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FIRST DRIVE GMC HUMMER EV LOCKED, LS-POWERED, ’69 K5 BLAZER ON 38S!

SPECIAL INCLUDING FORD • CHEVY • JEEP LAND ROVER • RAM MERCEDES 8.8-INCH AXLE LOCKER INSTALL JEEP WRANGLER JK STEERING FIX 1975 FORD F-100 ROAD TRIP HOW WE PIECED TOGETHER A CJ-5 AUGUST 2022 SEE US AT FOURWHEELER.COM

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CONTENTS

AUGUST 2022, VOL.59, NO.8

COVER SECTION

FEATURE 4X4 SPECIAL! 12 MUST-SEE MACHINES Crawling, camping, and creativity—get inspired and informed with these six 4x4s

34 CAVALRY The blue paintjob will catch your eye— and what’s underneath will hold your attention

52 STANDING WAY OUT Kirby Gonzales’ backcountry Benz is strictly for pleasure

62 RETIREMENT PLAN Chris Perron traded his sedan for off-road self-sufficiency and never looked back

12

FEATURES & EVENTS 28 THE ROAD TO RELIC RUN PART 1: Piecing together a relic

58 DENTSIDE The saga of finding, buying, and the 600-mile drive home in a project 1975 Ford F-100

76 FROM THE BACKCOUNTRY Run with the wild ones

FIRST DRIVES

28

34

44

40

44 2022 GMC HUMMER EV We hit the trails in GMC’s first-ever battery electric supertruck

70 2022 TOYOTA TACOMA TRAIL EDITION A budget-friendly off-roader that starts at under $40,000

LONG-TERM TEST 74 2021 GMC YUKON AT4 THIRD REPORT: A lot of off-roading, a touch of towing, and more fun features

TECH & HOW-TOS

DEPARTMENTS

FIRST DRIVE GMC HUMMER EV

4 FIRING ORDER 6 INBOX 8 RPM 10 PARTS RACK 80 CALENDAR 82 TRAIL’S END

LOCKED, LS-POWERED, ’69 K5 BLAZER ON 38S!

40 LIMITED TO LOCKED Installing the Powertrax No-Slip locker in an 8.8-inch axle

48 STEERED SMART

SPECIAL

Q ON THE COVER Brian Jacobson transformed this 1969 Chevy K5 Blazer from a languishing hulk to a trail-prowling fullsize stunner. The full story begins on page 34.

Photo by Jered “I Got This” Korfhage.

INCLUDING FORD • CHEVY • JEEP LAND ROVER • RAM MERCEDES

10

8.8-INCH AXLE LOCKER INSTALL JEEP WRANGLER JK STEERING FIX 1975 FORD F-100 ROAD TRIP CJ-5 HOW WE PIECED TOGETHER A AUGUST 2022 SEE US AT FOURWHEELER.COM

A host of Steer Smarts parts right the wrongs on a Wrangler JKU

48

WWW.FOURWHEELER.COM

FIRING ORDER THANK YOU FOR BUILDING TRULY AWESOME 4X4S!

T

his month’s issue of Four Wheeler is jam packed with a mind-blowing collection of 4x4 features. Feature 4x4s have been a popular staple of Four Wheeler for decades and being able to publish them is one of the best parts of my job. It’s thrilling to help show off a fellow wheeler’s rig and detail the story behind the machine.

The first feature I photographed for a magazine was in the spring of 1989. The 4-Wheel & Off-Road Jamboree was in Pecatonica, Illinois, at the Winnebago County Fairgrounds and I helped coordinate the use of some family farmland so Off-Road and 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazines could photograph 4x4s from the Jamboree. I was a wheeler, reader of the off-road books, amateur photographer, and a wannabe off-road magazine staffer, so I spent as much time as possible watching the magazine staffers work. I studied things like their technique and how they positioned vehicles. I also talked with the vehicles’ owners and hung on every word as they told the backstory on their rigs.

The duo of Stuart Bourdon and Brent Ross from 4-Wheel & Off-Road were photographing feature 4x4s in the pasture behind our house while Bruce Smith and Steve Reyes were at work on nearby property photographing rigs for Off-Road. I watched a steady stream of incredible 4x4s come and go for a couple of days before Bruce Smith asked if I wanted to photograph one of the feature rigs for Off-Road.

I recall it was a built Suzuki Samurai. Little did I know at the time, but that Samurai would be the first of hundreds of feature 4x4s I would photograph over the next few decades.

During the past 33 years of photographing feature 4x4s there have been many trends.

When I first started out in the late ’80s and early ’90s it was all about tall suspension height, bolting as many shocks as possible at each corner, and neon. Through the mid- to late-’90s I recall a mix of high-end show truck builds and more than a few 4x4s that qualified as quasi monster trucks. By the late ’90s, rockcrawling was coming on strong and I was photographing rockcrawlers and tube buggies. Soon, the highend show trucks had dwindled and trail-ready 4x4s with flexy suspensions were everywhere.

Today, the 4WD world is arguably more diverse than ever with a wide range of modified 4x4s.

Up until early ’02 all of the features I photographed were on transparency film and I have

thousands of outtake photos stored in bins. One of these days I need to dig into those, scan a few, and trot those 4x4s out in Firing Order. It would be a fascinating walk down Memory Lane.

As I mentioned earlier, I enjoy meeting the owners of feature 4x4s and hearing the story of their rig, often told to me while I photograph it.

It’s fascinating to hear why each owner chose their rig and why they chose to modify it as they did. For example, some built their rigs because that specific rig is appealing to them, while others chose their rig because it had a full frame.

Some want a nice looking rig; others could care less what it looks like. Some owners build their rigs almost entirely of bolt-on aftermarket products, while others incorporate home-brew engineering and fabrication, and others use parts acquired used from online sites like Craigslist.

In the end, these varied approaches to 4x4 customization and builds are often an extension of the 4x4 owner and what the owner intends to do with the vehicle. For example, the collection of rigs in this issue range from a Wrangler YJ to a fullsize van. And on this page you’ll see a small sample of the rigs we’ve featured in Four Wheeler, chosen from the last decade or so.

Thank you for building cool 4x4s! It’s an honor to feature them. If you have a 4x4 that you’d like to submit for a potential feature in Four Wheeler please email a couple of high-res images and an overview of your rig to the email address below!

–KEN BRUBAKER KEN.BRUBAKER@FOURWHEELER.COM PHOTOS: KEN BRUBAKER

Clockwise from top left: Jeff Gotz’ Fordzilla, Steven Lutz’ Nissan Pathfinder, Todd Farrand’s Dodge Ram 2500, Sam Ayars’ Cummins-powered Dodge.

4 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

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Inbox

BY KEN BRUBAKER EDITOR@FOURWHEELER.COM

SNOW STORY I lost my father the day before Thanksgiving 1992. The holidays were tough, and winter seemed long. Then came the blizzard of March 1993 in the Northeast. I had my brand-new ’92 Toyota pickup (22RE/five-speed) out in the midst of whiteout conditions and huge amounts of blowing snow. I put on 180 miles in two days of driving in town, out in the country, and wherever the spirit took me with not even a snow shovel on board. Young and dumb, yes, but cathartic, nonetheless. The next few years that followed had snowy winters which the truck handled no problem thanks to mods purchased from Four Wheeler. So, put me down as two big thumbs up for snow wheelin’!

STEPHEN VIA EMAIL

RESCUED FC-150 PLOW RIG I enjoyed your article in the last Four Wheeler magazine on snow wheeling (Firing Order, Apr. ’22).

My son and I have been old Jeep enthusiasts for many years. Attached are pictures of our ’62 Jeep FC-150 that’s still going strong. We use it at our northern Minnesota hunting camp to haul firewood and clear the many feet of snow that falls here each winter. I found this Jeep sitting in a rural junkyard in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan over 12 years ago. We hauled it home to Minnesota where my son Kyle completely rebuilt the driveline and tuned up the stock four-cylinder overheadcam engine. We had four new leaf springs custom built with an extra 3 inches of lift along with four new Rancho shocks. A set of 12x33x15 Ditch Witch tires and chains on the rears makes this old Jeep nearly unstoppable. Its cab is rusty, but our future plans include replacing and repairing some sheetmetal.

We have more Jeeps in the pole barn for trail riding, deer and bear hunting rigs, and plans to start on a rockcrawler rig. There’s a ’48 CJ-2A, ’46 CJ-2A, ’46 CJ-2 Ag, ’77 Wagoneer with a 401ci V-8, and a ’79 Cherokee Chief with Quadra-Trac. We are Jeep fans from Minnesota and enjoy wheeling them in the snow and mud.

Keep up your good work on keeping one of the last wheeling magazines on the newsstands!

SNOW: LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP In response to “Snow wheeling: Thumbs up or thumbs down?” (Firing Order, Apr. ’22), I can’t really answer your question as thumbs up or thumbs down. It’s a love/hate relationship here in Ohio. Love the snow, hate the salt.

KEVIN AND KYLE STRAND VIA EMAIL

WHERE TO WRITE Address your correspondence to Four Wheeler, 831 S. Douglas St., El Segundo, CA 90245 or send an email to ken.brubaker@fourwheeler.com. All letters become the property of Four Wheeler, and we reserve the right to edit them for length, accuracy, and clarity. The editorial department can also be reached through the website at fourwheeler.com. Due to the volume of mail, electronic and otherwise, we cannot respond to every reader, but we do read everything.

6 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

I bought my ’00 TJ brand new because I was working full time while studying Engineering full time and needed a reliable vehicle. I wanted a four-wheeler but couldn’t afford both, hence a Jeep! I would drive 30,000 miles per year at that point in my life, snow or shine. I remember taking out after work and driving down roads with only my tracks and snowmobile tracks! Even in later years when I had a second vehicle, I would claim that my Jeep would sit during the salt months but when the white stuff fell I drove the Jeep. The frame on that Jeep finally rusted itself unsafe in 2020. I honestly thought that I took good care of the undercarriage, but little did I know that it was rusting from the inside out. Love snow, hate salt on my vehicles!

JOSH VIA EMAIL

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Custom Built to Adventure Better

UNBEATABLE SERVICE, TECH ADVICE, SATISFACTION, AND SELECTION.

Order by 10 PM EST: In-Stock Parts Shipped That Day! 1.800.230.3030 • Int'l: 1.330.630.0230 SCode: 2208FW • Prices subject to change without notice. Visit SummitRacing.com for current pricing. Typographical, description, or photography errors are subject to correction. Some parts are not legal for use in California or other states with similar laws/regulations.

Please check your state and/or local laws/regulations. © 2022 AUTOSALES, INC.

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE MANUFACTURERS

BY JERED KORFHAGE JERED.KORFHAGE@FOURWHEELER.COM

RPM AUTOMOTIVE NEWS

4 4 Fullsize van sales numbers haven’t dried up in 2022, but they took a notable dip compared to Q1 of 2021. Ford Transit, Ram Promaster, Chevy Express, and Ford E-series numbers all slipped by about 33 percent from last year.

5 Rivian built 2,553 vehicles in Q1 of 2022 and delivered 1,227. The EV startup’s goal is to produce 25,000 vehicles by the end of 2022.

1

In The News 1 When discussing the durability of the battery in the Hummer EV, GM engineers cited various strength-adding characteristics designed to defend the SUV’s lifeblood from obstacles. Speaking toward the integrity of the battery’s armor, it was said that piercing it would have to be done by dropping the entire Hummer onto a hardened steel spike.

5

• Vietnamese electric automaker VinFast has signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of North Carolina for the establishment of the company’s first North American production facility. VinFast plans to produce the VF 9, a seven-passenger all-electric SUV and the VF 8, a five-passenger, all-electric midsize SUV. 2 Bilstein has teamed up with motocross rider and off-road racing driver Brian Deegan to represent the company and advance the development and promotion of a new line of UTV shocks.

• The Ford F-series, Ram, and Chevy made up the top-performing brands for truck sales in Q1 of 2022. Ford moved 140,701 pickups to Ram’s 127,116 and Chevy’s 121,107.

6 Midsize truck numbers are in, too. The Chevy Colorado sold 21,693 units in Q1, but the all-new ’22 Nissan Frontier was more popular. The redesigned truck saw a 107.8 percent growth over last year’s numbers, selling 22,405. The top seller went to the Toyota Tacoma, which sold 53,182 units.

2

3 Decked, a company specializing in utility vehicle storage and organization, acquired CargoGlide, a producer of sliding truck bed accessories. Expect to see more out of the partnership involving smooth-gliding ways to store and organize gear in your vehicle.

6

3 8 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

fourwheeler.com

7-8 The first-ever ’23 Chevy Silverado Police Pursuit Vehicle is reporting for duty. It’s not the truck’s 5.3L V-8/10speed combo, the blaring sirens, or even the better-than-the-Silverado-Trail-Boss ground clearance figures that grabbed our attention—it’s the brakes. Six-piston Brembo front calipers grip 16-inch rotors to help the truck negotiate high-stakes pursuit situations.

7 8

Shakin’ It Up

Is It True?

Are Australians paying $245,000 (or $180,000 USD) for right-hand-drive Ram 1500 TRX pickup trucks?

Award You Didn’t Know Existed Bridgestone Corporation was recognized with General Motors’ 30th Annual Supplier of the Year Award.

• Joining the Tremor and the Raptor is the ’23 Ford F-150 Rattler—and it’s way more than a sticker package. Built on the F-150’s XL trim, which starts just shy of $30,000 for model year 2022, the Rattler distinguishes itself stylistically through F-150 Rattler fender vent badging and rattlesnakeinspired Rattler bedside graphics. It’s available in Oxford White, Avalanche, Iconic Silver, Carbonized Gray, Antimatter Blue, Stone Gray, Agate Black, and Rapid Red TriCoat. The Rattler strikes the dirt with features from the F-series’ widely available FX4 Off-Road Package, including skidplates, an electronic rear locking differential, hill descent control, specially tuned off-road shocks, and all-terrain tires wrapped around painted 18-inch aluminum wheels. Four-wheel drive is standard on the Rattler.

Supertruck Corner AMERICAN EXPEDITION VEHICLES JT370 AND JL370 • American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) has released a pair of attention-grabbing adventure vehicles.

The ’22 JT370 Gladiator takes the familiar Sarge Green Jeep pickup and adds AEV’s 2-inch spacer lift and 2.5-inch DualSport suspension system. BFGoodrich mud-terrains (those are 37 inches) handle relations with the ground, AEV’s 7000 Series LED off-road lights are on hand for low-light situations, and there’s a Warn EVO 10-S winch up front, just in case.

AEV’s ’22 JL370 Wrangler Rubicon starts with a Silver Zenith paintjob and a complementing black leather interior. The steel front bumper boasts AEV’s LED lighting package and Warn winch while

QUOTE: “I WASN’T SCARED THAT MUCH, BUT IT WAS A SHOCKING MOMENT FOR ME” -Riley Leon, of Elgin, Texas, after his Chevy Silverado was rolled onto its side, and then back onto its wheels—while he accidentally drove it through what was reported to be an EF-2 tornado.

Chevrolet caught wind of this situation and donated $50,000 to relief efforts for those affected by the twister, and partnered with Bruce Lowrie Chevrolet to furnish the 16-yearold with a new ’22 Silverado to replace the truck damaged in the storm.

the tubular rear bumper includes extra protection for the corners and stout recovery points. AEV’s DualSport RT suspension system is said to improve the Jeep’s on- and off-road performance while 37-inch BFGoodrich A/Ts grip the substrate.

ROUSH PERFORMANCE ’22 F-150 • The Roush Performance ’22 Ford F-150 takes the truck experience to another level with an upgraded suspension system, customized styling, and more. Roush Performance pairs its coilover suspension system with 33-inch General Grabber A/Tx tires and 20-inch Iridium Gray Satin wheels.

Upgraded fender flares contain the added track width in the front and rear and they are Satin Black to match the front grille and other exterior components. Additional performance-adders include heatextracting hood vents and a Roush Performance Active Exhaust System with customizable settings.

Customers can base their builds on the 302A XLT or 502A Lariat Ford F-150 chassis and choose from nine exterior color options with two different leather interior packages. ’22 Roush F-150s built on the XLT chassis receive two-tone gray and black leather seating, while Lariat packages receive an allblack, vintage-carmine matching leather interior.

FOUR WHEELER AUGUST 2022 9

Parts Rack

BY JERED KORFHAGE JERED.KORFHAGE@FOURWHEELER.COM PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE MANUFACTURERS

-> LOOKING BACK

Quadratec’s new Spare Tire Mount Backup Camera improves the safety and overall visibility of the Jeep Wrangler JK. Available for vehicles equipped with both factory and aftermarket stereos, the backup camera reduces the blind zone of the Wrangler, which is often blocked by oversized spare tires or other bumper-mounted accessories. The easy-to-install kit comes complete with a camera, black-powdercoated stainless-steel mounting bracket, plug-n-play wiring harness, and installation hardware. The Quadratec Spare Tire Mount Backup Camera features a 170-degree viewing angle with integrated fixed parking lines for maximum visibility. These guidelines can be deactivated during installation by bypassing the line wire. With a sealed zinc-alloy housing, the camera is corrosion resistant and features an IP68 intrusion rating.

INFO: Quadratec, 800/745-6037, quadratec.com

</ CUT THE GREASE

Clean those nasty and filth-encrusted 4x4 parts (or parts from your other toys) with a touch of heat and some ultrasonic sound waves! Allstar Performance Ultrasonic Cleaners are available in 1- and 5-gallon models and are designed to clean everything from oily and greasy parts and tools to items with tiny holes and crevices like carburetors and fuel injectors. You can even use them to clean other things around the house like bicycle and mower parts, jewelry, watches, and much more. Other features include heat dissipation holes to eliminate overheating, double fuse protection, and a drainage system that makes quick work out of removing dirty cleaning solution.

INFO: Summit Racing, 800/230-3030, summitracing.com

-> LIFT YOUR 392

Skyjacker can help you raise your Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 to new heights in a bigger, bolder way with 38-inch tires. Keep your Jeep-tuned factory performance shocks but upgrade the OEM coils to a performance option. Skyjacker specifically engineered a progressive, variable-rate coil spring to coordinate with the Rubicon 392’s distinctive suspension handling characteristics. Spring rate progression is from a first flex rate to a second ride rate. The first rate stage of the coil spring delivers a comfortable ride with the ability to flex for increased articulation. The coil spring’s flex rate expands during full articulation as the suspension drops (full droop). This keeps the coil springs seated in the upper coil mount/bucket and the tires in contact with the terrain. The second rate stage only engages after compression past the first rate. Skyjacker’s proper geometry is said to ensure the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system functions within factory parameters while the Lower Front Links’ and Upper Rear Links’ Eccentric Cam Bolts adjust proper driveline phasing and alignment. The kit also includes front and rear shock extension brackets, front and rear bumpstop spacers, front and rear sway bar endlinks, an adjustable front track bar, and much more. INFO: Skyjacker, 318/388-0816, skyjacker.com

\> CONTROL YOUR ROVER

The XLifter gives you precise control over your Rover’s electronic air suspension. Raise or lower your vehicle far beyond factory settings without the speed restrictions, tackle difficult terrain, or fit into lowclearance spaces with ease. Use the unique self-leveling feature to level your vehicle on almost any uneven terrain with the touch of a button. Features include automatic self-leveling on slopes up to 4.5 degrees, seven pre-set lift heights, a trailer assist mode, and what is said to be plug-and-play installation. The XLifter can be adjusted with either the in-cab module or via a mobile device-based application. INFO: Atlantic British Ltd., 800/533-2210, roverparts.com 10 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

-> INFLATED

Milwaukee Tool introduces the M18 Inflator, an 18-volt cordless tire inflator with the durability to survive demanding off-road applications. The inflator is said to top off 33-inch light truck tires in under a minute and it includes an auto pressure check and automatic shut-off features. The auto pressure check feature activates to ensure a tire’s targeted pressure is achieved while the automatic shut-off stops when a selected pressure is reached.

The inflator can save up to four psi memory presets to expedite refills. The M18 Inflator is built with onboard attachments such as the inflator hose and nozzle storage as well as an internal cooling mechanism to extend service life. The M18 Inflator is fully compatible with the entire M18 line, which contains more than 200 power tool solutions.

INFO: Milwaukee Tool, 800/729-3878, milwaukeetool.com

\> COOL YOUR TACOMA

Help your 2.7L- or 4.0L-powered Toyota Tacoma stay cool with Mishimoto’s all-new performance aluminum radiator. Mishimoto’s radiator features a full-aluminum design and TIG-welded end tanks for a substantial improvement in durability over the stock plastic radiator. The radiator also features a 1.65-inch-thick two-row core with strategically designed fins. Packing more fins into the core is said to increase fin surface area by 84 percent, which has a direct impact on heat transfer and cooling ability. Mishimoto’s radiator incorporates a liquid-to-liquid stacked-plate transmission cooler into the end tank of the radiator, ensuring proper control of transmission fluid temperatures. Mishimoto’s Toyota Tacoma Performance Aluminum Radiator is a direct fit for ’05-’15 Toyota Tacomas and includes the company’s lifetime warranty. INFO: Mishimoto, 877/466-4744, mishimoto.com

\> LOCK ’EM UP

Warn’s Premium Hub lineup has just gotten better.

The company has recently added an argent (gray) finish to its hubs for the ’05-up Ford Super Duty application, which join the black-finish hubs and replace the chrome versions.

These hubs are built to withstand the stresses Super Duty trucks can dish out and they include heat-treated gears, allmetal cap and dial, corrosion-resistant stainless-steel hardware, and IP68 intrusion ratings. The easy-to-turn dial also looks as great as it performs. Plus, these hubs include a limited lifetime warranty. INFO: Warn Industries, 800/543-9276, warn.com

</ SILVERADO ELEVATED

BDS Suspension is offering 4- and 6-inch coilover systems for ’19-’21 Chevy/GMC 1500 trucks. These BDS systems use Fox 2.0 Performance Series internal floating piston (IFP) non-reservoir coilovers and 2.0 IFP rear shocks to improve the ride and performance of trucks on and off the trail. Features of these kits include a crossmember designed for maximum ground clearance, steering knuckles that maintain ESC system compliance, multipoint differential relocation brackets for optimal CV joint angles, and a heavy-duty skidplate system. Installing the kit is said to make space for 35- to 37-inch tires. Be sure to read the BDS Suspension website for details on precise fitments for your specific model of truck.

INFO: BDS Suspension, 517/279-2135, bds-suspension.com

</ SLIMMED-DOWN ROOF TENT

The Roofnest Falcon 2 is a rooftop tent featuring a smooth and aerodynamic design as well as a double accessory channel that accommodates Roofnest’s available accessory crossbars. With the crossbars attached, the Falcon 2 can carry up to 150 pounds of gear when closed and up to 75 pounds when open. The bottom shell, based upon the Falcon Pro, is formed from honeycomb aluminum, and includes twice as many accessory channels as its predecessor, doubling the number of accessories campers and overlanders can attach to their Roofnest. Each accessory channel holds up to 75 pounds with a standard M8 hex bolt, ideal for mounting lights, shovels or axes, recovery boards, or other items. The Falcon 2 comes with a 2.5-inch-thick memory foam mattress that is said to be superior to a standard mattress foam. The rainfly is said to zip on and off quickly while providing coverage at all three of the tent’s entrances.

The Falcon 2 also features an 8-foot telescoping aluminum ladder with angled rungs, 320-gram poly-cotton tent material with blackout coating for extended snooze time, an interior-mounted six-pocket Gear Grid for stowing personal items, and two batterypowered dimmable LED light strips. The Falcon 2 comes in Standard and XL sizes, measuring 88x50 inches and 88x60 inches, respectively. Both tents are 6.5 inches tall when folded closed and are said to comfortably sleep two people.

INFO: Roofnest, 303/625-6189, roofnest.com fourwheeler.com

FOUR WHEELER AUGUST 2022 11

FEATURE

By Jered Korfhage jered.korfhage@fourwheeler.com Photos: Four Wheeler staff

4x4s!

You build ’em, and we love pointing our cameras at ’em to document your work so it can be shared with four-wheelers around the world. These six rigs caught our attention on the trail with exciting engine transplants, unique suspension configurations, sleek trail appeal, vintage charm, and general zaniness. Read on for a look into the stories and tech behind each of these six incredible builds.

MUST-SEE MACHINES 12 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

POINT YOUR PHONE CAMERA AT THIS CODE TO SEE 28 FORD BRONCO BUILDS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT REMEMBER

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Feature Must-See Machines

Just. Everyone. Else’s. Parts.

W

yatt McAllister describes his YJ Wrangler as “just everyone else’s parts,” beginning with the 6.2L Detroit diesel. He’s on his second one of them and with the addition of a marine injection pump and injectors, heads from the 6.5L Detroit diesel, and the turbo out of a Cummins (and a handful of other modifications). The Wrangler clatters its way up and over rocks, through deep snow, and leaves onlookers bewildered as it slices across sand dunes. Wyatt’s NP435 came from a ’78 Bronco, and he used the Top Loader shifter from a 2-ton Ford for a shorter throw. Wyatt found the steering box from a Nissan Xterra to be the hard-core solution (kudos to its beefy sector shaft) to aiming his tires, and he mounted it as far forward as he could on the bumper to keep the unit from contacting his harmonic balancer. At each corner of the Jeep there’s a hydraulic system repurposed from a garbage truck that Wyatt uses to manually level (or tilt) the rig on side slopes or to help avoid obstacles. Each lower control arm is excessively overbuilt, and Wyatt will confidently smash any one of them against a rock with the weight of the nearly 7,000-pound Jeep. Out back, his 14-bolt rear diff is not shaved, instead, Wyatt welded 1⁄4-inch steel teeth to its bottom half to protect places where the pumpkin might encounter a rock. There’s much more to Wyatt’s YJ and to fully appreciate the details, you gotta see it in action. Look out for it on the Rubicon, where he can sometimes be found sans 40s, wheeling for charity with 31-inch dualies at each corner.

14 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

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SPECS

“IF THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE WAY, I CUT IT OFF, AND BUILD WHAT I WANT.” -WYATT MCALLISTER

VEHICLE: ’88 JEEP WRANGLER SAHARA OWNER: WYATT MCALLISTER STOMPING GROUNDS: GALT, CALIFORNIA DRIVETRAIN Engine: 6.2L Detroit diesel V-8 Transmission: NP435 Transfer case: NP205 Low range ratio: 1.96:1 Crawl ratio: 70.4:1 Front axle/differential: Dana 60 centersection w/custom tubes and C’s, 4340 chromoly ’shafts, Yukon hubs, 5.38 gears/Yukon Zip locker Rear axle/differential: GM 14-bolt, 5.38 gears/Eaton Detroit Locker

SUSPENSION Front: Custom four-link, overbuilt lower control arms, Sway-A-Way Race Runner coilovers Rear: Custom single-triangulated four-link, heavily armored links, Sway-A-Way Race Runner coilovers, MCI bus tag axle airbags

TIRES/WHEELS Tires: 41.5x13.50R17LT Pit Bull Rocker Wheels: 17-in B.A.D. beadlock

MISCELLANEOUS Steering: Nissan Xterra steering box, dual Case 580 backhoe rams, custom links Armor: Custom front bumper w/army truck crossmember; MetalCloak front fenders; diamond-plate/steel tube rocksliders; fuel tank skidplate; custom rear bumper w/air chuck, eight recovery points, and swing-away tire carrier; Chassis Dynamics pinion skid Cool stuff: Warn 12,000-lb-capacity hydraulic winch; four-corner hydraulic leveling system; Fluidyne race radiator; hood clearanced for tires, turbo, and shock towers w/Chevy Vega induction hump

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FOUR WHEELER AUGUST 2022 15

Feature Must-See Machines

White Whale

C

arl Limpus bought his first 4x4 in 2005 while he lived in Colorado—a ’00 Dodge Ram. The truck made Colorado winters a bit more fun, and its duties included daily driving and moving building materials about for Carl’s home improvement projects. Rockcrawling wasn’t even in the plans until he moved to California in 2009. With famed trails like the Fordyce and the Rubicon in his backyard, Carl’s goal for the Ram was twofold: First, he wanted to fit 37-inch tires into the wheelwells. This would enable him to volunteer as a driver for a grassroots veteran organization called Wheelers for the Wounded of California. The group pairs combat veterans with experienced 4x4 drivers for an all-expense-paid weekend of off-road fun on the Rubicon and Fordyce trails, offering the vets a chance to drive 4x4s on the trails, as well. Why build something so big? Like a Ram? Well, Carl also wanted to have space for his wife and children to join him on the trail, especially for the Father Daughter Rubicon Run hosted by NorCal Crawlers. The Ram went together entirely in Carl’s cul-de-sac and has since evolved to accommodate 40-inch tires. You’ll find him creeping through the trails that are oftentimes called “narrow” by drivers of short-wheelbase rigs, with expert precision.

16 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

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“IT WAS NICKNAMED WHITE WHALE BECAUSE OF HOW LARGE IT APPEARS COMING DOWN THE TRAIL.” SPECS

-CARL LIMPUS

VEHICLE: ’00 DODGE RAM 1500 OWNER: CARL LIMPUS STOMPING GROUNDS: FOLSOM, CALIFORNIA DRIVETRAIN Engine: 5.9L Dodge Magnum 360 Transmission: 46RE 4-spd auto, Winters shifter Transfer case: NP241OR w/NorthWest FabWorks BlackBox Underdrive Low range ratio: 4.0:1, 2.72:1 Crawl ratio: 136.7:1 (max) Front axle/differential: ’97 Ford high-pinion Dana 60; Crane inner Cs, knuckles, and high-steer; chromoly 35-spline ’shafts; RuffStuff Specialties diff cover; Artec truss, 5.13 gears/ARB Air Locker Rear axle/differential: Dodge Dana 70U, 35-spline Dana 80 ’shafts, RuffStuff Specialties diff cover, 5.13 gears/ ARB Air Locker

SUSPENSION Front: Limpus-fab three-link w/2x2x0.25-in square tube, 14-in-travel 2.5-in Bilstein 9100 remote-reservoir coilovers, Fox 2.0 bumpstops Rear: Chevy 1-ton 63-in leaf springs, Carl-built 7-in shackles, BDS shackle flip brackets, 14-in Fox air shocks, Fox 2.0 bumpstops

TIRES/WHEELS Tires: 41.5x13.50R17LT Pit Bull Rocker Wheels: B.A.D. 17x10-in beadlock

MISCELLANEOUS Steering: Lee Power Steering ported gearbox, Trail-Gear hydraulic ram-assist Lighting: LED scene and bumper lights Armor: Cul-de-sac Customs front/rear bumpers, rocksliders w/3x3x0.188-in square tubing, gas tank skidplate, fullsize spare tire carrier Cool stuff: Front Warn M12 winch, rear Badlands 12,000-lb-capacity winch w/Master Pull rope, York compressor w/5-gal tank, Thule bed rack w/cargo basket

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FOUR WHEELER AUGUST 2022 17

Feature Must-See Machines

Imperfectly Perfect

J

oe Polcari’s search for a Land Rover took him (virtually) overseas, and it began in Spain. He wanted a Series he could fit with a V-8 and a manual transmission and really make it his own. After some sage advice from a friend, he locked eyes with the ’81 Series 3 Stage 1 seen here and knew that was the truck he wanted. The following 70 days were some of the longest of Joe’s life as he tracked his new truck across the ocean from Brisbane, Australia, to Baltimore, Maryland. Since then, the Series has been “the best worst car ever,” as Joe put it, explaining how it doesn’t do anything particularly well and how it’s even ended up on a flatbed a few times. To the contrary, the Series makes even the most mundane drives exciting, adding the sensory experience of a race car (just without the speed) and the ever-present question of “will it make it to the destination?” Joe removed the rear bench seat, built a mattress/cot setup for the rear of the Series, and with some hanging lights strung from the roof, the yellow Rover becomes an imperfectly perfect backwoods camper.

18 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

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SPECS VEHICLE: ’81 LAND ROVER SERIES 3 109 STAGE 1 OWNER: JOE POLCARI STOMPING GROUNDS: EAST HADDAM, CONNECTICUT DRIVETRAIN Engine: 4.6L Range Rover V-8 Transmission: LT95A 4-spd manual Transfer case: LT95A integrated 2-spd Low range ratio: 3.22:1 Crawl ratio: 46.4:1 Front axle/differential: Land Rover type, Forbyn Bros disc brake conversion, 3.54 gears/open Rear axle/differential: Land Rover Salisbury, 3.54 gears/Eaton Detroit locker

“IT’S THE BEST WORST CAR EVER.” -JOE POLCARI

SUSPENSION Front: Old Man Emu shocks, stock leaf springs Rear: Old Man Emu shocks, stock leaf springs

TIRES/WHEELS Tires: 255/85R16 BFGoodrich T/A KM2 Wheels: 16x16.5-in Land Rover Wolf

MISCELLANEOUS Lighting: Hella driving lights Armor: Solid Axle Industries diff covers Cool stuff: Warn M8274 winch, dual 5-gal fuel cans, onboard air, custom storage shelving/sleeping platform in rear

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FOUR WHEELER AUGUST 2022 19

Feature Must-See Machines

Grandpa’s Truck

W

hen Nick Miller was 15 and deciding which vehicle he’d learn to drive, he picked the ’71 Chevy Suburban that had been sitting for 18 years. Nick’s grandfather bought it new, his dad learned to drive on it, and now it belonged to Nick. He got the engine running, the brakes stopping, and eventually settled on an 8.1L big-block to motivate the sizeable machine. “Now that it went fast, I needed it to ride better,” Nick said, and with some help from the folks at ADS Racing, he fit the truck with a suspension to keep it going no matter what the terrain. Nick wheels the Suburban in the sand and snow as much as he can, doesn’t shy away from greasy mud-and-boulder tracks, and he enjoys using the trails outside the King of the Hammers race as a proving ground for his upgrades. Due to the sheer amount of factory sheetmetal and glass still in the rig, Nick uses extreme precision when navigating the trails, but he’ll tell anyone “it’s never not fun.”

20 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

“I CARRY A FULLSIZE SPARE AND ENOUGH PARTS TO REBUILD HALF THE TRUCK.” -NICK MILLER SPECS VEHICLE: ’71 CHEVY SUBURBAN OWNER: NICK MILLER STOMPING GROUNDS: BEAVERCREEK, OREGON DRIVETRAIN Engine: 8.1L Vortec V-8 Transmission: NV4500 5-spd manual Transfer cases: Offroad Design NP203/205 doubler Low range ratio: 4:1 (max) Crawl ratio: 112.9:1 (max) Front axle/differential: Jantz Engineering Dana 60/70 hybrid, Yukon ’chromoly shafts, CTM U-joints, Yukon Hardcore hubs, 4.56 gears/Yukon Zip locker (heavily modified to fit Dana 70 gears) Rear axle/differential: Eaton HO72, Miller-fab diff cover, Yukon chromoly ’shafts, 4.56 gears/Yukon Grizzly Locker (slightly modified to fit)

SUSPENSION Front: Three-link w/2-in 0.250-in-wall solid 6061 round stock, 14-in-travel ADS 2.5-in coilovers, Eibach springs, ADS 2-in bumpstops Rear: 56-in 3⁄4-ton GM leaf springs, Fox 11-in 2.0 shocks, ADS 2-in bumpstops, zero rate add-a-leaf, custom traction bar w/1.5-in, 0.250-in-wall D.O.M.

TIRES/WHEELS Tires: 39.5x16.50R16.5LT Pit Bull Rocker Wheels: Stazworks H1 beadlock

MISCELLANEOUS Steering: 1.5-in, 0.250-in-wall D.O.M. steering links; RuffStuff Specialties joints; PSC Motorsports ram-assist Lighting: Baja Designs LED lights, Hella E Code housings w/LED bulbs, 7-in LED pods Armor: Miller-fab front and rear bumpers w/0.250-in plate steel, custom pinion skid, custom rocksliders Cool stuff: Warn M12 winch, original rear seat, ’13 Silverado front seats, ’80s EFI fuel tank

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FOUR WHEELER AUGUST 2022 21

Feature Must-See Machines

Never Too Big

G

avin Johnson is accustomed to looks of disbelief and amazement when he shows up to the trailhead with his crew cab Ford pickup on 39-inch tires, fully intent on weaving it between the trees and rocks. So, pointing his lifted Ford Econoline 4x4 at trails outside the King of the Hammers race in Johnson Valley, California, was nothing new. He found the van at an estate sale and originally bought it solely for its wheels. However, when it came time to hit the lakebed and his crew cab was still on the lift, he needed something exciting to wheel. Using parts he had on hand, Gavin set up the van with heavy-duty Ford truck running gear, borrowed tires from another of his rigs, and fit the back with a bench seat for all his passengers.

What you see here is the result of his handiwork, which he pilots through some of the hairiest trails in the West.

22 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

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“THE ONLY THING I HAD TO BUY WERE SEATBELTS!” -GAVIN JOHNSON

SPECS VEHICLE: ’79 FORD E-250 OWNER: GAVIN JOHNSON STOMPING GROUNDS: LIVERMORE, CALIFORNIA DRIVETRAIN Engine: ’79 Ford 460ci V-8 Transmission: Ford C6 3-spd auto Transfer case: NP205 2-spd Low range ratio: 1.96:1 Crawl ratio: 19.3:1 Front axle/differential: ’97 Ford F-350 Dana 60, 4.10 gears/open Rear axle/differential: Ford 10.25-in, 4.10 gears/open

SUSPENSION Front: ’97 Ford F-350 shocks, ’95 F-150 leaf springs w/ leaves added for more arch Rear: Stock shocks and leaf springs, 4-in lift block

TIRES/WHEELS Tires: 39x13.50R17LT BFGoodrich Baja T/A KR2 Wheels: 17x9-in steel

MISCELLANEOUS Steering: Home-brew links Lighting: LED pods Cool stuff: Onboard toilet, maximum-capacity rear bench seat, custom driveshafts

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FOUR WHEELER AUGUST 2022 23

Feature Must-See Machines

All In One

A

fter spending the better part of six years and many thousands of dollars building a trail rig with solid axles, locking differentials, and a winch, Mike Marrero was ready for a new truck—one that already had all those tools (and plenty more) along with a factory warranty.

The story here is what he didn’t need to modify on his ’17 Ram 2500 Power Wagon. With a few small tweaks, the truck was ready to tow a trailer, haul a bed full of camping gear, and get itself into and through some rugged off-road situations.

24 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

SPECS VEHICLE: ’17 RAM 2500 POWER WAGON OWNER: MICHAEL MARRERO STOMPING GROUNDS: DEBARY, FLORIDA DRIVETRAIN Engine: 6.4L Hemi V-8 Transmission: 66RFE 6-spd auto Transfer case: BW 44-47 Low range ratio: 2.64:1 Crawl ratio: 29.2:1 Front axle/differential: AAM 9.25-in, 3.42 gears/stock electric locker Rear axle/differential: AAM 11.5-in, 3.42 gears/stock electric locker

“I WAS READY FOR A FACTORY WARRANTY.” -MIKE MARRERO

SUSPENSION Front: Factory coil springs, Fox remote-reservoir shocks Rear: Factory leaf springs, Fox 2.0 shocks

TIRES/WHEELS Tires: 35x12.50R17LT Nitto Terra Grappler G2 Wheels: Method 305

MISCELLANEOUS Lighting: Amazon LED amber foglights Armor: nFab rocksliders Cool stuff: Custom bed rack w/Tepui tent, bed-mounted fullsize spare tire, Kalamera fridge, rear Warn winch w/hitch cradle, Viair 450 air compressor, Trigger Controller 6 Shooter FW

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FOUR WHEELER AUGUST 2022 25

Let’s find your perfect ride.

GO TO :

MOTORTREND.COM/CARS/

Tech

D A O R E H T RELIC RUN

POINT YOUR PHONE CAMERA AT THIS CODE TO SEE A VIDEO OF VERNE’S THOUGHTS WHILE HE INSPECTS HIS OLD CJ-5.

TO

Part 1: Piecing together a relic

By Verne Simons editor@fourwheeler.com Photos: Verne Simons

W

e’d been looking for a decent intermediate Jeep CJ-5 (built between 1972 and 1975) for a while because our good friend Mike Tarvin has a ’75 CJ-5 we’ve always admired. His Jeep has the original AMC 304ci V-8 (which has a few tweaks), locking differentials, 3.15:1 transfer case gears (the factory gears in a Dana 20 are the not so desirable 2.03:1), and an NP435 transmission from a Ford truck swapped in for its granny gear. We wanted one for our own and so we could talk Mike into some more crazy adventures.

28 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

FINDING THE PIECES Over the past year or so we’d come across a few intermediate and later Jeep CJ-5s, but nothing that was really what we wanted. We finally found a very nice, rust-free red ’73 body, tub, hood, front fenders, windshield, and more in a suburb of Phoenix and bought it. Then, a few months later, a yellow ’74 Jeep CJ-5 with an

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AMC 304 V-8, a wide-ratio T-18 transmission (with a granny gear), and more—that needed a nicer tub.

Our idea was to make the two Jeeps into one and take the resulting intermediate CJ-5 to the Relic Run, a vintage-aimed off-road and camping event put on by the website Expedition Utah.

TEARING DOWN THE ’74 The clean, rust-free ’73 CJ-5 tub has a few stress cracks, but nothing bad and it came with most of the body, frame, front axle, transmission, and transfer case. Our plan was to piece it back together after gathering the missing parts. Later, we found the odd yellow ’74 Jeep CJ-5. It was running and driving and was in pretty good shape. It had a few issues, and the price was more than we should have paid, but instead of gathering parts, all the parts we needed for the build were there.

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Tech The ROAD TO RELIC Run The ’74’s frame, drivetrain, and engine all looked like they were fresh off a restoration.

The tub was a mess, with tons of body filler in every panel and dubious repairs to the floors.

The wiring was sketchy at best, with a fair number of butt splices, wire nuts, melted wires, and loose connections. It also had a Bestop soft top, factory rollbar, Dana 44 rear axle with 3.73:1 gears, and a limited-slip. The front axle is a Dana 30 with like gears and drum brakes.

The ’74 also had power steering with several new parts. Also, at some point this Jeep had received some unmoving 4-inch-lift springs and new body mounts (held in place with loose, ungraded hardware). The coolest part is the wide-ratio, granny-geared T-18 transmission between the 304’s bellhousing and the Dana 20 transfer case. The T-18 is a bit stubborn to shift, but the granny gear is one of the things we wanted to swap into our ideal intermediate Jeep CJ-5 at some point anyway. We tore the ’74 Jeep apart to address the many loose nuts and also add on our more desirable (to us) ’73 body parts.

REBUILDING IN RED We then swapped the ’73 tub onto the ’74’s frame, keeping the engine, fuel system, exhaust, and drivetrain in place. It was quite the undertaking for the week or nine days we had before we’d need to leave for the Relic Run, but apparently, we thrive on the stress of a nearly impossible rebuild of a Jeep CJ-5 in a short timeframe.

30 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

MAKING THE RED JEEP CJ-5 A RUNNER We added a Rebel Wire 8-Circuit Harness, a new copper/brass radiator from Summit Racing (more on that later), and a set of Milestar Patagonia M/Ts in 33x12.50R15 size (more on them later, too) on a set of old 8-inch-wide Ford wheels from none other than our pal Mike (the owner of the green CJ-5 that inspired this project). Then we began the 1,600-mile trip to Relic Run in the freshly rebuilt rig.

FOUR WHEELER AUGUST 2022 31

Tech The ROAD TO RELIC Run

WHAT IS AN INTERMEDIATE CJ-5?

When AMC acquired the Jeep name in 1970, the company decided to make some changes that would allow the use of its AMC engines in the Jeep platforms. Technically, the intermediate Jeep CJ-5s were those built between 1972 and 1975, with early Jeep CJ-5s built from 1953-1971 and late Jeep CJ-5s built from 1976-1983. The most notable change for the intermediate Jeep CJ-5s would be the adoption of the AMC V-8 and I-6 engines. The AMC 304ci V-8 was installed in the Jeep CJ-5 as the first factory-available V-8 in the open top CJ Jeep line. The wheelbase was stretched 3 inches and the front fenders and hood 5 inches. The end result was a muscle car power-toweight ratio in the short and relatively tall CJ-5. Maybe this is the “American sports car” Enzo Ferrari was referring to when he supposedly said, “Jeep is America’s only real (or true) sports car”? The package is potent and, with a few tweaks, can be reliable and driveable on- and off-road. There were a few other changes with the introduction of the AMC powerplants like the swap to the Dana 20 transfer case (replacing the offset Dana/Spicer 18); an open knuckle, drum brake-equipped Dana 30 front axle; relocated fuel tank (to the back of the Jeep rather than under the driver seat); and a centered rear Dana 44 with flanged axles replaced the offset Dana 44 axle. Retained from the early Jeep CJ-5 was the underseat toolbox resting below the passenger seat and a similar frame and suspension.

Mike Tarvin’s intermediate ’75 CJ-5.

SOURCES Bestop bestop.com

Expedition Utah expeditionutah.com

Milestar Tires milestartires.com

Rebel Wire

MORE TO COME!

rebelwire.com

Summit Racing summitracing.com

Next month in Four Wheeler, we’ll dive into Part 2 of the three-part series “The Road To Relic Run” where you can read about what happened when we set out to drive our freshly built CJ-5 to the Relic Run event.

Quasi spoiler: The drive was a pretty bold undertaking after the short timeframe of the rebuild. FW 32 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

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THE THE THE THE

TOUGHER TIRE, EASIER ESCAPE.

Any Vehicle.

Every Terrain.

Y R L A V A C FEATURE

e— y e r u o y h c t n a o i c t l l n i e t w t a b o r j u t o n The blue paiunderneath will hold y and what’s

POINT YOUR PHONE CAMERA AT THIS CODE TO SEE ANOTHER TRAIL-READY CHEVY BLAZER 34 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

he outline for Brian Jacobson’s dream Chevy Blazer was simple: it had to go fast through the desert, hold up to the rocks, and it had to be a classic. So, when he was pointed toward a ’69 K5 wasting away in a nearby backyard, he quickly went to work turning the languishing hulk into a functional 4x4.

For Brian, building the Blazer was a deliberate process—he knew exactly what he wanted and wasted no time removing the body, stripping the frame, and gathering the parts he needed. With the help of Rock Bottom Off Road in Riverside, California, Brian acquainted the chassis with its new fire-breathing powertrain, lined up the linked suspension, and reinforced the mostly new Blazer body with custom armor and a full rollcage. At the end of the two-year build process, the restored and reimagined ’69 Blazer was ready for the dirt.

Impressing friends and family was no sweat as the LS3 charged through the Southern California desert, and the Offroad Design links and King coilovers made easy work of rock gardens and sandy whoops. The Cavalry Blue paintjob and the Blazer’s all-around classic appeal continue to garner their share of attention, too.

T

By Jered Korfhage jered.korfhage@fourwheeler.com Photos: Jered Korfhage

FOUR WHEELER AUGUST 2022 35

Feature cavalry

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Brian wanted big power for the K5, and he looked to J & M Speed Center and Hughes Performance for his crate LS3 V-8 and 4L80E transmission while Advance Adapters helped mate the transmission to the Offroad Design NP205 transfer case. With a tune from CBM Motorsports, the engine’s power figure sit at a healthy 495 hp.

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KC Lights’ Gravity Pro6 LED lightbar crowns the windshield and a trio of the company’s Gravity Pro6 pods are mounted on the Chassis Unlimited front bumper. Truck-Lite headlamps light up the highways between home and the trail while rock lights from KC Lights and Rigid Industries brighten obstacles beneath the Blazer. Milestar Patagonia mud-terrains sized 38x13.50R17LT fit into the Blazer’s fenders. The beadlocks are KMC Machete. With the Dana 60, ARB Air Locker, 5.13 gears, and ram-assist components from PSC Motorsports, the frontend has everything Brian needs to pick his way through the most challenging lines.

36 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

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Inside, the B&M shifter and JB Custom Fabrication twin-sticks are nested in a console handbuilt by N8Z Fab, the same fabrication wizard behind the Blazer’s full rollcage. Brian and passengers sit secure with PRP Racing seats and harnesses while the driver monitors the Blazer’s vitals on the carbonfiber Classic Industries dash with Auto Meter gauges.

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Satisfying Brian’s needs for bump taming and rockcrawling was easy with the 14-inch-travel King coilovers and King bumpstops. The four-link kit from Offroad Design suspends the front axle and puts every inch of the coilovers’ travel to work.

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FOUR WHEELER AUGUST 2022 37

Feature cavalry

AT A GLANCE GENERAL Vehicle: ’69 Chevy K5 Blazer Owner: Brian Jacobson Stomping grounds: Riverside, California Build time: 2 years

DRIVETRAIN Engine: 6.2L LS3 V-8 Transmission: 4L80E 4-spd auto Transfer case: NP205 2-spd Low range ratio: 1.96:1 Crawl ratio: 24.9:1 Front axle/differential: Kingpin Dana 60, chromoly ’shafts, 5.13 gears/ARB Air Locker Rear axle/differential: GM 14-bolt, 5.13 gears/ARB Air Locker

SUSPENSION Front: Offroad Design four-link kit, King 2.5-in coilovers, King 2.5-in bumpstops Rear: Offroad Design four-link kit, King 2.5-in coilovers, King 2.5-in bumpstops, RockJock 4x4 Antirock sway bar

TIRES/WHEELS Tires: 38x13.50R17LT Milestar Patagonia M/T Wheels: 17x9 KMC Machete

MISCELLANEOUS

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The 14-bolt rear axle is located by links from Offroad Design, suspended by King 2.5 coilovers, and the 5.13 gears are behind a Crane Axle differential cover. Boyd Welding did the work on Brian’s custom aluminum fuel tank. Softopper was the solution for convertible coverage in the back. Passengers appreciate the top’s roll-up capabilities and when it’s rolled down, mud, snow, and dust are sealed out.

Steering: Offroad Design links, PSC Motorsports ram-assist Lighting: KC Lights Pro6 lightbar, bumper-mount KC Lights Gravity LED pods, Truck-Lite headlamps, Rigid Industries and KC Cyclone rock lights Armor: Chassis Unlimited front/rear bumpers, pinion skid, Crane Axle rear diff cover, full interior ’cage by N8Z Fab Cool stuff: ARB air compressor, Boyd Tanks aluminum fuel tank, Griffin Performance aluminum radiator, Spectre Performance intake, sPOD Bantam 8-switch panel, B&M shifter, Wilwood hydroboost brakes, Classic Industries carbon-fiber dash w/Auto Meter gauges, Carven exhaust, Vintage Air heat and A/C, custom Adams driveshafts

</ Brian kept the Blazer’s factory hood and tailgate and replaced the remaining body panels with reproduction units. Color choices were narrowed down to Toyota-inspired matte grey and Cavalry Blue, and it was Brian’s daughter who made the final decision.

If the Blazer was grey, she said, it would be just like everyone else’s truck. So, Cavalry Blue it was. FW

38 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

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Tech

LIMITED TO LOCKED

By Verne Simons editor@fourwheeler.com Photos: Verne Simons

INSTALLING the Powertrax No-Slip locker in an 8.8inch axle

40 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

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1 1 Here’s the Powertrax No-Slip locker in its lunchbox-sized box. We got it from Summit Racing for about $470. Unlike a full case automatic locker, the No-Slip fits in the existing differential carrier. In this case, that’s a Trac-Lok 8.8 limitedslip case. To start the install, pull the differential cover and drain the gear oil.

2 Remove the cross-shaft retaining bolt and then remove the factory cross-shaft from the differential.

3 Push the axleshafts inward to remove the right and left side axle C-clips.

We’ve found that using a magnet on a stick, or some needle-nose pliers, helps to get the clips out of the differential.

The C-clips will be reused.

2

W

SOURCE Summit Racing 800/230-3030, summitracing.com

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e’ve talked about “lunchbox lockers” before, but to review, they’re an inexpensive and easy way to gain traction for your 4x4. The fact is, most lunchbox lockers can be installed in an hour or two in just about any shop around the country with a little patience and some hand tools. Still, they have drawbacks, one of which is that they almost always can only be used in open differential carriers. So, when we heard about the Powertrax No-Slip for the Ford 8.8-inch limited-slip differential we were somewhat surprised and pleased.

The No-Slip locker (PN 9206883128) fits inside the factory Trac-Lok differential carrier, changing what is probably a worn-out limited slip to a true automatic locking differential.

We recently got a chance to install one of these lockers in our ’00 Ford Explorer project and found the install somewhat daunting, but in the end relatively easy. Follow along for the details and a few tips and tricks.

3

FOUR WHEELER AUGUST 2022 41

Tech LIMITED TO LOCKED

4-5 Next, remove the Z-shaped pre-load spring from between the two side gears. With it out, turn one side gear and remove both spider gears and their thrust washers from the carrier.

4 6 7

6 Each of the side gears slide out along with their respective clutch packs and thrust washers.

Pro tip: Take the non-ring-gear side out first.

8 This is the coupler. There are two, one for each side.

The one on the ring gear side of the carrier needs to be installed with the paddle opening (widest gap in the synchro ring, shown with an arrow) aimed toward you on the ring-gear side and away from you on the non-ring-gear side. Also, the gaps in the coupler must be lined up with the gaps in the synchro ring. Place the coupler in a vise and use the active spacer to align them if necessary. Place one C-clip on the ring-gearside axleshaft and pull the axleshaft into place.

10 But first you’ll have to install four saddle springs with grease or assembly lube into each of the two drivers.

Then insert the ring-gear-side driver and spacer with the paddle facing you. Then install the non-ring-gear side driver and spacer with the paddle facing away from you.

Each of the driver/spacers should key into the driver completely if the paddles and spacers are aligned properly.

5

7 Here are the parts that make up the Powertrax No-Slip. Note the new cross-shaft and the little baggie with several springs and a machined piece of steel that will come into play during the install.

8 9 10 11

9 Shown here is the driver (outside) and one of the active spacers (inside). The paddle on the spacer (black arrow) has to be lined up with the seat in the driver where the extended tooth is missing. The paddle and missing extended tooth of the driver (red arrows) will need to line up with the paddle opening on the coupler, so facing you on the ring-gear side and away from you on the non-ring-gear side.

11 This is what you should see at this point. The two C-shaped cuts in the drivers (for the cross-shaft) should be aligned and the eight saddle springs should still be in place.

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12 The next step is to install the inner and outer springs between the two drivers to hold the drivers and spacers in the carriers. To do this you will need to rotate the locker a quarter turn inside the carrier to access the hole where the inner and outer springs will live.

13 The inner spring nests inside the outer spring and both fit into the machined recess between the two drivers.

12 13 14 With the first inner and outer springs installed you should see something like this. In order to install the second set of inner and outer springs you’ll need to rotate the locker in the carrier 180 degrees.

15 Next, pop the springs in place like you did on the other side of the locker. It’s important that you keep the drivers and couplers on both sides engaged together so the orientation of the paddle and paddle spaces stay lined up. If not, the space between the two drivers will be too small to install the outer spring.

14 15

16 Now you can install the other side C-clip and pull the axle outward to seat the C-clip.

17 After checking that the eight saddle springs are still in place you can rotate the locker in the carrier in order to install the new cross-pin.

18 Use the factory cross-shaft retaining bolt to help hold the new cross-shaft as you push it into the carrier and past the eight saddle springs. You’ll feel it pass the first set of saddle springs and then the second set. Keep the hole in the cross-shaft aligned so you can bolt the cross-shaft retaining bolt into the carrier when everything is in place.

16 17

18 19 21

20

19-20 With the locker installed you can check the gap between the two drivers. The kit comes with a machined piece of steel that will fit between the two drivers in one orientation, but not the other. If the machined piece fits in both ways something isn’t right and you’ll need to call Powertrax technical support.

21 That’s it! It’s a pretty simple install as long as the grease holds everything together and you are able to get all the parts aligned without too much trouble. The last step is to reinstall the diff cover with some fresh gasket maker, add gear oil, and go have fun. FW

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FOUR WHEELER AUGUST 2022 43

FIRST DRIVE

2022 GMC HUMMER EV We hit the trails in GMC’s first-ever battery electric supertruck

By Jason Gonderman editor@fourwheeler.com Photos: Courtesy of GMC

W

hen the all-new battery electric ’22 GMC Hummer EV was unveiled in October 2020 the off-road world let out a collective gasp. The revival of the Hummer brand, once respected by off-road enthusiasts everywhere, as an all-electric sub brand of GMC wasn’t exactly what everyone was hoping for. Then the specifications were released … 1,000 hp, 1,200 lb-ft of torque, front and rear locking differentials, 35-inch tires with room for 37s, rear steering, and more than 320 miles of range.

On paper, the Hummer EV seemed to be the real deal. However, we all wanted to know if the truck could live up to its Hummer namesake in the real world. With impressive speed, GMC brought the Hummer EV from concept to reality in less than three years, with the first production models rolling off the line in December 2021. Now, with deliveries happening every day, GMC invited us to jump behind the wheel and take the Hummer EV Edition 1 Pickup for a quick ride through some of 44 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

the best off-roading the deserts of Arizona have to offer. So, does the ’22 GMC Hummer EV live up to its heritage namesake? Read on.

\Off-Roading the Newest Hummer

On the highway, the Hummer EV is phenomenal. How could it not be? The Edition 1 Pickup we were given to drive packs the massive 1,000 hp and 1,200 lb-ft of torque.

This makes the truck incredibly quick, accelerating to its 106-mph top speed (electronically limited because of the 35-inch off-road tires) in the blink of an eye. The truck is comfortable, not particularly quiet, and draws massive attention everywhere you go. However, we were most intrigued by the Hummer EV’s claimed off-road ability.

To test this, the folks at GMC took us on a short but informative off-road loop in the Arizona desert north of Phoenix. The offroad experience took us down graded gravel roads, through rock-strewn dry riverbeds, up steep rutted climbs, and along incredibly tight saguaro cactus-lined trails. While not fourwheeler.com

particularly long, the trail taught us a lot about the Hummer EV’s off-road chops.

One of the first questions you may ask is, “What kind of off-road range does the Hummer EV get?” Unfortunately, we can’t speak directly to this until we get our hands on a Hummer EV for a lengthier test. However, we can speak to what we saw during our test day. Our day looked a lot like that of many off-road enthusiasts. We started the day by driving 75 miles on the road to the trailhead, wheeled through 20 miles of desert, and then drove 75 miles back to the start point. Starting with the battery reading 100 percent, we ended the day with 30 percent of range remaining. We used roughly 40 percent of range on the 150-mile road drive and the other 30 percent off-road. Obviously, your mileage will vary.

\High-Tech Off-Road Wizardry … aka Drive Modes Selectable drive modes are nothing new in the motoring world. However, in the past few years these different user-selectable options fourwheeler.com

FOUR WHEELER AUGUST 2022 45

FIRST DRIVE 2022 GMC HUMMER EV

have become increasingly intelligent. The Hummer EV comes with five drive modes: Normal, Off-Road, Terrain, Tow/Haul, and the user-configurable My Mode. GMC doesn’t include the three sub modes (WTF, Crab Walk, and Extract) in the official count. The two modes we focused our attention on most were Off-Road and Terrain.

We know what you’re thinking, and we were, too, so let’s explain the difference between Off-Road and Terrain modes. All of the Hummer’s drive modes affect throttle maps, torque distribution, steering, the ability to adjust ride height, shock damping, braking, and interior sound enhancements. Off-Road mode is the go-to setting for general off-road driving. This mode gives a good mix of increased damping, a sensitive but manageable throttle, increased rear steering, and a more aggressive rear virtual locking differential (more on the virtual locking diff in a moment). Terrain mode takes everything up a notch and is the Hummer’s most aggressive off-road drive mode. Terrain mode damps the throttle pedal for smoother torque application in climbing and rock-climbing situations, features softer shock damping for better articulation than in Off-Road mode, and has the most aggressive traction control and rear locker settings. Most impressively, Terrain mode also increases rear steering angle to 1.2 times the front steering angle; more on that later.

Terrain mode also offers two distinct drive modes within the drive mode, one of which enables one-pedal driving, which allows the driver to accelerate and decelerate using only the accelerator pedal. The Hummer EV does this by modulating regenerative braking, friction braking, and motor torque. Using the onepedal driving was quite an interesting feature off-road. We found it to be most useful when descending steep grades as a replacement for the traditional hill descent control, which the Hummer EV lacks.

\Front and Rear Locking Diffs?

Yes, Kind Of …

Much like the Hummers that have come before, the Hummer EV Edition 1 comes fitted with front and rear locking differentials. How does this work, you ask? Well, it’s complicated.

Because the Hummer EV Edition 1 features three motors (one in the front and two in the 46 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

rear), it has what GMC describes as a “virtual” rear locker. Essentially, when engaged by pressing the dash-mounted switch, the rear motors work together to simulate the function of a locked differential. While it would be simple to just program the motors to turn in sync, GMC’s engineers have made the system smart, allowing for differing levels of engagement in the available drive modes. During our time off-road with the Hummer EV, the rear locker worked exceptionally well. The biggest difference between this type of virtual locker and a traditional mechanical locking differential is that the Hummer’s virtual locker still allows for differentiation between rear tire speeds, which eliminates the scuffing felt with a locked differential. The front locker, which can only be engaged when the rear locker is turned on, is a traditional mechanical unit and functions like any other front locker.

\Big Wheel Travel for a Smooth Ride … In Theory The Hummer EV sports a claimed 13 inches of wheel travel from its fully independent suspension. On paper, this is right up there with Ford’s F-150 Raptor and Ram’s TRX. However, in practice, the Hummer EV has one major drawback to being competitive when it comes to its desert bashing ability: its heft. At more than 9,200 pounds, the Hummer EV weighs almost 2,000 pounds more than the aforementioned Ram TRX and 3,000 pounds more than the Raptor. To adequately support this heft, the Hummer EV’s air suspension needs to run at a higher pressure and with greater damping. In reality, this equates to an off-road ride that’s actually quite firm. At slow speeds on rough roads, the Hummer EV’s ride is fairly rough.

Taking the speed up a couple notches helps to

smooth out the ride; when large bumps, whoops, or G-outs appear, though, the truck becomes unsettled quickly. Taken at face value, the GMC Hummer EV provides a pretty decent off-road ride. However, if you’re looking only at the spec sheet, you’re likely to be disappointed.

The adjustable air suspension is good for quite a bit more than just ride comfort, however.

Interestingly, GMC has programmed the Hummer EV’s drive modes to not adjust the ride height, leaving this up to the driver. Depending on the mode, the truck’s suspension can be raised by either 2 or 4 inches. The suspension also has the ability to lower by 1 inch for aerodynamics while driving, or 2 inches for WTF mode. Most interesting to us, however, is Extract mode, which raises the vehicle to its maximum height, 6 inches above normal. This is useful for getting the truck unstuck when it gets hung up on its belly or suspension, which we’ve all experienced.

\Rear Steering Steals the Show

We think the Hummer EV’s automatic rear steering is one of the most impressive features of the entire vehicle. Being more than 18 feet long and 7 feet wide, the Hummer EV is a large vehicle. As anyone who has taken a fullsize truck off-road can tell you, a vehicle of this size can make any trail quite challenging. This is where the rear steering function is a total game-changer.

Before we get too far, let us say that, yes, the rear steering function can be completely disabled by the driver with a quick press of a button.

With the truck’s drive mode set to Normal, the rear steering works at a rate of 0.3:1 of the front steering angle. This means that if your steering input is 10 degrees, the rear will steer 3 degrees. When you switch over to the Off-Road drive mode, the rear steering increases to 0.6:1.

And most impressively, when in the Terrain drive mode, the rear steering increases to an impressive 1.2:1. This means that, at its maximum, the rear is actually oversteering the front.

On the road in Normal mode, the Hummer EV’s rear steering operates nearly unnoticeably. That is, until you try a U-turn. At that point, the truck’s impressive steering ability is shown in full force, allowing the long truck to make turns that would be otherwise impossible.

More impressive, however, is the function’s use off-road. We were incredibly impressed by the Hummer EV’s incredibly tight turning ability fourwheeler.com

while navigating tight trails strewn with large bushes and cactus without adding the traditional desert pinstriping. As noted earlier, engaging Terrain mode enables the greatest amount of rear steering. With a ratio of 1.2:1, driving the Hummer EV in Terrain mode feels a lot like piloting a forklift. It’s weird and unnerving at first. After a few miles, however, driving with the rear end oversteering the front starts to feel like second nature. We were able to make tight turns in and out of washes, up hills, and around rocks with an ease and accuracy that we’d only previously experienced with small two-door Wranglers. Without this feature, wheeling the Hummer EV would feel more like piloting a heavy-duty longbed dualie, which we’ve done in the past (hasn’t everyone?)

\Wait, What About Crab Walk?

GMC has leaned pretty hard on the Hummer EV’s Crab Walk function for its marketing since practically day zero. Naturally, we were quite eager to try out this function. The press of a button on the center-console-mounted multi-function drive mode knob activates Crab Walk. A long press while stopped brings on a crab animation and exciting sounds. Once on, and while moving at slow speeds, the Hummer EV’s rear steering turns in phase with the front (which is opposite of how it would normally operate) up to 10 degrees. Aside from being a fun party trick to use in mall parking lots, Crab Walk is especially useful in certain off-road scenarios that drivers of large trucks and SUVs know all too well.

Picture this: You’re driving up a steep, loose, off-camber trail and suddenly there’s a boulder that needs to be navigated around.

Unfortunately, because of your rear locking differential, the truck’s rear end starts to slide down the grade. This wouldn’t be an issue if there wasn’t that pesky rock. Well, if you had the ability to crab by turning the rear wheels the same direction as the front, you could crab-walk the truck up the hill and around the obstacle with ease. That’s just one of the many helpful off-road uses for Crab Walk.

\Watts To Freedom

But that’s not all. We need to take a moment to address another interesting feature of the Hummer EV: Watts To Freedom. Watts To Freedom, or WTF for short, is a drive mode fourwheeler.com

in which the Hummer EV will perform at its peak. When activated, the truck’s suspension lowers to its lowest setting, the motors and batteries are conditioned (heated or cooled, depending on need), and a fun graphic and sound effect package plays for the driver and passengers. When prompted, the driver then applies full brake and full throttle.

Lifting off the brake pedal sends the 9,200pound truck to 60 mph in 3 seconds or less, depending on the road surface and the battery’s state of charge.

Thankfully, GMC set up a demonstration of Watts To Freedom for us in a large parking lot, allowing us to fully experience the full power of the Hummer EV without worrying about pesky exhibition of speed laws. All we can say is, holy cow, WTF mode is amazing. The whole process of getting the truck ready for a WTF 0-to-60 blitz takes only a few minutes, and the rush of spinning all four 35-inch tires is incomparable. And should there be a whole line of supercars waiting to be put to shame, WTF can be used again and again without any wait time between speed runs.

\Our Final Thoughts

While our time with the 2022 GMC Hummer EV was relatively short, we did get the answer to our burning question: Does the Hummer EV live up to its namesake? We can unequivocally say, yes, the all-new Hummer EV is the real deal when it comes to off-road ability. The truck is amazingly powerful, packed full of useful technology, and loaded with off-road hardware that really works. We’re confident, range anxiety aside, the Hummer EV could heartily take on the most difficult off-road trails in the country with little fuss. What’s left to be seen is just how many Hummer buyers actually get their six-figure supertruck dirty, much like the original Hummers.

More to Come Stay tuned to Four Wheeler because we’re planning to get more trail time in the Hummer EV combined with a look at what daily life is like driving GMC’s battery electric supertruck! FW

FOUR WHEELER AUGUST 2022 47

Tech

A host of Steer Smarts parts right the wrongs on a Wrangler JKU 1

48 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

1 Aluminum is hard to bend, but it will bend if you hit something hard enough. We’re guessing the previous owner of this ’18 Wrangler JKU knew he hit something when the tie rod bent. We may try to unbend this one and keep it for some future project.

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2

2-3 As said, this JK already had some decent steering parts installed on it, but even decent steering parts are dwarfed by these parts from Steer Smarts. This is the Yeti XD JK Top Mount Drag Link with Griffin XD Attenuator, perfect for this Jeep that had already been drilled for a drag link flip. The attenuator works kind of like a shock absorber for the drag link. Hard hits from the wheels get damped slightly before hitting the steering box or wheel.

SOURCE Steer Smarts steersmarts.com

3

STEERED SMART

By Verne Simons editor@fourwheeler.com Photos: Verne Simons

W

e’ve used Steer Smarts Yeti steering parts before.

Namely, the Yeti XD Series JK tie rod and drag link system on our 2017 Ultimate Adventure vehicle build, the UA CJ-6D. When we installed these parts back in 2017, we were gob-smacked at the size and beef that you get with these steering parts. Steer Smarts doesn’t skimp on the material, and rumor has it the parent company is a genuine OEM steering component manufacturer. That means well-engineered and strong parts that fit as

4 5

6

they should. That system, the one on the UA CJ-6D, has stood the test of time with no issues whatsoever despite years of heavy off-road use.

So, when our buddy Eric bought a new and well-built JK for a family wheeler and daily driver, we knew just what to recommend when he noted that the JK’s aftermarket aluminum tie rod was bent (truth is, he told us these are the parts he wanted, and we agreed).

We’re still not exactly sure how the previous owner of Eric’s new-to-him ’18 Recon Rubicon JKU bent the generally unbendable tie rod, but somehow it happened.

7

4-7 We also installed more beef in the form of the Steer Smarts JK Yeti XD Adjustable Front and Rear Track Bar. These parts are adjustable on the vehicle (like the drag link and tie rod) and are available with rubber bushings or in the Pro Series with polyurethane. We went with the Pro Series. Installation is simple, just be sure to coat the threads on the adjusters with antiseize. Also, a second set of hands or a ratchet strap or two can help line parts up during re-assembly.

Tech STEERED SMART

8 9 8 We also installed the Yeti XD JK Frame Side Track Bar Reinforcement Bracket. This bracket bolts in place using the supplied hardware. The part helps reduce any flex at the frame-side track bar mount position, which is great for any JK with oversize tires.

9-10 With most of the parts installed, we set the track bar parallel to the drag link using the track bar bracket holes in the Jeep’s aftermarket axle-side track bar mount. This helps prevent bumpsteer while lessening the angles of the drag link and track bar. The tie rod is the Yeti XD Pro-Series Aluminum Tie Rod Assembly for JK, which is another huge part that boasts forged steel tie-rod ends and a massive aluminum center adjuster tube that is machined for clamps rather than relying on jam nuts that can loosen up. The last step up front was to center the axle at ride height and use the Steer Smarts Toe Plate Alignment Kit. This kit makes setting the toe of your front axle an easy affair and it is well worth the cost of the product.

10

11 12 11-12 The last step was to install the Yeti XD Rear Adjustable Track Bar and center the rear axle at ride height. Did we mention that these parts are huge and thus should take your mind off any possible failure while on the trail? That’s 1 1⁄2 inches of solid E-coated and powdercoated forged steel and it ain’t bending anytime soon.

Either way, the Jeep needed some love in the steering and axle-centering department before Eric and his family undertook a cross-country overlanding vacation in the JKU. So, with a drag link, tie rod, steering stabilizer, and front and rear adjustable track bars in hand, we took a few hours one day to install all these bulletproof parts. In addition, we did a DIY steering alignment using Steer Smarts’ Toe Plate Alignment Kit. 50 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

13

13 After the install we went for a test drive and then we re-checked everything. Thanks to Steer Smarts this Jeep’s owner won’t have to worry about any of the steering or axle centering components on this JK for many years to come. FW

TO START YOUR FREE TRIAL GO TO: MOTORTREND.COM/MYTHBUSTERS

FEATURE

STANDING WAY OUT Kirby Gonzales’ backcountry Benz is strictly for pleasure

V

isiting the world’s natural wonders can sometimes mean dealing with seething masses of tourists. To avoid the crowds and still soak in the amazing sights, Kirby Gonzales decided to approach things from a different angle—from the dirt. He replaced paved roads, improved campsites, and his mild-mannered Range Rover Sport with backcountry routes, secluded camping, and a unique exploration vehicle platform.

Having an escape from the bustling city and the rigors of a demanding career motivate Kirby to explore the mountains, deserts, and forests of the West as often as he can.

Flowing through mountain bike trails, wandering dirt roads, and basking in peaceful sunsets help him unwind and relax as far away from crowds as he can get. As outdoor recreation areas became increasingly popular, Kirby found himself wanting to get even farther down the unpaved roads to seek solitude, and he needed a vehicle that suited him as well as his needs.

By Jered Korfhage jered.korfhage@fourwheeler.com Photos: Four Wheeler staff 52 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

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POINT YOUR PHONE CAMERA AT THIS CODE TO SEE AN OVERVIEW OF THE SPONSORS AND THEIR 4X4S FROM THE 2021 OVERLAND ADVENTURE PRESENTED BY JEEP

SPONSORED BY

Presented By

Feature standing way out “I don’t want to blend in,” Kirby told us. Having previously driven a Range Rover Sport and a Land Rover Discovery, he also knew that V-8 power was a must-have in his next vehicle, along with having ample aftermarket support. His search for a vehicle that was rugged, mechanically simple, and with his powertrain requirements led him to the ’03 Mercedes-Benz G 500. The 19-year-old SUV had a solid off-road pedigree and it boasted commendable reliability and a generous selection of aftermarket parts. Kirby was all in.

Upgrading the G-Class involved fitting it with larger all-terrain tires, a means to sleep above the ground, and stowage for his camp kitchen, bikes, paddle boards, and other implements of adventure.

Kirby told us the G-Wagon doesn’t make sense as a commuter vehicle so the almost 100,000 miles he’s rolled onto the clock have been purely recreational. We asked if this was his ideal vehicle and he said he would only replace the G-Wagon with another G-Wagon—just one with a diesel under the hood. Read on for more on how Kirby gets way out there with his unique and adventure-ready Mercedes-Benz G 500.

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WHEN UPGRADING HIS TIRES, KIRBY NEEDED SOMETHING RATED fOR SNOw TRAvEl. THE GOODYEAR DURATRAc HAS BEEN HIS GO-TO TREAD SINcE AcqUIRING THE G 500.

/> KIRBY wANTED V-8 POwER IN HIS ADvENTURE

MAcHINE, AND THE 5.0L M113 50 fiT THE BIll. HE’S cONfiDENT HE’ll SEE MANY MORE HUNDREDS Of THOUSANDS Of MIlES OUT Of THE ENGINE AND AS fAR AS fUEl EcONOMY IS cONcERNED, HE REPORTS BETwEEN 9 AND 10 MPG If HE’S IN A HURRY. THOSE NUMBERS APPROAcH 11 If HE’S MINDfUl Of HIS THROTTlE INPUTS.

\> ADDING TwO INcHES Of lIfT wITH THOR

MOTORwORkS cOIlS AND KING 2.5-INcH SHOckS GAvE THE TIRES ROOM TO wORk AND kEPT BODY ROll TO A MINIMUM.

54 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

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ASk KIRBY ABOUT fUTURE MODIficATIONS AND HE’ll lIkElY MENTION A wINcH. UNTIl THEN, HE’S HAD PlENTY Of lUck USING HIS MAxTRAx REcOvERY BOARDS TO GET HIMSElf UN-STUck AND A kINETIc REcOvERY ROPE TO HElP OTHERS. THAT fEARSOME SPIkED TOOl IS A KRAzY BEAvER SHOvEl AND IT’S GOOD fOR DIGGING SNOw, TENDING TO fiRES, AND OTHER cAMP TASkS.

<- AfTER DIScOvERING THE lIMITS Of HIS fAcTORY RUNNING

BOARDS, KIRBY UPGRADED HIS ARMOR wITH ROckSlIDERS fROM G-RAID.

</ COOkING IS A BIG PART Of HOw KIRBY UNwINDS wHEN

Off THE GRID, AND HE OUTfiTTED THE G-WAGON AccORDINGlY. BETwEEN HIS COlEMAN TwO-BURNER STOvE, DRAwERS fOR STORAGE, TEMBO TUSk SkOTTlE, AND 7-GAllON wATER TANk, HE HAS EvERYTHING HE NEEDS TO ExPERIMENT wITH BAckcOUNTRY flAvOR.

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FOUR WHEELER AUGUST 2022 55

Feature standing way out

AT A GLANCE GENERAL VEHIclE: ’03 Mercedes-Benz G 500 OwNER: Kirby Gonzales STOMPING GROUNDS: Cerritos, California BUIlD TIME: 3 years

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KIRBY SUPPlEMENTED HIS fAcTORY lIGHTS wITH A PAIR Of DRIvING LEDS ON THE BUMPER AND A STEAlTHY AND fUNcTIONAl lIGHTBAR fROM STEDI. REcENT GlOBAl EvENTS INSPIRED THE MASk STIckERS ON HIS BUMPER lIGHTS’ PlASTIc lENS cOvERS.

DRIVETRAIN ENGINE: 5.0L M113 50 V-8 TRANSMISSION: 5G-Tronic 5-spd auto TRANSfER cASE: VG150E LOw RANGE RATIO: 2.16:1 CRAwl RATIO: 33.9:1 FRONT AxlE/DIffERENTIAl: Mercedes-Benz 8.5-in, 4.38 gears/ open REAR AxlE/DIffERENTIAl: Mercedes-Benz 8.5-in, 4.38 gears/ open

SUSPENSION FRONT: King 2.5-in shocks, Thor Motorworks 2-in-lift springs REAR: King 2.5-in shocks, Thor Motorworks 2-in-lift springs

TIRES/WHEELS TIRES: LT275/70R18 Goodyear DuraTrac WHEElS: 18-in factory

MISCELLANEOUS LIGHTING: Stedi LED lightbar, Type-X Pro driving/spotlights ARMOR: G-Raid rocksliders COOl STUff: Maxtrax recovery boards, Krazy Beaver shovel, Fiskars axe, Bush Company Alpha tent, Front Runner Outfitters roof rack and rear ladder, Alu-Cab 270-degree awning, Tembo Tusk Skottle, ARB air compressor, dual fire extinguishers, custom kitchen loadout

|>

ON THE PASSENGER SIDE YOU’ll SEE A 10-GAllON wATER TANk AND MIRRORS REPURPOSED fROM AN EARlIER G-WAGON.

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KIRBY SElEcTED THE BUSH COMPANY AlPHA TENT BEcAUSE HE cOUlD Affix ROOf RAIlS TO ITS TOP, THAT wOUlD BE USED TO TRANSPORT wATERcRAfTS AND BIcYclES, IN ADDITION TO HOlDING SPARE fUEl AND REcOvERY GEAR.

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THIS SUBMISSION TO THE CAMP CHEf SHOwcASE, A cOOkING cOMPETITION DURING THE 2021 OvERlAND ADvENTURE, wAS A BAckUP PlAN wHEN KIRBY’S ORIGINAl IDEA Of cAMP qUESADIllAS fEll THROUGH. WE’ll SAY HIS kITcHEN OUTfiT IS qUITE wEll APPOINTED AND HE HAS THE SkIllS TO MATcH. fw

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ElIMINATING All THINGS cHROME fROM THE cOlOR ScHEME wAS THE PlAN fOR THE G-WAGON.

When you’re hitting the road, it’s the details that count. Defend against the elements and protect your vehicle’s interior with American-made products that get you to your destination — wherever that may be. With WeatherTech on board, you can go boldly on any adventure this summer.

Auto. Home. Pet. Find Your Fit. 1-800-441-6287

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SAHLEN’S SIX HOURS OF THE GLEN JUN. 23–26

SPORTSCAR GRAND PRIX JUL 1–3

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Tech

while trucks with metal dashes survive the test of time event after event), aftermarket support (some vehicles have little to no support), and a V-8 engine (eight-cylinder vehicles usually have robust running gear like bigger transmissions, transfer cases, and axles.

Once we determined our parameters, we had to dig deep to find that perfect build. We didn’t want something too perfect that the purists will mock our aftermarket accessories, but not too rusty that it adds weeks of extra labor in repairs. Between online searches, friends, and sometimes just plain old driving around knocking on doors, we found what we wanted in the form of a ’75 Ford F-100 4x4 Custom longbed pickup, commonly known as a “dentside,” on Facebook Marketplace. The trick in

By Ryan Kennelly editor@fourwheeler.com Photos: Ryan Kennelly o some, modern trucks are boring.

They lack style and character. Details washed away in aerodynamic wind tunnels and robust features removed in crash testing. These are some of the reasons why we wanted an older truck for our next project 4x4.

Finding the right project vehicle is never easy. You need to know what you want for your next build. We knew what we wanted for our California-based project 4x4: Smog exempt, 1975 or older (opens up so many options for engine upgrades), coil spring front suspension (leaf springs are simple and strong but ride terrible in most cases, coil springs have no friction and promote a better ride quality), cab on chassis (a solid steel frame is the only way to go when you need to carry gear for extended periods of time, unibody vehicles are light and fast but can suffer a slow death as they get overloaded and peel apart at the seams), a metal dash (this is a funny need that only a veteran offroader would want because plastic dash frames of later trucks can cave in when you get to thrashing your vehicle at speed,

58 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

finding this truck was to expand our search to places that would have sold more of the vehicle we were looking for. Reno, Nevada, had just the rig for this build.

Reno is 600 miles away from our SoCal location. Do we slog through the night pulling a trailer to pick this thing up? Or maybe have a shipper pick up the truck sight unseen? Or do we trust our mechanical skills, the photos, and vids the seller sent and just drive it back? Yep, you guessed it. We decided to fly out, inspect the vehicle, make a few adjustments, and drive it home knowing there may be a few adventures along the way.

On a Friday at 7 a.m., we headed to the airport for the 90-minute flight to Reno. We wouldn’t be checking ordinary bags; our checked items were camping

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THE SAGA OF FINDING, BUYING, AND THE 600-MILE DRIVE HOME IN A PROJECT 1975 FORD F-100

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POINT YOUR PHONE CAMERA AT THIS CODE TO SEE ANOTHER VINTAGE FORD F-100

gear in one bag and 48 pounds of tools in a small ice chest. The ice chest serves as a vessel to move tools through transit then becomes a place to store cold drinks once on the road. Our plan called for traveling down highway 395, which we feel has some of the best camping in California.

We arrived at the owner’s house and saw a very clean F-100. The truck appeared to have very little use and the owners loved it well.

In its original paint, the truck only had two tiny rust holes that can be easily fixed in a few hours. The running gear was all original, led by the 360ci FE engine. Behind that was a C6 three-speed automatic transmission coupled to an NP203 full-time transfer case with low range. Under the truck was a front high-pinion Dana 44 axle followed up with a classic Ford 9-inch front loading rearend. The F-100 was known for its radius arm front coil spring suspension. The rear suspension was the classic 1 ⁄2-ton leaf-spring pack and all the springs had seen better days. Drum brakes resided at all four corners and the system used vacuum assist.

The F-100 also had the earliest form of power steering. This was a manual steering box and a hydraulic ram connected to the centerlink.

The input was fed to it by a servo connected to the drag link. One of our favorite features was the toolbox on the bedside. We also liked that the gas tank was at the rear of the truck and not behind the seat like in previous years.

The F-100 was everything the seller had said it was and more. A true time capsule of vehicles from that era. But in order for us to make the 600-mile drive home it would need a few things. A week or so earlier we shipped out a set of 265/75R16 Milestar Patagonia X/T tires, a 30-liter gas can, and a set of G2 Axle & Gear locking hubs. This all arrived at Samco Fabrication in Reno. Owner Sam Cothrun allowed us to use his shop to mount the tires and do last-minute adjustments the F-100 would need before takeoff.

The truck came from the factory with full-time four-wheel drive. Normally this wouldn’t be an issue, but the T-case was stuck in high range lock. During the test drive, the truck barked the tires and would hardly make a U-turn, let alone drive into a parking spot in one try. This is where the G2 locking hubs came in. We removed the factory drive flanges and installed the hubs to free up the

FOUR WHEELER AUGUST 2022 59

Tech DENTSIDE front axle and simulate a 2WD truck. It worked perfectly and the driveability instantly changed for the better. Next, we mounted and balanced the Milestar Patagonia X/T tires. These tires would give us the confidence to leave the pavement when we wanted to explore.

Once the fluids were checked and the truck was ready to head south, we made our way toward Bridgeport, California. This would be a great first test.

Would the truck run cool? Would the transmission hold strong in each gear? Would the truck burn oil or smoke? We were about to find out. With a gentle press of the gas pedal, we listened carefully for any warning noises as we gathered road miles. The truck seemed to have fresh running gear in it. The 360ci big-block ran strong. We never really needed more than quarter throttle to run 55-60 mph. We made one more stop at the parts store for a few supplies before leaving our safety net, then our next stop was a campsite for the night.

Early the next morning we cleaned up camp and headed south again. Back home, the team at our shop had a grid going on what would leave us stranded. But our confidence was strong, 80 percent that we wouldn’t be left stranded in the desert, so we took our first detour to the Mono Lake tufa formations. The tufas are formed by calcium carbonate crystals. The formations are spectacular along the shoreline. Our next stop nearby would be the Panum Crater. The crater was formed by the remnants of volcanic activity. The hike to the top was windy and smoky so we were cut short. The F-100 was running good so far.

Back on the blacktop we got a full tank of gas and realized we were getting over our “imagined” 10 mpg. That was good news as some gas

60 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

stops were over $5.50 a gallon. Our next stop would be a favorite of ours. June Lake Loop would take us through the higher elevations and to some classic resort towns that have remained unchanged for decades. We stopped at Silver Lake for breakfast then hit the road.

We soon approached another old favorite of ours, the town of Lone Pine and the nearby Alabama Hills. Made famous by classic western movies and TV shows filmed in the area, Alabama Hills is a great place to camp because the huge rocks provide shade and shelter from the wind. We pointed the F-100 into the Alabama Hills and took a quick tour on the twisty trails though the rocks, but decided we wanted to camp closer to home.

As the day grew longer, we determined our campsite needed to be at a higher elevation but the smoke from nearby forest fires was pushing us farther south. Soon we would be out of the Sierra Nevada mountain range and camping would be in the sparse desert, so we pushed on.

It was about this time that we noticed the truck had picked up a previously unknown symptom, engine pre-ignition. This means the fuel in the cylinders was exploding before the spark plugs fire. This can be caused by a few things, but most commonly from excessive engine timing.

Pulling into the town of Randsburg, the pinging noise was so bad that we could hardly move in First gear. We dumped our 30 liters of spare super unleaded fuel in the tank hoping we had got bad gas, and this would blend with it and cure the pre-ignition. That was not the case.

After a quick walk around the fascinating old town, we fired up the truck and headed to our

next gas stop. This was downhill so the pinging had all but gone away.

Kramer Junction was the next stop. Here we would add more super unleaded and take a stab at correcting the timing. In the old days, the timing was set by rotating the distributor to deliver spark at the right time. It could be set perfectly with a timing light that flashed in sequence with the engine’s Number 1 cylinder.

Since we didn’t have a timing light, we would be making a crude adjustment by reducing the timing using the reduction of engine rpm as a “meter.” We loosened the distributor clamp, started the truck, and manually rotated the distributor until the idle went down about 500 rpm. As guesses go, this was a pretty good one.

Travelling up the next hill we could barely hear the pinging noise, but we knew there was room for improvement. So, we pulled over and took out another 250 rpm. The engine responded

even better to the new timing. Not only did the pre-ignition go away, we also gained power, response, and fuel mileage.

Since we were about 3.5 hours from home, we felt compelled to push on. It was now dark and the truck was running its best. Maintaining 65 mph, we were no longer the slowest rig on the road. We had travelled through hot, dry, cold, wind, and smoke. We could now feel the damp beach air for the first time on the trip.

We were close to home, but we had one more stop to make, at In-N-Out Burger. In-N-Out has always been our classic car guy celebration location on an epic road trip.

What’s Next?

What’s next for the F-100? Well, we have some upgrades in mind and some repairs to make. Mods include a Skyjacker 2.5-inch suspension lift and larger 35-inch Milestar Patagonia X/T tires. We need to replace the dash cluster lens and all of the truck’s bushings and we want to build a custom battery box for a Group 27 deep-cycle battery. The work has just begun on our project F-100, so stay tuned. FW

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FOUR WHEELER AUGUST 2022 61

ETIREMENT PLAN FEATURE

By Jered Korfhage

jered.korfhage@fourwheeler.com Photos: Four Wheeler staff

Chris Perron traded his sedan for off-road selfsufficiency and never looked back

T

aking one last look at his Mercedes-Benz sedan, Chris Perron told the salesperson, “I won’t need this once I retire.” After 33 years in the military, Chris found himself at a Jeep dealership ready to trade the rigors of his career (and his sports car) for something geared for the dirt. To the bewilderment of the sales staff, he parted ways with the CLS 550, drove away from the dealership in an ’18 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon Recon Edition, and never looked back.

Although this was his first off-road vehicle, Chris knew he’d end up with a Jeep. He just couldn’t beat the vehicle’s ruggedness and the storage beneath the hardtop. Once the Wrangler was his, he methodically modified it to suit his specifications. Chris fine-tuned the Jeep’s suspension setup, matched tires and wheels to his off-roading style, augmented nighttime visibility, and tailored the cargo area to fit his needs. Once complete, the Jeep was a carefully honed tool for exploring far away from civilization and it has allowed Chris to travel from coast to coast with confidence.

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FOUR WHEELER AUGUST 2022 63

Feature Retirement Plan -> AEV Borah beadlocks keep Chris’ 37-inch

BFGoodrich mud-terrains seated no matter how low he chooses to drop his tire pressure.

\> Rhino-Rack’s Pioneer Platform is a low-profile

solution to storing cargo above the Jeep and it is paired with the company’s Backbone system that reinforces the hardtop from the inside. Chris sleeps above the ground inside his James Baroud Explorer rooftop tent.

<- ->

Under the hood, the 3.6L V-6 shares real estate with a dual battery system and an sPOD six-switch relay box. sPOD’s design requires only one wire to be run into the cab and the unit can control up to six circuits with rocker switches.

<- \>

ARB Intensity driving lights sit low on the front bumper and LED pods from Rigid Industries are on the cowls packing forward-facing amber light. Chris’ scene lights are red-lensed Rigid Industries LEDs for easier vision in the dark. There’s a Warn Zeon 10-S winch nestled behind the Rubicon’s stock steel bumper with a Factor 55 FlatLink.

POINT YOUR PHONE CAMERA AT THIS CODE TO SEE AN OVERVIEW OF ALL THE OVERLAND 4X4S ON THE 2020 OVERLAND ADVENTURE

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/>

Reinforcements in the front include an aluminum tie rod and drag link, an adjustable track bar from JKS Manufacturing, and an uparmored differential cover.

<|

Skidplates from Rock Hard 4x4 protect the evap canister, rear differential, and other sensitive parts on the undercarriage, and the company’s transmission crossmember adds additional heft. Chris opted for aluminum skidplates to reduce the sprung weight on his Jeep.

FOUR WHEELER AUGUST 2022 65

Feature Retirement Plan

</ Inside, Chris stays on

top of his location with his iPad and iPhone that are secured via mounts from 67 Designs. He keeps a Garmin inReach Mini on hand for emergency communication and he installed a Brandmotion infrared backup camera to aid in reverse operations.

</ Chris chose

Old Man Emu remote-reservoir BP-51 internalbypass shocks that afford him adjustable control over compression and rebound damping. His coil springs support the Jeep’s load while offering four inches of lift.

AT A GLANCE GENERAL Vehicle: ’18 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon Owner: Christopher Perron Stomping grounds: Sedona, Arizona Build time: 1 year

DRIVETRAIN Engine: 3.6L Pentastar V-6 Transmission: WA580 5-spd auto Transfer case: NP241OR 2-spd Low range ratio: 4.0:1 Crawl ratio: 70:1 Front axle/differential: Dana 44, Yukon Gear & Axle 4.88 gears/stock electric locker Rear axle/differential: Dana 44, Yukon Gear & Axle 4.88 gears/stock electric locker

SUSPENSION Front: Old Man Emu BP-51 remote-reservoir shocks, Old Man Emu 4-in coils, JKS Manufacturing track bar, JKS JSPEC Advanced Geometry Upgrade Kit for Jeep JK, Hellwig sway bar Rear: Old Man Emu BP-51 remote-reservoir shocks, Old Man Emu 4-in coils, Hellwig sway bar

TIRES/WHEELS Tires: 37x12.50R17 BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 Wheels: 17-in AEV Borah beadlock

MISCELLANEOUS Steering: Old Man Emu damper Lighting: ARB Intensity 9.5-in LED spotlights, ARB Intensity LED flood lights, Rigid Industries SR-Q Series Diffused LED light, DSS Pro LED lights, D-Series Pro Diff SM LEDs, AEV CHMSL 3rd Brake Light, Baja Designs LED red and clear dome lights, Vision X LED strip light, 279J Jeep Tail Light Armor: Rock Hard 4x4 transmission crossmember and aluminum skidplates, MetalCloak tube fenders and fender liners Cool stuff: Warn Zeon 10-S winch, Power Interrupt Kit, and Maximus-3 winch mount; Factor 55 FlatLink; sPOD JK six-switch panel; Goose Gear JK 2 Door Plate System, CampKitchen 2.3 system, Double Drawer Module, and Drawer Inserted Cutting Board; Partner Steel 22-in Propane Stove; 1.5-gal Manchester propane tank; ARB 50-qt fridge/freezer w/tie-down system, wiring kit, recovery kit, Portable Air Compressor, Hydraulic Recovery Jack, and Digital Tire Pressure Gauge; Genesis Offroad G Screen monitoring system and JK Dual Battery Kit; Rubicon Express driveshafts; Dynatrac ProGrip Brake System; JKS Manufacturing Exhaust Extension Kit; AEV ProCal module, Snorkel System, and Fuel Caddy; 67 Designs iPhone/GoPro/iPad mounts; weBoost cellular booster; Garmin inReach Mini; Maxtrax traction boards and harness; Northbound Expeditions G.A.R.B. and chainsaw bag; Stihl battery chainsaw; Fiskar axe; Bubba Rope recovery kit; Hi-Lift jack; 6-ton bottle jack; Rhino-Rack 84x56-in Pioneer Platform, Backbone 3, and RLCP legs; Alu-Cab Shadow awning and awning mount kit; James Baroud Explorer tent

66 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

</

Knowing where things are is crucial for Chris, so he worked with OK4WD in Stewartsville, New Jersey, to fit the Jeep with organization and storage options from Goose Gear. There’s space for his fridge/freezer, a slide-out kitchen arrangement, easy-access drawers, and various options for securing additional cargo. All work at the tailgate can be done under easy-on-the-night-vision red LED light.

\>

An additional 10 gallons of fuel can be stored in Chris’ AEV Fuel Caddy, and he carries a quartet of recovery boards and a Northbound Expeditions trail bag on his spare tire. fw

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FIRST DRIVE

2022 TOYOTA TACOMA

F

or the ’22 model year, the Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro received a few smart upgrades, including new forged aluminum upper control arms, new tires, more suspension travel, and new bedside “TRD Pro” stampings. The truck’s price also increased by a modest $1,600, bringing the starting price of an automatic transmission-equipped truck to just under $50,000. This isn’t a bad deal considering all that comes with the Tacoma TRD Pro. But as cool as the TRD Pro is, not everyone wants to spend $50K on a truck. Fortunately, Toyota offers several other Tacoma options for those wishing to get off the beaten path while retaining some coin in their pockets. One of

70 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

these trucks is the ’22 Tacoma Trail Edition.

Based on the mid-grade SR5-trim Tacoma, the Trail Edition package is available on four-wheeldrive Double Cab models with the short bed, V-6 engine, and automatic transmission. The Trail Edition gets a 1.1-inch front suspension lift with the rear receiving a 0.5-inch lift. This lift is achieved with taller coil springs in the front and a small spacer in the rear. The truck also gets an electronic locking rear differential, has the front air dam removed, is fitted with skidplates from the TRD Off-Road model, has bronze-finished 16-inch wheels that add a 0.5-inch wider track width front and rear, and Goodyear all-terrain tires. It’s also worth noting that the Trail Edition

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The Trail Edition is based on the SR5-trim Tacoma, so SR5 features carry over to the Trail Edition.

includes the towing package as found on all V-6–equipped Tacoma models.

Another interesting feature of the Trail Edition is also its most unique. Fitted in the bed of the truck are a pair of lockable storage compartments. The driver-side compartment is fourwheeler.com

TRAIL EDITION

A budget-friendly off-roader that starts at under $40,000

By Jason Gonderman editor@fourwheeler.com Photos: Toyota

even insulated with the intention that it can be used as a cooler of sorts. While the storage bins are great for holding wet and dirty gear that you don’t want in the cab but also don’t want stolen, these bins are removeable for times when the entire bed is needed for hauling. Interestingly, while these storage bins will technically fit all shortbed Tacomas, they are only available with the Tacoma Trail Edition package and cannot be added separately.

The big question is, just how well does this budget-friendly off-roader do when the pavement gives way to dirt? In short, it’s pretty darn good. The added lift and removal of the front air dam gives the truck great approach and fourwheeler.com

/> ->

The Trail Edition comes standard with lockable in-bed storage. The driver-side storage includes insulation and can be used as a cooler.

Also of note in the bed: a 120V power outlet.

FOUR WHEELER AUGUST 2022 71

FIRST DRIVE 2022 Toyota Tacoma Trail Edition

departure angles (34 and 23.6 degrees, respectively), along with plenty of ground clearance to get over obstacles. The Goodyear all-terrain tires give plenty of grip on loose dirt, and when they aren’t quite enough the rear locking differential boosts traction to get over the toughest obstacles.

The Trail Edition doesn’t come with Toyota’s Crawl Control or Multi-Terrain Select features and honestly, we didn’t miss them. The Tacoma’s 3.5L V-6 engine produces plenty of power to get down the trail and the six-speed automatic transmission works well on the trail with its manual gear selection function.

Inside, the Trail Edition is equipped with an 8-inch color touch screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. The truck also has a 10-way adjustable driver seat and cloth seating throughout the cabin. All Tacoma models come standard with TSS-P, which includes such safety and security features as adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and auto emergency braking. All these features made driving the

<\

There are a couple of notable things about the front end on the Trail Edition. First is the lack of an air dam. Ditching the air dam helps to improve the approach angle to a respectable 34 degrees. The other prominent item up front is the “heritage-inspired” grille. This grille, first found on the TRD Pro, has unique bronze-colored lettering that’s specific to the Trail Edition.

Tacoma Trail Edition a joy, since lower tier models typically lose out on some of our favorite features, such as Apple CarPlay and adaptive cruise. And, if we’re being completely honest, we prefer the Tacoma’s cloth interior over the higher trim leather seats.

At the end of the trail, we were quite impressed with the ’22 Toyota Tacoma Trail Edition. This truck felt pure and simple while still providing the comfort and luxuries we’ve become accustomed to. If you can off-road without the electronic aid of Crawl Control, and don’t need to have leather seats, look no further than the Tacoma Trail Edition. You, too, will be pleasantly surprised.

/> Bronze-finished 16-inch wheels add a front

and rear 0.5-inch wider track width and they’re paired with Goodyear all-terrain tires.

<-

On the trail, we appreciated the great approach angle and good ground clearance of the Trail Edition. The Goodyear all-terrain tires gave plenty of grip on loose dirt, and when they weren’t quite enough the rear locking differential helped to boost traction to get over the toughest obstacles. FW

72 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

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LONG-TERM TEST

BY JASON GONDERMAN EDITOR@FOURWHEELER.COM PHOTOS: JASON GONDERMAN

POINT YOUR PHONE CAMERA AT THIS CODE TO READ THE SECOND LONGTERM REPORT ON THE 2021 GMC YUKON AT4

2021 GMC YUKON AT4 Third report: A lot of off-roading, a touch of towing, and more fun features

I

t’s always a good thing when we get to this point in the life cycle of a long-term test vehicle and have nothing of any grave importance to report. Such is the case with our 2021 Four Wheeler SUV of the Year award-winning ’21 GMC Yukon AT4. After nine months on the road and more than 16,000 miles, the Yukon is still rock solid and we are just as enamored with the vehicle today as we were on the day it was dropped off.

During the first half of the year we spent a fair bit of time with a trailer in tow. With 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque on tap from the 5.3L V-8 engine, and a respectable tow rating of 8,200 pounds, the Yukon AT4 has proven itself to be a competent tow rig. The one area that we’re not as certain about is the adjustable air suspension while towing. The system has a number of positive attributes, with the most useful being automatic load-leveling and the ability to raise and lower the vehicle’s height while hitching. On the flip side, there are several small quibbles that we’ve bumped up against that we feel need addressing.

The same automatic load-leveling ability that we enjoy on the road has made unhitching difficult on many occasions, especially when the trailer isn’t level with the vehicle, because it will continue to adjust even when the vehicle is off. We also have the 74 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

setting activated that automatically lowers the vehicle down to the lowest entry level when placed in Park. This is great, except when attempting to hitch a trailer. We wish there was an easy way to lock out the air suspension when towing, as it would be quite helpful to have full control over the suspension without the vehicle doing anything automatically.

Additionally, we got a strange error message while towing a side-by-side on our utility trailer. The full load was about 5,000 pounds with approximately 500 pounds of tongue weight, well within the Yukon’s limits. Upon arriving at the desert and unhitching the trailer, the vehicle flashed “Height adjustment unavailable, air suspension overloaded.” It took several miles of driving and key cycles to get this to clear and allow us to bump into the higher off-road suspension settings. We hadn’t seen this prior, and haven’t since, so we’ll be

<\ Backcountry exploration is really what the GMC

Yukon AT4 is best suited for. Getting out and finding abandoned mines and old relics from centuries past is one of our favorite pastimes and the Yukon AT4 is one of the most comfortable and capable SUVs for the activity.

watching for it in the final quarter.

Speaking of the Yukon AT4’s air suspension, we ran some incredible off-road trails this quarter and had a chance to use all of the vehicle’s off-road hardware. With the Yukon’s transfer case shifted into low-range we were able to raise it into the highest suspension setting, which provides an impressive 34.5degree approach angle, 22-degree breakover angle, and 10 inches of ground clearance. We waded through two feet of water, drove through soft sand, climbed steep hills, traversed rockstrewn riverbeds, and blasted down graded roads. About the only thing we didn’t do was hard-core rockcrawling … for obvious reasons.

We still appreciate the Yukon AT4’s electronic rear limited-slip differential, which works quite well when traction starts to decline.

Selecting the Off-Road drive mode (the Yukon AT4 features Normal, Tow/Haul, Off-Road, and Sport drive modes) improves throttle mapping and transmission shifting when in the rough.

And the Yukon AT4’s standard hill descent control is certainly useful for those who choose to use it. Like most air suspension-equipped off-roaders, we’ve found the Yukon AT4’s ride fourwheeler.com

<-

Even at full street tire pressure, the Yukon AT4 is a dream on graded dirt and gravel roads like this one. With the suspension at “Normal” ride height and the transfer case in “Auto” we can easily fly down these roads in comfort. The adaptive ride control dampers easily soak up all the bumps and humps.

Report: 3 of 4 Previous reports: Feb. ’22, May ’22 Base price: $65,100 Price as tested: $75,610

OPTIONS AS TESTED

|> /> \>

The combination of our Yukon AT4’s Cayenne Red paint, dark chrome trim, front skidplate, and off-road tires gives the vehicle quite the sinister look. And it has attracted attention everywhere we go. People simply love the Yukon AT4. With the transfer case in low range, the Yukon AT4’s air suspension can be raised two inches above the normal ride height. This gives the Yukon an impressive 10 inches of ground clearance along with 34.5 degrees of approach angle, 22.5 degrees of departure, and 22.0 degrees of breakover. We would still love it if GMC could find a way to package the fantastic 3.0L Duramax diesel I-6 engine from the Yukon Denali in the AT4. Allegedly, the AT4’s front skidplate interferes with the diesel engine’s charge air cooler. Still, the prospect of 460 lb-ft of torque with 26 mpg on the highway is quite enticing. We’ve stuffed adults in all three rows of the GMC Yukon AT4 and have not had a single complaint. The middle row captain’s chairs both recline and slide, while the third row now has much improved legroom thanks to the Yukon’s new independent rear suspension. Impressively, there are even USB-C charging provisions for all except the rear center passenger.

quality degrades significantly the higher it is raised (it’s still better than most, however, thanks to the active ride control dampers).

While the extra two inches of ground clearance is nice when going over large obstacles, we’ve found that the normal ride height is the most comfortable for most general off-road scenarios.

Unfortunately, it looks like we’re going to go another year with no opportunity for snow or mud wheeling on the West Coast. While we’re confident in the Yukon’s snow ability, we’d try our hardest to avoid deep mud holes, but that’s more a personal preference anyway.

Moving back inside, the interior continues to prove to be a comfortable fortress of solitude, most of the time. If we were going to spec out the Yukon AT4 again we can say at this point we’d find a way to not have the panoramic sunroof. Personal preference plays a large role in this. However, we’ve found that the glass roof and cloth cover let in quite a bit of heat and noise. Unfortunately, the sunroof is grouped together with the AT4 Premium Plus Package so it would take some clever optioning to get the features we love without the glass roof. Another polarizing feature that we love is the head-up display. We leave it on speed most of the time, but it has the ability to display off-road data, stereo information, and navigation. It’s become such a useful tool that we don’t know how we’ll live without it when the Yukon returns to GMC. As we enter the final quarter of evaluation, we’re displeased by the proposition of returning the ’21 GMC Yukon AT4 to its rightful owners.

Having just completed the second scheduled fourwheeler.com

AT4 Premium Package ($9,145), Cayenne Red Tintcoat paint ($645), Second Row Heated Bucket Seats ($370), Power Sliding Center Console ($350)

LONG-TERM NUMBERS Miles to date: 16,241 Miles since last report: 5,001 Average mpg (this report): 13.58 Test best tank (mpg): 18.78 Test worst tank (mpg): 9.28 (towing 8,000 pounds)

MAINTENANCE This period: Oil Change, Tire Rotation, Air Filter, Fluid Top Off (15,000 miles), Backup Camera Recall Problem areas: None

WHAT’S HOT, WHAT’S NOT

service at 15,000 miles, we don’t foresee another dealer visit. So, all that is left for us to do is enjoy our remaining months with the large SUV. Sticking with the plan that’s worked so far, we have more off-roading, towing, and road trips on the books.

Here’s hoping for another trouble-free quarter as we send the Yukon AT4 off in style.

<| This little cubby here, at the front of the center

console, contains the SUV’s wireless phone charging pad.

Simply drop your device on the pad and it will automatically begin charging. Trouble is that our standard-sized iPhone isn’t large enough to stay centered and would frequently drop the charge just by slipping to one side or another. Needless to say, this spot now just collects junk.

Hot: Gorgeous styling continues to attract attention, 5.3L V-8 engine is plenty powerful, all seven seats are comfortable for full grown adults Not: Panoramic sunroof is good for watching the carwash brushes and not much else, fuel economy is still on the lower end, wireless Apple CarPlay has gotten a tad buggy

LOGBOOK QUOTES -> “I’m really glad the Yukon has a small gas tank now, as it takes two card swipes if I let it go below a quarter tank … yikes.”

-> “We have FINALLY found a good use for the sliding center console!

It perfectly holds the giant tub of cheese puffs for road trip snacking!”

-> “The compliments keep pouring in for the Yukon AT4, from the old man at the gas pump to the parents at Disneyland and everywhere in between.”

-> “Just went through a deep water crossing in our factory AT4 while laughing at all the kitted-out Jeeps that followed.” FW FOUR WHEELER AUGUST 2022 75

Feature GRANVILLE SALUTE Due to many requests, we’re republishing some of Granville King’s “From The Backcountry” columns as space permits. These columns ran in Four Wheeler from 1984 until Granville’s passing in 1989 at age 70. Granville was a retired aerospace engineer and television screenwriter who lived off-grid in a trailer in Baja, Mexico. His off-road experiences were many, and his storytelling was amusing, riveting, timeless, and unparalleled.

76 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

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FOUR WHEELER AUGUST 2022 77

Let’s find your perfect ride.

GO TO :

MOTORTREND.COM/CARS/

CALENDAR

WHERE TO SEND SUBMISSIONS Address your correspondence to: Calendar, Four Wheeler, 831 S. Douglas St., El Segundo, CA 90245, or email jered.korfhage@fourwheeler.com.

COMPILED BY JERED KORFHAGE JERED.KORFHAGE@FOURWHEELER.COM

August 1-7 What: Sierra Fest Where: Georgetown, California Hosted by: North American XJ Association Info: naxja.org

August 2-4 What: Rimrocker Trail Adventure Where: Montrose, Colorado Hosted by: Off-Road Safety Academy Info: discoveroffroading.com

August 2-4 What: UTV Con’Quest on the Rubicon Trail Where: Georgetown, California Hosted by: Jeepers Jamboree Info: jeepersjamboree.com

August 5-7 What: Carlisle Truck Nationals Where: Carlisle, Pennsylvania Hosted by: Carlisle Events Info: carlisleevents.com

August 5-7 What: Great American Crawl Where: Gales Creek, Oregon Hosted by: Mickey Thompson Tires & Rockstar Performance Garage Info: mickeythompsontires.com

August 5-7 What: Jeepers Jamboree Where: Georgetown, California Hosted by: Jeepers Jamboree Info: jeepersjamboree.com

August 5-7 What: Trucks Gone Wild Where: Livermore, Maine Hosted by: Barnyard All Terrain Info: trucksgonewild.com

August 6 What: Combine Demolition Derby Where: Lancaster, Pennsylvania Hosted by: Buck Motorsports Park Info: buckmotorsports.com

August 6-7 What: Truck & Jeep Fest Where: San Mateo, California Hosted by: 4 Wheel Parts Info: 4wheelparts.com

August 6-7 What: W.E. Rock Western Series Where: Goldendale, Washington Hosted by: Broken Boulder Farm Info: werocklive.com

August 10-13 What: Vegas to Reno

80 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

Where: Las Vegas, Nevada Hosted by: Best in the Desert Racing Association Info: bitd.com

August 11-14 What: Mid-Atlantic Overland Festival Where: Huntingdon, Pennsylvania Hosted by: Main Line Overland Info: overlandfestival.com

August 11-14 What: Sierra Trek Where: Truckee, California Hosted by: California Four Wheel Drive Association Info: cal4wheel.com

August 12-13 What: Off-Road and Camping Expo Where: Mormon Lake, Arizona Hosted by: Mormon Lake Lodge Info: campingexpos.com

August 12-14

Hosted by: Rausch Creek Off-Road Park Info: rc4x4.org

August 19-21 What: Jeep Jam Where: Wilmington, Ohio Hosted by: Muddy Buddys Jeep Wrangler Club Info: jeepjam.org

August 20-21 What: Iron Range Off-Road August Rust Buster Where: Gilbert, Minnesota Hosted by: Iron Range Offroad Info: ironrangeoffroad.com

August 25-27 What: Bighorn Mountains Jeep Jamboree Where: Burgess Junction, Wyoming Hosted by: Jeep Jamboree USA Info: jeepjamboreeusa.com

August 25-27

What: Toledo Jeep Fest Where: Toledo, Ohio Hosted by: City of Toledo Info: toledojeepfest.com

What: Great Smoky Mountain Jeep Club Invasion Where: Pigeon Forge, Tennessee Hosted by: LeConte Center Info: gsmji.com

August 12-14

August 26-27

What: Topless for Tatas Where: Pine Grove, Pennsylvania Hosted by: Rausch Creek Off-Road Park Info: rc4x4.org

What: Scheid Diesel Extravaganza Where: Lyons, Indiana Hosted by: Scheid Diesel Service Company Info: scheiddiesel.com

August 13

August 26-28

What: Lucas Oil East Coast Series Truck and Tractor Pull Where: Lancaster, Pennsylvania Hosted by: Buck Motorsports Park Info: buckmotorsports.com

What: Overland Expo Mountain West Where: Loveland, Colorado Hosted by: The Ranch Info: overlandexpo.com

August 13-14 What: Monster Jam Where: Pensacola, Florida Hosted by: Pensacola Bay Center Info: monsterjam.com

August 15-21 What: Trucks Gone Wild Where: Hale, Michigan Hosted by: Iosco County Fairgrounds Info: trucksgonewild.com

August 17-21 What: Beartooth Adventure Where: Cody, Wyoming Hosted by: Jeep Jamboree USA Info: jeepjamboreeusa.com

August 19-20 What: Savage Off-Road Run Where: Pine Grove, Pennsylvania

August 27 What: Monster Trucks and Car Soccer Where: Lancaster, Pennsylvania Hosted by: Buck Motorsports Park Info: buckmotorsports.com

August 27 What: Xrock Extreme Rock Crawling Where: Harrisville, New Hampshire Hosted by: Field and Forest Recreation Area Info: facebook.com/XRockExtreme/

August 27-28 What: SCCA Rally Where: Pine Grove, Pennsylvania Hosted by: Rausch Creek Off-Road Park Info: rc4x4.org All submissions become the property of Four Wheeler, and we reserve the right to edit them for length, accuracy, and clarity. The editorial department can also be reached through the website at fourwheeler.com. Due to the volume of mail, electronic and otherwise, we cannot respond to every reader, but we do read everything.

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W A T C H L I V E E X C L U S I V E LY O N

SCAN HERE S TA R T YO U R F R E E T R I A L

MOTORTREND.COM/MECUM2022

TRAIL’S END

BY JERED KORFHAGE JERED.KORFHAGE@FOURWHEELER.COM PHOTOS: FOUR WHEELER ARCHIVES

Visiting the Yuma Proving Ground and the LeTourneau Overland Train

F

our Wheeler’s July 1969 issue took us to a special part of the desert where the Devil vacations when he needs some heat. Just north and east of Yuma, Arizona, sits the expansive facility known at the time as the Yuma Proving Ground. Its location makes it favorable for year-round testing with higher-than-average temperatures and some of the lowest precipitation levels around (in 1968, 1.2 inches of rain fell). The Yuma Proving Ground allowed the Army to subject its vehicles to extreme temperatures, deep water crossings, onslaughts of silt to detect dust intrusion and resistance, rocky ledges and punishing washouts to verify structural integrity, and even drops from supply planes.

Among the wheeled and tracked vehicles designed and evaluated at the Yuma Proving Ground, one hulking behemoth caught our attention: the LeTourneau TC-497 Overland Train Mark II. The concept began with logging in mind as a way to transport felled timber away from sites through undeveloped terrain.

LeTourneau’s VC-12 Tournatrain was the first iteration, and it was fronted by an engine car fit with a 500hp Cummins VT-12 and a generator.

Each car that followed had four wheels and tires, each powered by its own electric motor. A later version of the land locomotive, the VC-22 Sno-Freighter, was used in the arctic regions of Alaska to deliver materials to the Distant Early Warning (DEW) radar stations. This locomotive and its six individually powered cars floated over snowdrifts and crossed rivers with 10-foot-tall pneumatic tires. In addition to moving loads over the frozen tundra, another of LeTourneau’s over-the-snow haulers, the TC-264 Sno-Buggy, gained notoriety for donating its tires and wheels to the Bigfoot 5 monster truck.

Following the success of the previous LeTourneau trackless trains, the United States Army contracted the TC-497 Mark II. This train traded Cummins diesel power for a quartet of gas turbine engines with a better power-toweight ratio, and the ability to expand the train to greater lengths. Four 1,170hp Saturn 10MC engines were spread throughout the train, one in the head car, and the three others dispersed among the trailing cars. In addition to their own electrically driven wheels, all cars were designed to steer individually. Signaling each

car to turn at the same point allowed the train to round challenging corners and avoid obstacles. The Mark II was built from aluminum and due to the smaller size of the gas turbine engines, there was room aboard for a crew of six with space for dining and sleeping. The train was 30 feet tall, could carry 150 tons of material, and measured 570 feet long with the ability to extend its payload with additional fuel and cargo cars.

The train was tested at the Yuma Proving Ground and was known as Project OTTER (Overland Train Terrain Evaluation Research).

Despite its remarkable capabilities, the train was abandoned with the advent of cargo

helicopters. Although most of the overland train was reduced to scrap metal, you can still see its control car at the Yuma Proving Ground. In conjunction with the Army, General Motors has more recently built its Desert Proving Ground within the government test site, allowing for the discreet development and testing of consumer vehicles in the punishing desert environment, far from prying eyes.

If you have a personal account of overland arctic travel or have ever met any of these land trains face to face, please tell us about it by sending a note to editor@fourwheeler.com.

Don’t forget to include high-resolution photographs, if you have them. FW

Another of the vehicles that was tested at the Yuma Proving Ground.

FOUR WHEELER (ISSN 0015-9123) August 2022; Vol. 59, No. 8. Copyright © 2022 by Motor Trend Group, LLC. All rights reserved. Published monthly by Motor Trend Group, LLC, 831 South Douglas Street, El Segundo, CA 90245. Periodicals postage paid at Los Angeles, CA, and at additional mailing offices. Single copy price is $6.99. SUBSCRIPTIONS: U.S. APO, FPO and U.S. Possessions $19.97 for 12 isssues. Canada orders add $12.00 per year and international orders add $24.00 per year (for surface mail postage). Payment in advance, U.S. funds only.

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82 AUGUST 2022 FOUR WHEELER

fourwheeler.com

THE BUCK STOPS HERE.

BILSTEIN B8 6100 for Bronco • Big 2.65” O.D.: 30% increase from Sasquatch • Uses original spring and top-hat • 60mm digressive piston improves ride comfort and control over rough terrain • Bronco specific tuning B8 6100 Typical Lift Heights with OEM Springs Circlip Location

With Sasquatch Package

Badlands Trim Level

4 Door

2 Door

4 Door

2 Door

#6

2.3”

1.7”

2.6”

2.0”

#5

2.0”

1.4”

2.3”

1.7”

#4

1.7”

1.1”

2.0”

1.4”

#3

1.3”

0.8”

1.6”

1.1”

#2

1.0”

0.5”

1.3”

0.8”

#1

0.7”

0.2”

1.0”

0.5”

WAY AHEAD.