK. It’s not…

It seems that almost daily we’re teased with a new rumor, speculation, or question about the next-gen Jeep Wrangler, designated the JL. Will it have a turbocharged gas engine? Will it have IFS? Will it be body on frame? Will it get a diesel engine? Will there be a long-travel suspension option? Burning questions and conjecture is nothing new. Back in 2006 when the Wrangler TJ was on the way out and the Wrangler JK was on the way in, there were rumors and speculation galore. Some wondered if the “new” Wrangler would be softened and unable to live up to the nameplate’s outstanding off-road reputation. To help quell those fears, Jeep went big right out of the gate to show the JK’s capabilities by inviting a select group of…

SUSPENSIONALLY SPEAKING, MOST PEOPLE FOCUS MORE ON THE FRONT THAN THE rear. All kinds of conversions have happened in the forward end, including shackle reversals, coil conversions, and various multi-shock setups. The rear suspension is often a stepchild to the front: slap blocks and/or add-a-leaves back there and call it good. Andy Bornschein took a different approach to building his ’68 Jeepster’s suspension. He got a good deal on a set of 16-inch-travel Fox coilovers and decided to build a suspension around them. But instead of putting them in the front, Bornshein decided to keep the leaf springs to help limit bodyroll during cornering. “No trailer-queening and no sway bars,” he says. With the coilovers pegged for the rear, Andy tore into the Jeepster a few months after buying it.…

WHEN IT COMES TO NEW VEHICLE offerings, there isn’t much that makes us happier than factory 4x4 packages that increase offroad capability. For 2017, Ram Truck has added yet another vehicle to its off-road lineup that already includes the 2500-based Power Wagon and 1500-based Rebel. The new Ram 2500 4x4 Off-Road Package includes a list of must-have upgrades for the occasional off-roader. It has large functional open-loop front tow points and the same heavy-duty transfer case skidplate as the Power Wagon. Other features include a standard rear limited-slip differential, Bilstein monotube shock absorbers that have been tuned for the weight of the 2500, more aggressive all-terrain tires in 275/70R18 or 285/60R20 flavor, larger fender flares in black or body color, 4x4 Off Road bed decals and the same electronic hill-descent…

SOME 14,473 FWD-DESIGNED MODEL B 3-TON 4x4 trucks were built for the U.S. Government in World War I. Additionally, thousands more were built for the various European countries allied against Germany in that war, including several hundred for the British military. After the war, all those trucks in all those countries were gradually replaced by more modern trucks and sold surplus to begin a second life away from the battlefield. Many were practically in new condition and offered civilians a first chance to enter the motor age. In the case of the four-wheel-drive Model B, the surplus trucks offered buyers a chance at an affordable all-wheel-drive truck. In those days, a new 4x4 truck was about double the cost of a 4x2, so the surplus rigs sold at a fraction…

BUILDING A TRAIL RIG IS A NEVER-ENDING series of compromises. Balancing power and fuel economy, durability and weight, and dirt-ready suspension with civil road manners are trade-offs any builder faces. Occasionally, a part comes along that affords the best of both worlds. And Offroad Design’s (ORD) Doubler is one of those rare parts. By adapting the low-range gearbox section of an NP203 transfer case to the face of the ever-popular NP205, ORD is able to deliver more gearing without resorting to steeper axle gears. That corresponds to a rig with the guts to get you there, without winding out the engine and further killing fuel economy on the way to the trail. “The big goal is to have deep enough gearing to get around effectively off-road,” says Stephen Watson of…

THAT’S INTERESTING If you see a bright-yellow Ram, chances are it’s the Yellow Rose of Texas Edition or the new Stinger Yellow Sport, which, unlike the Rose, is not limited to Texas. It starts at $44,340 and will have a limited run of 2,250 trucks. Both 4x2 and 4x4 versions are available. The number to beat? 6 million. That’s how many vehicles have been produced at the FCA US Jefferson North Assembly Plant. It was a ’16 Grand Cherokee 75th Anniversary Edition. It’s a nearly 3-million-square-foot facility with around 4,500 employees. $12.2 million has been invested in the upcoming morethan-400,000-square-foot Mopar Parts Distribution Center, which will open in Winchester, Virginia, later in 2016. By the time you are reading this, we’ll have a new slew of high school graduates amongst…

WHEN IT COMES TO LIFTING A TRUCK, there are many ways to go about it. For platforms such as the thirdgeneration Ford 3⁄4- and 1-ton trucks, the options are plenty. Deciding which suspension system is right for your Ford often comes down to being realistic with your expectations and intended use of the vehicle. Take for example our friend’s ’11 F-250. It’s a crew cab four-wheel-drive model fit with the powerful 6.7L diesel engine. Out of the gate, it has plenty of pep and heavy-duty components to easily handle moderate offroad conditions. The fact this particular model is fit with the stock selectable rear locker gives it even more off-road prowess. Like many of you, he was searching for a lift to enhance the ride quality and aesthetics of the…

October 1-2 What: Iron Range Offroad Driving School Where: Gilbert, Minnesota Hosted by: Iron Range Offroad Info: ironrangeoffroad.com October 1-2 What: Lucas Oil Off-Road Expo Where: Pomona, California Hosted by: Off-Road Expo Info: offroadexpo.com October 1-2 What: Halloween Mud Bash Where: Livermore, Maine Hosted by: Barnyard All Terrain Info: barnyardallterrain.com October 6-8 What: 2nd Annual Uwharrie Jeep Jamboree Where: Troy, North Carolina Hosted by: Jeep Jamboree USA Info: 530/333-4777, jeepjamboreeusa.com October 6-9 What: Bluewater Desert Challenge Where: Parker, Arizona Hosted by: Best in the Desert Info: 702/457-5775, bitd.com October 8 What: Quadratec Annual Tent Sale Where: West Chester, Pennsylvania Hosted by: Quadratec Info: quadratec.com October 14-16 What: Operation Desert Fun Where: Ocotillo Wells, California Hosted by: California Association of 4WD Clubs, Inc. Info: ca4wdc.com October 15 What: Getting Started Off-Road…