Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2017 i Four Wheeler

Catch these shows on Motor Trend OnDemand. Sept 8 LIVE! Formula D, Fort Worth, TX Sept 8 Auto Mundial Sept 8 FIM Motocross World Championship, USA Sept 9 LIVE! DTM Championship, Nürburgring Sept 9 LIVE! FIA Formula 3 Championship, Nürburgring Sept 9 LIVE! Formula D, Fort Worth, TX Sept 9 LIVE! Goodwood Revival, Goodwood Sept 10 LIVE! FIA Formula 3 Championship, Nürburgring Sept 10 LIVE! Goodwood Revival, Goodwood Sept 11 Engine Masters–Episode 26 Sept 11 Hot Rod Drag Week Sept 12 Hot Rod Drag Week Sept 13 Head 2 Head–Episode 94 Sept 13 Hot Rod Drag Week Sept 14 Hot Rod Drag Week Sept 14 Put Up or Shut Up–Episode 3 Sept 15 LIVE! Lamborghini Super Trofeo–Europe, Nürburgring Sept 15 LIVE! Pirelli World Challenge, Sonoma Raceway Sept 15 LIVE! Virgin…

TIRES ARE AMONG THE MOST HOTLY DEBATED topic among off-road enthusiasts. Any time a new tire comes out, everyone’s attention is piqued, yet probably not as much as ours. The new Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003 is a vastly different tire than the old Geolandar M/T, so we jumped at the chance to take a closer look. With invite in hand, we quickly made our way to Gateway, Colorado, to get some wheel time on the new Geolandar M/T both on- and off-road. The first thing you’ll notice about the new tire is that it has far more biting edges than the old Geolandar M/T. These extra biting edges are backed up with siping in the tread blocks, something the outgoing model did not have. The sipes are designed to improve…

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO FIRESTONE TOOK A BIG STEP forward in the traction tire market with the introduction of the Destination M/T. It was well accepted at the time, and still commands a decent following more than a decade-and-a-half later, but it’s old technology that has been playing follow the leader for years. That changes as of July 2017. Firestone has put a new face on mud with the release of the Destination M/T2, which we had the opportunity to get a preview of during a daylong outing putting the tire to the test on the muddy backroads at Overland Experts’ 8,600-acre training center in Orange, Virginia. We wheeled a dozen identical ’17 Jeep Wrangler Rubicons over the same roads, trails, and off-road obstacles as Special Forces and other military and…

RATIO RIGHT QI have a ring-and-pinion gearset for a Dana 44 from a ’70s Jeep FSJ. How can I tell if it’s a 3.73:1 or 3.07:1 ratio? HARRIS WELLS VIA EMAIL AFullsize Jeeps were available with a variety of axle ratios throughout the years. These ratios varied from 3.07:1 all the way down to 5.89:1 depending on the year and model of the Jeep. Fortunately, there are several ways to tell what the ratio of an uninstalled ring-and-pinion gearset is. The easiest and most accurate method is to simply count the teeth on each gear and then divide the ring gear tooth count by the pinion gear tooth count. Let’s say you counted 43 teeth on the ring gear and 14 teeth on the pinion gear, 43 divided by 14…

OVERLAND EXPO STARTED OUT AS A SMALL event where world travelers and van-living vagabonds came together to talk about their trips and upgrades, but like a rooftop tent, it has expanded to massive dimensions. The number of vendors showing off camping upgrades for all types of vehicles is mindboggling. Whether you sleep in your Subaru or have seen the world in your Unimog-mega-house-on-wheels there is something for you at Overland Expo. For 2017, Overland Expo West moved to a fairgrounds near Flagstaff, Arizona, and it was better than ever. The event has a variety of driver training for novice off-roaders as well as lectures and seminars from experienced world travelers, but the real growth was in the vendor arena. The number of companies offering something new or just a new…

EXPLORING THE GREAT OUTDOORS WITH THREE SMALL CHILDREN CAN BE INCREDIBLY FUN, BUT challenging. In fact, just toting around all of the gear for three tiny humans for a weekend off the grid can be tricky. Chris Steuber, however, has a pretty good solution for his people-moving and off-road needs. He calls it V7. It’s an ’05 Ford E-350 that’s been converted to four-wheel drive using a Ujoint Off Road conversion kit. While building a 4x4 van for the trail might seem a little extreme, the ample cargo room and seating makes for an excellent option. In fact, this V-10-powered machine serves as a daily driver and tow rig. While Chris has an affinity for diesel vans (he’s owned a few), he’s been pleased with the power the 6.8L engine…

INSTANT THROTTLE RESPONSE, BIG TORQUE, AND THE ABILITY TO GET LOADS moving in a hurry were great selling points for the ’11 Super Duty. Thanks to a variable geometry turbocharger, reverse-flow cylinder heads, and a Bosch injection system utilizing piezoelectric injectors, Ford’s 6.7L Power Stroke V-8 packed 400 hp and 800 lb-ft of twist when it debuted. However, power ratings on paper don’t always pan out in the real world. With roughly 50 percent of all modern diesel trucks being equipped with some sort of programmer or other power adder, it didn’t take long for 6.7L Power Stroke owners to find the weakest link in the chain: the Garrett GT32 SST turbo. Eventually, the added fueling provided by a programmer will overspeed the turbo, causing it to self-destruct. This places…

October 31–November 3 What: SEMA Show Where: Las Vegas, Nevada Hosted by: Specialty Equipment Market Association Info: semashow.com November 10–12 What: Trucks Gone Wild at Redneck Mud Park Where: Punta Gorda, Florida Hosted by: Trucks Gone Wild Info: trucksgonewild.com November 10–12 What: Panamint Valley Days Where: Trona, California Hosted by: California Four Wheel Drive Association Info: cal4wheel.com November 11 What: Getting Started Off-Road Driving Where: Gorman, California Hosted by: Badlands Off-Road Adventures Info: 310/613-5473, 4x4training.com November 12 What: Day 2 Getting Started Driving Off-Road Where: Mojave, California Hosted by: Badlands Off-Road Adventures Info: 310/613-5473, 4x4training.com November 14–18 What: 50th SCORE Baja 1000 Where: Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico Hosted by: SCORE International Info: score-international.com November 17–18 What: Trucks Gone Wild at Twitty’s Mud Bog Where: Ulmer, South Carolina Hosted by: Trucks…

»»»That’s Interesting -> Sometimes you use roadside assistance that isn’t duct tape and a chain. So, you may be pleased to learn Farmers Insurance has tweaked its roadside assistance app to make you pace and curse less while on the side of the road. It can find you quicker and you’ll get arrival notifications in real time and also a map to reverse-stalker the progress. -> Instant Gold Status? It can be yours as a Shell Fuel Rewards user. You’ll save around five pennies per gallon. It’s a teaser to the real status symbol of 2018: Gold or Silver benefit levels. Learn more at fuelrewards.com/gold. -> The Official Automotive and Mobility Partner of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Teams is Toyota. -> Tesla’s Model X SUV got five stars from…

PITCHING A TENT ON THE GROUND OR TOSSING a sleeping bag in the bed of the truck with a tarp over top is suitable shelter for the younger and more adventuresome four-wheelers spending a few days boondocking. Such shelter, along with a cooler of drinks and an assortment of canned and freeze-dried foods that can be cooked over a campfire, are the only other necessities needed to be comfortable. Those who are a bit more seasoned in setting up a basecamp during multiday off-road expeditions, and who may have a spouse or significant other not as fond of roughing it as the younger generation, probably prefer a few more amenities and better accommodations—making sure stays at the Great Outdoors Inn are a restful, stress-free adventure. That’s where specialty off-road trailers…

THE JEEP WRANGLER JK HAS become one of themost popular SUVs since it went into production a decade ago, with sales topping 1.5 million through mid-2017. Jeeps have always been magnets for customization/personalization, but the JK elevated that interest to a higher level, the result of which is a seemingly unending supply of specialty products to help tailor each Wrangler JK to its owner’s needs and pursuits. For you JK owners who haven’t been keeping up with the wide range of sweet new products that aftermarket manufacturers have developed just for your ride, we have put together this guide. Here we give you a taste of what’s available, from body armor, lighting, and suspensions to seats, axles, and rollcages—and everything in between. Warning: Browse at your own risk! The following…

WHILE EVERY NEW VEHICLE in the Jeep brand lineup today has its purpose and place in the broad spectrum of automotive usefulness, the Grand Cherokee holds a singularly distinct position on that roster. It’s the reigning monarch. No, it’s not the best hardcore off-roader in the bloodline; that seat is held quite rightfully by the mounted knight of the Jeep realm—the Wrangler JK. It’s not the most economy minded, either. Depending upon your needs and tastes, that seat is filled by either the Compass or the Renegade with their fuel-sipping four-cylinder engines. And although the Cherokee does command a princely station somewhere in between these vehicles, none combine power, off-road capability, on-road drivability, comfort, seating room, and style in the same regal amalgam as the Grand Cherokee. Add the Trailhawk…