Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2019 i Four Wheeler

DIRT NAV Alpine Electronics now offers the X209-WRA-OR, a 9-inch touchscreen system with off-road features for the ’11-’18 Jeep Wrangler JK. The X209-WRA-OR is an AM/FM/CD/DVD receiver with Bluetooth wireless technology and embedded navigation on a 9-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen with a matching Wrangler-fitted dash bezel. To protect against the elements when off-roading, the entire system has a weather-resistant rating of IP53 for protection against dust with limited ingress and vertical freshwater spray up to 60 degrees. Off-Road Mode records information about trails, which can be shared with friends. A navigation database includes points of interest for popular vehicular recreational areas, FunTreks trailheads, and campsites across the U.S. It can be used with a variety of rear and/or front Alpine cameras. Infotainment features include Apple CarPlay, Android Auto with the…

FLORIDA ADVENTURE RIGS CONSISTS OF A GROUP OF good friends that spend nearly a week each year exploring in the dirt. Drivers are instructed to meet at a starting point by the trip leader, and then they follow along on the adventure over some number of days. The group spends a good deal of the week off-road wheeling new and interesting trails, but they also stop to take in the history of the area and other unique sights along the way. The 2018 spring trip was in Arizona. Eight vehicles made the 2,000-mile trek from Florida for the expedition. Nights were spent in tents, and the total of 10 rigs ran fully loaded, carrying all the gear for the duration of the trip. Over five days, the group explored the…

THERE ARE MANY PAVED ROUTES CONNECTING COLOrado and Utah, but fortunately, none of those were part of our expedition, as we trekked from Ouray, Colorado, to Moab, Utah. After the 2018 FJ Summit in Ouray, we set our sights on the Rimrocker Trail and hopped inside our convoy of ’19 Toyota TRD Pro rigs. Nothing but dirt roads, scenic backcountry, and off-grid camping were in the plans. Before leaving Ouray, we took some time to get familiar with our route. The Rimrocker Trail is about 160 miles of dirt—officially beginning in Montrose, Colorado, crossing the Dolores River and Highway 141, climbing the La Sal Mountains, entering Utah, and dropping into Moab. The term “Rimrocker” refers to the workers of the many mines in the area, including the Last Chance and…

CHEVROLET’S COLORADO ZR2 IS A FORMIDABLE 4x4 on- and off-pavement, sporting the best suspension and drivetrain GM has ever offered in a midsize pickup. Combine the incredible suspension control of the Multimatic DSSV shocks with the traction from electronic-locking differentials at both ends, and you have a stellar performer right off the showroom floor. Step up to the optional 2.8L Duramax turbodiesel, and improved fuel economy and low-end torque elevate that performance to an even higher level. The Colorado ZR2 comes ready to rock. But as good as it is from the factory, there are things that can be done to elevate the truck to the next level, such as adding a heavy-duty front bumper to replace its plastic fascia. An aftermarket bumper can improve front-end protection, make it easy…

IN ANY MULTIPART SERIES THE sequel is often darker than the premiere. You probably have a life outside your parents’ basement, so hopefully the parallel isn’t lost on you, but think of Star Wars. The first one ends with the Death Star exploding, a medal ceremony, and hope springing eternal for the Resistance. Then along comes Return of the Jedi, and we’re tossed onto an emotional rollercoaster with Han Solo encased in carbonite, the death of Yoda, and Luke dangling from a space city by his one remaining hand. Bummer, dude. So, it’s in that spirit that we bring you the sequel to our first installment of our time behind the wheel of the ’18 Land Rover Discovery HSE Luxury. To be honest, some problems cropped up during the first…

PACER PICKUP LIVES! I am writing in response to Jered Korfhage’s September 2018 Four Wheeler article regarding the ’77 AMC hatchback that was transformed into a 4x4 pickup. In July 2017, my family and I did a Route 66 road trip. My 16-year-old son (David Chavira) is a devout car/four-wheeler enthusiast. We stopped at Darryl Starbird’s National Rod & Custom Car Hall of Fame Museum located north of Tulsa, Oklahoma. We were pleasantly surprised to see numerous beautiful, custom-built vehicles including the custom ’77 AMC 4x4 Pacer. Unfortunately, it seems the Pacer seemed to have not seen dirt in years because we saw it in person and it is preserved in immaculate condition at the museum. I highly recommend seeing the Pacer, along with several unique custom vehicles, at the…

DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU LIVE, FINDING A PLACE TO KICK IT INTO FOUR-WHEEL drive could be as simple as heading to the back half of the property behind the barn. For others, the nearest escape from pavement could be an hour or more away. No matter what your situation, we are taking some of the guesswork out of finding the next place to get the rig dirty. From coast to coast, between the interstates and county lines, lie sometimes-hidden wheeling gems—private off-road parks. Some offer a handful of acres with mild-to-wild trails, and others let you retire to on-site cabins and concerts when the dust has settled for the day. Obviously, there are more parks, but for this story we whittled the list down to 11 epic off-road parks from…

SCIENTISTS SAY THAT MILLIONS OF YEARS ago the force of nature heaved and eroded large masses of earth, which formed the Grand Canyon. The Canyon runs about 277 miles from beginning to end and is approximately 10 miles wide and a mile deep. The Colorado River at its depths has flowed and carved the walls in this great wonder, and side streams have widened the Canyon over time. It is said that ancient Native Americans inhabited the Canyon region more than 10,000 years ago, and there are records of Hopi guides leading Spanish conquistadors to the South Rim in 1540. After that, various prospectors have scoured the area for precious metals since the late 19th century. In many cases, explorers have found the Canyon to be a serious obstacle in…

THE YEAR WAS 1860, AND BETWEEN ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI, AND SACRAMENTO, California, lay roughly 2,000 miles of snow-capped mountains, barren desert, and danger. This route could be covered in as few as 10 days by riders of the Pony Express, tasked with delivering the mail between the two cities. As described by an alleged classified ad, riders were to be “young, skinny, wiry fellows not over eighteen. Must be expert riders, willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred.” Though in operation for just over a year, the Pony Express quickly became a symbol of the American West—its riders crossed the region’s iconic landscape on horseback and lived a life fraught with danger and excitement. Horses were laden with a pouch called a mochila, which was held to the saddle only…

OCCASIONALLY, YOU GET TO SEE A TRUE “TIME capsule,” and Jack Niederkorn’s ’74 Bronco Ranger is it! This Bronco was built on November 29, 1973, and special-ordered by a customer from St. Paul, Nebraska. Jack Niederkorn bought this gem from the original owner in 1988 and has maintained it in original condition ever since. Other than touch-ups here and there on the exterior paint and repainting some trim, normal repairs, and maintenance, it’s as “1974” as it can possibly be. It’s showing only 68,000 miles on the odometer. The Ranger was the Top Dog trim package for the Bronco and debuted in 1973 as a step over the Sport. It carried all the chrome goodies of the Sport but added a higher-end interior, exterior striping, swing-away tire carrier, and the…

DANA 44 INQUIRY Q Do you know where to find a cheap used Dana 44 front axle? The gear ratio does not matter. @PKRGRAVES173 VIA INSTAGRAM @CAPPAWORKS A When selecting a Dana 44 front axle, or any front axle for that matter, there are many things that need to be considered prior to pulling the trigger on your swap. The most important variables that need to be contemplated are which side your transfer case front output is on, overall axle width, and lug pattern. Of course, gear ratio, suspension type, driveshaft adaptability, brake size, and other elements are important too; however, these are typically smaller details that can be more easily overcome with aftermarket parts and a bit of custom fabrication. The most common useable Dana 44 front axles with…

THAT’S INTERESTING Nissan started the Calling All Titans campaign to find people who use their pickup to do good deeds for their community and beyond. As part of that, the spokesperson became a one-of-a-kind Ultimate Service Titan, a collab with American Red Cross, to be donated to Red Cross South Florida. It’s a mobile command center and first aid center for assisting first responders. Also Nissan: ’19 Titan and Titan XD pricing has arrived—Titan 4x4s start at $40,180 (the Platinum Crew Cab sets you back $57,390). On the XD side, gas-model pricing starts at $39,870 (the Platinum Crew Cab sets you back $59,600). XD diesel? 4x4s start at $44,910 (the Platinum starts at $64,900). If you’re the type of shopper who wants a good warranty, then check out Chevy and…

WE CAN THANK JAMES W. MARSHALL, a sawmill operator in Coloma, California, for most of the off-road trails in the American West. It was Marshall’s discovery of gold in 1848 that prompted the flood of people across the Great Plains and over the Rockies to seek their fortunes. In the process, they forged mule and wagon tracks along nearly every canyon and waterway in the Sierra Nevada. As the gold rush waned and the economy ebbed and flowed during the following century, Mother Nature reclaimed most of these byways until all but faint memories of their existence had been erased. It was such a recollection from Jack Enal, the 80-year-old son of a butcher, that became the catalyst for one of the region’s most iconic four-wheel-drive venues. In the 1890s,…

WHEN YOU OWN 300 ACRES OF WOODED central Missouri backcountry, it pays to have a vehicle that can traverse the mud, rock, and hills you’re bound to encounter. For homebuilder John Eilermann, the prospect of bringing family and friends along for off-road adventures inspired this one-of-a-kind build. While on the hunt for the perfect safari-type vehicle to prowl around his sizeable property, John came across a ’72 Suburban listed on eBay for $5,000—much more affordable than the starting price on an authentic safari rig. The Texas-sourced, sixth-generation SUV was all but ready for the paint booth when John took ownership of it in the fall of 2016, but obtaining the classic Suburban was only the beginning. After asking nearby LinCo Diesel Performance to spearhead the project, the well-executed finished product…

AS A TEENAGER, NATHAN DAY REALLY WANTED a Scout to drive. However, his prudent parents overruled his choice of transportation and voted to have him drive a “reliable” car instead. However, the desire never left him; he was intrigued with the fun he could have owning one of these classic International Harvester SUVs. Coincidentally, Nathan was in the right place at the right time about seven years ago when his neighbor rolled this ’77 Scout II Traveler out of his garage and placed a “For Sale” sign on it. Nathan was quick to fork over the $800 that would let him bring some old iron home. It was originally a banana yellow color and came from the factory as a two-wheel drive. The neighbor also supplied Nathan with the original…

Forget, for a moment, the behemoth boxes behind big rigs and the platform following your tow hitch, routinely laden with landscaping tools or a bass boat. Instead, think about the trailers you’ve seen beyond the 4x4 trailhead. We took a trip back to August of 1989 to some of our favorite one-off trailbound trailers. Approaching Michael Vanvakaris from behind when he was towing might have made you think you were seeing double. You would have been mistaken though, as he only had half of a Bronco in tow. Michael’s trailer was from a ’71 Bronco that had suffered a front-end collision. The banged-up Bronco was sliced behind its doors—body, frame, and hardtop—all with a plasma cutter. Beneath the half-Bronco went a custom-fabricated solid axle, leaf springs, and Gas-a-Just shocks. The…