Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2019 i Four Wheeler

PRO SCANNING Harbor Freight Tools introduces the Zurich ZRPRO professional OBD-II scanner. The new automotive diagnostic tool is also an Android tablet, which is said to be designed to give master mechanics the power of sophisticated diagnostics with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capability. It features a high-resolution camera; an 8-inch IPS touchscreen; and a dustproof, water- and impact-resistant case. The built-in DTC Code Search look-up function can connect to the Internet for diagnostic help and repair information for additional fault codes. With the features of a full tablet, the ZRPRO can save fault reports and print vehicle diagnostics reports. Each scanner comes with two styluses, a wall charger, a USB data cable, and a 14-inch extension for connection to hard-to-reach OBD-II ports. INFO: Harbor Freight Tools, 800/444-3353, harborfreight.com F-SERIES URETHANE Daystar…

WHETHER IT’S FOR STYLE POINTS OR FUNCTIONAL IMPROVEMENTS, CHANCES are you’ll find yourself eyeballing new wheels for the 4x4 in your life. Wheel shopping, however, shouldn’t be taken lightly. For example, choosing aluminum over steel could result in rolling mass reductions, and depending on the off-road terrain you traverse, beadlock wheels could allow you to safely run lower tire pressures. Measurements must also be considered so that the wheels clear your vehicle’s braking components. Now that we have the off-road wheels in your head turnin’, have a look at the 36 wheels we’ve gathered and see if they’re right for you. BLACK RHINO WHEEL WORDS: The 6-spoke, matte-black Raze wheel is the perfect accent to your truck or Jeep, whether it’s used for towing or trail duty. HOW BIG: 17-,…

WHEN THE KOREAN POLAR RESEARCH Institute contacted Arctic Trucks Iceland in 2018 and asked the company to build a vehicle for its Antarctica research station, the team at Arctic Trucks confidently accepted the order. The company has been building specialty 4x4 vehicles designed to traverse polar regions for over three decades. In fact, by the start of 2015, Arctic Trucks AT44 vehicles had covered over 200,000 kilometers on the Antarctica high plateau. With a track record like that, it became clear to the Koreans why the legendary Arctic Trucks–built Toyota Hilux was chosen to be the primary ground transport vehicle for their Jang Bogo Station on the coast of Terra Nova Bay in Northern Victoria Land. “ULTIMATELY, THE FINISHED RIG IS CAPABLE OF TACKLING THE MOST HOSTILE TERRAIN ON THE…

THE NEW JEEP WRANGLER JL IS THE MOST TECHnologically advanced Wrangler ever produced. It may also be the most capable. While technology is always a good thing when safety is a factor, for many Jeep purists, the more saturated with electronic nannies the Wrangler becomes, the farther it strays from its 1941 Willys roots. We see both sides of it. On one hand, we love the fact that the JL Wrangler is more fuel efficient, responsive, and refined over the previous-generation JK. On the other hand, if we’re shelling out tens of thousands of dollars for a Rubicon, we want to be able to choose when we get to use the lockers. Thankfully, there are companies capable of diving into the complex digital wizardry of the modern Wrangler. One in…

TRACTION CONTROLLED Q Do people usually turn off the traction control on their Jeeps or other vehicles on- and off-road like I do? I recently picked up a ’12 two-door Jeep JK Wrangler and I find myself purposely turning it off because it doesn’t like threshold braking and my other driving habits. I’m used to older things. My wife backed our two-wheel-drive ’17 Ram 1500 downhill to a gate to unload hay, and then called me and said the truck was stuck. So it sat there until I got home. I had to turn the traction control off to get it to keep the rear tires spinning and drive back up to the gravel road. Keep up the good work! VINCE HAYS VIA FACEBOOK.COM/FOURWHEELERMAG A Unfortunately, the OE traction and…

EAGLE FAN I’m a big fan of Eagles, but I keep mine close to stock. I pretty much overhauled my ’82 SX/4 and also have an ’86 wagon that was featured in a video on YouTube on the AutoMoments channel. They’re great fun to drive and always turn heads. I don’t use them much in the salty Pennsylvania winters anymore for obvious reasons. I was born in 1988 so I sadly never saw any on the showroom floor. Thanks for the neat article (Firing Order, Apr. ’19). MATT STECK VIA EMAIL PATHFINDER BUILD Thought I would share my build with you. I am not the first to do this swap but here it is—a ’92 Nissan Pathfinder with a D21 Hardbody cab. I bought the Pathfinder in 2017 with a…

“MY DAD WARNED ME that this truck would never be a full rockcrawler—boy was he wrong!” The truck was an ’84 Chevy K20 with a 6.2L Detroit Diesel V-8, and it had spent its time hauling cattle around a ranch and transporting toys to and from the local dunes. Ryan Maggy’s plans for the truck involved more play than work; he wheeled hard on its 3/4-ton axles and 4-inch Pro Comp lift. Modifications began with flipped shackles and custom-built bumpers—and ended with a blown engine and a title transfer. Ryan’s heavy foot and the turbocharger wreaked havoc on the stock 6.2L, so he parted ways with the Chevy and sold it to a friend. A series of fortunate events took place in that interim. First, Ryan’s friend replaced the blown…

THE 2018 OVERLAND EXPO EAST BROUGHT TRAVELERS AND OFF-ROAD enthusiasts from around the East Coast (and beyond) to a very cold, soggy, and muddy part of North Carolina. There was gobs of rain, mud so deep it could swallow a shoe, and chilly mornings that blanketed the off-road rigs in frost. But even with the crazy weather, the Expo went on as planned. For 2018, Overland Expo East organizers relocated the annual event to the scenic Oskar Blues REEB Ranch, just south of Asheville, North Carolina. Vendors and off-road enthusiasts congregated there for the three-day weekend event, and the grounds were saturated with overland-centric vehicles, tents, gear, 4x4 testing grounds, and a large vendor area. Attendees exchanged stories, perused the cool overlanding gear and rigs, braved the muddy driving courses,…

MANY OF US KNOW THIS SCENARIO. YOU flip open the lid of your cooler and plunge a hand in, only to find that the once expertly crafted pastrami on rye with ballpark mustard, garden-picked tomatoes, and crisp lettuce has since disintegrated into an amorphous blob of goo. What happened? Melted ice. While ice chests can be simple and inexpensive, spend enough time off-roading with one ratcheted to the back of your rig, and there’s a good chance you’ll encounter a soggy lunch, or worse—a slushy mess leaking out from beneath the lid as the vehicle moves. Or, you may not be able to replenish the ice in your cooler as you explore the backcountry. Fortunately, Dometic has engineered several solutions, and the company offers powered coolers tailored for specific use.…

SINCE LEAVING THE NAVY, GARRETT BARNES, A SERIAL Jeep owner, has not spent much time without a seven-slotted 4x4. Whether it was his ’73 CJ-5 with a school bus steering wheel, the ’95 Grand Cherokee Limited, or his old TJ Sahara with a long-arm lift kit, there was always a Jeep in his life. Garrett was recently distracted amidst his search for his dream Jeep, an LJ Rubicon, by something equally elusive on the East Coast—a California-raised ’76 CJ-7. This Jeep had spent most of its life free of road salt and had only recently migrated to Vermont, where Garrett eagerly snatched it up and drove it back home to Massachusetts. His plan was to continue building the rig to make it capable of wheeling the densely forested, boulder-riddled trails…

’19 Ram 1500 Classic Warlock It’s TBT—throwback truck. The ’19 Ram 1500 Classic Warlock is a redo of the 1970s Warlock pickup. If the 1970s are too vintage for you, then learn from Ram’s own explanation of the OG Warlock: “In 1976, the first production Dodge Warlock was introduced following the public’s positive response to a pickup originally designed as an auto show concept vehicle. The Warlock was a factory-personalized pickup that could ‘play as hard as it works,’ according to the period literature, complete with bucket seats, ‘fancy wheels, fat tires,’ chrome-plated running boards, real oak sideboards, and special gold accent stripes inside and out. Production ran until 1979.” Knowing all that, now know that this Warlock gets its wings via a monochrome look, powdercoated bumpers, black grille with…

SWAPPING WHEELS FROM STOCK TO AFTERMARKET IS ONE OF THE MOST common mods wheelers make to their 4x4s. Sometimes, it’s a simple cosmetic upgrade. Other times, it’s out of necessity due to a new lift or tire size. As the modern 4x4 becomes more diverse, wheel options have expanded. From beadlocks to massive 24-inch forged dishes, there’s something for just about everyone’s needs and wants. While a certain look may draw you in, choosing the right wheel replacement for your 4x4 needs to go beyond the surface appeal. The wrong backspacing or diameter could create a laundry list of problems. For example, get the wrong backspacing and your tires might not clear your rig’s suspension components. Or, nab the wrong wheel diameter and your wheels might not fit over your…

ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WHEN BUILDING A truck with limited aftermarket support is that you have to be rather creative when it comes to reaching your goals. For our ’01 Chevy S-10 4x4, we knew that the few off-the-shelf suspension systems available wouldn’t suffice for our lofty wheeling goals. This was mostly due to the light-duty independent front suspension components the truck rolled off the assembly line with. Removing the IFS from the truck would require ditching the front driveline components and the torsion bar suspension as well. In a previous issue, we gave you the rundown on the junkyard 1-ton axles that were built for our Crew Cab Chevy you see here. In this story, we’re turning our attention to the suspension that will be securing the high-pinion Dana…

Tundra buggies don’t need roads, they just need ground clearance and slow-speed gearing, and Bill Newman of Eagle, Alaska, built his fleet as such. The 40-year off-road enthusiast earns his keep shuttling tourists across the Alaskan tundra in these buggies, each purpose-built for Bill’s company, Alaska Wilderness Tours. The April 1994 issue of Four Wheeler took us to Eagle River, Alaska, where we learned how Bill kept his fleet of buggies—and his passengers—high and dry while touring the backcountry. Though they bear little resemblance, each buggy began life as a Kaiser M715. Bill chose the 11⁄4-ton frames because they were “strong, sturdy, and reliable.” A military ambulance body fitted to the frame housed the passengers and facilitated gear storage. Low-end power from the Chevy 350 V-8 was perfect for keeping…