Innehållsförteckning för July 2021 från Four Wheeler

In the News Hyundai doesn’t want you to call its Santa Cruz a pickup truck. Design Manager, Brad Arnold, puts it this way: “Everything, from its proportions to its lighting conveys that it’s not a truck, it’s a Santa Cruz.” The vehicle is said to share its definitely-not-a-truck bones with the Tucson SUV, similar to how Honda’s Ridgeline is related to the Pilot. This might make you double-check your safety chains! A Ford F-350 was found hanging over the railing of the Malad Gorge bridge on Idaho Interstate 84, connected to its trailer by only the safety chains. Rescuers were able to retrieve two dogs and two human occupants from the vehicle with non-life-threatening injuries. Self-proclaimed “Technoking of Tesla,” Elon Musk, left the 4x4 world with their mouths agape when…

One of the great things about a 4-Wheel Jamboree is that these events draw hundreds of 4x4s. This offers the opportunity to easily peruse a wide range of four-wheel-drive rigs sporting a wide range of modifications. The three-day 39th Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals was held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Indiana. We attended the event and during our travels around the fairgrounds photographed some of the many cool 4x4s. The collection that follows should offer something for all 4x4 fans. For more information on the 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals series visit 4wheeljamboree.com.…

We tried to get stuck. Really, we tried. And when we couldn’t, we dumped the Yokohama Geolandar X-ATs into another definitely-not-the-best-case scenario just to see what the tires could handle. After first meeting the Geolandar X-AT in the Nevada desert at a manufacturer event, we were itching to get a set in our wheelwells to see just how well Yokohama’s latest all-terrain tire could stand up to the rigors of our travels. The factory wheels on our ’05 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited eagerly accepted the 31x10.50R15 tires, and we began our observations. Duties of the Geolandar X-AT included frequent urban commutes, often involving precipitation on the roadways. When quittin’ time rolled around at the end of the week, the LJ was stuffed with gear and pointed at off-road destinations of all…

When we pack up our rig for an adventure, we typically have three modes: the day trip, the overland trip, and the camping trip. Feeding ourselves on day trips is easy with some snacks and the fixings to make sandwiches. On the camping trips, we tend to stay in the same spot for the entire trip, where we bring our expansive camp kitchen along for the ride. So, what’s the best solution for overland trips when you find yourself in a new place every night and are more concerned about quick and easy setup, as well as conserving space and saving weight? For us, the answer is the versatile Tembo Tusk Skottle. Tembo Tusk is a Southern California–based family business that was formed in 2010 when owner, Jerry L’Ecuyer, was…

Curtis Cole has quite a history of driving four-door pickup trucks. While in Central America serving in the military, he spent countless hours putting a crew cab Toyota Hilux through its paces, loading it in and out of Chinook helicopters, and exploring its capabilities in the local, rugged terrain. “They were revolutionary to me at the time,” Curtis told us, and he remembers wishing he could just get his hands on one to own. Well, that chance would come soon enough. Through a friend with a Toyota import license, Curtis was able to satiate his appetite for foreign 4x4s and he eventually procured the ’93 Hilux Surf in early 2019 after another of his vehicles met its demise at the hand of black ice. However, he didn’t intend on bringing…

July 2-4 What: Crawl 4 Christ Where: Disney, Oklahoma Hosted by: United Christian Off-Road Alliance Info: crawl4christ.org July 2-4 What: Ohio Jeep Fest Where: Chillicothe, Ohio Hosted by: Ross County Fairgrounds Info: ohiojeepfest.com July 4 What: Badge of Honor Guided Ride Where: Pine Grove, Pennsylvania Hosted by: Rausch Creek Off Road Park Info: rc4x4.org July 8-10 What: Killington Jeep Jamboree Where: Killington, Vermont Hosted by: Jeep Jamboree USA Info: jeepjamboreeusa.com July 9-11 What: 34th Annual A&A Auto Stores Summer 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals Where: Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania Hosted by: Bonnier Events Info: 4wheeljamboree.com July 9-11 What: Carlisle Chrysler Nationals Where: Carlisle, Pennsylvania Hosted by: Carlisle Events Info: carlisleevents.com July 14-17 What: Annual Coal Mine Cruiser Classic Where: Pine Grove, Pennsylvania Hosted by: Gotham City Land Cruisers Info: gclcli.com July 15-17 What: Northwoods-Mole…

TACO LOCKER Adding to its repertoire of traction-adding devices for Toyota vehicles, which include the 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser, and Tundra; Eaton has announced its ELocker differential for the ’16-present Tacoma. The locking differential is compatible with trucks and SUVs with manual transmissions and an 8.9-inch ring gear and 32-spline axles. Eaton’s ELocker is an electronic locking differential that offers unintrusive on-road performance as well as selectable on-demand traction. INFO: Eaton Corporation, 800/328-3850, eaton.com EPIC RECOVERY Synthetic winch lines require fairleads that won’t damage your rope. Made from durable, forged 6061-T6 billet aluminum, Warn’s unique offset EPIC fairleads are resistant to corrosion, impacts, salt, weather, and UV rays for improved strength. Choose between a black or gunmetal type-III hard-anodized finish for lasting good looks. The Warn EPIC fairleads have…

It comes once a year and draws thousands of off-road fanatics into the desert of Johnson Valley, California. It’s called King of the Hammers and the main attraction is a week of off-road racing in some of the most unforgiving terrain. Every type of machine, from dirt bikes and side-by-sides, to garage-built 4x4s and Ultra4 cars can be found ripping through the racecourse throughout the week. If you’re expecting race results in this story, you won’t find them. Instead, it’s a look at what we found while spending some time skulking through the pop-up village located outside the races, “Hammertown USA.” What we found lurking among the campsites were trucks, Jeeps, and all breeds of 4x4s with mind-bending suspension setups, shocking engine swaps, and lengthy rap sheets of modifications preparing…

It’s hard to believe that we started this Ultimate Adventure Long Range Jeep (UALRJ) build about a year ago. The idea is one we’ve been thinking about building for years, and finally the stars aligned to make the project happen. The concept is simple and could be applied to many a Jeep model. Why not take the iconic look of a World War II British SAS Jeep from the North Africa Campaign, a Jeep with a storied past, that inspired many in the military, in movies, and in the television show The Rat Patrol, and bring it into the 21st century? We would be using some of the best aftermarket parts engineered for these types of rigs and a collection of some of the best OEM parts. The plan was…

While we patiently await the unofficially official Ford Ranger Raptor, Ford’s still-excellent Ranger has been relegated to playing in the sandbox with Colorado Z71s and Tacoma TRD Off-Roads with the company’s FX4, while ZR2s and TRD Pros get to venture a little farther down the trail. After announcing Tremor versions of the Super Duty and F-150, Ford unsurprisingly dropped news of the Ranger Tremor package, in which we were recently able to get some seat time. With a philosophy of maintaining truck capability, comfort, and control, the Ford team went to work making the Tremor a meaningful upgrade over the FX4 package. As with all the trucks in the class, the Tremor’s suspension is one of the biggest areas of improvement. With retuned coils, redesigned front geometry, and new knuckles…

This ARB air compressor can fit in a huge variety of mounting locations. The box and manual call it “ARB Maximum Performance On-Board Air Supply.” ARB’s website calls it “ARB Maximum Output On-Board Compressor.” And most off-roaders simply call it in our own vernacular, “ARB twin air compressor.” But whatever you call it, ARB’s CKMTA12 compressor is a super-fast, super-powerful, ultra-reliable way of adding onboard air to your vehicle to quickly air up tires, operate air lockers, and even run some pneumatic tools. While we’ve installed this compressor in many of our project vehicles over the years, most recently in a new Wrangler JL, one thing we haven’t addressed is a question some have regarding how to clock the output to route the air line away from components that may…

■ It was March of 1990 and Jim Maulis, of Littleton, Colorado, had taken some time to show us around his ’78 Scout II and tell us about the group of International Harvester enthusiasts, called the Binder Bunch, that helped him keep the project afloat. When Jim acquired the Scout, it was an unmodified commuter vehicle that had only seen 22,000 miles. To begin his list of modifications, Jim chose to increase the machine’s horsepower, doing so over the course of a few engine swaps that included an International 345ci V-8 and an International 390ci V-8. When he settled on the Chrysler 440ci V-8, he bored it 0.030-inch over and added a Direct Connection cam, valvesprings, oil pump, and distributor; a Quadrajet carb; an Edelbrock intake manifold; and Roadrunner cast-iron…

SCOTT’S 4X4S Attached are some pics of my rides from the 1980s to current. The red ’73 CJ-5 was my first vehicle in 1983. The Chevy Blazer followed around 1985. Both were purchased stock and completely built by me. No neon, but I did have the roof lights (although only one row of them), a hydraulic tilt front end, chrome oil pan, chrome flywheel cover, and chrome transmission pan. The Blazer made the July 1989 issue of Petersen’s 4-Wheel & Off-Road from the Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, Jamboree the summer before. Currently, I have the gray ’79 CJ-7. It was a mechanical basket case that had a surprisingly (for Pennsylvania) rust-free body and frame that I did a frame-off restoration on. It is all OEM steel other than the windshield frame. It…

ken.brubaker@fourwheeler.com It’s not every day that a 4x4 we published a story on over four decades ago reappears. It’s even more rare that it reappears looking fantastic. But that’s what happened recently when Rough Country emailed us with a major surprise. The company told us that a ’77 International Scout II we published a story on in 1977 was coming to the shop in Dyersburg, Tennessee, for a new suspension. The Backstory This Scout was featured in the November 1977 issue of Four Wheeler magazine with the catchy title of “Customized Scout.” The piece told the story of the one-of-a-kind machine and how it was modded by Modern Motors in Glendale, California. “Specially designed Rough Country leaf springs for Scout models were used,” and the story noted that the springs…

We were stoked when we learned that the 39th Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Fall 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals was a go. Taking place in Indianapolis, Indiana, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, the event, often referred to simply as the “Fall Jambo,” was set to bring more than 2,000 4x4s to the Heartland and we couldn’t wait to attend. Jam packed with a multitude of events beginning on Friday and continuing all the way through Sunday afternoon, the Fall Jambo was nirvana for 4x4 enthusiasts. There was just about everything for every type of 4x4 fan at the event, including a Performance Marketplace, Show-N-Shine, General Tire Monster Truck Show, General Tire Burnout Competition, mud bog racing, the Tough Truck Challenge, mega trucks, a Dyno Challenge, monster truck rides, and lots more. Cruising…

It was the second night of Overland Adventure 2020. After shaking off the silt from the day’s trails and pitching camp amongst the hulking earthmoving relics of the Gold King Mine outside Jerome, Arizona, it was time to spice things up. The first-ever Camp Chef Showcase was on the menu that night, where the overland adventurers were invited to craft their favorite evening meal and put it on display for the world to see. The rules were simple: prepare your favorite end-of-day dinner just as you would during any overlanding outing, document the process with your own photography, and submit the photos to the Four Wheeler judges. No hidden twists, no special rules, just good old-fashioned camp fun. While the judges couldn’t taste-test the dishes due to Covid restrictions, each…

Ford rocked the pickup world in 2009 when it introduced the go-fast, desert-oriented F-150 Raptor. The truck’s big tires, big shocks, bulging body, and bad-boy attitude made the truck an instant hit. And it’s only gotten more popular and more capable from there. Now, for the ’21 model year and in its third generation, Ford has pulled back the camouflage on its latest Raptor creation. Come along as we take an in-depth look at the most unique Raptor Ford has produced to date. Yes, it has (Optional) 37-inch Tires Since day zero, Raptor owners have been asking for 37-inch tires. Now, for the first time, buyers will be able to choose between 35- or 37-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain KO2 tires. Selecting the 37-inch tires gets buyers a specific beadlock-capable wheel, custom…

AMC 258 IS BURNING PISTONS Q I have an ’84 CJ-7 with the 258ci I-6 in it. I put a Howell TBI on it with a Davis Unified Ignition on a freshly rebuilt engine. After 800 miles, the number six piston melted and that required another engine rebuild. Then, after another 1,200 miles the number five and six pistons melted. So, three rebuilds in 2,000 miles. I’m now thinking about going back to a carburetor. I’m thinking about the Edelbrock 1901 AVS2 carb with either an Offenhauser 6257 intake or the Clifford 47-4500 intake, but I need advice before I commit. Can you please help me out? STEVE VIA EMAIL A Man, that sure stinks. First, we’d like to run down a couple of possibilities. Also, more info would have…