Innehållsförteckning för April 2022 från Four Wheeler

JERED.KORFHAGE@FOURWHEELER.COM In The News When configuring the Hummer EV’s infotainment screen and its integrated auxiliary switches, there appears to be an easter egg poking fun at the Tesla Cybertruck. Icons can be assigned to various functions (off-road lights, a winch, etc.), and one of them seems to be the Hummer EV crawling over the Tesla. 1 Millennials, or those born from the late ’70s to the early ’90s, have surpassed Boomers in their demand for pickup trucks as well as electric vehicles, according to data from J.D. Power. 2 Rivian plans on building its new United States assembly plant outside of Atlanta, Georgia. The facility is said to provide 7,500 jobs and should produce 400,000 vehicles per year. Rivian is planning to invest $5 billion into the facility. Heritage Customs,…

Now with more room for activities. The Jeep Grand Cherokee has been a staple of the off-road SUV class since its introduction for the 1993 model year. Since then, the Grand Cherokee has been through myriad changes over the course of its five generations, and in the span of these 29 years, Jeep’s Grand Cherokee has won our Four Wheeler of the Year award a total of six times. For the 2021 model year, Jeep introduced an all-new Grand Cherokee and led the way with the company’s first-ever three-row, seven-passenger Grand Cherokee L. With the exception of its drivetrain offerings, the ’21 Jeep Grand Cherokee L is new from the ground up. Because of the vehicle’s late mid-year introduction, this 2021 model year Jeep was eligible for our 2022 Four…

The return of the GOAT … or is it? If we were to ask what the most highly anticipated off-road vehicle of the past five years was, we bet most people would say Ford’s new Bronco. It’s no secret that many would consider the Bronco one of the greatest SUVs of all time, but when Ford stopped production of the fullsize Bronco in 1996 the company essentially handed over the off-road SUV market to Jeep’s new Wrangler TJ, which went on to thoroughly dominate the space. Now, after a brief 25-year hiatus and much rumor, teasing, and anticipation, Ford’s Bronco has made its triumphant return. Now a midsize SUV, the ’21 Ford Bronco is roughly based on the company’s Ranger pickup chassis. In top trim, as with our fully loaded…

Our Four Wheeler SUV of the Year scoring method uses six weighted categories as the means for declaring a winner. The rundown is as follows: 30 percent Trail Performance (evaluating each vehicle’s performance and off-road-centric features, such as traction aids, tires, and four-wheel-drive system operation in a specific off-highway environment); 20 percent Highway Performance (vehicle handling, ride quality, steering feel, NVH, etc.); 15 percent Interior (instrumentation, ingress and egress, seat comfort, storage, appearance, stance, material choice); 10 percent Exterior (styling, appearance, and features); and 25 percent Empirical Data (acceleration, braking, and quarter-mile; RTI score, pricing, fuel economy, etc.). These individual categories each contain a series of subsections to which each judge assigns a numerical value (with the exception of the Empirical category). All of the judges’ votes are then tabulated,…

Replacing your 4x4’s clutch at home isn’t exactly a beginner-level job. You’ve gotta drop your rig’s driveshafts, remove the T-case, unbolt the bellhousing, and carefully remove the transmission. After sending the flywheel out to be machined smooth, the last step before reassembly with the new clutch disc and pressure plate is inspecting the pilot tip of the transmission’s input shaft and replacing the transmission pilot bushing (or pilot bearing) that is press-fit in the back of the engine crankshaft. Some applications use an oil-impregnated bronze bushing and others use a roller bearing. No matter what the case is, chances are it’s not going to want to come out of the crankshaft as easily as you’d figure. It’s not often we have one that comes out with an angled prying tool,…

The Jeep CJ-5 is one of the most overlooked Jeep-based open-topped 4x4s in the world. These civilian vehicles that were an early evolution of the original Jeep CJ-2A, CJ-3A, and CJ-3B were built between 1954 (as a ’55 model) and 1983 had one of the longest runs of any single Jeep model, although the truth is the first CJ-5s don’t share many parts with the later-model CJ-5s. CJ-5 Changes Over the nearly 30-year production span of the CJ-5 many changes were made, taking the first CJ-5s from stubby, low-geared, low-powered, post-military vehicles into one of the first Jeeps with a powerful pushrod V-8 and forward into the early ’80s as a reliable, iconic, and simple 4x4. Many folks overlook the CJ-5 in favor of the earlier flatfender Jeeps and the…

It was Tuesday afternoon. Maybe it was Wednesday. I don’t know, but then again, most afternoons for me at that time were all pretty much the same. I would hammer away at my computer for the majority of the morning and early afternoon, then at 2:10 sharp, I’d hop in the Jeep and hustle to queue up at the elementary school to pick up my three boys. The school had been sitting in the same spot since it was built in 1960 when the only thing surrounding it for a mile in every direction was cow pasture. As I sat there in line about 100 yards from the pickup spot with the transmission in Park waiting for things to get moving, I was jarred by a sharp rapping on the…

SCREEN TIME The new Mesh Trail Screens from MasterTop are designed to provide an open-air feeling that lets in fresh air while blocking the sun’s harmful rays and keeping the contents of the Jeep in. Designed for the JL and JK Jeep Wranglers, this custom-designed three-piece quarter and rear mesh vehicle enclosure system is constructed of mesh fabric that is small enough to keep unwanted bugs out while still allowing fresh air to flow through the vehicle. The Mesh Trail Screens system can be combined with factory windows, providing an alternative to running a complete window set. Installation is said to be simple and should require only basic hand tools. INFO: MasterTop, 720/575-5440, mastertop.com BRONCO BACKUP LEDS The ZROADZ Bronco Rear Bumper LED Kit is a great way to add…

A whole new way to roam. If hearing the name Wagoneer evokes certain nostalgic emotions it’s because it should—the Jeep Wagoneer was the original fullsize SUV, debuting for the 1963 model year. The body-on-frame Wagoneer remained in production for 29 years, with Jeep finally calling it quits after the 1991 model year. Versions of the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer nameplate lived on within the XJ Cherokee and ZJ Grand Cherokee lineups until the name was finally retired for good in 1994. Now, for 2022, the Wagoneer is back to reclaim its throne as the most off-road capable fullsize body-on-frame SUV. The ’22 Wagoneer and the more opulent Grand Wagoneer are best described as being a premium extension of the Jeep brand. While you won’t find a Jeep badge on this…

The future is now. It’s no secret that off-road enthusiasts are a slow bunch when it comes to accepting new technology. In fact, we’re among the last faction of fanatics that believe all vehicles should have a manual transmission. So, by this same token, it came as quite a surprise when Jeep pulled the wraps off its new 2021 Wrangler 4xe, the world’s first plug-in hybrid off-road SUV. Sure, there have been plug-in hybrid SUVs that have come before, but this is the first one with solid axles and a low-range gearbox. In the 48 years that we’ve been running the Four Wheeler of the Year program, Jeep’s Wrangler has won the award on five separate occasions. So, there’s clearly something to the immensely capable combination that Jeep has figured…

jered.korfhage@fourwheeler.com Hold on, it gets taller? From the vanity plates to the cargo box, Glen Stanley’s Ford E-350 is extreme in the vertical dimension. And not just that, the van is quite long, as well—which is fitting for its nearly 6.5-foot-tall operator. When Glen pulled into camp during the 2021 Overland Adventure, it was hard to believe that the goliath van could get any taller, until it did. Glen wanted a pop-top 4x4 camper van ever since he knew they existed. However, the opportunity to own one just never seemed to come about. Instead, he spent time exploring, camping, and generally “playing in the dirt with a fullsize Ford truck.” With plenty of space and a camper shell on the back, the truck got the job done, but it wasn’t…

jered.korfhage@fourwheeler.com “All I wanted were some wheels, tires, and a lift,” Richard Montoya thought before he started modifying his Lexus GX 470. As it often goes with off-road vehicles, he did not stop there. In fact, those items did not even end up being the first things Richard installed on the Lexus. Richard’s parents instilled a sense of adventure in him from a young age, exploring everywhere between Mexico and Alaska, using a van as their basecamp. Later in his life, he decided he wanted to build a 4x4 to go anywhere he felt like. Conquering immense obstacles was not the goal but seeing harder-to-reach places was certainly in his plans. To that end, he spent a couple of years deciding on the perfect vehicle. To avoid scratching something shiny…

We’ve installed and used several PowerTrax Lock Right lockers over the years, and as long as you aren’t running huge tires or huge horsepower (and have decent axles), they are a great and affordable addition to a 4x4. Installation is relatively easy, with the toughest installations only requiring the removal of the differential carrier and possibly the differential ring gear. Here are some details of a Summit Racing-sourced Lock Right install in a Dana-based axle carrier. The installation is relatively simple, made slightly more complicated by C-clip axles. To complete this install you will need to at least be comfortable with removing your axle’s differential cover, pulling the axleshafts, dealing with gear oil, disassembling the differential carrier, torquing bolts to specification, and possibly cleaning bolts and adding thread-locking compound.…

LEGENDARY QUAGMIRE HAS A NEW OWNER It’s always been a dream of mine to own Quagmire. I’ve built several 4x4 trucks and Jeeps over the years, but Quag was always that iconic truck that was completely unique in the truck world. Mike Neibuhr did an amazing job designing, engineering, and building it. In the fall of 2020, I had been going through an old photo album and ran across two photos of Quag that I had taken at the 1998 4-Wheel Jamboree in Indianapolis. I remember pushing my 1-year-old son, Talon, in a stroller while checking out the trucks and hearing the sweet sound of a big-block Chevy rolling up behind me. I turned to see what it was and, to my surprise, it was Quag! I dug into the…

We at Four Wheeler pride ourselves on being the best at everything that we do, and we feel strongly that we put on the best SUV of the Year test in the industry, bar none. Our testing methods are thorough, objective, fair, and transparent. The journey that unfolds on the following pages is the culmination of hundreds of hours of hard work encompassing several grueling months. For Four Wheeler’s 2022 SUV of the Year, our judging panel was comprised of some of the most knowledgeable minds in the off-road industry. We brought together an all-star roster of past and present Four Wheeler editors with a combined time of more than 100 years on staff. Others on the diverse judging team came to us with extensive backgrounds in off-road, diesel, lifted,…

The champ is back for round two. If you’ve been paying attention to our past SUV of the Year events, which of course you should have been, you’ll know that GMC’s new Yukon AT4 won the title of our 2021 Four Wheeler SUV of the Year. It was a victory that was rightfully earned and well-deserved, as GMC’s best-selling fullsize SUV had just received a full ground-up refresh along with a brand-new off-road package. With a smooth-riding fully independent suspension, electronic limited-slip rear differential, off-road tires, and loads of clearance, the Yukon AT4 walked itself to the top of our 2021 field of contenders. Now, in a turn of events seldom seen in our Four Wheeler of the Year program, the Yukon AT4 is back to defend the title. To…

470-horsepower V-8 and solid axles for the win! Have you ever wanted something so badly that you were willing to go to extraordinary lengths to make it happen? That’s exactly what tens of thousands (maybe more) of Jeep Wrangler owners have been doing for nearly four decades to get the Wrangler of their dreams. What is that dream Wrangler, you ask? It’s one with a V-8 engine under the hood. Jeep has never offered it as an option from its factory … until now. In grand fashion, Jeep chose not just any V-8 engine for its new 2022 Wrangler Rubicon 392, instead they grabbed the largest displacement engine in their catalog, the 6.4L Hemi V-8, and stuffed it between the Wrangler’s fenders. When paired with the legendary off-road hardware of…

Have you heard of overland travel? It’s more about exploring away from the pavement and bringing the comforts of camp with you than it is about thrashing your rig through the deepest mud or over the biggest boulders. Overland-equipped machines tend to have more in common with RVs than they do with rock buggies. You’re more likely to see rooftop tents than you are rear-steer axles, and more attention might be paid to cooking gear rather than transfer cases with a super low crawling gear. What’s the takeaway from all of this? If you’ve strapped a tent and some chairs into your 4x4 next to the cooler filled with food and drink for a long weekend, and pointed the tires toward the dirt in some fashion, we’ll argue that you’ve…

The SEMA Show returned to Las Vegas in 2021 after a one-year hiatus and brought with it an array of incredible vehicles. SEMA, which is the acronym for Specialty Equipment Market Association, fills out the Las Vegas Convention Center (almost) every year with the latest and greatest in the motorized world. Whether it’s the newest custom vehicles from the big automakers to the wildest aftermarket products from manufacturers worldwide, SEMA is the place to see it all. Not just anyone can attend the SEMA Show, it’s open only to those in the automotive industry. This year, the show drew over 100,000 attendees to the 4.6 million square feet of show space. It was not uncommon for showgoers to walk upwards of 10 miles a day taking in the sights. Lucky for…

This feels like the final boss battle of the build game. Our ’16 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon has seen its share of upgrades but now our girl is getting a new heart. What was supposed to be just another trip to Arizona left us stranded on the side of the road, ultimately getting flat towed home to California due to a blown head. Replacing an engine is not for the uninitiated, undedicated, or the weak willed. Embarking on this path takes commitment, not only in time and money but in patience and some serious perseverance. The time you invest in this type of swap shouldn’t be taken lightly as options abound in terms of swaps. There’s the popular Hemi swap with multiple variations and displacements, the lauded Cummins diesel swap with…