Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2022 i Four Wheeler

HITCH SLIDER Protect your rig’s hitch from damaging off-road obstacles with the Hitch Slider. The slider’s one-piece design is made from 6061-T6 billet aluminum and features a ramped underside to help it slide over obstacles without hanging up. The integrated shackle recovery point ring accepts most hard and soft shackles. The compact and universal design fits most 2-inch receivers if the receiver is the lowest point on the vehicle. Available in red, black, grey, orange, blue, and raw machined aluminum finishes. INFO: 41.22 Inc, 41twentytwo.com TRANSMISSION FILTER UPGRADE Upgrade from the standard transmission filter on your 68RFE to the PPE High-Efficiency Fluid Filter. This filter features an extended filter cup that contains 178 square inches of 10-micron filter media. The factory plastic adapter has been replaced with a steel adapter…

SPONSORED BY We wish we could invite all of you along on our epic Ultimate Adventure (UA), but face it, that isn’t feasible. Still, we appreciate and include Four Wheeler readers by inviting a select few each year to join us on the world’s oldest and most awesome off-road adventure trip. We select the invited readers from applications received at fourwheeler.com. For 2021, we invited four new readers and one returning reader to join us on UA, and here they are. THE ICE CREAM VAN RISES TO THE TOP Travis Farmer and his co-driver Cole Conner were a great choice for returning reader for 2021. While all the readers from UA2020 were awesome and a pleasure to have on the trip, it’s always a pleasure to watch Travis stuff 7,000…

Top Truck Challenge (known simply as TTC or Top Truck), was an epic, weeklong competition held at the Hollister Hills SVRA near Hollister, California. It ran for 23 consecutive years, from 1993 to 2015. For most years it was comprised of 4x4s selected by Four Wheeler readers from applications submitted by Four Wheeler readers. This made TTC a reader-driven competition from beginning to end. Competitors challenged a number of off-road-centric events, including the legendary Frame Twister, Obstacle Course, and Tank Trap. From its humble beginnings, the event grew in popularity and there was even a Top Truck Champions’ Challenge to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of TTC where all the previous Grand Champions were invited to return for an incredible, epic throwdown. It’s also worth noting that TTC inspired many things…

SPONSORED BY “It does everything I need it to do … except 70 mph.” That summarizes life with a Tracker, according to Douglas Hart. Believe it or not, Douglas and his wife frequently load up the ’94 Chevy Tracker with two dogs and a stash of camping gear and hit the backwoods for multiple days at a time. But why a Tracker? Douglas explains it was his daughter who turned him on to the short-wheelbase machines. She thought they were adorable, and she wanted one, and a Tracker is what she got. Interestingly enough, Douglas took even more of a liking to the Tracker and when his daughter went off to college, he purchased it from her. That tin-top got a set of 35-inch tires and still has a place…

The year is 2023. Recipients of untested vaccines have mutated into brain-gobbling monsters. Supply chains and infrastructures have shut down. Civilization has collapsed, replaced by warlord factions fighting for control. Amid the chaotic plundering and pillaging, you learn of a desert island oasis 400 miles away where the rule of law still exists. In what vehicle do you pack your family to make it there? The last thing you want is some Mad Max super interceptor with a fuel-guzzling, supercharged big-block that’ll get you down the wasteland to the tune of 2.3 mpg. Nah, mate, you want something good on petrol that won’t get high-centered crossing the first dry billabong you come across or leave your tank dry outrunning the first band of miscreants you come across. Better yet, forget…

• January 27-February 5 What: King of the Hammers Where: Johnson Valley, California Hosted by: Ultra4 Info: ultra4racing.com • February 4-5 What: Mid-West Truck & Trailer Show Where: Peoria, Illinois Hosted by: Peoria Civic Center Info: midwesttruckshow.com • February 5-6 What: Monster Jam Where: Tampa, Florida Hosted by: Raymond James Stadium Info: monsterjam.com • February 17-19 What: Annual Truck Show Where: Leesburg, Florida Hosted by: Vintage Trucks of Florida Info: vintagetrucksfl.com • February 17-20 What: Mardi Gras Ride 2022 Where: Jacksonville, Texas Hosted by: River Run ATV Park Info: riverrunpark.com • February 17-20 What: UTV Legends Championship Where: Laughlin, Nevada Hosted by: Best in the Desert Info: bitd.com • February 18-20 What: California Four Wheel Drive Association Convention Where: Visalia, California Hosted by: California Four Wheel Drive Association Info: cal4wheel.com…

Before we begin, let me go ahead and cut you off at the pass. Yes, I’m a dumbass. I tried to cram a square peg in a round hole. I zigged when I shoulda zagged. I put the beans above the frank. In short, I used the wrong tool for the job. But that’s not really my point. I’m not bummed I broke my 20-year-old pair of Craftsman Professional needle nose pliers. I’m bummed because nowadays I can’t just stroll into my local Sears store, grab a new pair off the wall, and toss my broken ones to the register jockey, and walk nonchalantly out the door on my way to misuse and potentially break another tool in my arsenal. Sigh … personal accountability has fully arrived. But it got…

SPONSORED BY They say everything is bigger in Texas, and even though this year’s event technically began in Oklahoma, Ultimate Adventure 2021 (UA2021) Presented by Rugged Ridge was most definitely bigger this year. With more sponsors, more vehicles, and more participants since Ultimate Adventure began in 1999, UA2021 certainly seems one for the record books. But let’s back up and recap a little of what this event is, how it works, and what makes it so special. Ultimate Adventure is the original hard-core off-road experiential event that, since its inception in 1999, has often been copied but never duplicated. Every year the event takes a group of off-road addicts on a weeklong adventure pitting highly built vehicles against the hardest off-road terrain, brutal pavement pounding, and the ravages of attrition.…

We recently joined the team from MotorTrend on an exclusive trans-continental journey across America in two ’22 Rivian R1T battery electric vehicles (BEVs). This five-leg, 43-day trip started in Nags Head, North Carolina, and covered 7,686 mostly off-road miles along the Trans-America Trail, ending up on the beach in Port Orford, Oregon. Because the trip would be traversing the Rocky Mountains and Colorado’s legendary San Juan Mountains, Four Wheeler was invited to take part on the most technical part of the journey, including Black Bear Pass, to pilot the Rivians along the most demanding part of the trip. Over our weeklong stint in the driver seat of a pre-production R1T loaded to its over 4-ton GVWR with people and gear (outfitted with a rack, Rivian rooftop tent, and a fridge,…

Way back in 1974, Four Wheeler Editor Bill Sanders launched the “Four Wheeler Achievement Award,” which eventually became Four Wheeler of the Year and many years later the current SUV of the Year and Pickup Truck of the Year. The original Four Wheeler Achievement Award was handed out to the editors’ choice of the best new 4x4, eschewing the head-to-head competition you know today. The first winner was the ’74 Jeep Cherokee. We lauded the Cherokee as being the “first all-new sports utility vehicle to enter the 4x4 market for some time” and said, “It is an all-new vehicle from the ground up, with many unique features to appeal to the modern, sophisticated 4-wheel-drive owner. The Cherokee combines rugged off-road performance with superior passenger luxury and comfort in a nifty,…

SPONSORED BY After looking down upon the earth from the cockpit of aircraft like the B-52, the SR-71 Blackbird, and the U-2 spy plane, Bert Garrison Jr. was ready to slow it down a couple thousand miles per hour and enjoy the landscape from the bench seat of his ’78 Jeep J20. The J-Series seen here has been owned by two generations of Bert Garrison, was Junior’s ride on date night, a head-turner at the car show, and has been saved from both the junkyard and from languishing in a dusty barn. Let’s rewind. Bert’s father, Bert Garrison Sr., ordered the ’78 J20 from Hinkle’s Jeep Sales in Easley, South Carolina, and used the truck for hauling wood and sand around his property. When Bert Jr. was in his adolescence…

Our buddy Jeff’s Grand Cherokee WJ has 250,000 miles on the ticker and still has the stock catalytic converters, muffler, and tailpipe. He asked us if we would mind putting some new exhaust parts on the rig since the existing parts had high mileage and some dings and dents from off-roading. He said he felt like one of the cats was backed up, which can happen, especially on a 4x4 used off-road, because the honeycomb-like center of the cat can break loose and get turned in the housing. We enjoy doing exhaust work and have done enough to know a trick or two to make the job go a bit easier. For this job we installed a new aftermarket downstream cat and a Flowmaster muffler and tailpipe. Here is what…

We love this time of year as we get to introduce the newest additions to our long-term test fleet. Coming off its recent win of our 2021 SUV of the Year test, we’re excited to spend the next 12 months living with GMC’s all-new Yukon AT4. Aside from the exterior color, we ordered our long-term Yukon AT4 exactly as the one we had tested. GMC packs the AT4 with loads of standard features, which include the likes of magnetic ride control, hill descent control, a full complement of skidplates, 20-inch aluminum wheels, and all-terrain tires. The interior features a nine-speaker Bose audio system, tri-zone automatic HVAC system, leather seating surfaces, heated and ventilated front seats, and LED lighting throughout. Our Yukon AT4 also came fitted with the AT4 Premium Plus…

SUPER WAGONEER BARN FIND Here is my survivor ’67 Jeep Super Wagoneer. It was in a barn for 40 years. The only modification from factory original is the hoodscoop from a ’69 Ford that was added by the original owner and repainted at that time. Other than that, it is untouched and considered the benchmark for Super Wagoneers. It even has the original, dated-coded plug wires and all original hoses. Inside is near perfect. Here are pictures of it dragged out of the barn in southern Illinois and where it is today. Nothing was refinished, just cleaned and polished. GREG VIA EMAIL AGED FONDLY When you’ve made a few laps around the track called life, the vehicles you drove early on are now classics. I was lucky enough to grow…

SPONSORED BY There are many reasons why we get to do Ultimate Adventure every year, but without one very important group the event just wouldn’t happen. That’s not to minimize everybody who makes the event what it is. Readers are pivotal to the existence of the event because without them we would not have a magazine. Also, we could not do this event without staff working hard to get things organized and plan the trip or capture the adventure so we can share it. We also have a group of folks known as the Ultimate Adventure Cronies who are a dedicated bunch of high-level off-roaders who volunteer their time, knowledge, and experience, and lend a hand no matter what the participants need. But with our event sponsors, the UA train…

When the second-generation Raptor burst across the desert rollers in 2017, it was an exciting time for truck enthusiasts. Ford had just committed the Raptor model to a new generation, investing in a unique frame, improved suspension, a substantial power boost, and it was still the only vehicle of its kind available from the factory to enthusiastic off-roaders. While the second-generation truck was exceptional and had levels of capability far above anything else on the market, it could be a handful as you approached the limit. With leaf springs out back, the Raptor was known to skate on top of whoops, step out on broken pavement, and put the chassis and driver in a compromising position if the turbos lit at an inopportune time. For some, this made for the…

A vehicle-mounted cell booster adds a margin of safety while overlanding. As the sport of overlanding and backcountry exploration grows, so does the want for people to build vehicles capable of getting farther out there and away from the crowds. However, the farther you go, the less likely you are to have cell service. While professional adventurers may stack the deck with ham radios or satellite communicators, the average person may not want to invest in radio training and licensing, or yet another monthly subscription. So, the question we asked ourselves during our overland vehicle build was what options existed to maximize the usefulness of our cell phone. It seemed that a signal booster was the answer. Signal boosters work by amplifying a weak cellular signal to reduce the number…

BRAKE PROPORTIONING VALVE FOR BRAKE SWAPS Reading through the November 2021 issue and seeing “Brake Time,” a drum brake to disc article put a smile on my face. How perfect I thought since I’m in the middle of doing this myself. The article took care of my loose ends on doing this job but left the question that I can’t seem to get a grasp on. How do you decide on, or what do you do for a metering valve to obtain the correct brake balance to the front and rear brakes? I have come to understand that disc and drum brakes use a different volume of fluid to operate. Can you use the same master cylinder that you used with drums? I was planning on putting an adjustable metering…

A look back at Four Wheeler’s incredible history would be incomplete without paying tribute to contributor Granville King. Granville was a former aerospace engineer and TV screenwriter who retired in 1981 and absconded from the U.S. to San Felipe, Mexico. He became Four Wheeler’s Baja correspondent from 1984 until the time of his death in 1989 at age 70. He and Superdawg, his four-legged companion, lived in a trailer on a bluff, miles from paved roads and electricity. From this location he wrote a variety of stories for Four Wheeler including his From The Backcountry series, which chronicled his life devoid of many modern conveniences, but filled with backcountry adventures. Granville had a deep technical knowledge of four-wheel drive and vehicles in general, but his writing never came across as…