Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2019 i Four Wheeler

HEFTY BUMPER Fab Fours now offers the all-new Matrix Series front bumper. The Matrix Series front bumpers are said to combine the best features from the Premium and Vengeance Series bumpers. Matrix Series bumpers offer more tire clearance and are winch-ready, accepting up to a 12,000-pound Warn Zeon winch with relocation brackets. Other features include 7/8-inch clevis mounts, a center mount to accommodate a 30-inch lightbar, mounting options on each side for two 2x2-inch cube lights, and optional mesh inserts for side openings. It’s made from 3/16-inch steel plate, is completely bolt on, comes with brackets that tie directly to the frame, features a two-stage black powdercoat, and is 100 percent made in the USA. The Matrix Series bumpers are available for ’17-’19 Ford Super Duty, ’15-’19 Chevy HD, ’15-’19…

TOWING IS ONE OF THE PRIMARY REASONS for owning a pickup, which is why a receiver hitch can be found on almost every fullsize pickup. But there are times when towing needs exceed the weight-carrying capacity of the factory receiver hitch, the weight of the trailered load requires using a weight-distributing hitch assembly, or the trailer we want to tow isn’t even of the “bumper tow” type. The latter issue is common when it comes to the larger flatdeck trailers many of us use to transport our off-road toys. The most common configuration for a larger equipment–type trailer is a gooseneck, which attaches to a tow ball mounted in the center of the pickup’s bed. This setup moves the weight of the trailer over the vehicle’s rear axle, as opposed…

YOUNG DAN CRESSALL’S FATHER REGALED HIM with stories about taking his early Ford Bronco off-road through mountain trails, so as a teen, Dan looked to his own two-by Toyota pickup to satisfy the same growing wanderlust. Yet he’d learn quickly that he’d need a 4x4 to take him farther down the trails less traveled. But that’s not the overlanding story to tell. Adult Dan Cressall had a wife, two young daughters, and, finally, a 4x4—first, a rusted-out Chevy Blazer, and then a rusted-out Toyota truck. He knew what he really needed next: a rock buggy. He would build it himself, collecting parts for years, trading labor for parts he couldn’t afford, and buying basic fabrication tools. Once completed, he bought a brand-new ’08 Dodge Ram to tow the two-seater buggy,…

November 30-December 1 What: Toys for Tots Dirtfest Where: Gore, Virginia Hosted by: Big Dogs Offroad Info: bigdogsoffroad.com December 7 What: Shriners Ride Where: Shreveport, Louisiana Hosted by: High Lifter Off Road Park Info: hlorp.com December 7 What: Adventure Off Road Park Annual Toy Run Where: South Pittsburg, Tennessee Hosted by: Adventure Off Road Park Info: adventureoffroadpark.com December 7-8 What: Monster Jam Where: Jackson, Mississippi Hosted by: Mississippi Coliseum Info: monsterjam.com December 8 What: Guided Reindeer Run Where: Pine Grove, Pennsylvania Hosted by: Rausch Creek Off Road Park Info: offroad-consulting.com December 13-15 What: McKenzie’s Rage at the River Where: Laughlin, Nevada Hosted by: SNORE Info: snoreracing.net December 14 What: Wheeling 4 Toys Where: Mapleton, Kansas Hosted by: Brush Beaters Jeep Club Info: ksrockspark.com December 14 What: Open Trail Ride Where:…

EDITOR@FOURWHEELER.COM CARB DEVELOPMENT I began my engineering career working for Carter Carburetor back in the early ’60s. It was probably the most fun job of my entire career (I retired as V.P. Engineering in the HVAC industry a few years ago). In those days carburetor development involved flow box testing, dynamometer testing, hot and cold start testing, vapor lock testing, economy tests, and much real-world driving evaluation. Emissions testing was added to the regimen with the advent of the California auto emission laws in 1966 followed by nationwide emission laws two years later. This changed the game as low emissions preempted drivability issues and led to some of the severe auto performance downgrades of the ’70s. In 1965, I was charged with developing a Carter RBS (round bowl single) carburetor…

KEITH BERKSHIRE LOVES EXPLORING IN THE DESERT, AND he often brings his family along for camping in the wild. He owned a modified Jeep CJ-7 for years, but he’s had to get more creative when taking the entire family Jeeping. A few years back, Keith acquired this ’07 Wrangler and became the third owner of the Unlimited Sport model. It had been lifted and sat on aftermarket axles when he got it, but he wanted further upgrades to haul weekend gear and his family of seven, including himself, into the dirt. Now this rig supports third-row seating and a custom trailer made to follow the Wrangler almost anywhere he points it. With the added load of the occupants and cargo, the stock 3.8L V-6 just wasn’t up to the task…

THERE ARE, GIVE OR TAKE, A ZILLION AND ONE PRODUCTS TO MAKE TOWING AND HAULING a better experience. And it’s pretty easy to find out the areas in which your truck is finding the struggle real. We’ve dug up a bunch of towing solutions, focused mainly on performance, ride, and the hitch area of a truck. However, we’ve also included a sidebar on other super-useful towing accessories to collect. PERFORMANCE SUPERCHARGER WHAT: E-Force supercharger to improve towing/hauling capacity and performance. QUOTE: “At the heart is a high-efficiency Eaton TVS rotor assembly housed in a specially designed manifold with an integrated dual-pass air-to-water intercooler.” EXPECT: Preformed hose kit, matte-black powdercoat, and hardware. COST: MSRP is about $5,610. BUY: Edelbrock LLC, edelbrock.com TOWING TURBO SYSTEM WHAT: The compact Vortex 5000 Plus Kit…

LOOKING FOR AN EARLY Bronco that hasn’t fallen to the wrath of the corrosion gods that’s also within your price range? It’s slim pickings out there, to the point where it might seem easier to just build one from scratch. Well, that’s what we did, and we banged it all out in a week—enter Four Wheeler’s incredible Week to Wheelin’ Vintage Bronco Build, presented by Golden Star Classic Auto Parts. This was slated to be our biggest Week to Wheelin’ yet, because our vintage Bronco would be built piece by hand-assembled piece. We started with a daunting pile of parts. Everything—from front and back bumpers, wheels to wiper blades, and brake lines to body mounts—was stacked in the MotorTrend Group Tech Center. Over the next week, we saddled up to…

WE’VE BEEN DRIVING OUR long-term ’18 Chevy Colorado Crew Cab ZR2 for a year. Now we can look back on all the miles and hours engaged in piloting it over rocks, dirt roads, mud, gravel, sand, and even through some snow, from a more analytical viewpoint than in those early days of first getting to know the truck. To make sure we had a complete picture of the Colorado, we also spent some serious time methodically doing the mundane but necessary chores that a pickup truck would endure—driving to work; highway miles; and runs to the grocery, hardware, and auto parts (not for the ZR2) stores. Let’s start at the beginning. We first saw the “concept” in 2014 and enthusiastically applauded it. When a production vehicle was finally available, it…

Flip open the hood of a new truck on the lot today, and you might find fewer cylinders in the block than there are fingers on your left paw. We get it; new-age tech gives us better fuel economy, which means more spending change available for the other money-hungry 4x4s in our lives. Jeff Dane evidently had no plans for fuel savings, or modesty of any kind, when constructing his monster truck—“Awesome Kong II,” which stomped its way onto Four Wheeler’s cover in June of 1985. The truck was an instant crowd-pleaser with its Competition Orange paint and 73-inch tires, but the real hook was the engine. Before finding its home inside Awesome Kong II, the V-12 Allison airplane engine powered a World War II P-51 Mustang, and later, an…

Will the Electric Ford F-150 Be Able to Tow 1,000,000 Pounds? Ford trotted out its all-electric F-150 prototype to make it tow. The object of choice? “10 double-decker rail cars and 42 2019 model year F-150s, weighing more than 1 million pounds.” We’ll add to that statement from the Blue Oval the footnote that was quietly slipped in: “The F-150 prototype is towing far beyond a production truck’s capacity in a one-time short event demonstration. Never tow beyond a vehicle’s towing capacities. Always consult the owner’s manual.” Spoiler alert: Don’t consult your owner’s manual—yours shouldn’t be subjected to this. But you can watch this one do it here: bit.ly/314Coyc. That’s Interesting Ford wants there to be a pickup emoji and told the Unicode Consortium to add one (they decide the…

WHILE MODERN TRUCKS CONTINUE TO DWARF TORQUE AND HAULING FIGures of the past, there’s definitely more to the towing equation than pulling power. No different than properly setting up your 4x4, making sure your tow rig and your trailer are safe for you and others on the road is equally important. From choosing the right tow vehicle to how to properly strap down your trail rig, there’s plenty to consider. Thinking about an off-road trailer to take on your next overland adventure? Have you considered all of your hitch options? How about tongue weight? In this story, we’ll cover some of the fundamentals of towing. We’ll also break down some frequently misunderstood aspects and provide helpful tricks that have served us well over the years. Tow Rig There’s no doubt…

MORNING MIST HUNG LOW TO THE GROUND, THE NEARBY COWS EXCHANGED THEIR morning greetings, and the smell of cinnamon rolls wafted through the sea of rooftop tents. The sun had scarcely risen over the campground, and Dan Cressall, a participant from Logan, Utah, had the oven in his ’08 Dodge Ram fired up, cranking out gooey morning treats. If you’re just joining us, this is Morning Two of Four Wheeler’s inaugural Overland Adventure. One-of-a-Kind Adventure From the stacks of applications submitted through fourwheeler.com, we selected 20 overland vehicles of various sizes, makes, and models; all were equipped with true four-wheel drive and unique sleeping accommodations, and they came from all corners of the United States to join us on our inaugural expedition. Overland Adventure was a journey you likely would…

BACK IN THE DAY THEY WERE CALLED Carryalls. The term “sport/utility” had not yet been coined. Most truck manufacturers had a panel truck based on their light-truck chassis, and that was the delivery van of the era. A variation was the Carryall, which added windows and seating to the equation. The Chevrolet Suburban is probably the best known of these, but the basic idea for a light-truck–based people mover goes back to the dawn of the automobile. Adding four-wheel drive to the Carryall equation came just before World War II, when Marmon-Herrington began converting a variety of Ford products, including cars and light trucks, to four-wheel drive. Wartime Carryalls were built with four-wheel drive, and most of them were from Dodge, the main supplier of light trucks to the government.…

FLIPPING LEAF Q I read your recent tech column and had thoughts on the advice you gave about swapping ends on leaf springs. The entry was titled “Easy Wheelbase Extension.” Depending on the leaf springs, they may have a double wrap at the frame end (not the shackle end) of the spring. If this were the case, turning the spring around may not be possible and may even be dangerous. I do love reading your tech advice, and would not presume to tell you how to advise one of your readers, but when discussing matters of safety, I can seldom keep my mouth shut. MATT STOFFREGEN STOFFREGEN MOTORSPORTS A Good point! Not all leaf springs are good candidates for flipping. Some even have different-size hardware and bushing diameters and widths,…