4BY4tech magazine 1-7

Test Drives

4 4TECH Ram Rebel - Tundra TRD - Lexus RX

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Truck and trail tech magazine to keep your ride in top shape!

5000KMS IN 10 DAYS - DUNES, ROCKS, TOWING

TACOMA TRD

ALWA YS FR EE! PRO

DOES IT HAVE WHAT IT TAKES

Inside: St Anthony Dunes BC4WD Show and Shine MCE Flexible flares for JKs Bilstein remote-res TJ shocks Ultimate 60 Reid Racing knuckle upgrade

RockKrawler TJ 5.5 X Factor Long Arm

The yearly BC Four Wheel Drive Association show and shine in Mission, BC had a massive turn out of over 400 vehicles of every shape brand and size! Here is the Suzuki Contingent.

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Maximum Articulation - You don’t really need a big rig!

RockKrawler X Factor TJ Triangulated suspension From the Garage - there si always new stuff coming out!

St Anthony Idaho sand dunes MCE Flexible flares for your JK Ram Rebel Hemi test drive

Contact us! albert@4by4tech.com

Check out our on-going projects on social media!

We tackle a cool RockKrawler X Factor TJ suspension this issue. Triangulated 4-link in the rear, 3-link in the front lots of wraps in the coils means one very flexi Jeep.

I spent 10 days with the Tacoma TRD Pro and could not have covered more terrain and uses in that time – and about 5000KMS. From an ice storm in Montana, Towing an Aqualu aluminum Land Cruiser Troopy body to Pemberton, BC on the trailer, The St Anthony Sand Dunes in Idaho and 6 rated trails in Moab for the Easter Jeep Safari – this is one little truck that can do it all!

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Bilstein Shocks are for everything!

We take the Toyota Tacoma TRD on a 5000km Odyssey Four Wheel Drive Assoc. of BC annual show and shine Ultimate Dana 60 axle upgrades, Reid Racing, Yukon Gear axle hubs and U-joints, Stage 8 Fasteners X-locks PG 58 - Tundra TRD Pro test drive PG 62 - Custer Lighting - lights for your off road rig!

PG 66 - Lexus RX trest drive - yeah I said Lexus - they are awesome...

BACK ISSUES CAN BE FOUND ON 4BY4TECH.COM - CHECK THEM OUT AND READ THEM ALL!

LEFT: ISSU E 1-4 ABOVE ISS UE AT RIGHT IS 1-5 SUE 1-3

MAXIMUM ARTICULATION By: Albert Vandervelde

Just one of the many sandstone climbs on the Hells Revenge trail in Moab Utah. Glens JK with 35s didn’t touch on any of the steep climbs, I was glad to have a Trailer hitch on the Tacoma – we dragged it a lot. better than when I started wheelyou need to have fun. Throw in Every time I’ve gone to sand dunes somewhere I get comments ing. That’s not to say you shouldn’t some recovery gear, food, water be prepared and know the limits of and snacks and pretty much go from readers and wheelers – ah the vehicle your driving, but you find a logging road and get on your well I don’t have the horsepower just really don’t need a rig on 40s off-road adventure. Now I will for the dunes. Then I mention to have fun. I was actually excited admit I’ve got a few years of off some cool off-road trail and its when I knew I wasn’t going to get roading under my belt and I’m “I don’t have enough lift or big my CJK8 done for Moab this pretty comfortable with handling enough tires”. Personally I really spring. It took a ton of pressure off almost anything or as Gord Downie like the “getting back to basics” says “I can get behind anything”, sometimes. Strip out all the expen- finishing and Toyota stepped up and gave me wheels for an awebut there is a thrill in stripping it sive 4x4 parts, giant tires and some week of wheeling. Ok so it down to the basics. thousands of dollars of off-road came with a stock rear locker and Check out the “Toyota TRD on the parts and just get out and have crawl control for added front tractrails” article and you will see we some fun. The trails don’t have to have the biggest, baddest rocks or tion but beyond that it was a pretty did a lot of things your average stock Toyota or Jeep owner would deepest water – a lot of fun can be stock rig, no rock sliders, factory Goodyear Wrangler tires and that not be comfortable doing within the had with a totally stock rig – and oh so flexible front IFS suspension. first 500KMS of owning their rig, the off-the-lot rigs are a whole lot but it sure was a great time with very minimal damage.

I hear on-line all the time – I bought a Jeep what do I need first?

What it does is, it hones your skills and keeps them sharp, I will Well you really have everything

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admit I like big tires more than most but it sure does make a lot of trails really easy.

One of my favorite things in Moab this year were a couple of old guys (kinda like me) in a stripped down Willys with no roll cage, window folded down taking on spots like Potato Salad Hill. Those boys knew how to drive. No factory Rubicon Its pretty straight forward really, lockers, long travel suspension 4:1 The current issue is always free transfer case and electronic sway bar till the next issue is released, no disconnects – Just pure driving ability page view limit till you hit a “pay for more” button, just some military tires and the sense to read, enjoy, click around and have some fun! follow the links and if you So – No, you need nothing other feel like send us your feedthan a 4x4 with low tire pressure and back, your rigs in action, some driver control to have a blast on letters and questions I the sand dunes like we did – a buddy will add them all in. Feel to get you unstuck with a tug while like you need to let your inner you learn would not be a bad thing to writer out and want to do a feature bring along though and a few things story? like a shovel, tug strap and a portable air compressor. And yes you can do By hitting the subscribe button you will get an e-mail sent to the Rubicon trail on 33-inch tires and you each time there is a new issue released, no other commitno lockers – ask me I did it in a CJ ment & take your name off any time, I won’t sell your info or with a terrible lift kit, no lockers and use it for any other reason – I like my privacy too!

3.08 gears in 1994 (my first big 4x4 But I also encourage you to share the magazine links with your trip I ever did), then again in a 1987 friends on your Facebook and Twitter feeds pass them around 4Runner with IFS on 33s in 2004 and forums and in general spread the word! this year in a stock Toyota Tacoma we had a blast in Moab and the Follow along on Facebook (4by4tech) I will update everything St Anthony Dunes (A lot of things we have going on weekly and lots of other cool stuff I find on my travels and that’s free too! We all like free! happened in between those trips as well).

So I guess the moral of I spent the Aug long weekend at Aqualu building the roll cage and loading up the CJK8 to this ramble is – get off your come back home for the next stage of work. Yes I like big tires too... click for a few more... duff stop making excuses, be careful, don’t get over your head and don’t bend to pear pressure to take on a trail your not ready for or start spending thousands on parts you really don’t need to just to get started – but just have fun in this little hobby we call Four-Wheelin... Oh and while I was typing this I just got an email that my 44 Pitbull Rockers just shipped – but that’s another story...

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By: Albert Vandervelde

RockKrawler X-Factor TJ Long Arm

RockKrawler suspension is a pretty innovative company when it comes to extreme Jeep lifts. We have installed several over the years from a YJ coil over stretch to a XJ 3 link front system. This time around we are working on a TJ with a triangulated rear suspension and a 3-link front. Known as their X-factor kits these long arm systems come in regular wheelbase length like what we are going to install but also in 5, 8 and 12-inch stretch versions if keeping your tires under fenders isn’t your biggest priority.

The 4 versions of the X-factor 5.5 inch lift kits can also be order in standard (no shocks) Stage 1 with single tube shocks and Stage 2 with remote reservoir shocks. All of these kits can be upgraded to RockKrawlers Prodigy coil-overs as well.

The basic install doesn’t change with length however for the stretch versions you will need to move your fuel tank and get at your body with the trusted Sawzall to stick the tires out the back.

RockKrawler has a wide array of lifts for the TJ under their X-Factor line. This triangulated 4-link rear, 3-link front comes in several wheel base stretch lengths, coil heights and shock options to tailor your lift to what you need.

The heart of all of the systems is the threepiece flat belly skid. It drops enough to keep the transfer case in the stock position but also holds all the control arm mounting points.

A bracket and bolt kit also allows the stock Rubicon locker pump to bolt back in place.

The heart of the kit is the high clearance belly pan. All the control arms mount to this Âź inch When it comes to control arms thick plate that also gives you there is plenty of beef here. The great protection for your translowers are all angled for best mission and transfer case. A possible ground clearance and bolt and bracket kit is included my favourite combo of fixed if installing this suspension in bushings at one end and they a Rubicon model like we were use their Krawler joints at the to locate the locker pump other with 30 degrees of misback onto the skid plate. alignment. This combination both isolates the suspension All of the arms are pure beef vibrations through the frame and are also angles for tire and your but, while giving best clearance and best possible in class flex at the axle ends. ground clearance. The front These links are also mega eliminates the passenger side long with the upper front single upper arm in the 3-link configlink as long as the lowers and uration and in the back a truss the rear uppers with dual is included to triangulate the Krawler joints due to the upper arms so the track bar triangulated configuration WWW.4BY4TECH.COM

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RockKrawler X-Factor TJ Long Arm

The beefy skid frame brackets align off the stock holes for the factory skid plate but as this kit is major surgery and lots of welding takes place its suggested these get welded to the frame which I prefer for all long arm bracket kits over bolting them on. This method of install looks cleaner – and, well, you cut everything else off - it’s not like your going back to stock at this point!

The stock Rubicon pump bolts right to the new skid plate with the included hardware and spacers.

These three shots give you a good view of the upper rear triangulated system, as it was hard to shoot once in the TJ. A truss is aligned and welded to the rear axle (they have trusses If there is one thing I don’t like about this skid is the fact the to fit an array of axle sizes) and the upper links install into the transfer case sits on the skid so even though the skid portion truss with two positions. The other ends mount to the side can be removed without touching the suspension you still brackets for the skid system that get welded to the frame. need to prop up the powertrain to get the skid out. This is really pretty common for many lifts my own TJ was the same way. It would not take much to make a small saddle to go under the T-case and bolt to the frame, would make for easier access if you ever had to do some major trail fix away from access to a tall jack. Otherwise plenty of rock beef here.

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RockKrawler X-Factor TJ Long Arm

Chris really did need a new suspension. As we waited for this kit to come in he managed to twist off both stock upper Jeep front control arms. He was definitely ready to step up to a more extreme lift. As the RockKrawler X Factor kit uses one front upper we cut the entire bracket off the axle for the other.

RockKrawler uses a “progressive” style coil but the goal here isn’t to give two stages of dampening -–that is actually a little voodoo in my mind as the entire coil material is the same spring wire – but is does add plenty of coils to stretch out for massive suspension droop.

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RockKrawler X-Factor TJ Long Arm The drivers side upper cast control arm mount on the axle requires a little more work to get the Krawler joint installed. The stock bushing is punched out (took a little effort drilling the bushing to pieces) and the Krawler joint is assembled into the housing. The upper arm then mounts over the joint like a stock TJ control arm does.

All of the links are as long as they possible can get within the confines of the stock TJ wheelbase. With the Krawler joint assembled into the mount above the pumpkin the three front links (two lower one upper) are ready to install. Pretty much with any vintage TJ we lift, there are issues getting the lower stock control arm bushings out of the axle bracket and this Jeep was no exception. A cut off wheel on a grinder was needed to cut through the bolt in the bushing – they tend to jam inside the bushing sleeve.

All the control arms attach at the body end to the new skid plate system, both ends of the control arms are adjustable to set wheelbase and to set pinion angle.

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A track bar relocation bracket centers off the stock track bar mount and gets welded to the frame. A new track bar along with a dropped pitman arm complete the steering and centers the front axle.

At right: We went with a set of premium remote res Bilstein 5160 shocks at all 4 corners to help with stability for the flexi Jeep. Check out the shock article for more details on Bilstein’s line of Jeep shocks!

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RockKrawler X-Factor TJ Long Arm

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RockKrawler X-Factor TJ Long Arm One thing we would like to see is the upper coil mounts rotated back. This is a common issue for TJs once tall lifts are installed – there is quite a bow to the coil. While it doesn’t affect drivability but rotating the coil bucket back would look a lot better.

The TJ Rubicon comes with a stock solid-shaft drive shaft.

Unfortunately it was an inch to short so we had to do a yoke swap on the T-case and get a carden shaft made for the rear.

We finished off the back with another set of 5160 Bilstein shocks. Chris has had With the pinion raised to get the driveshaft angle the Jeep out a few times now and said it right, the truss gets pretty close to the fuel tank but it does clear. We used the inner two holes for handles excellent and rides really the upper arms. The supplied braided brake line well. adds length for all the added flex.

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RockKrawler X-Factor TJ Long Arm can be eliminated from the rear.

Several spacing intervals for the upper arms also give you some tunability.

Tire fitment really is up to how much you want to cut. With standard fenders and flares the suspension fits 35-inch tires. With front flat fenders 37’s will fit for anything bigger high line front fenders and trimming in the back will be needed.

Above shows the suspension with weight on it. Again it shows the typical curve to the coil when the upper buckets are not moved – it’s on our to-do list. At right and below show the newfound flex.

Plans are for 37-inch tires and a little trimming in this Jeeps future to get them to fit but 35s fit with ease.

When using standard coils the suspensions come with what is commonly know as a dual rate coil, where the windings are close together at the top and more spread at the bottom. In this case the top coils will be pretty much compacted at ride height. What this coil does is provide more coil wraps in the coil allowing for greater down travel, which would be restricted by a single rate coil maxing out its length in full droop.

These kits are not your typical bolt on and go. Welding, grinding and cutting are all part of the install of these suspensions but when it comes to maximum trail performance and still good street ability it’s hard to beat a link system like these for your ride.

4by4 Suppliers RockKrawler Suspension www.rockkrawler.com Bilstein Shocks www.bilsteinus.com

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FROM THE GARAGE - TRUCK & TRAIL

The popular Baja MTZP3 product line from Mickey Thompson now includes two new 18-inch sizes, the LT275/70R18 and LT295/70R18 The Baja MTZP3 is an incredible mud terrain tire that’s been specially designed for enhanced wet-weather capability and performance in mud and loose soil.

The popular all-terrain Baja ATZP3 tire line from Mickey Thompson has been expanded to include two new sizes, the LT325/50R22 (35X13.00R22) and 37X13.50R22LT. “The 35- and 37-inch tires are very popular with our customers, and the new Baja ATZP3 fitments are the perfect choice for enthusiasts who want a tire that looks great. www.mickeythompsontrires.com AEV's ProCal Module for 2013+ Ram 1500/2500/3500 trucks is now available as a stand alone unit! One of the most popular features of the ProCal Module is its ability to correct the speedometer when larger tires (up to 48” tall) are installed.

When the speedometer is left uncorrected, there is a major degradation in the performance of the stability control (ESP), transmission shifting, and engine performance – the ProCal Module will eliminate these issues by ensuring that the vehicle is properly calibrated.

Additionally, the ProcCal Module is the only product of its kind that allows the user to recalibrate the TPMS system for larger diameter tires that have a lower inflation pressure than the stock tires – a common scenario that would otherwise lead to an annoying low tire pressure warning light. The ProCal will also recalibrate for axle gear ratio changes, allow users to turn the truck’s one-touch lane change feature on or off and determine whether or not the fog lights turn off or stay on with the high beams (for off-road use only). www.aev-conversions.com Daystar Comfort Ride Leveling Kits are designed to level the front to the rear of your 2017 4WD Ford Raptor. This Ford Raptor Leveling Kit includes heavy-duty, progressive-rate, polyurethane coil spring spacers which are engineered and designed to mount to the top of your stock Ford Raptor‘s strut assembly with no indicating. The durable polyurethane coil spacers and stud extenders raise the front of the Ford Raptor two full inches while maintaining the stock factory ride quality.

• Made in the USA! • Allows for 35 x 12.50 Tires • Maintains factory ride quality • Lifetime Go Everywhere Warranty www.daystarweb.com, or call 800-595-7659 WWW.4BY4TECH.COM

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FROM THE GARAGE - TRUCK & TRAIL

The Insight is the #1 preferred digital gauge monitor in the market today, used by daily drivers and enthusiasts everywhere. the Toyota market. Today we are excited to tell you listened. Introducing to you the new Insight for Toyota!

If you own a Toyota you can now get the most advanced digital gauge package money can buy. With the basic parameter menu and the advanced parameter menu with over 100 real-time parameters on the new 2010 and newer Toyota Trucks and SUVs. INSIGHT KEY FEATURES – 5” full–color Touch screen (CTS2) – 2.4” full-color button-control screen (CS2) – Over 100 parameters for the 2010+ Trucks/SUVs www.edgeproducts.com Owners of late model Dodge Ram 1500 pickups using EcoDiesel technology can now experience the enhanced performance benefits of a lifted ride height with the new Rancho® 4-inch suspension system (RS66402B), engineered for use on 2017-13 Ram 1500 4WD trucks using either gas and diesel engines.

Available now through automotive performance retailers nationwide, the new suspension kit provides an additional 4 inches of lift and is designed to offer drivers uncompromising on- and off-road performance.

Each kit features Rancho’s fully boxed welded subframe, designed to offer superior strength, along with ductile iron extended-length steering knuckles. The system is designed to accommodate up to 35-inch tires, with minor trimming. The new system replaces the RS66401B kit, which offered coverage for 2013-16 Ram 4WD gas models only. Each suspension kit includes a pair of inner and outer tie rod ends, brake lines, sway bar extensions, extendedlength coil springs (rear) and other required hardware for installation, and is backed by Rancho’s Limited Lifetime Warranty. To learn more about the warranty, www.GoRancho.com For 2017 Ford Super Duty owners who want to mount a WARN® winch to their vehicle, but don’t want to install an aftermarket winch bumper, Warn Industries offers its Hidden Kit. The stealthy Hidden Kit mounting system maintains the vehicle’s factory appearance and saves weight.

The Super Duty Hidden Kit retains the factory front bumper, even with the winch installed. The mount will accommodate WARN Heavy Weight Winches (M12/M12-S, M15/M15-S, 16.5ti/16.5ti-S), and is moved outwards only eight inches. Any gaps are filled in with a Skirting Kit (sold separately), and the winch’s controls are accessed from the top of the bumper. The kit also maintains the truck’s factory tow hooks. All WARN mounting systems are designed, engineered, and tested for maximum performance and to ensure proper frame tie-in and deflection against the stresses of vehicle recovery. Plus, this mounting system is made in the USA. WARN Hidden Kits are also available for a variety of full-size Chevrolet/GMC, Dodge, and Ford vehicles in addition to the ’17 Super Duty. www.warn.com

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“Superwinch continues to grow through our strategy of being the leader in innovation and responsiveness to our global markets and customers. The new EXP Series is the result of years of engineering know-how and real world testing,” says David Burns, Superwinch President & CEO. “There’s no winch that can match the EXP Series in innovation, features and performance.”

The Superwinch EXP Series features 8,000, 10,000 and 12,000 pound capacities; rated to IP69k, wire or synthetic rope; and integrated design or non-integrated design for remote solenoid box installations.

The Superwinch EXP Series will be assembled in the USA from globally sourced parts. www.superwinch.com Viair makes several types of on-board air systems. The light-duty systems are ideal for powering air locker-style differentials and inflating dirt bike and ATV tires. The medium and heavy-duty systems are designed for inflating large offroad tires. If you have 37 inch or larger tires or want to run air tools, you need one of Viair’s Xtreme, Ultra Duty, or Dual Pack systems. All systems include the compressor, air tank, pressure switch, air line, and all necessary fittings and electrical connectors.

If you don’t need a complete air system, Summit Racing also offers on-board and portable air compressors. The onboard compressors are ideal for air suspension systems and off-road vehicles where there isn’t room for an air tank. The compressors are available in 100, 120, 130, 145, 150, and 200 PSI ratings.

Summit Racing Equipment www.summitracing.com

Sierra owners chose them because they wanted a truck that worked as hard as them. With gorgeous styling, an array of utility options, and a 5.3L V8 producing 355 HP and 383 FT-LBS of torque, Sierra is a great start to getting the job done.

While the 5.3L is powerful, it is dwarfed in comparison to the 6.6L Duramax. That’s where Bully Dog® comes in. Our calibrators have engineered the tunes to optimize the 5.3L V8 for increased horsepower and torque–so each Sierra comes ready to haul any load or cross any terrain.

With our 93 octane performance tune we’ve achieved peak power and torque gains of up to 21 HP and 24 FT-LBS (max power and torque gains of up to 26 HP and 30 FT-LBS). Along with the power and torque increases, our calibration greatly improves throttle response and firms up transmission shifts on the 6-spd for enhanced drivability. www.bullydog.com WWW.4BY4TECH.COM

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FROM THE GARAGE - TRUCK & TRAIL

Superwinch, the largest privately-held winch manufacturer in the world, announced the unveiling of the company’s EXP Series, a new premium winch line that is packed with innovation. So much, in fact, the company has a record 8 patents filed with the new winch line.

ST ANTHONY, ID By: Albert Vandervelde

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I got hooked on sand dunes fun quite a few years ago with my first trip to the Oregon sand dunes. That trip took me to Florence on the Oregon Coast and the Sitlcoos Dunes. I’ve been back many times since in all the 4 major ATV areas along the Oregon dunes in an array of vehicles. I’ve always wanted to visit some of the other known sand dune riding areas but many are quite far from me here in BC. I’m sure you will have heard of Glamis, also known as the Imperial Sand Dunes or even Pismo Beach. Past these popular

spots there are actually many more that are not as well known all over the USA. Almost every year we have bene going to Moab for the Easter Jeep Safari. Our route takes us from BC though Washington, Idaho (twice), Montana then into Utah. In the bottom portion of Idaho we typically stay the night in a small town called Idaho Falls on this trip.

Not far from Idaho Falls there is a sand rec area called St Anthony Dunes. Despite all the times I’ve stayed so close, I’ve never had a chance to visit the dunes – this year that had to change!

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Finding St Anthony Sand Dunes isn’t as easy as you may think. We asked locals and they didn’t seem to know, the signs on the road were also misleading and the cloud cover didn’t help with finding the sand on the horizon.

Finally a real sign! We found Sand Mountain and the St Anthony dunes. Time to air down and get down to business. I mounted an ARB compressor in a plastic tool box to make a portable compressor. You need single digit air in the dunes to float on the sand and a way to fill back up.

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Glen and I decided to split off from our travel companions and head down a day early and meeting them in Idaho Falls to complete our trip to Moab. The information on-line on the St Anthony dunes was very scarce and much of the information not very accurate. Some sites said no street registered vehicles on the dunes, other said dunes were closed for winter animal migration from October to April. This year EJS and Easter itself was late and that pushed us past that April 1st date just in case the closures were correct (which in turns out were only half correct).

Directions were also not very good but dune sites did say an Idaho OHV permit was required or one from another state. As I typically have an OHV sticker for going to the Oregon dunes, I was covered, however Glen was not. I had called the Sand Hills Resort, a camp ground that backs the dunes and asked a few questions and the campground owner said that the dunes were open year round only a small portion towards the tree lined hills were closed in the winter months, and that Jeeps and in my case Toyota, street vehicles were very much welcome on the sand dunes.

As it was midafternoon when we got to the area we drove into the town of St Anthony and straight into a gas station to inquire about an OHV sticker. The weather was very overcast and we even ran through a snow storm that coated our vehicles with ice to get there. Visibility wasn’t very good so seeing what was over 10,000 acres of sand wasn’t very easy. In town we were met with strange stares for our OHV sticker request and no one was able to point us to the dunes. Either we hit the wrong crowd or it’s a conspiracy to keep these hidden dunes to themselves!!!

At the end of the main strip of the small town a sign pointed us towards the dunes – finally a sign! While still without an OHV sticker for Glen we were equipped with sand flags and decided to wing it when we got there. That sign was the last one we saw, however as the clouds lifted we spotted the flowing sand hills in the distance! Twists and turns on back roads brought us to a local “road no access” sign… another attempt to foil our chances at the sand dunes! We drove on past the sign and ran right into the campground that helped me on the phone and right into drifting sand dunes right to, and over, the paved road. Finally!

We dropped air pressure (While wrapping ourselves in jackets, it was April after all and the dunes at 5000ft above sea level) to the required single digits, 8PSI in the front and 6PSI in the back for the Tacoma TRD Pro I borrowed from Toyota Canada and around 6PSI at all 4 corners for Glens JK on 35s. A local police officer drove by us as we were sticking our flags WWW.4BY4TECH.COM

on our bumpers waved and carried on – we were good to go it seems – hammer down!

As it turns out we took the back way into the dunes not the main Egin Lakes entrance, which turned out to be just fine. Besides two other dirt bikes, we had every inch of the dunes to ourselves and due to some recent rain the dunes were smooth and flat and every track we laid down in every direction belongs to us. It was just like being the first person down your street or gravel road after a nice fresh snow fall and we made the best of it.

It was Glens first time on the sand dunes and it didn’t take long for him to figure out how to get up and down the bigger hills. This area has a lot of under lying lava rock and we did need to watch the bottom of the sand bowls with our low tire pressure and the odd sand of tree stumps sticking up like Greek ruins. We spent a couple hours sliding up and down the hills challenging each other high marks with tight turns on the steep hills and generally driving around with stupid big grins on our faces – sand dunes tend to do that to you!

Now that we know that – yes! Street legal vehicles are allowed on the dunes here. Yes! We do need an OHV sticker from Idaho or another state with an OHV sticker program and will order them on-line before coming next time. Yes! Like other dunes you need a flag on your vehicle at least 9 feet in the air. No! The locals are not conspiring to keep these dunes to themselves – come and enjoy for yourself the sand was WWW.4BY4TECH.COM

As it turned out we were at the small end of the dunes, the larger hills are found at the Elgin Lake entrance, but as our time was limited we attacked every hill we could find. Even these “small” dunes were pretty much impossible to climb with the rigs we had on hand – but sliding down is just as much fun!

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Lava, Lava everywhere! You had to be careful in the bottom of the some of the sand bowls, out cropping’s of sharp Lava was ready to tear into your tires. I had the stock tires on the TRD Pro down to 6PSI in the back and 8 PSI in the front. As it turned out – perfect air pressure for blasting in the wet surface sand. The Lava made for some good poser shots as well!

Below Glen uses a little speed to loop a bowl with Lava in the bottom. He has a little power slide going with his supercharged 3.8L!

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awesome. No the dunes are not closed in the winter but there are some areas that are – but still plenty of play area all year round – we will back next year with more time to spare.

If you plan to go: There are a couple of camping areas right on the dunes seasonally closed.

As mentioned while the Sand Hills Resort was not quite open for the season yet, the owner was very helpful on the phone when I called and answered all my stupid questions. We drove by – it was direct sand access and lots of RV and camping spots. https://www.sandhillsresortrv.com/ Also: https://www.idahodunesrv.com/index.php Elgin lake BLM campground. While we ran out of time and were not able to find this site its at the main staging area for the dunes and also had close sand access. Its first come first serve for camping.

Sand Hills Resort Desert Oasis Desert Oasis Entry Egin Lake Parking Thunder Mountain Choke Cherry Dead Horse Bowl Devils Dune

We wasted no time laying down tracks all over the dunes – we had a blast for the few hours we were there -– next year everyone in our group is going to join us on our way to Moab and have a full day to better explore these cool sand dunes in Idaho!

44° 00.58 N / 111° 46.83 W 43° 57.78 N / 111° 49.12 W 43° 58.38 N / 111° 49.26 W 43° 57.78 N / 111° 51.21 W 43° 58.35 N / 111° 51.57 W 43° 58.10 N / 111° 58.46 W 43° 57.69 N / 111° 58.34 W 43° 58.45 N / 111° 59.24 W

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Directions to St. Anthony Sand Dunes: Take I-15 north to Idaho Falls. Then take exit 119 Highway 20 East - West Yellowstone and Rigby From Rexburg: Take exit 337 off of Highway 20 - North Rexburg and go north From St. Anthony: St. Anthony exit (exit 345). At stop, take a left onto N. Bridge Street and go over the highway.

Go a few blocks and look for 600 Rd. N or N. Parker Rd. - take a left. There is a sign for the dunes at this turn – keep in mind signage after this turn is very poor.

Drive about 5 miles until the 4 way stop and the road closed sign – turn right here, this also takes you to Sand Hills Resort so just look them up and follow their directions! A left will take you to Desert Oasis and Egin Lake – though the route is not well marked.

BLM Egin Lakes Access from Rexburg: Take the North Rexburg or the Parker-Salem Highway exit off Highway 20. Travel 6.3 miles north to the second flashing light. Turn left and remain right continuing 2.9 miles until the BLM Egin Lakes Access. http://www.duneguide.com/sand_dune_guide_st_anthony.htm

Glen and I had a short but sweet few hours on the dunes as in April the sun still sets pretty early and our trip down took a little longer than expected. The small taste we got did nothing but get us excited for next years trip down when the whole crew will join us!

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MCE JK Flares

By: Albert Vandervelde

MCE fenders flares are made for Jeep TJs, YJs and JKs. Unlike hard ridged plastic flares, the MCE flares are designed to twist and spring back when hitting – well pretty much anything! TPO thermoplastic sheeting is made to be ridged yet flexible and is perfect for heat forming. The MCE-SPEC TPO material is so durable yet flexible, they have an industry leading LIFETIME warranty against cracking.

Cutting and trimming JK flares is a pretty common occurrence when lifting and fitting JK’s with bigger tires. But even a cut flare or many of the other aftermarket versions still use a hard plastic that does not give or flex well. Also most of those aftermarket flares are only available in full sets so when you do break one off road you’re stuck with three spares to get one replacement.

I’ve known Jason and Mike from MCE Fenders for quite a while.

Their approach to JK flares and their TJ & YJ flares came out of years of trail wheeling in the North West where trees meet you at every turn and will happily peel all the plastic off the outside of your Jeep. Rather than go thicker, stronger, harder, they went the flexible, twist out of the way route with their product line. I’ve even had the honor of driving over several sets in my 40 inch tire equipped 1-ton TJ, and if you get a chance check their U-tube channel, they seem to have just as

JK flares are held in place with several push in button plugs and plastic clips into the sheet metal. They come off pretty easy once you figure out a good hard pull upwards and outwards pops the clips out of the factory flares. None of these clips are reused for the MCE flares. As you can see below this JK has typical trail damage already to the front marker lights. The new flares being flexible will just push out of the way when bumping trees, brush and rocks.

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MCE JK Flares

Out back, both the outer and inner stock fender are discarded. The MCE flares are clamped in place and several new holes are needed to secure the flare. To reduce rusting at the drilled holes coat the new self-taping screws in silicone when screwing them in.

The front fenders come off just like the rear with a firm up and out tug though in the front, a portion of the inner fender liner is reused to cover the engine bay.

The new marker lights are spliced into the stock wiring – though we found out the black and white wires are backwards to the JK wiring. The flares cover right out to the edge of the 35s and add lots of tire room.

much fun trying to destroy their own flares as they do hitting the trails. They have a no fine print lifetime warranty, unlike many of those other guys out there MCE expects you to abuse and bash their products and they will stand behind them and the finish to the material looks good so no need for paint.

Check them out for your next set of flares for your Jeep – you will be happy you did!

4by4 Suppliers MCE Flexible Fenders www.mcefenders.com

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RAM REBEL By: Albert Vandervelde

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We have tested many Ram trucks over the years And for the past 5 years a Ram SLT 1500 has been my daily driver so I’m well aware of the brand and how it rides. This time out we take on the 2017 Ram Rebel.

The Rebel get a host of upgrades such as improved approach angle, a small 1 inch lift to clear the factory 33 inch tall Toyo tires, Bilstein shocks and distinctive ram styling cues inside and out. Positioned as the top end as far as base price goes all of the regular options are available for the Rebel. This model has been refreshed over the past couple of years with a more sloping nose and slight changes to the front end body shape (as noted side by side with my 2012) introduced a couple seasons go were the giant ram bags on some models. I can say having giant chrome letters all over my own trucks would not be an option but on the Rebel they have all been blacked out and it creates a subtle (if you can call those big RAM logos subtle) look that I personally like much better.

Under the hood is the 395HP 410ft lbs. 5.7L Hemi. This version with the MDS 4 cyl shut off system as a fuel savings measure has been standard since 2009 (slight 5HP increase in 2013 with a change to electric power steering). In 2009 the platform separated itself more fully from its 2500/3500 cousins with a quad coil suspension, which created one of the best riding 1500 trucks on the market. The Ram Rebel continued with this suspension however air ride replaces the coil I’m not big on wild color interiors but the burgundy accents with the dark grey paint and leather works pretty good. The seats were heated and cooled with power buckets and just enough bolstering to keep you in the seats. The interior is accented with Rebel stitching in the seats and white stitching as an accent to the grey and burgundy.

I also wasn’t a fan of the GIANT RAM logs in the new grill design and on the tailgate but in the Rebel they are all blacked out less the Ram on the front (I’d black that out too) so I quite like the big bold grill design in this case. In chrome I’d go for the vintage style grill.

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springs. This provided an easy step in – and auto lowers when at highway cruising speeds for better aero dynamics and fuel savings while providing better ground clearance at the touch of a button for your off-road endeavors. This is where the Bilstein shocks and 33 inch A/T Toyo’s come into play along with a rear limited slip differential. The current 5.7L is backed by a ZF 8-speed automatic, which also improves the shift points keeping the Ram at more effective RPMs in all gears for better fuel consumption.

Our tester came with the Ram boxes in the sides of the box. They do offer some useful storage but at the expense of bed space and makes it impossible to install a full bed canopy.

There is nothing I like about the dial shifter knob. I’ll leave it at that. Then they stuff the towing up and down shift buttons in this little spot – just dumb.

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The Ram has long had one of the best interiors in the light truck segment and it continued here with all the expected toys, from an 8.4-inch center screen and a good quality center dash screen. The Rebel has unique color and styling cues that are not overly Garish, and the heated and cooled seats were very comfortable both front and rear.

Our tester also came with the Ram boxes; a segment exclusive.

The Ram boxes create dry locking storage on the sides of the box but it does so with reduced load capacity in the box. It also stops you from the ability of installing a full truck canopy as it would cover the ram boxes and they would not be able to open if hauling lots of cargo in the box is your thing. If this is the case go with the regular box. All Rebels are crew cabs with the 5.7

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length box, and no Ecodiesel option though you can order the Rebel with the base 3.6L – that’s a little strange.

The Ram is still standing up to the competition even with a platform that reaches back close to 10 years now with only slight refresh.

As the new Silverado rolls out in 2019 and the new body of the F-150 it is getting close to time for some exterior style upgrades for the Ram but otherwise they are still very worthy trucks.

Lots of storage inside the Ram from the big deep console to the hidden under the floor storage boxes though the under floor boxes can only be found on the crew cab model.

The 5.7L Hemi under the hood stays pretty much unchanged with 395HP and 410 Ft Lbs. – lots of power for anything you may need. The tester we had comes with the active grill shutters and air bag ride control that lowers the truck at highway speed for better aero dynamics. My daily driver is a 2012 Ram without these technologies and I really don’t see much in the way of fuel consumption differences between the two trucks but the air bags would be nice for towing.

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Bilstein your Jeep, GM, Toy, Ford...

By: Albert Vandervelde

The 5160 shocks came with reservoir mounts and band clamps. We ordered ours with the optional billet clamps, which makes for a nice clean look when installed and firmly holds the remote res to the shock body.

At left: The front and rear 5160 TJ shocks were ordered for 4-6 inches of lift and were tuned specifically for the Jeep.

The advantage of remote reservoir’s are the added oil capacity for better cooling and the valve pack is in the remote res can allowing for a longer travel shock shaft in a shorter overall length.

If your ordering a suspension from many of the suspension manufacturers out there they will typically give you several options for shocks depending on your budget and what your trying to achieve. Many of those will be including Bilstein as one of the premium choices. Even out recent Moab week with the Toyota

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Tacoma TRD pro rolled on Bilstein shocks right off the showroom floor.

Within the Bilstein line you again have several choices. Most will know of the 5100 series and recently we did an install with a Clayton JK short arm (article still to come) that used the 5100 shocks.

The 5100 series is a monotube design but they do not use a reservoirs for added gas capacity.

These are perfect for tight spaces.

The 5100 series isn’t a single

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shock for a single application but are tuned to the application they are fitting be it a loaded truck or an off road Jeep. Thus makes it important to make sure you get the right shock for your application.

For our TJ Project we started with a high wheel travel RockKrawler triangulated 4-link system.

Combined with the 3-link front the suspension provided superior wheel travel to other suspension designs. This meant that we WWW.4BY4TECH.COM

Bilstein your Jeep, GM, Toy, Ford...

No we did not loop the hoses when bolting the shock clamps on - they seemed to fit better this way into the shock mounts. However the 5160 series do come in an array of applications for Chevy, Ford, Jeep and more.

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Each shock had a thick O-ring on the shock shaft so you can track compression events and the O-ring acts as a sweeper to keep the shock rod clean.

This set shows the hose looped. The hose ends can be rotated as well for a perfect fit. This set are Tacoma specific.

The body of the shock is zinc coated to resist corrosion; the self-adjusting deflective disk valving reacts smoothly with changing road conditions and the mono-tube remote res design ensures fade free performance.

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Bilstein your Jeep, GM, Toy, Ford... needed to maximize our shock lneth in the same space as a standard shock. The Bilstein 5160 series features a remote reservoir canister, which enables the valving to be moved to the canister and added shock shaft length can cycle inside the mono-tube shock body. This gave us almost 2 additional inches of travel in the same length shock From left: Rock Crawler coil over shock, Bilstein Black Hawk bypass shock, 8100 bypass shock, body. Also by moving Bilstein 5100 which comes in a wide array of styles for OEM fitment. the valve stack into the canister and adding fluid capacity, the shock has added cooling capacity for those days that hauling down your favorite pot hole filled gravel road is more in your taste. Like the 5100 series; the 5160 is application valving specific.

This shock series covers trucks, SUV’s, Jeeps, and custom applications from 6 inches to 14 inches of wheel travel.

Of course these two shocks are just a small part of the full Bilstein family of shocks. Coil overs and bypass shocks as well as kits combined with coils for small lift applications are all available.

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4by4 Suppliers Bilstein Shocks www.bilsteinus.com RockKrawler Suspension www.rockkrawler.com

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5000KMS IN 10 DAYS - DUNES, ROCKS, TOWING

TACOMA TRD PRO DOES IT HAVE WHAT IT TAKES

By: Albert Vandervelde

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The plan for this spring was to have my new Jeep CJK8 project completed for a trip to Moab for the Easter Jeep Safari. As the dates were getting close it was very apparent this wasn’t going to happen, actually I’m still working on it now here in July! It was pretty clear in January that April just wasn’t a realistic completion time so I gave Toyota a call. The previous October, journalists were invited to Ontario to test drive the new TRD truck line up. I was pretty impressed with the new truck with a rear locker, and the front crawl control function, great shocks (Fox internal bypass) etc., I asked if it was possible to take a TRD to Moab this year. The reply was – well you won’t bang it up “to much” will you? I said I’ll be nice, I know how to drive and it will be great publicity to take a totally stock, off the lot Tacoma to the Jeep Jamboree. They said yes! I remember one email with my buddy Andy from Warn saying only you would bring a Toyota to the Jeep Jamboree. I said its ok I’m bringing a guy in a Suzuki with a winch!

Actually the week with the Tacoma was pretty special and I can’t tank Toyota enough. I started out by doing a favor for Aqualu.com and I towed a Land Cruiser Troopy body from Kelowna to Pemberton BC before we even left on the trip that was about 3500lbs on a 400km trip. The total miles covered were over 5000kms in just over 10 days with the Tacoma. And while my definition of “to much” damage and Toyotas may be a little different they were very good about the bumps and bruises the Tacoma suffered – but where we took this stock truck would amaze most Toyota owners and as we received a standing ovation at the end of Kane Creek Trail from some pretty modified Jeep owners I think we won a few WWW.4BY4TECH.COM

The trails around Moab are some of the best-mapped trails I’ve been on – pretty hard to get lost. Follow the black marks on the rocks and on popular trails like Hells Revenge trail maps are posted along the route to let you know where you are.

At left: I had to slide out of the way a few times for other travelers on the Kane Creek trail before some of the harder climbs so we could take our time. While we did not have a winch – we did have a couple winch buddies just in case...

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brand loyal hearts from the others on the trail that day.

From surprise freezing rain that coated the truck, towing a reproduction Land Cruiser Troopy body for 600KMS, to packing a compressor with us to air our tires up and down for rock trails and sand dunes we did just about everything you can imagine with the Tacoma over the 10 days and 5000kms we put it through.

The adventure started with meeting my buddy Glen in Spokane and getting a jump on our other travel partners for a day in the sand dunes in St Anthony Idaho. St Anthony is a short jump form our typical Saturday night stop at Idaho Falls. This is where the Toyota shined with its Fox Shocks and desert inspired suspension. I did learn though that every time you turn off the engine all the traction control aids turn back on when you turn the truck back on. This little bit of info almost got me into trouble on a sand hill. I forgot to turn the traction control totally off which takes an extra stab and hold at the traction control button, which left me hanging on a sand hill sideways. The traction control though I was in trouble rather than having fun and stopped my deliberate sliding mid carve on a steep side hill.

I can say that only happened to me once! Stock wheels stock tires.

6PSI rear tire pressure 8 PSI front tire pressure and the little Toyota is definitely a great dune runner!

During our trip Glens new-to-him Jeep was using almost twice the fuel as the Tacoma. Well let’s be fair, Glen bought the Jeep a week before the trip in Saskatchewan, drove it to Kelowna and on this trip – with no knowledge of the Jeeps past history. It has a supercharged 3.8, 35-inch tires on the stock 4.10 Rubicon Gears – set up like that it was going to use more fuel over any stock Jeep Rubicon.

Once in Moab and with our buddy Dave’s Suzuki with us and Todd as his passenger, the two guys left it up to me to pick trails. Dave had never been to Moab before and even though Glen had been once before he only hit the trails on a rented side by side. I decided on

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Kane Creek. My reasoning was – I had done the trial years before in my CJ and remembered it being pretty tame. Well was I wrong. At the first obstacle there was a couple there beside another Toyota TRD Pro with a slight lift and rock sliders. He said to me, well that’s the end of your day. I inquired why and he said there is no way your getting a stock truck though the next gap… Well he didn’t know me very well did he… Not only did we clear the gap – on two wheels I will add we invited him along with us – he declined – and he said afterwards he worked for Toyota! Might have been the smartest thing he did all day – us not so smart! The next several miles were twists and turns thought he creek bed with Dave’s Suzuki doing its best impression of leaping though the whoops like a jumping lamb with all four tires off the ground and my doing everything I could to try and get around him. As we came out of the wash and started climbing the canyon we were met by a long line of rigs stretching up and around the next corner – not a good sign.

We were at Hamburger Hill.

As we walked to the hill checked it out and walked back towards the Toyota as our turn got closer I was asked by a few – are you actually taking that Toyota up there? I said well that’s the way the trail goes… and out came the cameras. We managed the rock-infested hill with Todd and I planning a good route up to the main rock slab obstacle.

There was a bypass around the 4-foot tall rock step thankfully, but it was also difficult and put us precariously close to a 100-foot drop into the canyon. This was our first major stuck with the Tacoma and the first time where the crawl control function was a required part of our forward progress. We did get belly hung which took some inventive tire lifting to get enough rocks WWW.4BY4TECH.COM

Yes the Tacoma has a locker and crawl control - but in no way would you consider this truck a “Rock Crawler” Now that said we did take it places your average Tacoma owner would never take there brand new stock Tacoma.

We tired to get a fellow TRD owner on Kane Creek to follow us rather than turn around – he did not take the bait and he was lifted with rock sliders. The gap at right is where he turned around when we were on two tires. At the end of Kane Creek we got a standing ovation from a pile of Jeep guys so I think the TRD did pretty well!

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under the tires but we managed to get the truck moving again to cheers from the crowd – partly I think as we got out of there way, and saddened slightly that the truck didn’t look like it went into a rock tumbler. Actually the only damage to this point was tree branch scratches from the creek and a dent in the trial gate from one of the overly enthusiastic spectators who leaned hard into the tailgate to help push us up the rocks. The challenges did not stop here, many more rock ledges and tight squeezes were ahead of us as we climbed the canyon to the top and we let the odd group who caught up to us pass. Somewhere along the way our luck ran low and we managed to dent the body under the passenger side rear door. Considering the work we put into getting that stock truck through the trail it was a badge of honor more than a worry. As we exited the trail a large group was having a few refreshments and snacks at the top near the road and they stood and gave us a round of applause at our feat for the day!

We challenged one more trail during the Safari with the Tacoma and that was Hells Revenge. Hells revenge has quite a few bypasses and while not as difficult as Kane Creek, the tow hitch came in handy for all the steep transitions through the rolling rock dunes, we added many a scratch in the rocks to the many already there as we squared up on all the climbs. Somewhere along this day we had a hard climb and we pushed into the license plate surround, which dislodged the plastic trim around the front end. These new generation trucks do have a very round nose to them. The design is made to deflect soft impacts around the sides of the truck as in an animal strike or a person strike. This makes the nose a little longer than in the past and I’m sure will be a challenge for aftermarket bumper manufacturers. It was however an epic day and an epic week with the Toyota TRD Pro. It lived up to its name and handled everything we threw at it with minimal damage – all of which could have been avoided with a slight lift, 32-inch tires and

some rock sliders. Even the stock Wrangler tires aired down to low rock and sand pressure survived without a puncture or a cut.

A note on the Crawl Control. This system uses the anti lock brake module to control tire slip, when used in conjunction wit the rear locker it brakes and holds the front tires as they spin forcing power over to the non slipping tire. The system took some getting use to in the extreme rocks in Kane Creek.

It’s designed to set you at 5 different speed levels all of which were to fast for moving mere inches in the rock filled tight trail. It took a combination of brake and gas control to work the system to do what was needed, provide traction like a front locker while only wanting to move a few inches to get out of our stuck situation. While a front locker would have been more useful here, the system does work it just needs more driver input rather than just setting and lifting your feet off the pedals. www.toyota.ca www.toyota.com

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By: Kim Reeves

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The Four Wheel Drive Association of BC is actively involved in promoting responsible and sustainable four-wheel drive recreation in British Columbia as well as advocating for public access to public land. The Association is made up of over 1400 paid members, over social media following of over 30,000, 18 member clubs and hundreds of volunteers who care deeply about adventure and exploration of the beautiful province of British Columbia. As avid backcountry recreationalists,

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we embrace the Tread Lightly philosophy and are a long-standing provincial member of the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC. The annual show and shine in Mission BC is one of those great events that brings together four wheelers of all kinds for a common goal – keeping out trail open.

We organize and participate in many activities in support of that vision.

The association maintains partnership agreements and manages

4x4 accessible recreation sites for Recreation Sites and Trails BC, part of the Ministry of Forest Lands and Natural Resource Operations and we also have signed our first management agreement with BC Parks to restore and manage the Cornwall Fire Lookout Tower near Ashcroft, BC. The agreements involve our members and volunteers maintaining recreation sites, including building improvements, table construction/repair, painting, outhouse installation and maintenance, site brushing, trail repair

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and general garbage pickup and removal. Some examples of our work on these recreation sites include those shown below.

We hold monthly maintenance runs to these sites where weather conditions permit. During these maintenance runs we fulfill the obligations of our rec site contracts. We also use these opportunities to welcome 4x4 owners who are new to four wheeling experience our recreational pastime. This allows them to discover and build their driving abilities as well as become acquainted to their vehicles capabilities in a safe and respectful environment.

Other activities include volunteer cleanups of forest service road systems under pressure from urban populations. For example, the association has held annual cleanups of both sides of Stave Lake located between Mission and the Fraser Valley Regional District.

These 2 annual cleanups have removed hundreds of thousands of pounds of garbage and steel from this area.

Over the years, our volunteers have noted 6 separate sources of this garbage; they are as follows: • Residential garbage dumping: i.e. household garbage, technology waste, etc.

• Commercial waste dumping: i.e. drywall, asphalt shingles, asbestos, etc.

• Lawn and garden waste that contribute to invasive species: i.e. plant and tree trimmings • Shooting waste: i.e. rifle shells, shotgun shells, appliances and other things used for targets.

• Grow op waste: i.e. soil, fertilizers, pots, clippings and garbage bags. Party waste: i.e. end of year parties and raves leave camping, food and beverage waste.

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The association contends that a fee to dispose of garbage into the proper garbage stream at transfer stations encourages some to dump illegally. We advocate for tippage at transfer stations to be free and the costs to operate those spread across the residential and commercial tax base.

The association is an advocate for trail access. In April 2010, 4wheelers won a near 10 year long battle for legitimate access to Eagle Mountain which is a favourite local wheeling trail (this battles raised its head again this year and again access has been retained). This access was not easy. The party’s involved in this agreement included the golf course owners, BC Hydro Transmission, BC Parks, Metro Vancouver, Rec Sites and Trails, City of Coquitlam and the Four Wheel Drive Association of BC. In the Lower Mainland, we have a representative who attends monthly meetings with the Chilliwack Recreation Advisory Group that includes representatives for ATV’s, motorcycles, snow mobiles, 4x4’s, horsemen, hikers, mountain climbers, trail advocates, spelunkers, mountain bikers and the Recreation Officer.

We participate in the Outdoor Recreation Council and have a member on their executive.

Another advocacy success was the shelter at Hale Creek, seen above. In 2006, the association had to remove the original struc-

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ture on this site as it was considered unsafe. The association then advocated for a replacement structure that came to fruition in the fall of 2011. The new shelter is a wonderful example of volunteers working with government to better the recreation experience of thousands of people each year.

We just signed a contract with BC Parks to manage the Cornwall Fire Tower west of Ashcroft. This is a first for us working with BC Parks; in fact, it is a first for any motorized organization to sign a partnership agreement to manage a park asset. The summer of 2017 will see the renovation take place of another wonderful piece of BC’s backcountry and forestry history.

We are developing our new relationship with Thunder Mountain Raceway near Kelowna. We have permission to build a driver training and self-recovery course and use it year over year. We will also pursue resurrecting a mud drag course and look at options for rock crawling and other activities.

The beginnings of motor parks is also forming in Mission where we have permission to move ahead with building a campground and staging lot for trailered vehicles, a driver training and self-recovery course, In the future, other elements like rock crawling and mud drags are not out of the picture.

Thanks for reading and if you have gotten this far, please consider joining the Four Wheel Drive Association of BC. http://www.4wdabc.ca/ https://www.facebook.com/groups /4wdabc/

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Building a bullet proof Dana 60

By: Albert Vandervelde

So you want 1-tons under your rig EH? It can be as simple as calling one of the great aftermarket axle builders like Currie, Dynatrac, Spideretrax, Teraflex etc...

I’ve gone this route on past projects because I know the base for a really good wheeling rig is a strong set of axles – and parts prices add up fast when building your own. I thought of several combinations before pushing ahead with the CJK8 project and in the end I knew that good brakes all around were paramount, I prefer King Pin axles over ball joint though and I wanted a full float rear axle this time, and I wanted to build them myself. But all take-out axles from the wrecking yard get you are a base to work from – this article will cover beefing the ends of a King Pin Ford front axle. If there is a week link in the Ford King Pin axle it’s the knuckle, enter the beefiest knuckles you can get from Reid Racing.

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If you start to get into harder wheeling inevitably the word “tons” will come up when it comes to axles. There are companies like Dynatrac, Currie, Spidertrax, and Teraflex that all make custom 1-ton axles for direct placement into Jeeps, but even some of those could stand the odd upgrade. For the CJK8 I decided to build a pair of take-out axles from a 1-ton truck this time rather than go the easy “order and install” route. I wanted a front King Pin style axle – and few aftermarket companies go his route due to the age of those axles – rather they tend to use ball joint front ends with easy access to Ford factory knuckles, ball joints and brakes from modern trucks.

I didn’t expect to save a “ton” of money over aftermarket axle assemblies but this way I could add some parts I really have liked in the past.

First up. Weak knuckles. The axle knuckles are what turns your rig, steers your rig, holds your tires on, holds your brakes and contains your axle shafts – pretty important pieces. When it comes to heavy duty – near indestructible steering knuckles from Reid Racing are the kings. There orange steering knuckles are available for a wide array of axles from stock Jeep Wranglers to the Ford king pin axle I am working with. These tough castings are made with high strength ductile iron – are thicker and heavier, have cast in steering stops and extra bolt holes for high steer arms when relocating the steering and drag links up out of harms way. I also opted for their bronze upper king pin bushings as the steering arms we were using from Ruff Stuff had the 5th hole for the mounting bolts and a threaded load bolt in the middle rather than the spring and poly bushing under the cap of stock axles.

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Building a bullet proof Dana 60 A stock King Pin axle uses a large spring to apply load to the nylon bushing, which turns on the tapered stud threaded into the top of the steering knuckle. A tapered roller bearing can be found in the bottom of the knuckle.

Much more beef over ball joint axles but there can be some deflection here with extreme load. One trick is to add spacers inside the spring cap to add more preload to the bushing but your still using a spring and a softer nylon bushing.

Reid Racing makes HD knuckles for GM, Ford and Jeep axles; The Ford King Pin knuckles are based off their Chevy design. The top had a fifth steering arm hole for high steer but will also accommodate the stock King Pin spring caps.

The Ford tie rod arms where cast hollow underneath (they are cut off here) the Reid arms are solid. Also the Reid knuckle is very hard ductile iron and uses a cast in steering stop rather than a bolt and is just thicker in every area. I used a set some years ago in a rear steering set up and they were bulletproof even with a 650hp big block up front.

When using a high steer arm with a load bolt rather than a spring, you can upgrade your knuckles with Reid Racing bronze King Pin bushings. They replace the stock nylon bushing pictured below.

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These high steer arms from Ruff Stuff use a load bolt rather than a spring to apply pressure to the King Pin bushings.

They also have a fifth hole to take advantage of the Reid Racing knuckles to add a fifth bolt to secure the arm to the top. Unlike a spring and nylon bushing that can’t be adjusted - preload on the bronze bushings (or nylon) can be controlled and adjusted by tightening the load bolt. The upper King Pin can now also be lubricated through the load bolt – plus you get high steer of course!

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Building a bullet proof Dana 60

A typical King Pin rebuild kit less the upper spring and King Pin stud. The bottom of the knuckle uses a tapered roller bearing.

The top is where the changes take place starting with the bronze bushing.

The spiral cut inside the bushing allows grease to flow around the King Pin stud.

The Ruff Stuff arm acts as the cap for the top of the arm and eliminates the spring inside the stock cap. GM studs are used and cone nuts rather than cone inserts and flat nuts. They are basically wheel nuts that Ruff Stuff tapers the arms to match.

Reid Racing suggests drilling three holes in the load bold plate to allow better grease flow throughout the King Pin.

The load bolt applies preload to the bronze Reid Racing bushing inside the arm and a jam nut holds the preload. It can be adjusted at any time without taking anything apart.

A fresh bearing cap cup and cone and it gets packed full of grease. The bottom cap has a stud inside that inserts into the bearing then 4 bolts hold the bottom cap in place.

The two holes you see are there to make it easier to lift the bushing out by threading in two small bolts. The knuckle and the bushing have a notch for a role pin to stop the bushing from turning inside the knuckle – a common problem with the nylon bushing.

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Building a bullet proof Dana 60

The U-joints are as large as possible and have tappers on the ends of the cross and a relieve cut in the body to help you get them into the axles but they do take a little patients to get in. Snap ring pliers are needed to get the full circle clips over the end caps.

No Dana 60 build is complete without a set of Cromoly axles. Typically you will also find smaller 30-spline stub shafts in most Dana 60s. This pair of Yukon 4340 axles feature 35-spline inner shafts and 35-spline outer shafts.

Pictured with a set of Yukon Gear Super Joints. Thick material around the u joints and pre machined for full circle clips.

The Super Joints do not use needle bearings and are not cross-drilled so they retain maximum strength. A special grease also comes with the U-joint kit.

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Building a bullet proof Dana 60

Inside the spindle there is a single Torrington bearing on each side. A seal keeps dirt out once the axle is slide through the middle. No machine work was needed to upgrade to the 35-spline axles. Below shows the brake caliper mount and spindle re mounted to the Reid Racing knuckle. Remember to replace the nuts that hold the spindle on with new “stover” lock nuts.

The X-lock spindle nut system from Stage 8 is the best way to retain the preload on your wheel bearings – period. The unique locking system avoids the issues with other versions with its snap ring design. Made for Dana 44 and Dana 60 axles the nuts also fit other spindles of the same thread and size such as 14 bolt rear axles and GM 10 bolt front axles.

There are five pieces to the lock system, a shim that goes on below the notched lock ring. The notched lock ring which indexes off the keyway in the spindle. A threaded preload nut comes next with multiple keyway slots. A male lock with tabs which has multiple positions so it can install onto the threaded ring with accurate preload then a snap ring that holds the tabbed ring into the notched ring. Once the snap ring is in place there is no way for any of the pieces to come loose.

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Building a bullet proof Dana 60

Here are pictures of the two factory systems. The one uses two nuts and a ring with bend over tabs, which hold the outer ring from turning. However the nuts can still work loose slightly and once a little preload is off – that’s the end game. The other system uses an inner nut with a pin sticking out then you index the lock ring - the one with holes onto the pin, but it does require tweaking of the inner nut to get the pin to line up - and if the pin snaps off – there is nothing to stop the nuts from coming loose. The outer nut is just tightened hard to jam the inner parts together. So... Just buy the X-locks and be done with it!

If you have an off road buggy you will probably gravitate to drive flanges. But if you plan on driving your rig like I am – hubs that unlock are needed. A drive flange is essentially a puck that binds the axle shaft to the hub so the axle always turns and can’t be disconnected. In our case stepping up to the Yukon Gear Hardcore Hub gives us the best strength we can manage and still have a hub that can unlock for street use.

The Yukon Hardcore Locking Hubs use two drive plates. One splines onto the axle shaft while the other one splines into the hub. What makes these hubs superior to other options is the contact surface area when locked and the all heattreated steel construction. Also if the outer hub lock is damaged the hub defaults to lock rather than leaves your wheel unlocked and providing no forward motion.

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Building a bullet proof Dana 60

This spacer goes in first and gives the spring a surface to ride on.

The spring is next. It actually pushed the inner plate outwards into the outer plate. The hub is used to push the inner plate and spring back for free wheeling, break the hub at all on a rock and the hub will default to locked, a much better option than open. Liberal amounts of grease are used ay each step.

The two drive plates are next and get installed locked together. A snap ring on the end of the axle keeps the entire assembly in the hub.

The inner portion of the hub is two interconnecting pieces and these are retained in the hub with another snap ring. This once inserts into the main wheel hub.

Another upgrade I did was to the spindle nuts. You might not think much about the locking rings that hold your bearings in the inner hub, but I’ve had issues in the past with stock style bend over tabs or the three piece lock rings coming loose. The Stage-8 Fasteners stop the wheel bearings coming loose right in their tracks with a unique lock tab and ring clip design.

As we were changing to a 35-spline outer stub shaft from the factory 30-spline shaft, new hubs were also needed. Here I turned to Yukon Gear. Their unique lock plate design uses large square teeth to firmly engage the lock plates and hold your axles in 4x4.

In the case of a smashed lock tab on the ends of the hubs the hubs will default to lock which is a much better option that not having 4x4 in the case of a rock getting into your wheel and breaking your hub.

All of these pieces can be easily purchased for an array of axles and all offer much needed strength if you really plan to get out and use your “tons” to their fullest.

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The hub lock dial is the last step and needs to be installed in the locked position. Keep in mind you are pushing the spring in to unlock the hub not lock the hub so it’s easier to install locked.

4by4 Suppliers

Stage 8 Locking Fasteners Dana 44 and Dana 60 versions www.stage8.com Yukon Gear axle parts for all axles www.yukongear.com Reid Racing steering knuckles for Jeep, Ford and Chevy axles. www.reidracing.biz Ruff Stuff Specialties High Steer Arms and builder parts www.ruffstuffspecialties.com

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TUNDRA TRD PRO By: Albert Vandervelde

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Following in its little brothers footsteps the Tundra get the TRD Pro treatment for the 2016 model year along with a 4Runner version as well. The TRD Pro we tested was also in the battle ship grey color.

Everywhere I stopped I got positive feedback on the color but its not one that gets me very excited – just a person choice. Like the Ram Rebel we tested in this magazine the Tundra also gets the blacked out grill treatment and U like it here as well. A unique styling cue is the stamped in TRD Pro in the sides of the widened box at the rear. While the Tacoma TRD Pro gets Fox bypass shocks the Tundra is fitted with Bilstein Shocks with internal bump stops and 3 stages of dampening. The TRD suspension in the Tundra provides 2 inches of added lift to fit 33 inch tall tires (our tester still had the winter tires on it).

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The Interior has a host of TRD styling cues with TRD stitching in the seats. Powered by the 5.7L V8 the engine produces 381HP and 401 ft lbs. and is backed by a 6speed automatic. We had a chance to tow a pair of equipment axles with a combined trailer and cargo weight of 6000lbs and it handled it well but did have some rear end squat with the softer off-road suspension (only 1500lbs bow weight capacity but 9500lbs on the bumper). That said if your towing regularly you would probably not opt for a TRD model and if you did an equalizer hitch or some rear air bags would take car of heavy loads.

The Truck itself has all the refinements of the other nicely loaded ½ ton trucks in the class, though I still find the 5.7L i-FORCE engine one of the least economical to drive with an average fuel rating above

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16L per 100K where almost all the other new V8 powered trucks are more in the 12-13L range. The TRD model comes with a standard 4.30 axle ratio and a 2.645 reduction in the transfer case. Until the Tacoma that comes with the rear locker and the Crawl Control function the Tundra is only available with a rear limited slip differential. The truck does come with a massive 38 gallon (148L) fuel tank. This may give you a little bit of a false feeling of better fuel consumption that it gets – but at least it comes with a huge fuel tank – filling it the first time from empty will be a little bit of a surprise.

What you can’t fault is Toyota reliability and resale value which still betters most of the field though quality and fit and finish of the other 1500 trucks has come a long way and many still offer better ability to tailor a truck to your needs and higher towing, payload and better fuel economy options.

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The Tundra TRD Pro is a capable truck but doesn’t have some of the off-road features that the smaller Tacoma has like a rear locker or the Crawl control.

It does have a 381HP 5.7 V8 though with more room and a nice interior. While the Tacoma comes with Fox shocks the Tundra comes with Bilstein’s about 1-inch lift and 33 inch tires. Like the Tacoma, the badging is blacked out and several TRD specific colors are available. The TRD exhaust emits a nice growl but I have found the 5.7L to be the least fuel efficient of the ½-ton class V8 trucks. We packed 6000lbs behind the truck and it was apparent the suspension was softer with some rear end sag - but this really isn’t a tow rig though it was very capable of hauling the load.

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Custer Lighting

By: Albert Vandervelde

Custer Lighting makes a full array of LED lighting for off-road, emergency and work lighting. This 50-inch light bar is the perfect width for a TJ front window. The center LEDs are spot type directing light as far forward as possible while the end sections are flood filling in the outer corners for a better field of view.

With any light set - it’s all about the wiring to get the most out of your forward lighting. We start our install with a Carling switch with a driving light cover. Carling switches are the perfect choice and have a wide array of covers to match their use. Rather than try and power a large light bar from the dash wiring, we are using a relay. The advantage of a relay is that you can use a low voltage source to power the switch and power the relay. Then the relay directs full battery power right to the lights with heavy gauge wiring.

It the TJ there is a dash panel below the heater that typically has a blank spot. Or if you have removed a hard top and no longer have a rear wiper that switch can be removed for the new switch, which will snap right into the square hole.

Our panel had a blank spot and a cover in place. Getting at this panel does require some of the dash to come apart but it’s really not to bad to get at.

The cover at the window over the defrost vents just pops out then a few screws gets you to the switch panel.

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Custer Products might not be the first name that jumps at you for off road lighting but since 1993 they are being producing a wide array of lighting products from Emergency vehicle lighting work lights and are well entrenched in the LED side as well.

Their “Never Night” line of off road products range from an array of sized and shapes to their build-abar line with 7-inch log pods that can be connected and stacked to any size. They even have multicolour rock lights you can make pulse to your favorite tunes!

In their “work Light” bar line they are an array of lengths from 14 inch to a curved 51.5 inch bar. With the width of the TJ window frame we were working with of 54 inches and the face the window is pretty much flat, we chose a 50-inch bar straight bar that bolted directly into a set of window pillar light bar mounts perfectly.

The 50 inch LED bar features 288-watts of power and the end sections on each side have a full spread lends while the center section of the bar is directional giving a full light spread forward and out to each side. The housing is made form die cast aluminum and have a IP67 waterproof rating.

IP67 standard means the body is fully protected from dust at the max rating of “6” and the following “7” provided a water submersion rating of 3 feet for 30 minutes – all top in WWW.4BY4TECH.COM

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Custer Lighting

We ran the relay power wire right to the main power terminal off the battery where it attaches to the fuse panel.

To get the power wire to the light bar we had to remove the plastic panel from the inside of the window frame and fish the power wire and the small wire from the dash switch out to the relay (switch was powered by a key-on wire from under the dash. We lifted the roof gasket from the window frame and cut a small notch in the gasket for the light bar power wire to access inside the cab. We siliconed the gasket back in place and left the roof on for a few days till the new silicone cured. Once done you could not see anything other than a small piece of the wire coming off the bar into the gasket and we still had a weatherproof seal.

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Custer Lighting

LED RGB ROCK LIGHTS Comes with Four 9-Watt Lights, con troller, 10 ft. wire from lights, 6.5 ft. wire from controller Three 3-Watt CREE Diodes per light Polycarbonate lens with aluminum housing 10-30 volt operation Surface mount Change your lights to ANY color from the FREE smartphone application for use on iPhone or Android!

the class. There light bars also come with a 3 year warranty

BUILD-A-BAR Stack or width in 7-inch sections.

Build your own customized light bar!

7 inches long 30-Watt CREE diodes 3000 lumens Easily connects together with the hardware included Make any length or height you need!

10-30V operation Polycarbonate lens IP67 Stainless steel mounting brackets

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We chose to power the light bar via a relay so we could draw maximum power directly from the battery. This way we only needed to run standard 18 gauge wiring to and from the relay to a dash switch. We went with a high quality Carling switch which fit into the available blank space in the stock TJ dash so no extra holes needed to be drilled or cut into the interior.

Custer also makes a modular clip on cover lends in black amber and red, Black being used to keep the local police off your tail as light bars like these are required to be covered in almost all areas.

To check out the full line of Custer products or to find a dealer near you.

To get the wiring into the cab we cut a slot into the roof gasket on the top edge of the window frame and siliconed the gasket back to the window frame to make sure we got a good seal back for a waterproof roof. The 18 gauge wire to power the relay was run through the foam around the heater core.

So we ended the install without a single hole drilled in the Jeep.

Once powered up the bar light up the entire inside of the garage with ease even with some daylight still.

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4by4 Suppliers Custer Lighting www.custerproducts.com

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LEXUS RX

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By: Albert Vandervelde

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Ok so before you get all up in my face and say – really Albert… a Lexus in our 4x4 magazine? I say well you can’t live in your TJ on 40s forever – and if you had a chance to have this car for a week you might not be so hard on me.

Yes it’s a 4x4, yes you can lock up the center transfer case – no it does not have low range.

Damn though it sure is nice to drive.

The RX I test drove, which is the best selling model in Canada in the Lexus line-up and sits just above

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the NX in a product range that goes from a base of $42,000 to a jaw dropping $108,000 for the LX model. Our tester was in the mid point price range with a F-Sport package featuring AVS (Adaptive Variable suspension) and paddle shift controls behind the steering wheel.

When not in transfer case lock-up mode this is an all-wheel-drive system that distributes torque front to rear as needed. There is even a display screen that will actively show you the torque splitting that

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is taking place, there are a lot of screens and tech in this car if you like to watch stuff while you drive – or turn them off hit the throttle and watch it all take place in real time – that’s really the point of this car is driver experience.

The interior is filled with tech but they could leave out the mouse pad – it’s just in the way. While there is no low range in this car there is a mode control for the 4-wheel drive system.

The AVS system is really quite amazing – keeping in mind you have to step up to the F-Sport package to get it. It takes what feels like a very “soft” feeling luxury car, one that feels happier in traffic and soaking up speed bumps than a race inspired corner burning and you really don’t

feel the transition happening when it does. The first time I tossed that soft supple suspension into a hard corner I really did a little finger crossing, it doesn’t give you the confidence (apparently I have trust issues) that it will come out the other side on its tires, but if you get a chance do throw it into a corner it stiffens up so quick you won’t realize you are back on the straight away and the chassis didn’t make a noise. I’d love to get a chance at a F-Sport model that isn’t in the SUV class I’m sure its even more impressive. If there is a downside the car feels powerful with the 3.5L V6 and 295HP but it leaves you

The interior is nicely laid out – but while I got use to the audio display it felt a little like an I-pad stuck on the dash. The seats were really comfortable, the optional F Sport suspension exceptional and the interior one of the quietest I’ve been in.

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wanting even more with handling this exceptional.

Inside is one of the nicest cabins in its class – better than vehicles that I have driven with much higher price tags. It’s really in the small details from the whisper quiet window winders to an excellent dash layout and very comfortable seating. While a car like this is expected to have innovative technology I wasn’t really sold on the I-pad on the dash control screen.

I did get use to it but it feels like an after-thought and well could be an I-pad glued to the dash. Also in the center console is a mouse type controller for the dash screen and it really is just in the way and while right at your fingertips, it seems your fingertips are always hitting the control and its very sensitive.

There is just too much eyes off the road driving required to use this piece of technology.

While the styling is bold and the RX looks fast just sitting still, if you take a walk through a Lexus dealer it will be very apparent that their current line up does not have very much individual identity. Every car and SUV has the same large black grill, really when looking across the lot I could not tell without looking at the sales tags which model were which. Yes they all look like a Lexus there is no deigning which brand your driving but it could be

anything from a base model to one over 100G you would not really be able to tell.

The RX has an exceptional driving experience and one that provides a soft supple drive for your daily commute but one that also comes alive when you want a more thrilling driving experience down your favorite twisty back road. If you get a chance to test drive the Lexus line up – take it you too might be as pleasantly surprised.

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DEPARTURE ANGLE

I’ve built some cool projects over the years, three stand out for me. A 1987 Toyota 4Runner I turned into a quad coil rock flexor – with all things long arm early Bronco parts, My snow machine CJ8 with 4 wheel steering and a 650HP Ford big block and my TJ with the ford small block on Dynatrac axles. All three were totally different form each other different engines, different horsepower but all were a blast to drive. Here are a few pictures of each one from building to trail wheeling – I’m getting excited for the CJK8 project to be done as you can tell!

Click to the right for images of some of our past builds while we toil away on the CJK8 Oh yeah and click to subscribe right here!!!!!

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Send it in albert@4by4tech.com and if I use it here I’ll stick $50.00 in your pocket!

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