Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2021 i Four Wheeler

JERED.KORFHAGE@FOURWHEELER.COM DID YOU KNOW? 1 If you’re wondering where to find your favorite Odyssey AGM batteries, put NAPA Auto Parts on your list. As an approved vendor, NAPA can now offer Odyssey batteries at 57 distribution centers, 6,000 NAPA Auto Parts stores, and more than 17,000 NAPA AutoCare and AutoCare Collision Centers nationwide. 2 Overland Expo is on for 2021 with new dates! All your expedition-oriented vehicles, clinics, gear, and more will convene in Loveland, Colorado, on August 27-29; Flagstaff, Arizona, on September 24-26; and in Arrington, Virginia, on October 8-10. • GM truck buyers want more GM trucks. To keep up with demand, GM is investing 70 million dollars into its Tonawanda, New York, engine plant and more than 6 million dollars into its Parma, Ohio, metal stamping plant.…

jered.korfhage@fourwheeler.com Like its name implies, this tire grabbed whatever was below it—and our attention. So, we took General’s all-terrain on a wild, 10,000-mile-long ride to feel out just how well the tire performed in a wide variety of on- and off-road situations. We’ll throw out a spoiler here: Despite the rigorous driving conditions, our spare tire remained untouched throughout the duration of our test. General knows what works on its tires, so, you’ll find sidewall technology from the Grabber X3, the company’s mud-terrain offering, worked into the A/Tx. This means you can expect the two polyester sidewall plies to be more resistant to damage than the A/T2 and the shoulder lugs are vaguely similar to those found on the X3. On-road manners were a focus on this tire and the…

jered.korfhage@fourwheeler.com Zach Canadas spent $200 on a ’68 Jeep Wagoneer tub without any axles or transfer case. His pair of Ben Franklins scored him, however, a Buick 350, transmission, and a pre-smog title—just enough to get his project off to a start. Zach brought the engine back to life but soon decided that the Chevy TBI 350 and 700-R4 transmission in one of his donor trucks would better suit the Wagoneer, so he swapped them in. Also on the to-do list was a homebuilt NP203/205 doubler, which came together with help from Clayton at Cushman Customs. Zach wheeled for a while with a pair of Chevy 1-ton axles, a three-link suspension setup, Rancho RS9000 shocks, 63-inch leaf springs, and 38-inch Toyo mud-terrains, but he found himself spending too much time…

editor@fourwheeler.com During the 2020 Overland Adventure in Arizona, the guys from Dee Zee pulled us aside and said they had a prototype part that was perfect for our ’20 Tacoma Double Cab 4x4 SR (which is also outfitted with Dee Zee’s Bed Rack system). The part: a prototype tailgate cutting board cover made from food-grade, high-density polyethylene. We were ecstatic. Our Tacoma’s factory tailgate, with its fiber-reinforced plastic surface, sure left something to be desired—namely a flat surface good for meal prep or repairs and cupholders for beverages. This still unnamed part from Dee Zee does just that, simply and easily. Check out our 5-minute campsite install of the product on our third-gen Tacoma. We’re told that the tailgate cutting board should retail for $200–$300 and should be available for…

JERED.KORFHAGE@FOURWHEELER.COM March 27-April 4 What: Moab Easter Jeep Safari Where: Moab, Utah Hosted by: Red Rock 4-Wheelers Info: rr4w.com April 10-11 What: Getting Started Driving Off-Road Clinic Where: Mojave, California Hosted by: Badlands Off-Road Adventures Info: 4x4training.com April 12-18 What: Cruise Moab Where: Moab, Utah Hosted by: Rising Sun 4WD Club of Colorado Info: cruisemoab.com April 15-18 What: Anniversary Bash 2021 Where: Rush, Kentucky Hosted by: Rush Off-Road Info: rushoffroad.com April 16-17 What: Toughest Monster Truck Tour Where: Loveland, Colorado Hosted by: Budweiser Events Center Info: toughestmonstertrucks.com April 19-25 What: Jeep Beach Where: Daytona Beach, Florida Hosted by: Jeep Beach Inc. Info: jeepbeach.com April 22-24 What: Arch Canyon Jeep Jamboree Where: Blanding, Utah Hosted by: Jeep Jamboree USA Info: jeepjamboreeusa.com April 23-25 What: Overland Challenge Where: Uwharrie National Forest, North…

TANK TOTER A Power Tank gives you the ability to fill 40-inch tires in under a minute and pack the punch to run air tools on the trail, among other qualities. Now, the company offers the Power Plate—a piggyback mount designed to mount a 5-, 10-, or 15-pound Power Tank (also 5- and 11-pound propane tanks) to your bedside organizer rack or MOLLE panel. The laser-cut steel plate is powdercoated in satin black, it comes with six sets of hardware to accommodate various mounting options, and the kit allows for tanks to be mounted vertically or horizontally. INFO: Power Tank, 209/366-2163, powertank.com COOL AND DRY This nifty new cooler from Pelican can keep your flat personal items and electronic devices dry while also keeping your lunch cold. Pelican’s 14-quart Personal…

jered.korfhage@fourwheeler.com Whether driving in the snow is a daily task or a seasonal luxury, it pays to have tires that can perform when the ground beneath you turns to white. Follow along as we dig into the finer points of choosing tires for snowy conditions and share our thoughts about 11 tires after we drove them on and off the road in wintry conditions. M+S Tires Don’t be fooled; the M+S notation on your tires does not necessarily mean the tire is a snow tire. In fact, the M+S designation is strictly a visual standard (read: no assessment of performance). Official documents from the U. S. Tire Manufacturers Association detail design cues that that are said to enhance a tire’s performance in mud and snow over non-M+S tires, such as…

verne_simons@motortrend.com SPONSORED BY The 2020 Ultimate Adventure Long Range Jeep (UALRJ) is not a pure reproduction of a World War II SAS Willys MB, an iconic vehicle that certainly played a pivotal role in the North Africa Campaign of WWII. Rather, this build is a hodgepodge of modern parts that are vetted and darn near bulletproof (figuratively, that is) with a distinct nod to the historically significant WWII jeeps. This is part four in the series and at this point the UALRJ is made up of a lengthened TJ chassis with Ultimate Dana 60 axles and the drivetrain, which is comprised of a Cummins R2.8 Crate Engine and a Quadratec AX15 transmission with Quick Draw Brand adapters. From there, an Offroad Design (ORD) Magnum Underdrive feeds extra low gearing to…

editor@fourwheeler.com Power Tanks are one of those products that once you have used one, it’s tough to go back to anything else. In addition to being well-built and well-engineered, they are portable, fast, and can power air tools, engage air lockers, or quickly refill your rig’s tires. They also last a long time with minimal maintenance outside of the bottle recertification every five years. To air up at the end of a trail day, we typically rely on the 10-pound model, which lasts between three and four trips. One of our favorite aspects of the Power Tank is that it can easily be transferred from one rig to another, and Power Tank offers myriad universal and vehicle-specific mounting solutions. We recently traded our Wrangler JK for a Wrangler JL and…

editor@fourwheeler.com GM’s late-model pickup steering system is a notorious weak link. While sufficient for stock vehicles for highway use, as soon as larger tires are added, any off-roading is done, or the power output is increased, failure becomes imminent. On Sierra and Silverado 2500HD and 3500HD trucks there are a few common failure points. The undersized tie rods are the most common culprit. Also prone to premature wear are the pitman and idler arms. And under the most extreme use, the centerlink can become bent. Fortunately, there are a lot of options for upgrading the steering on GM pickups, including the incredibly robust Extreme-Duty forged steering system from PPE Diesel. Designed to fit ’01-’10 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra 2500HD and 3500HD pickups, the kit from PPE Diesel features massive…

JERED.KORFHAGE@FOURWHEELER.COM At first glance, the ’80 AMC Eagle might’ve just been a passenger car, maybe resembling the Concord DL. Looking at it once more, your eyes could have focused on the ride height and how the vehicle sat just a bit higher off the ground than passenger cars of the day. Maybe you noticed the “4x4” emblems. If you were like us in the early ’80s, you were captivated by the AMC Eagle and its set of four-by skills. We lauded the Eagle with words like “underneath that flowing exterior beats the heart of a Jeep” where we referenced its inline-six and also the TorqueFlite 998 gearbox and NP119 T-case with a viscous coupling four-wheel-drive system. Though we knew the Eagle would never be a dedicated trail basher, its off-road…

EDITOR@FOURWHEELER.COM FLATBED DODGE I ended up putting a flatbed on my ’92 Dodge W250 diesel after I found that most of the spot welds on the bed were broken because of metal fatigue from four-wheeling. The flatbed was installed 4 inches higher to clear the 35s. I wheeled it all over Arizona and used it as a tow truck for my RV trailer when camping. I loved the utility of the bed, even with the twin boxes on each side. I sold it in 2016 and bought a ’91.5 Dodge W250 diesel automatic with a flatbed already installed. My pickups will always be flatbeds. STEVE VIA EMAIL CUSTOM BED FOR WELDING Here is my custom bed I designed and built to meet a variety of needs: camping, mall runs, and…

If you’re gonna shell out top dollar for a tire, you might expect a commensurate increase in its performance. What if that increase in performance could be had without paying more? According to Kenda, it’s possible with the Klever R/T. What is an R/T Tire? Somewhere between mud-terrain and all-terrain tires sits the “tweener” category named rugged-terrain (R/T). Here’s the scoop: R/T tires mix the on-road characteristics you love about all-terrain tires with the off-road strengths typical of your favorite mud-terrains. Some R/Ts come rated for severe snow service, while others tout longer tread life and low road noise. No matter the combination, R/T tires are worth a look, and Kenda’s Klever R/T is no exception. Putting the Klever R/T To Work We chose a set of 35x12.50R17LT Klever R/Ts…

jered.korfhage@fourwheeler.com SPONSORED BY They came from all corners of the United States, in machines new and old, each with a different style of getting away from it all. It’s called overland travel, and it is what united this group of rugged travelers. For some, this was a way to escape for a long weekend, while others brought their full-time, off-grid domiciles along for the ride. Either way, self-reliant, vehicle-based, off-road journeys were the motivator for those who were selected for Four Wheeler’s 2020 Overland Adventure. One of a Kind Adventure It all began with a call to adventure pushed out across Four Wheeler’s website and social media outlets. From the deluge of applications submitted through fourwheeler.com, we selected 20 overland rigs of various sizes, makes, and models to join us…

editor@fourwheeler.com Owners of ’97-’10 General Motors four-wheel-drive pickups should all be aware of the dreaded “pump rub” issue. It doesn’t matter if you drive a Silverado 1500, Sierra 3500, or even an Avalanche, if your truck has a transfer case this story is for you. In short, pump rub refers to when the fluid pump inside the transfer case wears a hole in the case itself. GM transfer cases use a gear-driven pump inside the case that is driven off the mainshaft. Because of this design, the pump must “float” in the rear case half. There are four tabs around the edge of the pump that are used to locate it in the housing. GM installed a steel spring clip in the housing to try to prevent wear, but over…

editor@fourwheeler.com When performing bodywork on an older 4x4 you’ll occasionally find that the path of least resistance to the repair is to remove and replace a body panel. This could be due to rust or severe damage that you can’t pound back into its original shape. Sometimes a replacement panel is available from the aftermarket and other times you have to custom-make your panel out of flat sheet steel. This is something we’ve ended up doing several times, and we can give you some tips and tricks to make the job easier. ■ The Thickness of the Metal Matters One of the most important pieces of information you’ll need to know is the thickness of the sheetmetal. Generally, thicker sheetmetal is easier to weld to, and older 4x4s use thick…

EDITOR@FOURWHEELER.COM CUSTOM LINK SUSPENSION SCIENCE Q I’m working on building a custom three-link front suspension for my very custom ’48 Willys CJ-2A. The tub is stretched and it’s on a custom frame. I mainly use it for trail riding and rockcrawling, but I do drive it to and from the trails so road manners are important. The tires are 39s but I may go bigger. My axles are Dana 60s and I will be using 12-inch-travel shocks. Are there any hard and fast rules to follow when considering link suspension geometry? I’ve done a ton of reading on the subject, but it’s honestly all a little overwhelming. MIKE LEE VIA EMAIL A There is a ton of good information on the Internet about link suspensions, but it is hard to…