Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2023 i Four Wheeler

This issue of Four Wheeler includes a story on the assembly and test of the new Tauler Jack, and that got me thinking about all the flat tires I’ve had off-road. Some were triggered by romping in the sand at low tire pressure without beadlocks, but most were rock slices and punctures. One of the most memorable was in Colorado on private land in a stock Wrangler TJ. After visiting an old, abandoned mine, the landowner and I were descending the steep, rocky, narrow trail that hadn’t seen a vehicle in months when a rock sliced the sidewall of the rear passenger-side tire. The trail’s angle of descent was very steep, and the trail was super narrow with a drop of several hundred feet on the driver side and a…

JERED.KORFHAGE@FOURWHEELER.COM BASH-READY BUMPER Ironman 4x4’s Raid Series front bumper for the ’14-up Toyota 4Runner has been through extensive testing to ensure compatibility with the vehicle’s safety sensors. The Raid Series bumpers are said to bolster vehicle protection, provide an increased approach angle, maximize ground clearance, and offers a provision for a 9,500-pound-capacity winch. Don’t want a winch? The bumper includes a blackout plate to maintain a seamless look even without a winch. The bumper uses a two-stage attachment design, connecting the winch cradle directly to the chassis to create a secure platform. In addition, the frame-mounted recovery points are on duty should another 4x4 need a tug from the goo. The bumper can be had with an integrated LED lightbar for improved low-light visibility and the new hooded reflectors direct…

editor@fourwheeler.com At first glance, it’s easy to think that a pickup would make for the ultimate off-road or overland exploration vehicle. They are tough, rugged, capable, and have loads of storage space. Unfortunately, most of that precious storage space is found in the bed, which is exposed to the elements and lacks any sort of real organizational capability from the factory. Fortunately, there are a host of options for getting gear storage under control. Tonneau covers can help keep the rain out, but also make accessing items at the front of the bed difficult and offer no real advantage for organization. Toolboxes are a great option, affording both watertight storage and organization, but the typical truck bed toolbox eats up a good deal of bed length and doesn’t allow for…

editor@fourwheeler.com Four Wheeler readers stacked our inbox with applications when we put out the call to apply for a chance to join our annual Overland Adventure. From a massive number of applications, we selected 12 participants to join the 2022 Four Wheeler Overland Adventure Presented by Jeep in Southern California’s Mojave Desert for four days of overlanding. The participants selected for this year’s event hail from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon, and Texas. The vehicles of the participants are a fascinating collection of everything from an Isuzu VehiCROSS to a fullsize Ford van and from a Toyota Tacoma to a Land Rover. Even though these vehicles are quite different from each other they have a common theme, and that’s modifications designed to offer integrated sleeping accommodations in the…

EDITOR@FOURWHEELER.COM JEEP OR BLAZER BUILDING I was hoping to pick your brain as to a couple of different builds. I have a ’19 Jeep Wrangler JL and a ’74 Chevy Blazer. I’m a little baffled as to what to focus on. The ’74 full convertible Blazer is my dream vehicle. She’s been a long build and now I am thinking of focusing my energy on my wife’s ’19 Jeep JL. I recently joined a Jeep club and have been going off-road with a few guys. I’m shopping around for lift kits. Would you suggest that my time be spent and focused on the Blazer or enjoy the Jeep? I really can’t do both. I really would like to install a 3.5-inch lift kit or more on the JL and run…

EDITOR@FOURWHEELER.COM FORMER FARM TRUCK I have a ’94 Ford Ranger XLT 4.0L V-6 with a five-speed. I picked the thing up for $500. It started off as a plain jane farm truck that I got from my boss because it was buried in his hay barn, and it needed to go. I’ve owned it for a little over a year and a half. I’ve added a 6-inch lift in the front, a 4-inch lift in the rear, 4.56 gears, 33-inch tires, and an ARB Air Locker in the rear. The truck does not have a bed anymore and there is not one straight body panel, not even the roof or hood. I go to my stomping grounds up here in the Pacific Northwest and full send it everywhere. I’ve gotten…

editor@fourwheeler.com On a cool summer morning in the Northern Sierra, a few dozen flatfenders lined up in front of the Georgetown Hotel. Excitement was in the air as the sun crested high granite peaks to the east, illuminating the rough-and-tumble foothill settlement. Drivers grabbed a cuppa joe and gathered around for a trail briefing. Their destination was Lake Tahoe, but not via the paved road. Rather, they would traverse an Indian trail through a place known as the Devil’s Playground. Jeepmaster Mark Smith fired up his engine, and like Julius Caesar, led his troops across the Rubicon and into the annals of automotive history. The year was 1953, and the town’s mining and timber industries had hit the skids. Hotels had closed, mills were quiet, and the last surviving bar…

editor@fourwheeler.com SPONSORED BY A Ford Transit van isn’t exactly the poster child for overlanding. However, when the pictures and specs of Lance Blair’s Quadvan-converted ’19 Ford Transit 4x4 crossed our desks, we were intrigued and impressed. Lance was hoping to be one of the invitees for the 2021 Four Wheeler Overland Adventure. As it turned out, those snapshots and notes grabbed our attention and Lance an invitation. The off-road guts of a Ford F-150/Raptor combined with the Transit’s inherent utilitarian nature provided a worthy platform to begin the build. Lance’s direct involvement in each step of the transformation and the custom camping upgrades helped create his ultimate overland off-grid adventure vehicle. The Quadvan sports dozens of upgrades and modifications, including a Ford F-150/Raptor front differential and axle assembly, transfer case,…

editor@fourwheeler.com For decades, the timeless “farm jack” has been the standard for off-road use. For vehicles with big tires, we have used floor jacks, bottle jacks, scissor jacks, and other options over the years, but none could match the versatility and range of a farm jack. That said, there are some compromises with farm jacks. They are heavy, can be difficult (or even dangerous) when used improperly, and take up a lot of room in your vehicle. The Tauler Jack from Brennan’s Garage looks to address those issues. Brennan Metcalf is an engineer and avid off-roader who is always looking to build a better mousetrap. We think he has done so with the Tauler Jack, which is economical, has a huge range of motion, and is more compact, safer, and…

EDITOR@FOURWHEELER.COM In the News: News Edition ■ All-new ’23 Ford Super Duty: Includes new looks, new standard 6.8L V-8, new H.O. 6.7L Power Stroke V-8, new XL off-road package with 33s, and more trailer driver-assist tech. ■ 2024 Chevy Silverado HD: Includes standard Allison 10-speed auto trans, power and torque increases for the 6.6L Duramax, new front end appearance, and standard towhooks. ■ 2023 Ram 1500 Limited Elite Edition: Includes leather buckets, bright pedal kit, real wood, and … jeweled shifter. ■ 2023 Tahoe RST Performance Edition: Includes 6.2L V-8 with more horses and torque, and retuned suspension and chassis. Sure, it’s motorsports-inspired, but who are we to judge you. ■ 2023 Land Rover Defender 75th Limited Edition: Includes Grasmere Green skin, P400 mild hybrid status in North America, and…

editor@fourwheeler.com Mike Shaw built this ’67 Jeepster Commando with the help of his grandson Clay. Mike and his son Chris are avid off-roaders and have spent many days and nights working on project vehicles over the years, but this project was different. It was a third-generation off-road build. Clay was just 10 when Mike taught him to weld, and only 13 years old when he helped Mike build the frame for the Commando four years ago. They worked together on much of the Jeepster build, Clay getting tips from his grandfather on everything from bodywork to electrical and welding to painting. Not long after the custom Commando was finished, it was time for its first official outing. With barely 20 miles on the engine, the Shaws took the newly finished…

editor@fourwheeler.com Dangle the opportunity to put the hammer down on more than a dozen square miles of the largest coastal dune complex in the world, add in partying with family and friends at sand camps, spice it up a bit with a variety of motorsport competition and nightly concerts, and it’s easy to see why the five-day DuneFest has drawn thousands of avid sand lovers and their families every year for the past 20 years to this portion of Oregon’s southern coast. DuneFest, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2022, is a unique summer event held the first week of August in the tiny town of Winchester Bay that is the north entrance into the middle of the 40-mile-long Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (ODNRA). Attendees tend to make reservations…

editor@fourwheeler.com There are lots of reasons to build a custom 4x4. Some do it because they like to tinker with mechanical things. Some because a 4x4 can take them to places very few people ever get to see. Others enjoy the challenge of off-road travel. Ed Giesen built his ’94 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited (ZJ) to go camping. The modifications and upgrades to the SUV have been focused on creating a reliable and well-equipped four-wheel-drive platform for vehicle-based outdoor adventures. Not long after the Jeep began evolving, so did the need for more room. That’s when the idea of the trailer popped into Ed’s mind. SPONSORED BY The Grand Cherokee was just too crowded and sleeping on the ground didn’t seem like a great idea. Ed found an old, rusted-out…

editor@fourwheeler.com For 19 years, Jeeps from all over have descended on Daytona Beach, Florida, for Jeep Beach during the last week of April. What started as a small gathering with a handful of Jeeps and a picnic in a park has turned into the world’s largest single vehicle event gathering and it draws vendors and participants from not only the United States and Canada but all over the world. There were over 15 countries represented at the 2022 event, including Japan, Italy, the Philippines, Canada, and a large contingent from Puerto Rico. Jeep Beach 2022 brought over 225,000 people to Daytona Beach with over 25,000 Jeeps. Over 10,000 Jeeps were at the main event in the Daytona International Speedway with over 60,000 spectators coming through during the weekend. Always true…

JERED.KORFHAGE@FOURWHEELER.COM Decades ahead of the ’20 four-door Bronco, and even preceding the Ford Explorer and Excursion, came an SUV that could have passed for OEM and was built to answer the call for a three-row people-haulin’ off-roader. Looking back to the February 1994 issue of Four Wheeler, we took a ride in the Centurion 150SC 4x4 conversion to see how the one-of-a-kind machine stacked up against the competition. Based in White Pigeon, Michigan, Centurion made its mark in the ’80s and ’90s doing extensive custom work to vans and four-bys. One of the company’s notable creations was the Centurion Classic, a predecessor to the modern four-door Ford Bronco. Centurion began with a shortbed F-150 Supercab XLT Lariat straight from the source at Dearborn, Michigan. The pickup would be loaded with…