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4-WHEELING SURVIVAL TEST
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO ULTIMATE ADVENTURE! LOCATIONS I RIGS I CARNAGE AND MORE 23-YEAR HISTORY
OCTOBER 2022
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CONTENTS
OCTOBER 2022, VOL.59, NO.10
COVER SECTION:
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO ULTIMATE ADVENTURE! 12 THE HISTORY OF ULTIMATE ADVENTURE, 1999-PRESENT A look back at 4-Wheel & Off-Road’s incredible off-road event
FEATURES & EVENTS 30 RANDY’S DANDY
One member of a family of Jeeps
40 CLASS ACT Former Colorado school teachers’ first-gen Tundra turned into an unlimited hall pass for overlanding adventures
12
52 LIT This Gladiator sports unique off-road lights and more tools for the trail
58 THE ROAD TO RELIC RUN Part 3: Vintage overlanding in Wyoming
64 BRONC OH! A shiny, fuel-injected, vintage Bronco built for beach cruising
30
72 FROM THE BACKCOUNTRY This land is your land
TECH & HOW-TOS
36 HEAVY LIFTING
64
We test the new TacJack tactical jack
46 DENTSIDE Part 3: Stolen mid-build, spurring Plan B
68 DIY HARDTOP RESTO A low-buck renewal of our old, weathered Bronco top
TIRE TEST
26 MICKEY THOMPSON BAJA BOSS M/T 10,000-mile torture test with a Baja-inspired mud-terrain
40
LONG-TERM TEST
76 2021 RAM 1500 TRX Third report: When off-roading is your thing
DEPARTMENTS 4 FIRING ORDER 6 INBOX 8 RPM 10 PARTS RACK 78 TECHLINE 80 CALENDAR 82 TRAIL’S END fourwheeler.com
36
26 Q ON THE COVER Ultimate Adventure (UA) launched in 1999 and one of the 4x4s on that inaugural event was this ’72 Chevy Blazer piloted by Trent McGee. Over the years, UA has cemented its reputation as one of the most challenging, carnage-causing, and fun 4WD events in the world. Read all about UA beginning on page 12.
FOUR WHEELER OCTOBER 2022 3
FIRING ORDER
That time I led Ultimate Adventure for a few minutes
T
his issue of Four Wheeler includes a very special deep dive into the history of the incredible Ultimate Adventure. Ultimate Adventure began in 1999 as a 4-Wheel & Off-Road exclusive and it’ll celebrate its 23rd adventure in 2022. Throughout those years it has taken participants on an incredible ride in some of the most challenging off-road terrain in the world. And it has taken readers along, too, with in-depth coverage that made you feel like you were there. I got to lead Ultimate Adventure once, for just a few minutes, but the experience has stuck with me since that day in 2004. I was Senior Editor at Four Wheeler and by that time Four Wheeler and 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazines were both owned by the same company. The 2004 Ultimate Adventure was passing within a couple of miles of the northern Illinois Four Wheeler Midwest Bureau as the convoy traveled from The Cliffs Insane Terrain in Marseilles, Illinois, on its way to Apple Valley Farms Off-Road Park in Wisconsin. My old brain is a bit foggy on how it came about, but I do remember talking with then-editor Rick Péwé during his prerun of the route and agreeing to lead the group down a stretch of rural two-track as a quick detour from pavement. The day finally arrived, and Rick called to let me know the group was close. My two boys and I jumped in Project Fiery Redhead, the ’92 F-150 Four Wheeler project truck, and drove the two miles down our one-lane road to the main road. Soon, a very long line of 4x4s began to appear. All shapes and sizes of rigs stretching for a mile it seemed. It was surreal to see Ultimate Adventure in my ’hood. Soon it got even more surreal as I led the group down one-lane roads to the dirt two-track roads. Fortunately for me, the area had encountered a lot of rain and the two track was saturated, so it turned out to be fun. The deep ruts left by tractors were filled with water and the ruts swallowed tires. It was kind of like driving a slot car as the tires just followed the crooked ruts. Attempts to stay out of the ruts were met with greasy terrain that offered little traction and inevitably caused the rigs to fall back into the ruts. The plan was that the detour from the main paved road would only take a few minutes, but it ended up taking longer because the Ultimate Taco, the official Ultimate Adventure build vehicle, stalled after a spirited jaunt through deep water. The fear was that the Toyota Tacoma’s V-6 had
4 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
I believe this photo was taken during the romp through the water that stalled the Ultimate Taco for a bit during the 2004 Ultimate Adventure.
ingested water, but after a bit of underhood inspection it was found that the mass airflow sensor had gotten water on it. Easy fix. Following the drying of the sensor a significant summer thunderstorm blew in with dark skies, wind, and a downpour of rain, so everyone ran for their rigs. In a welcome turn of events, we exited the muddy two-track just as the storm hit and everyone’s rig got washed outside and underneath in the ensuing downpour. As the group turned left at the paved road and I turned right to head home. I was jealous as I looked in the rearview mirror and watched the Ultimate Adventure group disappear in the rain. I knew they had some great times waiting for
them in Wisconsin. But I was glad to be a part of it, even if only for a few minutes, and I was glad everyone seemed to have a good time on the little muddy two-track detour. Ultimate Adventure is a unique event that is often copied but never duplicated. As you’ll read in this issue’s fascinating story, the event has covered vast areas of the U.S., including Alaska, and it never shies away from an off-road challenge. No matter whether you’re reading about Ultimate Adventure or participating in it, it’s a memorable 4x4 experience. –KEN BRUBAKER KEN.BRUBAKER@FOURWHEELER.COM PHOTOS: KEN BRUBAKER & 4-WHEEL & OFF-ROAD STAFF
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Inbox BY KEN BRUBAKER EDITOR@FOURWHEELER.COM
CJ-5 MEMORIES I loved the article entitled “Jeep CJ-5 Buyer’s Guide” in the April 2022 issue. In 1967, I bought a surplus M38A1 the year I graduated from high school in east San Diego County. Someone had put the Buick 225ci engine in it, but it had the stock wheels. I haven’t found a picture of it yet. I was “Jeep hooked.” In 1973, after the Marines, I bought a new CJ-5 with the soft top for (wait for it) $3,500 with the 258ci straight-six that had great torque. That was a lot of money at the time. I had saved money when I was in Vietnam (tracked vehicle mechanic) and put $1,000 down. I think my payments were about $80 a month. I had that vehicle for 15 years, getting me through grad school in geoarchaeology and I drove it all over the Southwest and northwest Mexico doing fieldwork. Never a problem. In the late ’70s after being laid off, I rebuilt the engine (Motor Machine in San Diego) and put in a new clutch and pressure plate. I drove it until 1989 and traded it for an Isuzu Trooper. After a number of Toyota Tacomas, I just ordered a ’22 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon (manual trans, of course) and eagerly await my return to Jeep country. Attached is a photo of my ’73 CJ-5 right after I bought it (note the ’70s hair and beard). I only put wider wheels and tires on it over the years, and an aluminum top, but did the PM religiously. I’ve been reading Four Wheeler off and on for decades. Keep up the good work.
beauty, the similarity to mudding without the cleanup ... not to mention the greatly reduced numbers of people. Always up for a snow wheeling trip. Gear: basic cold weather gear and typical 4x4 support pack. You might notice the soft top. It’s warmer than a hardtop. The interior is spray-on lined with insulation and bedliner. Note the windows are clear. I deleted the second heater because I stay plenty warm. The rig is your basic ’71 FJ40 on 40s (38s pictured), linked, and locked (twist the hub for differential action). The belly is flat, and the front is a high-pinion D44 from a F-250 (1⁄2-inch-thick walls), the rear is a D60 with 14-bolt hubs. It also has a 350ci EFI Chevy engine, Dana 300 T-case with updates, and a NV4500. The less snow you push, the farther you get. Typically, I run 11 psi, 8 psi on occasion, and only once did I run 2 psi when that wasn’t getting it done. I think on that day (I go wheel there often), we were on about 10 feet of snow. AARON VIA EMAIL
STEVE VIA EMAIL
M38CDN PROJECT In response to your latest Firing Order (“Flat Be The Fenders,” Jun. ’22), I finally felt I had something I could write in with (no doubt, one of many writing in). Attached is a pic of my Ford-built ’52 M38CDN (my understanding is that it’s one of about 2,500 built) on the day I brought it home this past June. (It’s a very un-glamourous driveway shot). The previous owner had to part ways with it, and included a spare engine, transmission/transfer case, as well as a garage worth of parts and tools. Since that picture was taken, I’ve POR-15’d the frame, got some body mounts installed, pulled all the ancient wiring (it was a 12V conversion, and done poorly), rebuilt the carb, and generally gone over practically all nuts and bolts.
This past weekend I was finally at a stage to test the engine, and it tried to start. Sadly, it also spit coolant out the oil pressure port. So, a head gasket (at least) is in the works. Rick Péwé and David Freiburger’s Roadkill flattie rebuilds on Motor Trend keep me motivated and make me realize that I don’t have to go all out with restoring the Jeep just to enjoy it. So, ultimately, I plan a mild resto with enough new parts to keep it driveable, safe, and a bit more modern, while trying to retain the character given to it through its use in the Canadian military and various civilian owners. KEVIN VIA EMAIL
SNOW-SLAYING FJ40 You asked (Snow Wheeling: Thumbs Up, Or Thumbs Down? Apr. ’22). I prefer snow wheeling to all other forms of wheeling. The quiet, the
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 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
ICELANDIC ’42 MB My first Jeep was a ’42 MB flatfender. I acquired it when I was stationed in Iceland, in 1971. Someone in its past had built a wooden cab for it. I had it for about half a year, put some new NDT tires on it, repaired the e-brake to satisfy Icelandic law, and in general explored the area around the Reykjanes Peninsula. It met its demise one day while I was on the way to Reykjavik. One of the old steel wheels on the rear tore off the lug nuts and flipped the Jeep off the road. It was a raised road with ditches on each side. The Jeep ended up in one of the ditches, with the wooden cab torn apart. The cab was built using regular window glass, and I ended up getting the back of my hand sliced open, and a couple of tendons sliced apart. The last time I saw that Jeep, as I was being loaded into an ambulance for the trip back to the base, it was a total wreck. I assume that it ended up in a wrecking yard somewhere. Here’s a picture of the Jeep sitting in the middle of a lava field, with a steam pipe vent in the background It was 40 years later when I got my next Jeep. In 2011, I bought my current Jeep: an ’00 Sahara. DAVE VIA EMAIL
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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE MANUFACTURERS
BY TORI TELLEM EDITOR@FOURWHEELER.COM
RPM AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
In the News Q Color us not-shocked about how a AAA survey found that drivers want “automakers to improve the performance of existing driver support features” rather than fixate on building self-driving vehicles. Q For real: The results of the Bugs Matter Citizen Science Survey conducted by Buglife and the Kent Wildlife Trust are in. They analyzed UK license plates for dead flying bug and guts and found a 60 percent decline over the course of 17 years. We’re unclear whether the messaging is for us to stop driving or that insects are finally figuring things out and the uprising is coming. Q As we went to press, the stats according to ISeeCars.com had Fairbanks, Alaska, as the most expensive locale for buying a used Jeep
Grand Cherokee and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as the cheapest. Meanwhile, Glendive, Montana, ranked highest for a used Ford F-150; Zanesville, Ohio, was at the other end of
cost. Most costly places for a used Ram 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500? Anchorage and CasperRiverton, Wyoming, respectively. Anchorage also was painful for used Toyota Tacomas.
’23 Toyota 4Runner 40th Anniversary Special Edition
Is It True? • Brabus Crawler dune buggy: 900 horses and $900,000 sticker? • The Ford Transit Trail off-road van is coming to the U.S.? • BMW is painting vehicles with biowaste or waste from sewage treatment plants instead of crude oil at its European facilities? • Volkswagen is planning for a new electric pickup and SUV under a new brand name, Scout? • Cummins is bailing on diesel engines for hydrogen engines? • The ’24 Toyota Tacoma is getting rear coil springs? 8 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
The Toyota 4Runner is 40 years old. Take a moment to reflect or to count your grays. To honor the milestone, there’s a ’23 4Runner Anniversary Special Edition and even if there’s nothing else to show for it (which is basically that it’s available in White, Midnight Black Metallic, and Barcelona Red Metallic), we’re totally, completely, seriously digging the heritage body graphics, a throwback to the off-road-racing days. Only 4,040 of these unique four-bys will be available.
Your Government at Work • “The petitioners alleged that 2021 MY Ford Broncos vehicles are experiencing loss of motive power at highway speeds with no-restart due to catastrophic engine failures.” That’s NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation looking into claims of an “alleged defect of the ‘valves’ on 2021 MY Ford Bronco vehicles equipped with the 2.7L Eco-boost engine.” • Sounds like the District of Columbia is interested in charging a $500 registration fee if what you drive weighs more than 6,000 pounds (that fee is about seven times more than registering a regular ol’ car). • California has a 5-year pilot program planned that’ll use “sound-activated enforcement system” (read: sensors and smart cameras) to grab the license plate of too-loud modified exhaust systems. • The EPA announced the fuel economy digits for the ’22 Ford Bronco Raptor: 15 mpg city and 16 mpg highway, for a combined 15 mpg (when’s
the last time you saw those numbers that near-identical?). Also, the ’22 Jeep Grand Wagoneer came in at 13 city, 18 highway, for a combined 15 mpg. • After pleading guilty, Stellantis/FCA US will pay approximately $300 mil in penalties for that U.S. Justice Department diesel-emissions fraud case over ’14-’16 Jeeps and Rams. • Hackers gonna hack—the California Department of Justice received a breach notification from GM, which sent a letter to some customers, “advising you of a data incident involving the identification of recent redemption of your reward points that appears to be without your authorization.” It happened in April 2022.
Win a Million Dollars Yeah, you’re not winning a million dollars. But we’ve lured you in to read this, as we know many of you have no interest in EVs. Or crossovers. Yet … this has the potential to be neat. Chris Ramsey will be the first person to drive from the magnetic North Pole to the South Pole in an all-electric specimen come early 2023. In this case, it’s the AWD Nissan Ariya e-FORCE. If anything, your interest should be piqued in how the EV will deal with deathmode cold temps for a journey covering 14 countries (making that around 17,000 miles) and ending in Antarctica. The prep? Already been more than 4 years.
“BOZEMAN IS A THRIVING AND ECONOMIC MICROPOLITAN CITY. NESTLED NEAR DOZENS OF OFFROAD TRAILS WITH MORE THAN 150 MILES OF TERRAIN AND MOUNTAIN ACCESS FOR UMV TESTING—IT’S THE PERFECT FIT FOR OUR NEW R&D LAB.”—HYUNDAI ANNOUNCING NEW HORIZONS STUDIO’S NEW JOINT IN MONTANA, WHICH WILL FOCUS ON VEHICLES LIKE ELEVATE
Q SEMA’s 2022 Hall of Fame inductees: Walker Evans, Jack Roush, and Gene Winfield (a customizer/fabricator). Q October’s all-female, 10-days-off-road Rebelle Rally will have a competitor in the form of a ’23 Kia Sportage X-Pro. Q There’s nothing we’d add to this statement: Igloo and Jeep “ventured out for adventure by releasing the first-ever Jeep Playmate coolers, featuring original artwork geared toward Jeep brand enthusiasts who want to keep their refreshments ice-cold throughout every journey.” However, there are things we’d subtract. Q “Screen Deployable Across Opening in Vehicle Body” is the title of a product trademark Ford filed. Are we getting netting for doors? Q If you can afford it, a Bentley Bentayga Extended Wheelbase’s seats: “The system can apply 177 individual pressure changes across six fully independent pressure zones over a 3-hour period improving comfort and minimizing fatigue throughout a journey.” We can afford it, but are holding out for 180 pokes and 4 hours. Q Hey, Toyota? Um … thanks? “The Cabin Awareness concept takes a unique approach to in-vehicle occupant detection using a 4D imaging radar sensor, mounted out of sight above a vehicle’s headliner that can detect presence of a life form in the vehicle, even after a driver exits.” fourwheeler.com
Illustration: uspto.gov
What’s Happening in the Industry
Q $98,285 is not how we expected this announcement to end: “The Ram 1500 TRX Sandblast Edition enhances the well-appointed TRX Level 2 Equipment Group and includes a unique Mojave Sand exterior color and graphics, unique 18-inch all-black beadlock capable wheels, dual pane panoramic sunroof, spray-in bedliner, cargo tie-downs, bed step, and an LED cab-mounted brakelight.” Oh, and add a $1,795 destination fee. FW FOUR WHEELER OCTOBER 2022 9
Parts Rack
BY JERED KORFHAGE JERED.KORFHAGE@FOURWHEELER.COM PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE MANUFACTURERS
-> ELEVATED 392
Skyjacker’s ADX 2.0 Adventure Series Remote Reservoir Aluminum Monotube Shocks are designed to excel in higher-speed applications and also perform while rockcrawling. The external remote reservoir separates the nitrogen gas from the oil with an Internal Floating Piston (IFP). The majority of the reservoir contains pressurized nitrogen gas. The IFP prevents the gas and oil from mixing or foaming (cavitation). When paired with Skyjacker’s dual-rate, long-travel coil springs and the other heavy-duty components of the company’s 3.5-inch Suspension Lift System, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 392 can benefit from a more aggressive off-road stance and improved flex on the trail while maintaining quality on-road handling characteristics. INFO: Skyjacker, 318/388-0816, skyjacker.com
<| SEAL YOUR SCOUT
Need help keeping the weather out of your ’71-’80 International Scout II? The Vent Window Weatherstrip Set from Steele Rubber Products is a four-piece kit designed from the original parts that is said to offer a superior fit for the driver and passenger vent windows. This kit includes rubber seals with corrosion-resistant brass cores that are made in the U.S. INFO: Steele Rubber Products, 800/230-8101, steelerubber.com
<| CLEARANCE MAKERS
\> ON-THE-GO POWER
Cobra’s 200 Watt Portable Power Station is a ready-to-go source for charging and powering your portable electronics and it fits easily into a packed 4x4. The internal 211Wh lithium iron phosphate battery is good for hundreds of charging cycles and the device itself can be recharged via solar power (panels sold separately), AC wall outlets, or with the included 12V cable. An internal 200W pure sine wave inverter feeds dual 110V outlets for laptops and small appliances while a pair of USB-A and a single USB-C port are on hand for charging smaller electronics. The power station is said to be lightweight and portable and features an easy-to-read LCD screen with battery status and output readings. There are two LED lights built into the power station to illuminate campsites or workspaces. INFO: Cobra, 800/964-3138, cobra.com
JKS Manufacturing has what you need to maximize clearance inside the front wheelwells of your ’21 Ford Bronco. Aftermarket tire fitment can be limited by the front body mount brackets and intrusion beams, and the Max Tire Clearance Kit is here to help. By replacing the front body mount with a 3⁄16-inch steel high-clearance body mount and adjusting the profile of the inner fenderliner with new brackets, larger tires can be installed with increased clearance through full wheel travel. Visit the JKS Manufacturing website for details on the best fitment for your desired lift and wheels and tires. INFO: JKS Manufacturing, 517/278-1226, jksmfg.com
10 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
</ PORTABLE FAUCET The Dometic GO Hydration Water Faucet helps you turn most portable water containers into an on-demand faucet. The device helps you make the most of the water you bring on outings by dispensing only as much as you need at the push of a button, whether it’s one liter or allowing flow for one minute. One charge is said to flow 150 liters through the faucet, and it can be attached to surfaces via the included magnetic patch. The Hydration Water Faucet is designed to work seamlessly with Dometic’s Hydration Water Jug. INFO: Dometic, 800/5444881, dometic.com fourwheeler.com
-> MAKING POWER
Yamaha’s EF7200DE generator, and more generators in the company’s lineup, now include an integrated CO sensor with an automatic shut-off system. When the CO Sensor detects elevated levels of carbon monoxide, the generators automatically shut off and will remain off for approximately five minutes, with an indication to move to a well-ventilated space. The CO Sensor graphic and LED indicator lights have been added to the control panels to notify the user of carbon monoxide emission levels or system malfunctions. In addition to the CO sensor, all Yamaha generators are equipped with a Low Oil Warning System that shuts off the engine if the oil level drops too low and an automatic cutoff if a leak to ground is detected. INFO: Yamaha Motor Corporation, 800/962-7926, yamahamotorsports.com
</ RACKED UP
Looking to boost the cargocarrying capacity of your ’21-’22 Ford Bronco? Look no further than the ZROADZ Roof Rack. The rack installs using factory mounting points, can be removed when not in use, and features adjustable dual crossbars that are said to make positioning cargo items a breeze. The ZROADZ Roof Rack is made from 1.5-inch round tubing with heavy-gauge, mild-steel crossbars and comes standard with a powdercoated finish. The rack carries 240-pound dynamic and 570-pound static load ratings and ZROADZ includes all necessary hardware for installation. Compatible only with hardtop Broncos. INFO: ZROADZ, 966/483-7744, zroadz.com
|> PURE POWER
REDARC’s 2000W Pure Sine Wave Inverter makes it possible to plug in anywhere and power all your 110V luxuries from home. With a 2,000W inverter in your off-grid setup, you can charge your phones, cameras, laptops, and speakers, and run GPS, BiPAP, coffee machines, hairdryers, microwaves, irons, and power tools without fear of damaging your appliances. With a Pure Sine Wave output, the inverter ensures appliances run smoothly and efficiently, producing less heat and noise. REDARC inverters feature multiple levels of protection including overload, short circuit, and an over temperature and load-controlled cooling fan, which is engaged when power consumption reaches a threshold. This ensures the inverter can work comfortably in even the harshest conditions. INFO: REDARC, 704/247-5150, redarcelectronics.com
<| SPEED STOPPERS
Match the impressive power and hauling capabilities of your ’19-’22 Ram 1500 with improved stopping power. Wilwood’s six-piston TX6R Tactical Xtreme calipers and 16-inch rotors provide an added margin of safety and increased confidence and control for high-performance driving situations. The high-friction 16-inch-diameter GT60 curved vane rotors are Wilwood’s Spec37 iron and the units are an inch larger than stock for increased torque and increased thermal capacity. Forged aluminum TX6R Tactical Xtreme calipers with reinforced end bridges for rigidity, paired with fade-free SmartPad BP-20 compound brake pads, are said to deliver high clamping forces to positively and consistently stop trucks and heavy loads. Wilwood’s brakes are engineered to work with the factory master cylinder and ABS computer system. INFO: Wilwood, 805/388-1188, wilwood.com fourwheeler.com
/> SIDE-BY-SIDE ARMOR
Warn Industries has what you need to help defend your Polaris General 1000 and XP 1000 from trail obstacles. Built from tough 1⁄8-inch steel and powdercoated for exceptional durability, the company’s bumper will allow Warn VRX and AXON winch models to be mounted on the General 1000 and General XP 1000 for increased protection and recovery duty. The bumper also showcases welded recovery points ready for shackles (sold separately), and the design helps to maintain the General’s factory lines while sitting high to provide ground clearance and off-road performance. For maximum corrosion protection, this bumper wears a durable black textured powdercoat that withstands rigorous salt spray testing and promotes corrosion resistance. INFO: Warn Industries, 800/543-9276, warn.com FOUR WHEELER OCTOBER 2022 11
FEATURE
THE
HISTORY OF
A look back at 4-Wheel & OffRoad’s incredible off-road event
ULTIMATE ADVENTURE
By Christian Hazel christian_hazel@motortrend.com Photos: 4-Wheel & Off-Road staff
1 9 9 9 - P R E S E N T “What is Ultimate Adventure?” A question a child may ask, but not a childish question. Although Ultimate Adventure, or “UA” as it’s affectionately referred to, is a very well-known event in the off-road world, now more than two decades after its inception the actual history behind the event may be a bit murky and shadowed. When was the first one? Has the event always been the same? Did it develop out of some sort of competition? Is it in the same place every year? Well, let’s get into answering those questions and more. Ultimate Adventure was the brainchild of Cole Quinnell. Cole started as a lowly editorial assistant at Hot Rod magazine before working his way up to staff level. While a Hot Rod staffer, it was Cole who came up with the idea for Hot Rod’s Power Tour, which to this day is still one of the most wildly successful automotive events in the world. After leaving Hot Rod to launch a hands-on off-road book called 4x4 Power, Cole eventually landed at the helm of Petersen’s 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine. It was there in mid-to-late 1999 that Cole had the idea to just get a bunch of 4x4 friends rallied to stitch together a bunch of really cool off-road trails into one 7-10–day adventure. The invite list for that first UA was pretty informal, with no application or selection process. Cole and ad sales guy Brian Cox contacted a bunch of hands-on off-roading advertisers as well as readers and some selected friends. Other than some vehicle requirements that seem pretty tame by today’s standards, there were no hard and fast rules, as you can read about below. So, hop on board to see the why, where, and whodathunk behind the world’s oldest and bestknown off-road experiential event of its kind. Let’s fire up the Way Back machine and take a look at the history of Ultimate Adventure from its inception back in 1999 to today. 12 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
POINT YOUR PHONE CAMERA AT THIS CODE TO READ PART 1 OF THE 2021 ULTIMATE ADVENTURE PRESENTED BY RUGGED RIDGE
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UA1999 C
ompared to nowadays, the first UA was quite informal, with participants getting a verbal invite and showing up together at the prearranged meeting point of Apache Junction, Arizona. The route wasn’t kept a secret and we had a lot more locals swinging by to watch and wheel with us on our trail days. We didn’t have any specific vehicle requirements, with a few of our participants running 33s or front limited-slip differentials in lieu of the now-requisite minimum tire size of 35s and front and rear locker mandate. Heck, even trailers were allowed with a couple of the participants towing their junk behind motorhomes. The first UA in 1999 kicked off on September 11 and ran a full 10 days (travel to and from the event counted as event days) with the familiar cadence of one road day followed by a trail day, then another road day as we headed to the next trail, and so on. Route Recap: Apache Junction, Arizona (Upper Ajax trail); Las Cruces, New Mexico (Tabasco Twister); Farmington, New Mexico (Waterfalls trail); Montrose, Colorado (Die Trying trail)
Official Vehicle: It wasn’t an official build, but Cole Quinnell (driver) and Christian Hazel (passenger) were up front in Cole’s ’76 GMC K10 on 36-inch Swampers. Notable Notes: It was so hot that Tech Editor John Cappa’s sneakers melted on the floor of his
V-8–powered ’46 CJ-2A. Trent McGee drove his super sweet pumpkin-orange Chevy Blazer, and our local trail leader on the last trail day broke 100 yards into Die Trying and abandoned us to go into town for parts so we finished the trail on our own.
Route Recap: Placerville, California (Rubicon trail); Naches, Washington (Shoestring/Kaner trail); Duncan, British Columbia (Bitch trail) Official Vehicle: Rick built an old Jeep M38A1 body he had laying around his property using an aftermarket frame, Ram Jet V-8 engine, and Dynatrac Dana 60s he dubbed, “The Ultimate A1.” Notable Notes: Rick was still thrashing to finish the Ultimate A1 and missed the first trail day. Tom Boyd lost the brakes in his Bronco on a steep downhill section of the Kaner trail and he pitted Jon Bundrant’s ’85 4Runner, causing a severe rollover that totaled the Toyota and left the occupants with minor injuries. This was the only year UA took place outside the USA (Canada).
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lthough we planned on doing another UA as soon as we had completed the first one, we didn’t get around to doing a second UA until 2001. By then it had become a formal magazine event with paid sponsorships, rules, and vehicle requirements. In fact, those vehicle requirements with very, very few exceptions are still in place today. Although it was somewhat higher-level, exotic stuff for the time, by today’s standard there are some factory Jeep offerings that if you added a winch, you’d be UA-eligible! This year also marked a change in staffing, with Cole Quinnell having been promoted to Editorial Director and Rick Péwé coming on board as the new Editor of 4-Wheel & Off-Road. The planning for the UA2001 event was handled by Cole, Rick, and Christian Hazel and with a new “no-trailers” rule, a strict vehicle inspection on check-in day for the 19 invited vehicles, and a duration of seven days, the die was cast in many ways for the UAs that would follow. fourwheeler.com
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Feature HISTORY OF UA
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or UA2002, the event had fully come into its own, with the addition of video coverage added to the mix to cover the 27 vehicles in attendance. Before the days of YouTube and even DVDs, these early UA videos were sold on VHS with coverage time running roughly an hour or so. The UA2002 event was also Cole Quinnell’s last year associated with the event or magazines, as shortly after it wrapped, he left the company for a gig at Chrysler. Cole preran and planned an exceptionally enjoyable route that mixed epic and scenic dirt road drives into the road days and upped the difficulty factor on the trail days. It was also a banner year because as the official tire sponsor, BFGoodrich provided a bunch of early-production Krawlers for the participants to use and allowed each to custom-groove the tread at the BFG semi-truck before the event started. Performance factors learned from the trip made their way into the production Krawler T/A. From triple-digit temps in Utah to intense hail-laden thunderstorms in Colorado, this year nature played as heavy a hand as the terrain. Route Recap: Cedar City, Utah (Three Peaks OHV park); Moab, Utah (Upper Helldorado trail); Montrose, Colorado (Calamity Canyon trail); Canon City, Colorado (Great Sand Dunes National Monument trail) Official Vehicle: As our first official OE sponsor, Ford provided a new 7.3L Super Duty pickup that was treated to an ATS performance chip, a Dynatrac Dana 60 front, and 46-inch military Michelin XML tires. Notable Notes: The Super Duty was cool but plagued with issues. The heavy truck bead on the XMLs didn’t work with the automotive bead on the beadlock wheels and it continually snapped and spit beadlock bolts. In Moab, Christian Hazel had to pretty much drag it through Upper Helldorado behind his ’85 Ramcharger after the front axleshaft and the sector shaft in the steering box snapped. We also visited the Royal Gorge and for those so inclined, many of us did a post-UA hard-core trail outside of Canon City.
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his year there was a new sheriff in town, with Rick Péwé taking the UA reins from Cole Quinnel. Rick would stay in charge of the event until Christian Hazel took it over in 2016 and Rick’s first year brought the crew to the hard-core slick trails of the Southeast. With a new staff including Fred Williams, Jerrod Jones, and David Kennedy along with new sponsors, namely Chevy as title sponsor, this year UA really began solidifying the recipe of a full-bore and unique project build as a focal point to lead the event. Fred took charge of overseeing the official vehicle build, which would also become a commonplace occurrence with only few differences throughout the event’s span. Route Recap: Murphy, North Carolina (Tellico OHV Park); Monteagle, Tennessee (Stagecoach OHV Park); Birmingham, Alabama (Gray Rock OHV Park); Starkville, Mississippi (Magnolia Mud Run, private property); Hot Springs, Arkansas (Hot Springs OHV area) Official Vehicle: The Ultimate Avalanche was an 8.1L-powered Avalanche 2500 that got steering Dynatrac Dana 60s front and rear, a slinky suspension, and 39-inch BFGoodrich Krawler tires. Notable Notes: The Ultimate Avalanche needed some rear steer and other repairs during the event, which happened at Keith Bailey’s Off Road Connection shop. Keith would in turn become an event staple as a participant and then later as a Crony. This year also added more real wheeling into the traditional “road day.”
the official UA build, staffers randomly interspersed throughout the group shooting photography or spotting or running winch lines, and a slightly growing contingent of previous participants like Trent McGee, Clifton Slay, and Tim Hardy, who knew the drill and were always ready and able to pitch in to help newer participants no matter what was needed should the need arise.
Route Recap: Atlas, Illinois (Rockport Off Road Park); Marseilles, Illinois (Cliffs Insane Terrain Off Road Park); New Auburn, Wisconsin (Apple Valley Farms Off Road Park); Gilbert, Minnesota (Iron Range Off Highway Vehicle Recreation Area) Official Vehicle: The Ultimate Tacoma was the result of Toyota’s title sponsorship of the event. A brand-new Toyota Tacoma was linked front and rear for solid axles to support 39-inch BFGoodrich Krawler T/As and the truck was fogged in a cool orange and green paintjob that really made it stand out. Notable Notes: From rollovers to heavy mud extractions, the hard-core terrain was a challenge. This year also injected more camping into the mix, with fewer hotel nights and more sleeping under the stars for the first time in UA history.
long, drawn out days behind the wheel can tax the human brain and psyche even if you are on the off-road trip of a lifetime. Keeping spirits up is one big reason why points of interest, cool side trips, and road day wheeling made their way into the UA template. For UA2005, the 21 rigs in attendance kicked off in the steamy town of Seymour, Missouri, and left air conditioning, uninterrupted sleep, and boredom in the rearview. Route Recap: Seymour, Missouri (Southern Missouri Off Road Ranch); Fayetteville, Arkansas (Outlaw Adventures Off-Road Park); Clayton, Oklahoma (Rock Creek Off-Road
Park); Poteau, Oklahoma (Axle Breaker trail) Official Vehicle: The Ultimate K10 was a stepside ’85 Chevy pickup with a Ram Jet engine, Offroad Design Doubler, 1-ton axles, and 39-inch BFGoodrich Krawlers that was created under the careful tutelage and scrutiny of staffer David Kennedy. Notable Notes: Tom Boyd installed a fiberglass pickup front clip on his early Bronco and for some reason flopped the rig on its passenger side several times on several different trails. The terrain and wheeling were intense and took the UA trail days to an entirely new level.
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red Williams wrote the UA recap story for the November ’04 issue of 4-Wheel & Off-Road saying, “Five years ago the former editors of this magazine were looking for an excuse to go wheeling on the gnarliest trails around and write it off as work.” Yeah, that’s pretty much what we were doing, and acknowledging that fact and carrying it forward is probably one of the things that has helped UA survive and grow to this day. For the fifth UA in 2004, the group visited the hardest trails possible throughout the Midwest, employing the by-now tried and true formula of Rick Péwé leading in
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he timing of the UA is great for long days, but where it hit in this era, smack over the 4th of July holiday, didn’t do much to garner cool, comfortable weather. And given the event’s frequent visitation to southern latitudes, hot and sticky weather would become a hallmark of UA for years to come. But that’s just one of the reasons why the event’s first rule is “No Whining.” Another reason for that is that
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Feature HISTORY OF UA
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ime marches on and with it so too does technology. This is the first year UA began expanded coverage on the magazine’s website. It meant dragging along an additional staffer to man the uploads, but with over 20 vehicles in tow, what’s another body here or there, right? After the super sweltering heat and humidity of Missouri and Oklahoma the previous year, the move to Idaho promised some drier, if not cooler temps. After the requisite tech inspection, some pitched in to help staffer Fred Williams who was literally still bolting parts onto the official FJ Cruiser buildup in the parking lot. Last minute thrashes have always been a UA staple but test-driving the official
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eeehaw! UA2007 kicked off in the Lone Star state and given that everything is bigger in Texas, it was only fitting that the official vehicle of UA2007 was a four-door JK Wrangler sitting atop a chopped and modded Ram diesel chassis. But more on that in a moment. The “Cowboy Style” year proved to the wheeling world that Texas has some upper-level terrain that tests the mettle of even the most 16 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
vehicle that’s gonna lead an event of 20-plus rigs over 1,000 miles and climb 15-foot waterfalls in the process … that’s entirely a UA thing! Route Recap: Boise, Idaho (Rattlesnake Alley trail); Elko, Nevada (Gas Tank Alley trail); Rexburg, Idaho (St. Anthony Sand Dunes); Idaho
Falls, Idaho (Mud Wheeling - private farm) Official Vehicle: With Toyota back as the Title Sponsor of UA2006 to promote its thennew FJ Cruiser, Fred Williams took charge of overseeing the buildup and installation of a linked front suspension to support a solid axle and 39-inch BFGoodrich Krawlers. The green paint and overall shape earned the Ultimate FJ the nickname “Ninja Turtle” around the office. Notable Notes: Some super-technical rockcrawling donated plenty of sheetmetal carnage and a flop here and there. It was also the third year running that “Hawaiian shirt Wednesday” became a thing after participants donned Rick Péwé’s favorite style of clothing in honor of his birthday landing on a Wednesday during UA2004.
experienced wheelers. With everything from steep, rocky ledge climbs; technical rockcrawling; and bottomless mud pits, this UA offered a little bit of almost every type of terrain between the several hundred-mile road days. Route Recap: Gilmer, Texas (Barnwell Mountain OHV area); Huntsville, Texas (General Sam’s Off-Road Wilderness Park); Bandera, Texas (Cline Ranch); Utopia, Texas (Trees Ranch); Mason, Texas (Katemcy Rocks) Official Vehicle: The UAJK was an exercise in excess. Take a brand-new four-door JK Unlimited, drop it off at AEV in Missoula, Montana, slide it under a modified Ram Mega Cab frame, and stab a 325hp, 610lb-ft 5.9L Cummins turbodiesel and NV4500 transmission between the framerails. Then slap it all atop some 42-inch BFGoodrich Krawlers and go wheeling in Texas! Notable Notes: The 5,500-acre Trees Ranch near Banders, Texas, was a combination offroad park and exotic game ranch. The mud bog day wreaked havoc on the vehicles during the ensuing road days, as the electrical and cooling systems were adversely affected. Every fuel stop turned into a water balloon fight. This was also the year the term “Cronies” was first used in reference to the small team of volunteers who help herd the UA cats and fix broken stuff. fourwheeler.com
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Feature HISTORY OF UA
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ith UA2008 came some fresh-to-the-event faces on staff, namely Kevin McNulty and Ali Mansour. Ali manned the official buildup of the UAZ71 truck at Off Road Evolution in Fullerton, California, while Rick Péwé did his regular job of prerunning the route and scouting the trails, beginning in South Dakota and winding through the beautiful country heading more or less in a southwesterly direction. The terrain was double-tough, with a rollover by Handsome Fred Perry to set the tone for the week. Big ledges, awesome trails, and Americana galore was on the menu, and as per the norm now, it all came out in a nice DVD you could purchase or that you could read about spread across two issues of 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine.
Route Recap: Keystone, South Dakota (Hal Johns trail); Medora, North Dakota (Badlands/ Walker and Northwest Passage trails - private ranch); Miles City, Montana (Glendive Short Pine BLM OHV Area); Rangely, Colorado (Megasaurus trail)
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A2009 marked the first time the event reused (sort of) a previous official buildup to lead the event. The magazine-owned Super Duty from the 2002 event had been kicking around the office parking lot in varying states of disrepair when staffer Kevin McNulty kindly leaned on Offroad Design to help resurrect the pickup from a problematic nuisance to an ultra-reliable trail slayer. It came out bitchin’ and mopped the trails on UA2009 with ease. The event kicked off in Butler, Pennsylvania, the home of the Jeep, and meandered in a haphazard way that only UA can pull off to the event’s finish in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
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Official Vehicle: The UAZ71 was a supercapable ’00 GMC Sierra 1500 that received a solid-axle swap with a kingpin Dana 60 front, 14-bolt rear, and Offroad Design NP203/205 Doubler to support BFGoodrich’s then recently released 40-inch KM2 Mud Terrain.
Notable Notes: The carnage this year was higher than usual, with several flops and rollovers, a ton of busted parts, and mechanical issues from fragged axleshafts and electrical issues to snapped suspension links and fuel pump failures.
Route Recap: Six Points, Pennsylvania (Outback Off Road Adventure Park); Western Pennsylvania (Grinnik’s Coal Mine Trail private property); Mantua, Ohio (JeepSkool OHV); Somerset, Ohio (Painted Rock Adventure Park); Harrison, Michigan (Rocks and Valleys Off Road Park); Drummond Island Resort, Michigan (Turtle Ridge Off Road Park) Official Vehicle: The newly dubbed Ultimate Ranch Truck was a much-needed refresh of the official UA2002 Super Duty. Offroad Design ditched the dented factory bed for a custom-fabbed ranch-style flatbed. New front sheetmetal, bumper, and a sweet coilover front suspension rounded out the majority of the major work that Offroad Design did, but the company really left no stone unturned. Aside from a busted factory Sterling rear axleshaft and
a Sterling ring-and-pinion, the rig performed literally one million times better than it had on UA2002. Short story, run a 14-bolt, kids. Notable Notes: Lots of epic water crossings in the way of a ferry and the Mackinac Bridge. Stops of interest included the world’s largest Cabela’s store.
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ey kid, there’s some wicked pissah wheeling to be had up in New England. At least that’s what everybody found out on UA2010 as the event kicked off in New Hampshire. Well, sort of kicked off. When check-in time rolled around on the first day, Rick Péwé, Fred Williams, and a few others were still down in Pennsylvania at the Williams family farm finishing the CJ-17 build. They rolled in before morning of the first trail day and UA2010 was off to a hot and muggy start. The event would wind through Vermont, New York, and ultimately Pennsylvania and Virginia. Route Recap: Keene, New Hampshire (Summit Crawlers-hosted private property wheeling); Cambridgeport, Vermont (Sugar Trail); Granville, New York (Mettowee Mud Boggers park); Fonda, New York (Rok-Park); Pine Grove, Pennsylvania (Rausch Creek Off-Road Park); Winchester, Virginia (Cove Campground/MotoCove) Official Vehicle: The CJ-17 was Rick’s nod to his love of WWII military aircraft. With many cues to the classic Boeing B-17, the aluminum-tub CJ featured trinkets like a butterfly yoke steering wheel and other nods to aviation, but it also showcased the new GM smog-legal LS3 eRod crate engine and Dynatrac ProRock 44 and ProRock 60 axles provided enough oomph to survive the 40-inch Goodyear MT/R tires. Notable Notes: For the first year since the category was created, there was a new Official Tire Sponsor with Goodyear taking the slot vacated by BFGoodrich. There was ice cream at every opportunity to beat the record-breaking heat! The Susquehanna River was running too low to take the historic ferry across. The terrain was legit-tough.
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his is the year that Fred Williams oversaw what is arguably one of the most technologically advanced and coolest official vehicles in UA history, dubbed the Ultimate F-150. But more on that below. With a meeting point of Nevada, Missouri, Ultimate Adventure 2011 was nicknamed The Midwest Metal Mash and it really did live up to its name, with the Ultimate F-150 munching the sides of the body and the majority of the remaining field suffering some sort of breakage, flop, roll, or body damage. In other words, a normal UA. Route Recap: Fort Scott, Kansas (Kansas Rocks Park); Lockwood, Missouri (Jones Mudfest and Trails); Wyandotte, Oklahoma (D-Day Adventure Park); Eureka Springs, Arkansas (Wheelin’ World 4x4 Offroad Park); Daisy, Oklahoma (Buck Creek Ranch/ Off-Road Park) Official Vehicle: Ford was back as a title sponsor and provided an F-150 that Fred took to Randy Ellis Design to have Randy work his magic on. The ’11 F-150 was powered by Ford’s then-new turbocharged EcoBoost V-6 and Randy built a dope IFS front A-arm suspension that provided tons of travel while giving up nothing in terms of strength and coping with the 40-inch Nitto Mud Grappler tires the truck wore. The result, with boat-sided lower rockers, high clearance custom bumpers, and an awesome paint scheme that if ya know ya know, still ranks super high on the wow factor. Notable Notes: Another Official Tire sponsor change, with Nitto Tire coming on board to support the event with its 40x13.50R17 Mud Grappler. “Watch for Copperheads” was warned as frequently as “hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.” A 4x4 van came along to haul the film fourwheeler.com
crew for the first time, driven by Chad Noll from Quigley Motor Company. Verne Simons attended his first UA this year driving his flattie with Trent McGee as co-driver, foreshadowing UA things to come. FOUR WHEELER OCTOBER 2022 19
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t was back to the Northwest for the 23 rigs that attended UA2012 and perhaps one of the most controversial (and as it turns out, reliable) UA project builds of all time! The Pacific Northwest Tour, as it was known, kicked off with check-in day in Redmond, Oregon, and took a meandering, looping route to its terminus in Idaho. Home of (at the time) the longest-continual running sponsor of UA, Warn Industries. The company hosted a lunch at its headquarters for the event on the second day of UA2012 before the crew motored on to fortune and glory … or at least more mud, hard-core twisty trail, and dented sheetmetal.
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trap on your straw hat and prepare for a week of wet pants, soggy shoes, and searing heat in the deep Southeast, fellers! UA2013 began in Oxford, Alabama, where the humidity was so high author Harry Wagner joked each participant was issued a bottle of Gold Bond powder. With terrain ranging from steel shale ledge climbs to taffy-like Georgia clay and Florida muck-ooze, this UA was as dirty as the official vehicle’s name. Traversing a big half-loop, the route would hit killer trails on private lands and OHV parks through the Southeast driving past Daytona Beach and finally ending in South Carolina. Route Recap: Oxford, Alabama (Morris Mountain OHV Park); Milledgeville, Georgia (River Rock ORV Park); Bunnell, Florida (Mud Muckers ATV Park); Waterloo, South Carolina (Gulches ORV Park) 20 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
Route Recap: Redmond, Oregon (Cline Buttes Recreation Area); Ashford, Washington (Elbe Hills OHV Area); Moses Lakes, Washington (Moses Lakes Mud Flats and Sand Dunes); Wallace, Idaho (Compressor trail) Official Vehicle: Jeep was back as the title sponsor, providing a ’12 JK Wrangler Rubicon equipped with the then-new 3.6L Pentastar V-6 engine and five-speed transmission. Fred Williams took the brand-new Rubicon to Hazzard FabWorx in Spokane, Washington, where the crew skillfully cut not one but two Wranglers in half and discarded the rear sections of both. The Ultimate Orange Jeep, or “double-ender” as some called it, actually uses two front framerail sections to the two-face dual grille effect. Yeah, it’s trippy. With a pair of steering Spidertrax custom axle assemblies and a high-zoot long-arm suspension front and rear, the list of custom parts on this Jeep is virtually everything minus the drivetrain. Hazzard FabWorx did an amazing job and years later, other than having the axle assemblies swapped out for a set of Ultimate Dana 60s, this Jeep has required little more than regular maintenance no matter how badly we beat on it. Notable Notes: For the first time, the age-old UA adage “Wheel for the week, not for the day,” was quoted in print by author Ali Mansour. Chris Durham drove from Pickens, South Carolina, in his 5.9L-powered Jeep and swapped the 4.10 gears in the rear 14-bolt for event-friendly 5.38s to match the front Dana 60 in the parking lot during check-in day. Invited international reader Sebastian Varas shipped his Willys MB up from Chile to Oregon to participate in UA. It was the coolest UA in years, with snow on the scenic Mount Rainier National Park. Official Vehicle: The UA Super Dirty was Ford’s way to tell the world it was back as UA’s title sponsor. The ’13 Super Duty showcased Ford’s new 6.7L V-8 Power Stroke turbodiesel. Shaffer’s Off Road and Performance took the single-cab F-250, chopped the bed, installed a rear linked coil suspension, and slung a pair of AxleTech portal boxes at the ends of the axletubes. The resulting truck had enough room under the diffs, thanks to the 40-inch tires, to seemingly clear a VW Beetle. Notable Notes: Now a Jp Magazine staffer, Verne Simons piloted the humongous Discount Tire “RESQ1” build, complete with onboard Miller air/welder/generator and fullsize Coats rim clamp tire machine! For some reason nearly everybody on the trip developed a fuel-related issue traveling from Georgia to Florida. For the first time in the print coverage, author and 4WOR staffer Harry Wagner reorganized the event day nomenclature that previously referred to check-in day as Day 1 (where nothing really happens except tech inspection and registration), and referred to the first actual day of wheeling as Day 1. So, UA doesn’t really begin until the first driver’s meeting prior to heading to the first trail. fourwheeler.com
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or UA2014, there were some more staffing changes, namely Rick Péwé had been promoted to Network Content Director and Fred Williams ascended to the Editor throne. That said, Rick still went out and preran and planned the route, with Fred building the rig and newly minted 4WOR staffer Verne Simons coming on board to help cover the event with fellow staffer Harry Wagner. The dream team of that era, if you will, hit the highway to UA2014’s starting point in North Platte, Nebraska, with one of the coolest UA builds to date, if not the most orange. Route Recap: Stapleton, Nebraska (Nebraska Sand Hills - private land); Dubuque, Iowa (Complete Off Road Ranch - private property); Smithfield, Illinois (near Laswell branch of Put Creek - private property); Pike County, Illinois (Atlas trail); Salem, Missouri (Flat Nasty Off Road Park) Official Vehicle: Fred had owned this old Dodge military airport tug for years and finally pulled the trigger on having Pacific Fab in central California turn it into a killer 5.9L Cummins-powered, 1-ton axle’d trail slayer on
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ith Fred Williams still at the editorial helm of 4-Wheel & Off-Road, UA2015 was really starting to take on Fred’s whimsical personality. As was the official vehicle build, with both earning the nickname “Summer Camp” in the nomenclature. Fred’s version of ultimate adult summer camp would, however, turn into one of the most miserable and by proxy, memorable, experiences for all involved. Not that anybody can control the weather, but after check-in day in Ohio and a brief stint on Day 4, the skies opened up and absolutely soaked everybody and everything for the entirety of the event. Long day death marches, bugs, and moldy sleeping bags were the cost, but the payoff was killer off-roading and a week’s worth of awesome camaraderie and adventure that only Ultimate Adventure can deliver! Route Recap: Wheeling, West Virginia (Powerline Off-Road Park); Roseville, Ohio (Clay Valley Dirt Park); Baxter, Kentucky (Black Mountain Off-Road Adventure Area); Murphy, North Carolina (Durhamtown Tellico); South Pittsburg, Tennessee (Adventure Off-Road Park) Official Vehicle: The Ultimate Summer Camp Jeep was an incredible no-holds-barred build done at Synergy in San Luis Obispo, California. The rig reads like a who’s who of awesome off-road trinkets, from the 556hp supercharged 6.2L LSA crate engine, TH400 transmission, Spidertraxfabricated 9-inch axles, go-fast bypass/coilover’d suspension, new tire sponsor Falken WildPeak 38x13.50R17 mud-terrains, and aluminum Aqualu tub, it works as insane as it looks.
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40-inch Nittos with a linked front axle, military trailer bed, and all the awesome accouterments any wheeler worth their salt would lust after. Notable Notes: Video coverage on Motor Trend’s YouTube channel began getting highly promoted. Lots of deep-water crossings and tight tree-littered trails. Day 3 held an epicly long, nearly 800-mile road day into Iowa! On Day 7, the group did water crossings on not one but two ferries.
Notable Notes: The 4L80E in Rick Péwé’s CJ-17 burned up on the way to the start of UA so at the last-minute, UA alumni Kenny Smith offered Rick the use of his killer ’86 CJ-10 he just finished building. Fred told every participant they needed to bring a canoe. The only time the sun shone was the brief period the group was soaking wet in a lake while doing canoe races! Sponsor Cooper Rasmussen and invited reader Justin Cardwell were selected to drive an armored personnel carrier over an old XJ at one of the off-road parks for entertainment.
Feature HISTORY OF UA Shaffer’s Off Road and had them prep the Super Dirty so Christian would have something to drive. Fred also preran Isham Canyon while Christian and ad guy David Hamilton plotted a route from Isham through Death Valley and up to the Rubicon and Fordyce trails where Harry Wagner (who was the local expert) took over helping lead the route. Sometimes it takes a UA village to make an awesome event happen and in the end, none was the wiser and UA2016 operated like a well-oiled machine. Route Recap: Trona, California (Isham Canyon trail); Darwin, California (Death Valley); South Lake Tahoe, California (Rubicon Trail); Placer County, California (Fordyce Creek Trail) Official Vehicle: With nothing more than a set of new 38-inch Falken WildPeak M/T tires and a set of fresh Skyjacker shocks from the newest (and returning) Official Shock and Suspension sponsor, the UA Super Dirty did an admirable job leading the group down small Jeep goat trails. Notable Notes: Running the Rubicon on UA2016 was the first (and last) time in UA history the event hit the same trail twice. Death Valley in the summer … yeah, it’s hot. We lost a couple automatic transmissions from the heat and one participant was hospitalized for severe dehydration and had to leave the event. Christian crammed the Super Dirty down some sluices so narrow the tire sidewalls and wheels were literally wedged into granite walls on either side of the vehicle so tightly there was three feet of air under the tire treads. We visited Yosemite National Park.
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s if somebody yelled “rotate” during a volleyball game, the staff of 4-Wheel & OffRoad magazine made another change just six short weeks before UA2016, with Christian Hazel moving over from Four Wheeler magazine so Fred Williams could focus more time on his burgeoning Dirt Every Day program. “Nothing” was definitely not the answer to Christian’s question, “What’s been done for UA2016 planning?,” he was looking for, but that’s the answer he got. With no time to build a vehicle, Fred called
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eath Valley in the summer was hot, but not to be outdone, UA2017 kicked off just outside of Phoenix on a day so hot the FAA grounded all aircraft smaller than a 737. With the thermometer hovering in the mid-120s, the event pulled out of the hotel parking lot on Day 1 along the route scouted and planned by Trent McGee, who Editor Christian Hazel tapped to figure the best places to visit in his home state of Arizona. With crazy hot temps down below to frigid weather at our camp spot atop Mogollon Rim to technical rockcrawling, blasting sand 22 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
dunes, and the most epic dust-filled day of driving in the dirt, UA2017 was definitely an exercise in putting the “ultimate” in Ultimate Adventure. Route Recap: New River, Arizona (Table Mesa trail); Crown King, Arizona (Crown King trail); Agua Fria National Monument, Arizona (Bloody Basin Road); Copper Canyon, Arizona (Great Western Trail); Payson, Arizona (Pyeatt Draw trail); Flagstaff, Arizona (Cinder Hills OHV Area); Hurricane, Utah (Sand Hollow State Park) Official Vehicle: Christian has a thing for CJ-6s, and Verne Simons built pretty much the coolest CJ-6 on the planet. Using Christian’s vintage former Border Patrol ’71 tub, Verne
cut and spliced a JK Unlimited frame and then channeled the body down low over the rails. Underneath, a JK coilover conversion suspension from Skyjacker hangs Ultimate Dana 60 crate axles with 4.88s spinning 38-inch Falken tires. The drivetrain is the real party piece with a 2.8L Cummins R2.8 turbodiesel crate engine fronting a Ranger Gear Splitter overdrive, SM420 transmission, and Offroad Design Magnum Box and NP205 T-case system. Christian dubbed it the UACJ6D, with UA obviously Ultimate Adventure, CJ for the vehicle type, and 6D ’cause it’s a 6 model and D is for diesel. Notable Notes: For UA2016, Christian handed check-in tech inspection details over to the Cronies, namely Keith Bailey and Sam Gillis, and Rick Péwé returned to UA2017, this time as the event’s newest Crony. The Tonto Natural Bridge State Park was a brief but cool stop on an otherwise super-hot trip. The route we took to the northern spot of the Grand Canyon is anecdotally the most remote place in the Lower 48. We hit fewer paved roads on UA2017 than on any previous UA to date, despite racking up well over 1,000 miles. The silt beds from the northern edge of the Grand Canyon to Hurricane, Utah, made the 100-plusmile dirt journey the dustiest, gnarliest dirt road day in UA history. fourwheeler.com
UA2018 P
oorly done New England accents aside, the call went out for UA2018 participants to meet in Wilton, Maine, for check-in and tech inspection among cloudy skies that held the promise of rain. Indeed, that night the skies did open up for a while, ensuring the wheeling on Day 1 would be on the wet side. But unlike the torrential slogfest of UA2015, the Wicked Nor’Eastah as UA2018 was nicknamed, turned out to have weather as awesome as the wheeling. Rocky ledges, muddy bogs, tight and twisty tree-strewn snaking trails, and gorgeous hardwood canopies that wrapped around like the cool temperatures that were a welcome relief from the triple-digit temps that had assaulted the previous couple of years. From the beginning in Maine to the end in Pennsylvania, UA2018 would hit the requisite ferry crossing UA had become so known for, stop for ice cream multiple times, enjoy the local bits of interest and color, and leave every participant yearning to come back next year for more. Route Recap: Carthage, Maine (Rocky Mountain Terrain Park); Bethel, Maine (Dragon’s Tail trail with Western Main Mountain Jeepers - private land); Berlin, New Hampshire (Jericho Mountain State Park OHV); Warren, New Hampshire (Mountain Mud Run); Northern Connecticut (Crazy 8s - Eastern 4Wheelers
4x4 club - private land); Central Connecticut (Sawmill Trail - Frank Fredsall property, private land); Ellenville, New York (Northeast Off-Road Adventures); Coal Township, Pennsylvania (Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Park) Official Vehicle: Verne Simons stumbled on a killer deal for an ’89 Range Rover and boom, out sprang the Derange Rover from his fertile brain. With a pair of Ultimate Dana 60s intended for a JK Wrangler, the rig ran a Verneco fabbed suspension using Skyjacker springs, a Cummins R2.8 crate engine fronting an AX15 transmission and Offroad Design Magnum Box/NP205 T-case system, and 38-inch Falken tires, all done up in a style that evokes memories of the old Camel Trophy competition of the ’80s.
UA2019 I
t had been talked about for a long, long time, but for UA2019 Christian Hazel pulled the trigger and sent Trent McGee all the way to Alaska, aka “The Last Frontier,” to do a not-so-stealthy prerun using the high-vis, super unique Derange Rover. Trent planned a successful route, and the participants suffered a bit of minor shock when they were informed the meeting point for Ultimate Adventure was Wasilla, Alaska! For many, the trip just getting to the starting point was an adventure in itself, with almost everybody driving up through Canada, eh, with junk either on a trailer or under its own power. What followed was the coldest, more remote, super monster epic Ultimate Adventure yet with wheeling to a glacier, through deep muskeg, along the “Into the Wild” trail, a tour of the Kennecott and Usibelli mines, some historic transportation museum exhibits, and plenty of remote off-grid camping. Route Recap: Knik Glacier, Alaska (Knik River Public Use Area); Eureka, Alaska (Eureka trail); Southeastern Alaska (Paxson Lake trail); Healy, Alaska (Stampede Trail); Wasilla, Alaska (Bald Mountain trail)
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Official Vehicle: It was Trent’s turn to have Verne transform one of his rigs into the official vehicle of Ultimate Adventure. Trent’s ’64 Scout 80 was put in the mad scientist’s hands who transformed it into the Ultimate
Notable Notes: Christian and Verne came up with a bunch of goofy costumes they changed in and out of to have fun with the uber ’80s Camel Trophy style and British heritage of the Derange Rover. As is typical with New England, much of the wheeling was on private land or OHV parks, with the exception being Jericho Mountain State Park in New Hampshire. The weather at the top of Mount Washington in New Hampshire was frigid! Stephen and James Watson of Offroad Design bought about nine gallons of maple syrup to bring home to Colorado. Kenny Smith became the newest official UA Crony. At the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, we got to see awesome aviation displays and watch a WWI biplane make practice landings and takeoffs. We wheeled every single day.
International, chopping the body to clear 38-inch Falken tires with a super-low Skyjacker leaf-spring suspension using Chevy packs. Like the Derange Rover and UACJ6D before it, the Ultimate International sits on burly Ultimate Dana 60 axles with 4.88 gears and is powered by a Cummins R2.8 turbodiesel crate engine. The transmission is a bitchin’ Tremec TR-4050 five-speed fronting the killer Offroad Design Magnum Box/NP205 T-case system. Notable Notes: Christian moved the event start date from the traditional mid-summer timeframe into early fall to avoid hunting season in the majority of places we’d be visiting. We just happened to luck into the rare Alaskan fall foliage season, in which there’s only about a week for the vegetation to really pop with color. A moose ran through our campsite one morning, we spotted bald eagles and bears and even a wolverine, and plenty of wolf tracks to keep us on our toes. Unfortunately, smoke from local wildfires severely obscured many of the epic views but hey, we were wheeling in Alaska and the first rule of UA is “No Whining!” FOUR WHEELER OCTOBER 2022 23
Feature HISTORY of UA
UA2020 B
y now the UA formula was pretty solid. Christian Hazel picked the general areas he wanted to start and finish around and then Trent McGee set out to make the magic happen by finding, planning, and finalizing all the intricate details of the UA route. While that was happening, Verne Simons toiled away at the official UA build, which this year was a junked TJ Unlimited Verne stumbled onto for a neat price and built it with a WWII Long Range Desert Group flavor, paying tribute to the early British SAS teams that ravaged Rommel in the North African desert. But with a starting point in Kalispell, Montana, just spitting distance from Glacier National Park, and a route that made an arc down through Wyoming and over to Rapid City, South Dakota, we wouldn’t be wheeling anything resembling desert terrain. Although massive wildfires from the western seaboard blew a thick pall of smoke our way, obscuring any semblance of view for the first few days, and we had to deal with certain COVID pandemic precautions, we didn’t let it get to us and enjoyed all the wonderful wilderness and epic wheeling that UA2020 had to offer.
Route Recap: Kila, Montana (Blacktail Wild Bill OHV Area); Western Montana (Caruthers Lake); Western Montana (McKelvey Lake trail); Worland, Wyoming (Fenton Pass/Badlands); Keystone, South Dakota (Bikini trail) Official Vehicle: Verne’s UALRJ, or Ultimate Adventure Long Range Jeep, employs some of the best parts in the industry, from the Skyjacker suspension, Ultimate Dana 60 axles, Cummins R2.8 turbodiesel engine, and Off Road Design Magnum Box/NP205 T-case system, the 38-inch Falken-shod Jeep took Christian and Verne anywhere they pointed the nose and required zero work during the event. Notable Notes: We visited several
abandoned mines and ghost towns with all sorts of super-cool machinery and abandoned gear. We rolled through Yellowstone National Park and watched Old Faithful erupt. Again, wildlife sightings were thick, with bald eagles and antelope to elk and bears making appearances to gawk at the passing UA train. Crony Skinny Kenny almost lost his Blazer to an underhood fire but invited readers Joe Grieshop and Codey Welker were quick with an extinguisher to save the day. We drove through the abandoned railroad Boulder Tunnel in Comet, Montana. For the first time ever, due to the cancellation of 4-Wheel & Off-Road print, the coverage for UA appeared in Four Wheeler magazine.
ormally the staff begins planning and executing pre-event logistics for each UA a minimum of six months out, but due to some reverberations from the pandemic, supply chain issues, and some budget freezes, we didn’t get a green light to proceed on UA2021 in time to actually execute a vehicle build. No worries, though because between Christian Hazel, Trent McGee, and Verne Simons we still had plenty of super-cool UA rigs left to select from. Christian dropped the Ultimate Orange Jeep (or the UAJKJ as he started referring to it) at UA alumnus Johnny Wood’s shop, Wood’s Off Road, to have all the pre-event maintenance it may need done. Trent dusted off the Ultimate International, and Verne just added some fuel to the UALRJ tank before the staff headed out to the starting point in McAlester, Oklahoma. Not since 2007 had UA been to Texas or Oklahoma, so the event was due for a good ol’ Lone Star reunion … plus Oklahoma. The wheeling was intense, the weather
was gorgeous, and the barbeque was awesome. Route Recap: Burris Valley, Oklahoma (Rugged Mountain Ranch); Davis, Oklahoma (Cross Bar Ranch Offroad Park); Bridgeport, Texas (Northwest OHV Park); Mason, Texas (K2 Katemcy Rocks); Ozona, Texas (Escondido Draw Recreational Area) Official Vehicle: Trent and Christian led the event in the Ultimate International from UA2019. Verne drove the UALRJ from UA2020, and Cronies Clifton Slay and Tommy Boyd drove the Ultimate Orange Jeep from UA2012, aka the UAJKJ. Notable Notes: We stumbled into a lucky situation at the Vintage Flying Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, as the crew of the B-24 Liberator, Diamond Lil, was spending the entire time we were visiting practicing their touch-and-go landings and takeoffs. The National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas, is most definitely worth a trip! Jeff Ismail of IH Parts America had to weld the frame of Project Hideous back together, Invited Readers Dave Hamrick and Robert Keller yanked the T-case and tranny in a hotel parking lot to track down a suspected failed throwout bearing, and K2 Katemcy Rocks is some of the grippiest terrain on the planet.
UA2021
N
UA2022 is Coming Soon! By now, the team of Christian Hazel manning the corporate stuff and picking the region, Trent McGee heading out and doing the prerun and co-hosting the event on the ground with Christian, and Verne Simons plugging away in his home shop like a mad scientist to build the official UA vehicle are a well-oiled machine. At the time of this writing, Verne is busily thrashing to turn a modest early ’00s Toyota Tundra into a killer UA work of off-road art, Trent is out scouting routes and checking trail systems, and Christian dotting all the “i”s and crossing the “t”s to make sure UA2022 comes off without a hitch in September. Tune in to motortrend.com for updates, check @ultimateadventureofficial on Instagram, and watch for those videos to hit Motor Trend’s YouTube channel in early December. And of course, we’ll have detailed, eye-popping multipart coverage of UA in Four Wheeler, beginning in the March 2023 issue! FW 24 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
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TIRE TEST
SOURCE Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels 330/928-9092 mickeythompsontires.com
MICKEY THOMPSON
BAJA BOSS M/T
10,000-mile torture test with a Baja-inspired mud-terrain By Jered Korfhage jered.korfhage@fourwheeler.com Photos: Jered Korfhage
M
ickey Thompson’s Baja-inspired radial mud-terrain rolled with us across the United States for a 10,000-mile whirlwind adventure spanning both coasts. Baja Boss is the name emblazoned on the sidewall and the tire is as much a continuation of the company’s offroad legacy as it is a round-and-black testament to the latest in mud-terrain technology.
While “mud-terrain” is in its name, Mickey Thompson made sure to optimize the tire for the improved surfaces found between the trailheads. Face up to the Baja Boss and you’ll see an asymmetric tread pattern. Larger-sized tread elements along the outboard portion of the tread contribute to on-road stability while their wide spacing and subsequent voids help grip loose substrate. Looking inward, the tread elements are smaller and spaced closer together. This is said to promote all-weather traction and minimize road noise. Silica reinforcement (Mickey calls it “T4”) is onboard to enhance tread life 26 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
and operations in wet weather. Fans of Mickey’s Baja Claw TTC might see the resemblance of the current Sidebiters to those on the now-discontinued mudder. The evolved sidewall lugs have four pitches (look close and you’ll see lugs with four different lengths and depths) that were designed with bold looks and protection in mind. Beneath the sidewall armor, there’s more armor—and it’s called PowerPly XD. Mickey says the beefed-up cord on the bias-angled third ply improves the tire’s response to steering inputs and contributes to on-road stability.
According to Mickey Thompson, the Baja Boss M/T was its first LT tire offered in sizes with Load Range F ratings. As Four Wheeler went to print, there were more than 10 sizes featuring this Load Range for 18-, 20-, 22-, and 24-inch wheels. Yes, if your tow rig runs 38x15.5R24LT tires, Mickey has you covered. Mickey also said the Baja Boss M/T is its first tire offered in sizes to fit 22- and 24-inch wheel diameters. The full lineup also satisfies 15-, 16-, and 17-inch wheel diameters and includes many offerings for 3⁄4- and 1-ton vehicles with popular sizes available in LT-metric and floatation equivalents. Continue reading for more on how we spent time with our set of Mickey Thompson Baja Boss M/Ts.
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You won’t find a Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake anywhere on this tire (denoting a certification for service in extreme winter conditions). That said, the tires carried us into the mountains during a late-season snowfall without a hassle. Stability and handling on slushy and hard-packed snow roads were as expected and when faced with the deeper white stuff, the Mickeys kept us plowing toward camp.
No dune slicing for this evaluation, but we covered enough miles of the Long Island coastline at street and reduced (10-15 psi) tire pressure to confidently say floatation in the sand was a non-issue for the tire.
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FOUR WHEELER OCTOBER 2022 27
TIRE TEST BAJA BOSS M/T
We like it sticky, deep, and slathered over roots and rocks, and that’s where the Baja Boss exceled— mud. Voids between the outer tread elements bit deep into the glop and the mud-ejecting ribs helped break suction, sending it flying when we applied throttle. Sidebiters added another plane of traction grabbing the walls of slick ruts, slimy roots, and greasy rocks, pulling us through again and again.
Mickey’s PowerPly XD sidewalls strutted their stuff in the rocks. We wrapped and folded them over some gnarly edges where lesser rubbers surely could have suffered damage. We were not gentle and did not hesitate to spin the tires against rocky obstacles to clear out mud and get a boost in traction, and the sidewalls (and the Sidebiters) were up to the challenge. Any scuffs and gouges to the sidewalls were purely cosmetic.
28 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
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We spent the majority of our off-road time on some sort of gravel or stony surface. While this terrain can chew up tread blocks and send stones drilling into the tire carcass, we experienced nothing of the sort. For long days of washboarded or rutted backroads, 12-15 psi seemed to be the sweet spot.
Balancing the Mickeys took very little weight per wheel, and we noticed no signs of shakes or wobbles along the way. After about 5,000 miles we rotated the tires following the X-pattern, not including the spare in the rotation. Following 10,000 miles of use, the tread depth measured between 11⁄32 and 13⁄32 of an inch. We used the tires on our two-door JK Wrangler with and without the hardtop installed. We report no abnormal sounds while operating on the interstates.
SPECIFICATIONS
Final Thoughts Let this statement speak to the durability of the tires: The spare tire (and our patch kit) both remained untouched throughout the duration of our time with the Baja Boss M/Ts. We also dig the subtle nods to the Baja Claw TTC tire, the durable sidewalls, and the range of sizes available to fit various disciplines of 4x4.
MICKEY THOMPSON BAJA BOSS M/T (as tested) Size: 35x12.50R17LT Type: Radial mud-terrain Load range: D Max load (lb @ psi.): 3,000 @ 50 Approved rim width (in): 8.0-11 Tread depth (in): 21⁄32 Overall width (in): 12.5 Overall diameter (in): 34.8 Maximum psi: 65 Weight (lb): 70 fw
FOUR WHEELER OCTOBER 2022 29
FEATURE
<- The story of Randy’s
RANDY’S DANDY
’78 CJ-7 starts with a ’73 CJ-5 that Randy; his wife, Debbie; sons Jeremy and Daniel; daughter Crystal; and (practically) adopted son Jordan Levine cut their teeth in. The CJ-5 was Scooter Blue (a color chosen by Randy from an old Scooter his son had), had a 304ci V-8 that would rev to the moon and wouldn’t quit, and a three-speed transmission. Nowadays, Randy’s kids all have their own rigs, but Randy still carries anyone who wants a ride, including grandkids and their friends, up the dunes. Unfortunately, the CJ-5 was rolled after many years off-road (no one was hurt). The CJ-7 rose from the remnants of the rolled CJ-5 with almost all the fabrication and welding done by Randy, his friend Jimmy Parra, and sons Jeremy and Daniel. The Scooter Blue paint was applied by Maaco.
By Verne Simons
editor@fourwheeler.com Photos: Verne Simons
One member of a family of Jeeps
<\
30 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
The rear axle is a Ford 9-inch with 4.56 gears, an Eaton Detroit Locker, and disc brakes. The rear springs are Rubicon Express spring-over springs. A traction bar helps to keep axlewrap to a minimum while keeping the rear Sand Tires Unlimited paddles planted in the sand.
L
ong before social media influencers were a thing and probably long after they’re gone, off-roaders around the world will be guided and inspired by more experienced people they’ve met off-road. These off-road veterans, sometimes from an older generation, share their knowledge, which is honed by years of experience. The result is a better off-road world, a place where off-roaders learn from each other and can accomplish more than they could alone. Whether it’s how to reseat a tire bead in the middle of nowhere, what to do when an axle breaks, how to tune a carburetor, or the finer points of trail etiquette, these experienced off-road veterans are indispensable and very valuable sources of guidance and information. Randy Solis is just this kind of person, an unofficial guide to off-roading. Randy has inspired and led his children, grandchildren, and several of their friends into the off-road world. Recently, we got to experience, hear about, and see firsthand the effects of Randy’s passion, guidance, and knowledge. Randy is an off-roader, and more specifically his main off-road muse is playing in the sand at Imperial Sand Dunes, also known as Glamis, and other areas in Southern California. We met Randy through one of the “kids” he guided and brought into the sport, Jordan Levine. Jordan, nearly an adopted son of Randy’s, is now an adult and well imbedded in the offroad world himself. That’s a place he loves, a place that, without Randy, Jordan may never have found. Jordan and Randy’s
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/> Randy and Jimmy length-
ened the MB grille to match the CJ-7 hood height and then built a custom CJ-7–to– MB hood. The hood was bent over a welding bottle to get the radius just so. The hood also has a seam down the middle like a flatfender hood should. The rearmost support of the old CJ-5 hood was incorporated into the rear of the custom hood.
POINT YOUR PHONE CAMERA AT THIS CODE TO SEE RANDY’S JEEP IN ACTION
FOUR WHEELER OCTOBER 2022 31
Feature RANDY’S DANDY <- The interior
is clean and functional with Auto Meter gauges in a custom-cut dash to keep Randy aware of how the Jeep is running. The seats are from PRP and the rollcage, all the fabrication, and welding was done by Randy with some help from his sons and friends.
<| A Matchbox CJ-5 with an uncanny resemblance to Randy’s old CJ-5 rides just ahead of the Winters Sidewinder shifter that directs the TH350 automatic transmission.
<- Randy’s old CJ-5 donated its front axle, Dana 20
transfer case, and other small parts to this CJ-7. Here you can see the crossmember and front of the rear traction bar and Randy’s exhaust cutout for a little extra rumble.
<| The front axle in the Jeep is a disc brake-equipped Dana 30 with a welded front
differential and 4.56 gears. The front springs are Wrangler YJ-application Rubicon Express RE1445 spring-over springs with a shackle reversal and heavy-duty shackles. The shocks are some older Poly Performance BBCS shocks that get the job done.
32 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
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Feature RANDY’S DANDY
|>
We totally dig the retro, custom-widened Ford 15x15 rear wheels, which spin Sand Tires Unlimited 16.50-15 paddles.
/> Up front, 15x10 Outlaw Aluminum wheels hold 35x12.50R15 BFGoodrich mud-terrain tires. Warn Premium locking hubs allow the Dana 30 to freewheel or get locked in. The front fenders are custom built by Randy and his friend Jimmy.
AT A GLANCE
\> An inside look at the CJ-7–to–MB grille and hood that Randy and Jimmy built for the Jeep.
GENERAL Vehicle: ’78 Jeep CJ-7 Owner: Randy Solis Stomping grounds: Southern California Build time: 3-4 years … some parts more
DRIVETRAIN Engine: TBI 350 short-block Transmission: TH350 Transfer case: Dana 20 Low range ratio: 2.03:1 Crawl ratio: 23.33:1 Front axle/differential: Dana 30, disc brakes, 4.56 gears/welded Rear axle/differential: Ford 9-inch, disc brakes, 4.56 gears/Eaton Detroit Locker
SUSPENSION Front: Rubicon Express spring-over Wrangler YJ-application springs, shackle reversal, HD shackles, Poly Performance BBCS shocks Rear: Rubicon Express spring-over Wrangler YJ-application springs, HD shackles, traction bar, Poly Performance BBCS shocks
TIRES/WHEELS
|>
Power comes from a TBI 350 short-block crate engine with Chevy Performance Vortec heads and an Edelbrock Performer Plus cam. It breathes through an Edelbrock Performer manifold, Doug Thorley headers, and GM throttle body injection that was bored and prepped by TBI Chips.
Tires: 35x12.50R15 BFGoodrich T/A KM (front), Sand Tires Unlimited paddles 16.50-15 (rear) Wheels: 15x10 Outlaw Aluminum (front), 15x15 custom steel wheels (rear)
MISCELLANEOUS Cool stuff: Chevy Performance Vortec heads, Edelbrock Performer Plus cam, Edelbrock Performer manifold, Doug Thorley headers, GM throttle body injection bored and prepped by TBI Chips, lengthened MB grille, custom handmade hood and front fenders, custom rollcage, custom dash, and more
|>
Here we see the infamous ’73 CJ-5 (right) that preceded this CJ-7. That CJ-5 was the tool Randy used to introduce many people to the off-road lifestyle until an unfortunate accident at the dunes destroyed the CJ-5. Also shown, just to the left of Randy’s CJ-5, is a much simpler and older version of Jordan Levine’s CJ-7. To the left of that is Randy’s son Daniel’s CJ.
34 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
Photo courtesy of Jeremy Solis and the Solis family.
family all told tales of how the off-roading “hook was set” by Randy, and how they, too, became off-road and dune enthusiasts for life following Randy both literally and figuratively. Of course, this is all wrapped around vehicles, and Randy’s Jeep is unique and a direct reflection of the type of off-roading he likes to do. The Jeep, and its predecessor, with which it shares parts, are part of the story of Randy and his family. This Jeep’s existence is pivotal to the story. It was built with his family, using what he has learned and what he has shared in the off-road community he is the patriarch of. That’s a great story to tell. FW fourwheeler.com
GET YOUR FREE TRIAL: MOTORTREND.COM/TGA22
HEAVY
Tech
LIFTING
SOURCE Redridge Industries redridgeindustries.com
We test the new TacJack tactical jack
By Verne Simons editor@fourwheeler.com Photos: Verne Simons
H
aving a good off-road jack when you are out on the trail or on the side of the road is very important. There are many off-road jacks available, from the venerable and classic Hi-Lift to offerings from Pro Eagle, ARB, the Tauler Jack Kit from Brennan’s Garage, and more. A new jack that we recently got to spend a lot of time with is the 7-Ton TacJack Tall Jack from Redridge Industries. The jack we tested was a prototype and that’s why it says 61⁄2-ton in some of the images, but we’ve been assured by Redridge that our prototype is the same as the production 7-ton jack. There is also a 7-Ton Short TacJack from Redridge, which is shorter than the 7-Ton Tall TacJack but is otherwise identical. Both jacks are very light in weight (the one we tested was 15 pounds), yet with a high weight capacity (7 tons is twice the weight capacity of the Hi-Lift Cast/Steel Jack, for reference)
36 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
and remarkable travel, allowing these relatively short (when collapsed) bottle jacks to be used successfully on off-road vehicles. These jacks were built for the military and as a result are manufactured to a high standard. The only downside to this jack is its cost, which reflects the quality of construction and the fact that this jack is proudly made in the USA. Both the Tall and Short 7-Ton and 10-Ton (yeah, there’s also a 10-ton) TacJacks feature a two-stage telescoping ram and integrated threaded extension for maximum lift. Both also have a two-speed pump for faster extension fourwheeler.com
1
2
3 4
1 Here you can see the screw extension, the 25-inch jack handle, and the jack saddle with a retention pin. The jack is built out of corrosion-resistant, hard-anodized aluminum and nickel-plated steel. The jack saddle is aluminum and can be used or removed from the screw extension depending on how you are using the jack. 2 The jack handle is solid, hard-anodized aluminum and it fits into the pumping mechanism nicely. Both are very light and look like pieces of aerospace equipment. 3 The two-stage telescoping ram can lift 7 tons of weight to a maximum height of 30.8 inches with the tall TacJack. That’s a lot more than almost any bottle jack you’ve likely met in real life. The 22.3-inch maximum height of the short TacJack is nothing to sneeze at either. The screw extensions are 3 1⁄4 inches and just over 4 inches for the short and tall jacks, respectively. No more fighting your bottle jack or digging a hole to get that flat 38- or 40-inch tire off the ground so you can fit the spare. 4 One of the first deployments of the TacJack on the 2021 Ultimate Adventure was to help replace a tire and wheel on the OnX Offroad JT Gladiator after one of the tires was cut on the first day of the trip. From there on out, everyone who was around to see it in action wanted to use it whenever a jack was needed.
when unloaded. These jacks are compact and lightweight, making maneuvering and using them easy. With the 7-Ton’s 14,000-pound weight capacity you can use the jack with confidence under most any 4x4. The jacks are constructed using hard-anodized aluminum and nickel-plated steel for maximum corrosion resistance. Both jacks come with a 25-inch jack handle and a premium jack saddle with retention pin that mounts to the threaded extension. When we got the 7-Ton Tall TacJack, we knew the perfect way to do hard-core, real-life testing: the 2021 Ultimate Adventure. Prior to fourwheeler.com
the event, we securely mounted the TacJack to the floor of the Ultimate Adventure Long Range Jeep (UALRJ) and stowed the handle and jack saddle for transport. Luckily for us we never had to use the jack on our own vehicle, but we did get good at pulling it out for others to use. It was used to help re-bead a tire on the trail, to hold a frame in place during welding, to push a tire bead off a wheel (when swapping tires on a beadlock), and more. The jack never flinched and was remarkably light and thus easy to position. It’s one of those things that you can’t believe is as light as it is until you’ve held
it (that’s probably because you are used to how heavy other bottle jacks are). The base is very wide (5.5 x 8 inches), and the screw extension is easy to use with or without the saddle. It’s fast to get up and into position with the two-speed pump, and the dual stages make it great for moving things a long distance, which, as you know, is important when using a bottle jack on a lifted and modified 4x4. We flat-out love this jack and our only complaints are its cost (which is a bit hard to swallow at first) and the release valve that can be hard to get at in some situations. FOUR WHEELER OCTOBER 2022 37
Tech HEAVY LIFTING
5 6 5 On the last day of the 2021 Ultimate Adventure, we used the TacJack to pop an inner bead of a cut tire from a beadlock wheel on Travis Farmer’s Ice Cream Van. The jack did its job perfectly and the machined and hardened aluminum bottom edge was perfect for pushing on the inner bead. 6 Our only functional complaint about the jack is that we can envision a situation where it could be very difficult to get the jack’s handle into the release valve on the bottom of the jack. However, we think the situation could easily be solved by positioning the jack in such a way that access to the release valve is clear. 7 While at Escondido Draw Recreational Area during the 2021 Ultimate Adventure, we used the jack to push up on the frame of Jeff Ishmael’s rig to repair a small crack that appeared near the front shackle pivot. Here, the travel of the jack made it work much better than most bottle jacks would, and the removable saddle was nice for repositioning the jack during the grinding and welding of the crack. 8 Ultimate Adventure Crony Chris Durham used a battery-operated grinder, the Redridge TacJack, and his Premier Power Welder to weld up the crack that developed in Jeff’s frame. Wheeling big trucks hard takes a toll on even the best-built rigs. FW
7 8
Tall 7-Ton TacJack Specs Minimum height (in): 11.4 Maximum height (in): 30.8 Stroke (in): 15.5 Weight (lb): 15 Capacity (lb): 14,000 Price: $2,199
Short 7-Ton TacJack Specs Minimum height (in): 8.8 Maximum height (in): 22.3 Stroke (in): 10.3 Weight (in): 14 Capacity (lb): 14,000 Price: $1,999
38 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
FEATURE
By Bruce W. Smith editor@fourwheeler.com Photos: Four Wheeler staff
CLASS ACT SPONSORED BY
40 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
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Former Colorado school teachers’ first-gen Tundra turned into an unlimited hall pass for overlanding adventures
W
hen former Colorado school teachers Martha Waterhouse and Mark Cavaliero watched their daughter head off to college three years ago, it marked the beginning of a life-changing adventure of their own. The four-wheeling, outdoor-loving couple tossed aside lesson plans and classrooms to set their sights on exploring backcountry twotracks across the Western states, logging more than 10,000 miles through seven states while living in their camperequipped, superbly outfitted ’06 Toyota Tundra Limited. Sometimes those backcountry miles were just for the fun of four-wheeling. But most of their year-round overland
adventures have been for the pure joy of sharing life together. “No matter if it’s camping, hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, or backcountry skiing, four-wheeling has been a part of the fun even if it’s just to find the trailheads,” Martha told us. “Mark is addicted to climbing and skiing Colorado’s highest peaks, while I love to bust out half marathons in the coolest locations all over the West. Any time we can do some overlanding to literally connect these activities together, we know we’re living the ultimate dream.” And we had the chance to share the ultimate dream with Mark and Martha during the 2020 Four Wheeler Overland Adventure.
|> Martha summed up their time
wheelin’ in the backcountry, “Any time we can do some overlanding to literally connect our individual activities together, we know we’re living the ultimate dream.”
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FOUR WHEELER OCTOBER 2022 41
Feature class ACT \>
Mark Cavaliero’s and Martha Waterhouse’s first-gen Tundra Limited is set up with a Four Wheel Campers Eagle slide-in camper that has a queen bed, dual-battery system, Dometic fridge, two-burner stove, 11-gallon fresh water capacity, propane furnace, and 160W solar panel on the roof, among other welcome features.
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The Tundra’s rear suspension is anything but stock. It sports a Front Range Off Road Fabrication Diamond Axle housing widened to match the front track width. The axle sports a 4.88-geared Toyota 8.4-inch diff, Harrop ELocker, full-float RCV axleshafts, Alcan Spring custom leaf springs, Archive Garage shackle flip kit, and Toytec Boss remote-reservoir shocks.
42 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
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The Colorado couple bought their 4.7L V-8– powered first-gen Tundra in 2013, and during the decade since then have slowly invested in making it robust and reliable. Mark told us the suspension and axle mods have been added to specifically carry the weight of the Four Wheel Camper over rough terrain. The many modifications include a long-travel front suspension, lockers front and rear, taller tires, stout skidplates, beefy bumpers, and a custom wide-track full-floater rear axlehousing hitched to custom rear springs. These types of mods give the couple confidence whatever the next turn in the trail brings. The truck/camper combo is also heavily accessorized with a multitude of items that add to Mark and Martha’s comfort, self-sufficiency, and safety along the way. Mark, who is a snowmobile guide in the winter and landscaper in the warmer months, told us their Tundra’s setup has served the couple well over these past years and miles. They are out about once a week wheeling or camping somewhere in Colorado or Utah, usually for two- to three-day outings. The only planned changes Mark has for the Tundra is stepping up to 35-inch tires very soon because the 33s are wearing down and he wants that extra inch of ground clearance. He’s also “drooling over an RCV Ultimate IFS.” In the interim, he and Martha will continue to roll up the miles in search of life’s next overlanding adventure wherever the highways, byways, backroads, and less-travelled two-tracks lead.
|>
Front end protection comes via an Addicted Offroad tubular front bumper. There’s no winch on the truck because Mark depends on the Harrop electric lockers at both ends to keep his Tundra moving.
->
The Toyota 4.7L V-8 is stock, but there’s few things underhood that aren’t. Mark installed an IBS dual-battery system and a Viair on-board air system with 2.5-gallon air tank and Viair 450C model compressor.
/>
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Behind the Skid Row Offroad skidplate is a Solo Motorsports 14-inch long-travel suspension with heavy-duty fabricated spindles, 1-inch lower uniball conversion, 7 ⁄8-inch Heim steering upgrade at the outer tie rod, 3⁄4-inch Heim upgrade at the steering rack, and King Racing 2.5 remote-reservoir coilover shocks.
FOUR WHEELER OCTOBER 2022 43
Feature class ACT
/> The Four Wheel Campers Eagle camper is low-profile to keep the center of
gravity as low as possible. Mark fabricated the spare tire carrier. The typical extras mounted on, under, or in the camper include X-Bull traction boards, a Hi-Lift jack, 12-ton bottle jacks, Lynx leveling blocks, a Ryobi 14-inch cordless chainsaw, and a half-dozen RotopaX fuel and water containers.
44 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
/> Traction comes via LT315/70R17
Falken Wildpeak A/T AT3Ws. Mark ditched the stock fenders for Fiberwerx fiberglass fenders to accommodate the Tundra’s 3.5-inch wider track.
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AT A GLANCE GENERAL Vehicle: ’06 Toyota Tundra Limited Double Cab Owner: Mark Cavaliero and Martha Waterhouse Stomping grounds: Highlands Ranch, Colorado Build time: 9 years
DRIVETRAIN Engine: 4.7L Toyota V-8 Transmission: A750F 5-spd auto Transfer case: VF2A 2-spd Low range ratio: 2.57:1 Max crawl ratio: 44.0:1 Front axle/differential: Toyota 7.5-in, Solo Motorsports extended axleshafts (3.5-in), Nitro 4.88 gears/Harrop ELocker Rear axle/differential: Front Range Off Road Fabrication Diamond Axle axlehousing, Toyota 8.4-in differential, full-float RCV axleshafts, Front Range Off Road Fabrication disc brakes, Nitro 4.88 gears/Harrop ELocker
SUSPENSION Front: Solo Motorsports 14-in long-travel kit, heavy-duty front spindles with lower uniball conversion, King 2.5-in remotereservoir coilover shocks Rear: Custom Alcan Spring leaf springs, Archive Garage shackle flip kit, Toytec Boss remote-reservoir shocks
TIRES/WHEELS Tires: LT315/70R17 Falken Wildpeak A/T AT3W Wheels: 17x9 KMC XD Series
MISCELLANEOUS Steering: Solo Offroad 7⁄8-in Heim steering upgrade at the outer tie rod; Solo Offroad 3⁄4-in Heim upgrade at the steering rack Armor: Skid Row Offroad aluminum skidplates, Addicted Offroad tubular front bumper, homebuilt rear bumper with double swingouts (bike rack/spare tire), Stubbs Welding rocksliders Cool stuff: Fiberwerx fiberglass front fenders, RotopaX 4-gal fuel carriers, RotopaX 2-gal water carriers, X-Bull traction boards, 12-ton bottle jack, tow chain, snatch straps, shovel, Hi-Lift jack, Lynx leveling blocks, Ryobi 14-in cordless chainsaw, ’07 Four Wheel Campers Eagle camper, IBS dual-battery system, Viair 450C air compressor w/2.5-gal tank, 160W solar panel
/> The Tundra Limited’s interior is almost bone
stock. Navigation comes via the first-gen Tundra’s factory electronics and the couple’s iPhones.
</
It’s common to see Mark and Martha’s Tundra Limited leading the way among a group of like-minded friends along any number of their favorite overlanding haunts in Colorado and Utah. “We love wheeling any Colorado mountain trail in September and October,” Mark said. FW
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FOUR WHEELER OCTOBER 2022 45
Tech
DENTSI 1 To say we were bummed out when we saw what the thieves had done to our F-100 is a significant understatement, but the upside is that we got the truck back and we rallied with a solid Plan B build plan for the truck.
Part 3: Stolen mid-build, spurring Plan B 46 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
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2
DE
2 Tech Gary Hardin used a pneumatic saw to accurately slice panels away from the stock bed of the F-100 in preparation for the shortening of the bed.
By Ryan Kennelly editor@fourwheeler.com Photos: Ryan Kennelly
I
n the August 2022 issue of Four Wheeler, we told the story of purchasing a vintage ’75 Ford F-100 Dentside in Reno, Nevada, and the adventure of driving it home to Southern California. In Part 2 (Sep. ’22) we detailed a series of upgrades to the classic Ford, including flooring, gauges, tires, wheels, and more. The result was significantly improved truck that was coming together nicely. Unfortunately, as we noted at the end of Part 2, the truck was stolen from the owner’s shop. In an effort to recover the truck the owner immediately utilized social media to broadcast news of the theft. The owner reports that the post resulted in over 50,000 Instagram views and over 500 shares in 24 hours. Possibly due to the social media blitz, the truck was found four days later, vandalized, parked on a public street.
History Lost, But a New Direction When dealing with old vehicles, the more original they are, the better they tell the story. So, we often seek out old trucks that have never been painted. Those beautiful patinas can tell you things like how much time the owner spent under the hood by the scratches on the fenders or the type of things hauled in the bed by the rock chips up high on the bedrails. We were bummed that the thieves had spray painted the whole truck flat black. The original patina was gone, buried under the shoddy spray paint. The loss of patina was one of the things that forced us to change our build plan for the F-100.
We Cut it in Half
3 And so, it began. Here you can see a 16-inch panel that needed to be removed.
3
At this point, nothing on the F-100 was safe from modification. We decided we were going to “shortbed” the 133-inch wheelbase down to 117 inches. The shorter wheelbase would be more fun off-road and a 6-foot, 8-inch bed would still be longer than most modern 1⁄2-ton trucks on the road today. In order to remove 16 inches from the truck we needed a plan of attack. Starting with the bed, we marked up the puzzle pieces so the feature lines would all come back together. We created a set of 16-inch calipers to lay out the cut lines. Once marked, we used an air-powered saw to disassemble the 8-foot bed. Each part was neatly set aside until the dissection was complete.
More Modifications While the bed was apart, we decided to move the filler neck so California-compliant fuel pumps could quickly fuel up the highcapacity fuel tank. This meant removing the fill location, patching the holes, and reinstalling the fill location up higher to add some draft to the fill neck. This also meant we needed to create a new fill neck. The 2 1⁄4-inch stainless-steel mandrel-bent tubes would test our welding skill to create the new fill tube. F-100 shortbeds didn’t FOUR WHEELER OCTOBER 2022 47
Tech DENTSIDE
4 Plug welds that were drilled out and relocated during the sheetmetal surgery needed to be filled in.
5 A reciprocating saw was used to remove 16 inches of the truck’s frame.
4 5 6 7
6 The new seams in the bed were trigger welded.
7 All total, 120 pounds of material was removed during the shortbed conversion.
come with a side toolbox so we chose to keep that. This meant we would need to build the smaller door frame and shorten the door in two places to center the latch.
The Reassembly With all our puzzle pieces dry fit, we used butt welding clamps to hold the front of the bed to the main assembly. All the feature lines aligned nearly perfect. The corrugated floor terminated at the front wall as if it was factory. With all parts tacked in place, a series of tacks commenced moving around the whole truck to avoid distortion from heat. Once all the voids were closed, the welds were carefully sanded. The bed was now 16 inches shorter, but we weren’t done yet. The frame needed to be shortened. 8 Custom tools were created to lay out the frame cut path.
9 A 1 1⁄4-inch hole saw was used to create the radius in the Z intersections.
48 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
8 9
As If Ford Planned It Looking closely at the frame while the bed was off, we noticed the fuel lines, brake lines, and e-brake cables all had junctions right where the frame was about to be shortened, as if Ford had planned for this to happen. The frame itself would be a bit harder. The framerails seemed to be uniform in shape, but the frame had a taper from front to back. This meant we would need to cut a wedge in each framerail and close the distance between them as they neared their new intersection. This made creating a “Z” shaped cut a bit trickier. The “Z Method” is the preferred cut to reduce fatigue at the heat affected areas during welding. After a series of complex cuts, bends, and additional plating, we had what we needed. Read on to see some random highlights of the latest mods to our F-100. fourwheeler.com
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11
10
10 We wanted to keep the bedside toolbox, so we shrunk it to coincide with the shorter bedside. 11 The toolbox lid needed material removed before and after the latch to look correct. 12 After welding all the frame joints, a fish plate was added to the inside to increase strength.
12
14
13 13 The outside surface of the framerails was sanded and polished to appear unmodified. 14 The fuel fill neck hole was relocated to promote easier filling when using California fuel pumps. 15 The bedside panels that were removed to install the fuel fill neck holes were repurposed into the original fuel fill location.
15
BEFORE
16
Before And After Here you can see a photo of the F-100 prior to being stolen and how it looked when it arrived on a flatbed after being recovered. Prior to it being stolen, several upgrades had been completed, including some new wiring, a new battery and mount, a new gauge cluster bezel and LED gauge lights, carpet, several suspension components, wheels, and tires. Among other things, the thieves absconded with the wheels and tires. And in an apparent effort to conceal the truck’s unique identity it was spray painted flat black. 50 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
17
16 A cover plate was fashioned from a bedside to close up the bed were the filler neck protruded through the inner bed. 17 The stainless-steel mandrel-bent fuel fill tubing tested our welding skills.
What’s Next? The new wheelbase looks great, but we are a long way from finished with our F-100. As much as we would like to finalize the cosmetics of the shortened Dentside, we need to attack the drivetrain. In preparation for that we’ve gathered tough aftermarket upgrades to build up the vintage axles. Keep an eye out for the next installment as we set up ring-and-pinions and install lockers and chromoly axleshafts. FW fourwheeler.com
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LIT FEATURE
By Jered Korfhage jered.korfhage@fourw
heeler.com Photos: Four Wheeler staff
SPONSORED BY
52 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
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Presented By
This Gladiator sports unique off-road lights and more tools for the trail
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FOUR WHEELER OCTOBER 2022 53
Feature LIT
<\ Robert has no complaints about fitting
37-inch Falken all-terrains inside the fenders with the Mopar 2-inch lift kit and Fox shocks and he is continually impressed by how well the Gladiator articulates its suspension over and through obstacles. One lesson Robert learned from his previous Jeep: invest in disconnecting front sway bar links!
W
hen he moved from Colorado to California, Robert Marquez was amazed to find a wealth of off-road action within easy reach of his new home—and he knew exactly the 4x4 he wanted to explore it all. Before the move, Robert’s ’16 Jeep Wrangler had 35-inch tires and enough off-road modifications to get him through his favorite Colorado trails and keep up with his friends. As he planned his move to the Los Angeles area for work, Robert didn’t expect to be as close as he was to 4x4 trails. It wasn’t long before his Dodge Challenger Scat Pack got the boot and he found himself looking toward Jeep’s resurrection of the Gladiator nameplate. He knew he wanted a Jeep and the addition of the pickup bed behind the cab only further solidified Robert’s decision when opting for the ’20 Jeep Gladiator Overland. Planning out modifications to the Gladiator included stepping up in tire size, upgrading the truck’s armor, adding a bed rack and tent for more comfort in camp, and LED light in unique places. Read on for more on how Robert Marquez and Reyna Guzman outfitted their Jeep Gladiator Overland for the backwoods.
54 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
<| According to Robert, Black Rhino
wheels aesthetically complement the Gladiator’s Gobi paintjob and they are a perfect home for the Falken Wildpeak A/T3W tires. The Wildpeaks inspire confidence no matter what on- or off-road surface the Gladiator finds itself upon.
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<- |> <|
Robert protected the Gladiator’s rocker panels with Poison Spyder Rocker Knockers. His front differential is fit with a Rancho skidplate, the rear carries a MetalCloak skid, and the entire underbody wears MetalCloak’s steel armor.
|>
Up front, Robert upgraded his tie rod, drag link, steering damper, and track bar with beefier units from MetalCloak.
<- Quadratec’s stubby
aluminum front bumper and 10,000-poundcapacity winch are on the front of the Gladiator. The front bumper extends down to shield the radiator from damage.
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Feature LIT
/>
Having a king-size mattress is crucial for Robert, Reyna, and pet Oliver. Their Smittybilt Overlander XL tent has plenty of room for the two campers and their dog to stretch out at the end of the day.
<|
One night, Robert and Reyna were trying to locate a friend’s camp in the dark while coming in from the trail and they found themselves drawn to the strings of LED lights strung about their friend’s camp. Ever since, they knew they wanted a set of their own. Now, you can often find Robert and Reyna relaxing around their portable propane fire pit with their awning dazzled by twinkling LED lights.
POINT YOUR PHONE CAMERA AT THIS CODE TO SEE THE SPONSOR RIGS OF THE 2021 OVERLAND ADVENTURE PRESENTED BY JEEP 56 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
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AT A GLANCE
/>
At first glance, you might not notice that the Gladiator has a 50-inch LED lightbar. Robert was tired of the whistling that abovethe-windshield lightbars can generate in the wind, so he found a solution. The Quadratec Stealth lightbar sits behind the windshield and still improves visibility in low-light situations. No external lightbar also means there’s plenty of room for Robert’s Rugged Ridge snorkel.
GENERAL Vehicle: ’20 Jeep Gladiator Overland Owner: Robert Marquez Stomping grounds: Moreno Valley, California Build time: 10 months
DRIVETRAIN Engine: 3.6L Pentastar V-6 Transmission: 850RE 8-spd auto Transfer case: NV241 Command-Trac 2-spd Low range ratio: 2.72:1 Max crawl ratio: 62.5:1 Front axle/differential: Dana 44, Nitro Gear & Axle 4.88 gears/open Rear axle/differential: Dana 44, Nitro Gear & Axle 4.88 gears/open
SUSPENSION Front: Mopar 2-in lift w/Fox 2.5 shocks and coils Rear: Mopar 2-in lift w/Fox 2.5 shocks and coils
TIRES/WHEELS Tires: 37x12.50R17LT Falken Wildpeak A/T3W Wheels: Black Rhino steel
/> Though he hasn’t yet
found a rear bumper he likes, Robert keeps his hitch from dragging on obstacles with a purpose-built hitch skidplate that fits into the receiver.
MISCELLANEOUS Steering: MetalCloak steering damper, tie rod, drag link, track bar Lighting: Quadratec Stealth LED lightbar, LED camp string lights Armor: Quadratec aluminum stubby front bumper, Poison Spyder Rocker Knocker rocksliders, MetalCloak steel skidplates, rear hitch skidplate, Rancho diff skid Cool stuff: Smittybilt Overlander XL tent, JcrOffroad bed rack, Coleman cooler, portable propane fire pit, Quadratec Q-Performance 10,000-lb-capacity winch, Pro Eagle off-road jack, Rugged Ridge snorkel, 1.5-in TeraFlex body lift FW
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FOUR WHEELER OCTOBER 2022 57
FEATURE
The Road
n u R c i l e R To
Part 3: Vintage overlanding in Wyoming By Verne Simons editor@fourwheeler.com Photos: Verne Simons
I
n Part 1 of The Road to Relic Run (Aug. ’22), we documented how we combined two Intermediate CJ-5s into one. In Part 2 (Sep. ’22), we reported on the overlanding trip to the event, from a suburb of Phoenix to southern Wyoming. And while the trip began with some drama (we blame the heat and a dubious repop temp sender and gauge), the rest of the trip—despite a few hiccups along the way—was downright pleasurable. And the 2021 Relic Run event was a pleasure, too. The Relic Run is a vintage overland event hosted by Expedition Utah. Relic Run is best described as an assemblage of old off-road vehicles (mostly 1989 and earlier), camping gear, family fun, and more. Relic Run is about vintage 4x4s, but also about old-school off-roading, camping, and generally paying homage to off-road enthusiasts of the past century. The three-day event is about getting to the new-every-year base camp, hanging out with friends on a trail ride, and convening with friends and like-minded vintage overlanding and camping fans. Bonus points are awarded (hypothetically) for period-correct vehicle modifications and camping gear. You wouldn’t believe the stuff Relic Run participants bring along to give the event that vintage touch, from old camp stoves to lanterns and more. 58 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
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SOURCE Expedition Utah expeditionutah.com
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FOUR WHEELER OCTOBER 2022 59
Feature road to relic run
Day 1
The first day of Relic Run was a trickle-in-day. Folks arrived, hung out, and got comfortable in the amazing campsite on the Wyoming side of the Flaming Gorge National Recreation area. Old friends reunited while new acquaintances were made over a common interest in vintage overland 4x4s and camping gear. The Flaming Gorge Reservoir is known for cool waters, good fishing (apparently, we’re not good at fishing, and yes, we had the proper Wyoming non-resident fishing license), and Wyoming’s unpredictable weather. As the sun set, the weather was perfect, but a strong wind picked up and blew in a rainstorm from the southwest to make the night more of an adventure. As they say in Wyoming, “If you don’t like the weather, wait 15 minutes!”
Day 2
This was the first day of the official Relic Run trail ride. Our group headed east on backroads and eventually got on some trails that lead the group to the Three (not four) Corners Monument. This is a geographical landmark where the states of Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah converge, and it was a great place to hang out and have lunch at 8,400 feet above sea level. First surveyed and marked in 1879, the Three Corners area was restored and a sign with information was erected by Boy Scouts and the BLM in 1999. We checked out the monument while youngsters collected rocks, filling their pockets with prized pebbles till their pants fell. We returned to the main camp via the same amazing route that followed two-track trails and then maintained backroads for a round trip of about 60 miles, mostly through southeastern Wyoming. We spotted lots of wildlife, including birds of prey (an osprey, a red-tailed hawk, and
60 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
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Feature road to relic run
a falcon), pronghorn antelope, and even a moose on the shores of a high mountain pond. As the sun set, participants brought forth food and treats for a vintage Relic Run potluck dinner. And while the food was fresh, the theme was to serve recipes from a bygone era, once again paying homage to the past and introducing younger off-roaders to recipes they may not know. Our favorite was a family recipe for pineapple upside down cake. Yum!
Day 3
As the sun rose, Day 3 of Relic Run was upon us. The vintage overland vibe was carried over into another day of boating and fishing (our luck with the hook was the same as the days before). The day was relaxed with the whole group participating in some lakeshore activities (mostly soaking feet and going for a swim) or exploring the roads and shore near camp. Later in the day was the unofficial BB gun target shooting competition, where a few Red Ryder BB guns allowed competitors to set their sights on some empty soda cans to see who had the best shot. Winners received vintage toys and a solid pat on the back. We solidly lost the competition with a big smile on our faces. Dinner for the last night was supplied by the Mayor of Relic Run Town, Bob Dubois, who provided 50 pounds of authentic carne asada, which was prepared on several vintage camp stoves to great applause by all in attendance. Relic Run 2021 was a huge success. Special thanks to Bob Dubois for hosting us on this event and Ryan Kennelly and Phil “Red” Griffiths for helping us make it to the vintage overland event in our freshly built CJ-5, and thanks to all the Relic Run participants for tolerating us. FW
THE 4X4S OF RELIC RUN ’72 Chevy Blazer, Ryan Kennelly ’72 Dodge 3⁄4-ton Power Wagon, Ron Smith ’73 Ford F-250, Bob Dubois ’73 Jeep CJ-5, Verne Simons
62 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
’79 Ford Bronco w/Four Wheel Camper, Glenn Lavelle ’79 Jeep CJ-5, Kevin Richards ’84 Toyota X-Cab truck, Marci Dubois ’85 Toyota FJ60, Jake Smith
’88 Toyota FJ62, Bryan Meenan ’88 Toyota BJ71, Andrew McAllister ’89 Toyota BJ73, Brandon Smith ’90 Toyota FJ62, Brayden Hill
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FEATURE
! H O C N O R B A shiny, fuel-injected, vintage Bronco built for beach cruising By Joshua Elzey editor@fourwheeler.com Photos: Joshua Elzey
J
im Dunaway of Bayberry Vintage Autos in Hampton, New Hampshire, was approached by repeat customer Michelle Lemay, who had an interest in Ford’s new Bronco. She liked that the new Bronco was incorporating many iconic styling cues from the SUV’s heyday and she was highly anticipating the arrival of her preordered Bronco. But Michelle was itching for something to drive while waiting for her Bronco to arrive. Jim suggested finding an older, vintage Bronco and restoring it while she waited. Michelle thought that was a great idea. Hearing about the hunt for a vintage Bronco, a shop that Jim had worked with in the past called and informed him of a ’73 Bronco that was available. The Bronco appeared to be a decent older restoration that just needed paint and a tickle to bring it back to life. So, the Bronco was purchased and stripped down. The frame was verified as solid. However, it was discovered that the body tub had previously been restored to a subpar level. It was decided that replacing the body tub would be more cost effective so a new body tub with stamped fenders was purchased from Rust Belt Broncos. The intent to use high-gloss black paint on Michelle’s Bronco meant the bodywork had to be perfect. Michelle loves over-the-top builds, so even though this was going to be a more in-depth project than originally planned, it provided the opportunity to set this vintage project apart from the rest. A lot of research went into the style and modifications for the Bronco to create something authentic with modern cues blended in to create a clean and simple machine that exhibited a “less is more” philosophy. During the build, Michelle visited Bayberry Vintage Autos often to go over ideas, which she and Jim would jointly agree upon how to implement and proceed. Michelle has an eye for design involving color and overall theme that helped make perfect out-of-the-box choices. At one point, Jim asked Michelle if she wanted a lift under the Bronco only to get the response, “How tall can we go?” In the end, a 3.5-inch lift from Toms Offroad was used along with Bilstein shocks. Michelle chose the fourwheeler.com
KMC XD Series Rockstar III wheels for the build that were very fitting as part of the foundation of the build. The frame was stripped bare and then primed and sealed with SEM Rust Shield using a special formula that Bayberry Vintage Autos developed for thicker, higher-gloss finishes. The Bronco’s original drivetrain was retained, including the freshly built 302ci V-8 and rebuilt C4 transmission. To give the engine a bit of visual “pop,” Bayberry Vintage Autos painted the engine a custom Ford blue metallic tri-coat. The shop then installed a host of performance parts, including a Holley Sniper EFI, Billet Specialties front accessory drive, headers, Edelbrock Performance RPM intake, and MSD ignition system. The shop also smoothed some of the firewall holes and undercoated the entire tub front to back, including the engine bay. Inside the Bronco, Michelle wanted burgundy trim while the cream/ ivory color was inspired by the dashboard. This provided a perfect match FOUR WHEELER OCTOBER 2022 65
Feature BRONC OH!
yet contrasted eloquently with the black accents tying in the exterior color. Jim had seen black and white contrasting interiors before and felt like it popped, so he knew the result would be fantastic. Since the Bronco would be used to cruise beaches in direct sunlight with no hard or soft top, Michelle loves that the seats will not get too hot in the summer sun. The lighter color interior would also allow the details to stand out and not get lost in the rest of the design, which would have been the case if a darker color scheme had been used. Inside the Bronco, LizardSkin sprayon noise and heat insulation and Dynamat automotive sound deadening material were added. Bayberry Vintage Autos worked with Jeremy Katz of JK Automotive and Ben Hermance of Hermance Design to create a 3D rendering of the interior in order to better visualize the concepts. The team then bounced ideas back and forth, which led to a final interior pattern and rendering form liked by both the team and Michelle.
66 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
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AT A GLANCE GENERAL Vehicle: ’73 Ford Bronco Owner: Michelle Lemay Stomping grounds: Somewhere in the Northeast Build time: 18 months
DRIVETRAIN
Bayberry Vintage Autos provided Michelle with Engine: 302ci V-8 Transmission: C4 3-spd auto seat fitment data and used her suggestion for the Transfer case: Dana 20 custom-made low-back seats, which give better Low range ratio: 2.34:1 Crawl ratio: 20.4:1 flow with the Bronco’s body lines and better Front axle/differential: Dana 44, Warn manual lockout visibility. Jeremy then took his artful vision to hubs, 3.54 gears/open Rear axle/differential: Ford 9-in, 3.50 gears/limited-slip bring the interior into a modern next dimension SUSPENSION utilizing scanning technology tied to CAD design Front: Toms Offroad 3.5-in lift, Bilstein shocks fused with 3D printing for custom pieces. Not Rear: Toms Offroad 3.5-in lift, Bilstein shocks only is Jeremy renowned in this expertise but also TIRES/WHEELS Tires: 33x12.50R18LT Nitto Ridge Grappler in the sound arena. Wheels: 18x9 KMC XD Series Rockstar III A large challenge was providing a sound MISCELLANEOUS system where audio is not lost while driving at Lighting: Toms Offroad Black Finish LED headlights Cool stuff: Rust Belt Broncos body, Holley Sniper EFI, highway speeds with no top. A custom subwoofer Billet Specialties front accessory drive, headers, Edelbrock During assembly it was noted the Bronco enclosure that holds two 10-inch Focal Flax subs Performance RPM intake, MSD ignition system, PCS shifter, looked great without a lot of chrome, so Michelle was built as the base of the rear seat. A dashboard Vintage Air A/C, Painless Performance wiring harness, Sony head unit, ARC Audio amplifier, Mosconi DSP, and Jim decided to keep some of it blacked out. was created with 3D printing technology that gave Focal Flax subwoofers, Borla ProXS muffler, Wild Horses Jim has always loved the ground pounders-style the capability to mount miniature speakers in the 4x4 Synchronized Electric Windshield Wipers Kit, Kincer Engineering rollcage exhaust that turns the exhaust down right after eyebrows, keeping the original look and minithe rear axle. This style of exhaust was thought mizing the space required. The center console to be great for the Bronco. A hand-fabricated and hand-polished exhaust is 3D printed and holds the audio system digital signal processor from was made by Bayberry Vintage Autos and was coupled to the Borla ProXS Mosconi and an ARC Audio amplifier. JK Automotive used reddishbrown sepia wood machined for inserting within the doors along with the muffler. Other mods include a Wild Horses 4x4 Synchronized Electric Windshield Wipers Kit and a family-style-version Kincer Engineering kick panels that tie in with the vintage steering wheel chosen by Jim to further keep the era of the Bronco at the forefront yet modernize the style. rollcage with three-point safety harnesses for the front and rear passengers, plus attachment points for the bikini top. The small leather bikini Jeremy had some visionary ideas on how to accomplish this in an undertop provides some shade with the hardtop removed. And speaking of stated yet bold way, retaining some of the originality of the Bronco roots. the factory hardtop, Michelle doesn’t feel like she will ever use it, or the The creative process by the team was further brought into the 3D-printed doors – “like ever!” As a matter of fact, after the Bronco was delivered to center console with PCS shifter, the interior pattern, and the Sony touch Michelle the hardtop was removed and stored in a newly installed fixture screen head unit to provide the modern feel of a new Bronco as inspirathat lifts it up in a utility shed. tion. The dash had several controls reoriented to accommodate the The completed Bronco turns heads and Michelle gets stopped quite Vintage Air controls (the Bronco received a Gen IV SureFit A/C kit and often while driving it as people enjoy the custom rig and want pictures Bayberry Vintage Autos custom-fabbed refrigerant lines) as well as the of it. Michelle loves her vintage Bronco so much that she declined to touch screen head unit. Opening the glovebox reveals the hidden Holley purchase the new one since she felt it did not even compare. “The original Sniper EFI control screen and data logger plus the Painless Performance goodness of the Bronco was upheld,” Jim Dunaway says. FW Products wiring harness and fuse panel. fourwheeler.com
FOUR WHEELER OCTOBER 2022 67
Tech
POINT YOUR PHONE CAMERA AT THIS CODE TO SEE VIDEO OF VERNE RESTORING HIS BRONCO HARDTOP
DIY HARDTOP RESTO
SOURCES LizardSkin lizardskin.com POR-15 por15.com
Summit Racing summitracing.com
1 Rust—it’s a problem for any steel part, including our early Bronco top. If the top were fiberglass or composite we wouldn’t have rust, but might have cracks or other damage to repair.
A low-buck renewal of our old, weathered Bronco top By Verne Simons editor@fourwheeler.com Photos: Verne Simons
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emovable hardtops are common in the off-road world and can be found on Jeep CJs and Wranglers, International Scouts, Ford Broncos, Chevy Blazers, Land Rover Defenders and Series vehicles, and Daihatsu Rockys. There are even a few aftermarket sources for Suzuki Samurais and Geo Trackers. Hardtops offer a sealed interior environment when you want it but can be relatively easily removed when you want open-air wheeling. Some tops are made from composite materials like fiberglass or plastics while others are made of steel or aluminum. The focus of this article is an early Ford Bronco hardtop that had seen better days. There was some rust in the top that needed to be patched to keep the top in service and prevent leaks and future damage from the elements. Follow along as we spend time making this top like new and know that while some of the techniques may be slightly different, most of the ideas we use here can be applied to fiberglass or aluminum tops as well.
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What We Started With As you can see in the following photos, our Bronco hardtop had a bad case of steel cancer, aka rust. A few spots just showed some surface rust while others looked like Swiss cheese. The worst parts were the rear lift gate, the driprails running around the perimeter of the top, and the areas just inboard of the driprails, inside the top. These are all areas where debris had gotten trapped with moisture and rust had set in. Short of pulling the glass out of the top and popping apart the various components, we decided to attack the areas we could access to halt the rust and seal them from the elements. This meant spot-treating the surface rust, grinding it out, or cutting out pieces and welding in new patches or using POR-15 to treat areas where we couldn’t clean or cut the rust out. fourwheeler.com
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Our Technique for Stopping the Rust
2 This top is by no means perfect, but it’s a top. With a little work and some specialty products we made it nice and solid enough to last for another 10-50 years.
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3 By far, the worst areas of this top were the driprails, the interior shelf area just inside the driprails, and the rear hanging gate. We could have cut the top apart, cut out all the rust, and replaced panels that were too far gone, but instead we decided to save ourselves a ton of work and cost, and just stop the rust and seal it in.
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In areas where we could get at it, we used an angle grinder with a wire wheel to grind out all the rust and then either primed the area with a self-etching primer or POR-15. The driprails were then filled with a fresh bead of seam sealer as they were from the factory. The POR-15 will bind with rust wherever we couldn’t remove it and will seal it against moisture. This was critical inside the upper edge of the top, where we could hardly fit our hand, let alone any tools to remove the rust. In these areas, we slathered on a few coats of POR-15. In some spots we had no choice but to cut out the rusted metal, re-create the part with fresh steel plate and weld it in place. When we did this, we used copper-rich weld-through primer to protect the fresh metal from new rust forming … at least that’s the idea. In other areas, where we could grind out the rust and were worried about the structural integrity, we made small plates that we painted with the copper-rich weldthrough primer and spot-welded in place.
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4 This is a top-down look at the driprail after we ground out what remained of the factory seam sealer that filled it and the rust that had taken hold underneath. Sadly, the top had a few areas like this where rust had penetrated all the way through. The right way to fix this would be to cut out all the rusted spots and patch in new metal, but if we did that with this, we’d probably be better off starting with another top. So, we did what we could with what we had. With the loose rust cleaned off, we prepped the area for POR-15 or an epoxy primer and filled the driprails (and small holes) with fresh seam sealer.
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6 The entire inside perimeter of this top has a shelf where rust had taken hold. Some areas were better than others, but almost all of it was rusty. We did what we could to clean out the rust in this area and then slathered on a few coats of POR-15 with a disposable brush to stop the rust from propagating.
5 This top was originally white but was “fixed up” at some point in the past with a fair amount of body filler and a fresh coat of black paint. Sadly, rust had set in on many parts of the top. But we halted it … or at least put it on pause for a while.
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FOUR WHEELER OCTOBER 2022 69
Tech DIY HARDTOP RESTO
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7 Here’s the quart of POR-15 we used. POR-15 comes in black, silver, gray, or clear, and it needs some surface prep (especially on clean metal or hardened paint). It’s thin and soaks into rust, requiring a few coats, and it hardens like a rock. It also needs a topcoat to prevent damage from UV light.
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8 This is one area where we had no choice but to cut out the rusted metal and make a patch to replace it.
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9 The front inside foot of both right and left front corners of the top had seen better days so we made these small plates to add to the top of the existing metal. Once made and drilled for spot-welds, we coated these parts in copper-rich weld-through primer. This should help prevent more rust from occurring in this area as well.
Making the Top Look Great Inside and Out With the rust stopped and sealed, we needed to apply a topcoat to the POR-15. We used a POR-15 1K Self Etching Primer and filled any imperfections with a little body filler. POR-15 won’t stick well to smooth, previously painted surfaces without prior preparation, and it tends to find its way into all kinds of areas, so we sanded off what remained of the factory paint. We also had to use some body filler in a few small dents and around the patches that we welded in to make up for grinding marks and slight differences in surface level. We then primed everything with a few coats and prepped the painted surface for our next application. To help give the top a like-new look we sanded the paint and applied Pro Form Buck Shot Truck Bed Protective Coating 3:1 Kit from our local automotive paint supply house to the exterior of the top. This bedliner kit comes with an applicator gun and everything you’ll need, with the addition of a quart of paint to tint the bedliner. We wanted to give our Bronco a vintage look, so we tinted the top with Wimbledon White Omni MBC Acrylic basecoat per the Buck Shot instructions. We then taped off the inside of the windows and prepped the inside of the top for LizardSkin ceramic insulation we got from Summit Racing for another project. We’ve used this product on several projects and really like its insulating properties. It also does add some sound-deadening to metal tops and floorboards, in our experience. We had black LizardSkin ceramic insulation on hand but in hindsight should have used white. Once dry we coated the LizardSkin with more Wimbledon White automotive paint. 70 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
10 Here is one of the plates spot-welded in place. This should add strength and hopefully years of service to the top in an area where rust and cracks had formed in the past.
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11 We added POR-15 to a few of the rusty spots on the outside of the top, and some from the driprail found its way through a hole to the outside. POR-15 wicks into the smallest places and will help keep rust dormant. We needed to sand it off the smooth surfaces before priming with an etching primer.
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13 We coated all the body filler, exposed POR-15, and any bare metal with primer. We like Omni MP170 epoxy primer for bare metal and body filler and used etching primer over the POR-15. We then taped off the windows and got ready to apply the tintable Buck Shot bedliner on the exterior.
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12 Both rear corners needed to have some very rusty spots cut out and replaced. A little body filler helped smooth the areas where we welded in the patches.
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14 We sprayed the hinges in Wimbledon White and allowed them to dry before taping them off. You don’t want to coat hinges like this with the bedliner as it will restrict their movement.
15 We shot the Buck Shot protective coating at the higher end of the recommended air pressure to keep the texture of the spray fine. Using bedliner should help seal the top from the weather in the future and help to obscure any imperfections in the surface of the old top as well.
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17 Inside the top we sprayed LizardSkin ceramic insulation. We’ve used this on the interior and exterior of other vehicles and love the thermal insulation and look. We should have used the white LizardSkin insulation, but all we had was black.
16 Here’s a close-up of the texture we achieved with the Buck Shot protective coating. We like it! 18 The LizardSkin insulation has a nice texture and when dry for 48 hours at 70 degrees can be top coated with LizardSkin topcoat or any automotive-grade paint.
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19 We used automotive-grade urethane enamel in Wimbledon White to coat the LizardSkin. It took many coats to cover the black LizardSkin—the stuff when dry is thirsty— but the overall finish is nice and hard. FW
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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.
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FOUR WHEELER OCTOBER 2022 73
Feature GRANVILLE SALUTE
74 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
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Coming Next Month
OVERLANDING 4X4 HOTNESS FROM THE 2022
INCREDIBLE 406CI-POWERED 1986 JEEP J10
PLUS
OVERLAND EXPO WEST
LONG-TERM TEST BY SEAN P. HOLMAN EDITOR@FOURWHEELER.COM PHOTOS: SEAN P. HOLMAN
2021 RAM 1500 TRX Third report: Putting the shine on dirt driving
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or the past nine months, “Take the TRX” has been a common refrain around the Four Wheeler office. Whether it’s a road trip or a wheeling trip, the TRX can do it all. This quarter, we focused on hitting the trails more and diving into the things we love and the things we’d improve on one of our favorite vehicles. While the TRX is a more-than-capable trail machine, there is a certain type of terrain where the TRX comes into its own. We found this magical TRX sweet spot when we were exploring some higher speeds on an undulating desert road with long, broad, low-frequency whoops. Spending our time between around 55 to 70 mph on a particular section, the TRX stretched its legs, soaking up the terrain, topping out and lifting off over rises, and landing without ever hitting the stops. The 12 inches of front travel and 13 inches of rear travel give plenty of room for
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the suspension to breathe. There have been times where we came into a G-out too fast. Fully puckered and ready for our consequences to reverberate through the chassis, we were saved by Bilstein’s Blackhawk e2 semi-active shocks, which unlike the Raptor’s Fox Live Valve units, works on both the compression and rebound circuits (Raptor is compression only). The TRX’s jump detection mode doesn’t just stiffen the shocks but unlocks the transfer case clutches to prevent driveline shock on landing and prevents the transmission from upshifting into a taller gear. Front internal bumpstops, known as a Jounce Cutoff (JCO), engage at the extreme end of compression travel and ensure that the true impact of a hard landing never reaches the occupants. With 702 horsepower at our disposal and a suspension capable of keeping up, you’d expect the TRX to let you drive without intervening, and it does, especially in Baja mode. At 90-degree intersections, full-on, throttle-induced powerslides are never ruined by overaggressive electronics. The TRX also comes equipped with low range and a rear locker, which is nice for traversing those unexpected technical surprises, such as a washout or rocky climb. One of the best parts of taking the TRX out with the family is enjoying the gleeful squeals coming from the back, along with repetitive shouts of “jump it again!” The TRX’s performance is consistent and repeatable, and this truck really is the closest thing you can get to a short course racer or chase truck with a warranty. Speaking of warranties, the TRX has proven to be reliable, save for an incident when we woke up to a curiously dead battery (no, nothing was left on). After a jump start, the TRX would display warnings to the driver, such as “Service Active Suspension” and “Avoid Aggressive Off-Road Maneuvers.” Our research seemed to indicate
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The view of the TRX out on a desert road will never get old, especially when equipped, as ours is, in a Flame Red paintjob.
that this happens when the suspension travel sensors lose their position and need to be zeroed out by the dealer. We were told that the shocks revert to a non-active middle setting. Of course, we wanted to know what would happen if you took the TRX off-road and actually did engage in aggressive off-road maneuvers. You know, for science. We can tell you that some small differences can be felt in driving around town, but it’s nothing that the average passenger would notice. Off-road, the truck uses up travel a bit sooner, and you must watch your lines and speeds a little more, but even in this mode, the truck still hits off road trails harder than its non-active suspension competitors. So, while Ram flashes a driver information center disclaimer, a competent driver can still take the truck out and have a good time even if the semiactive part of the suspension is offline. Our only other concern with the TRX was a flat
tire, taken out by a tiny, but hard, stick. It has made us a bit wary about the factory Goodyear rubber, but we haven’t had any similar incidents since, so knock on wood (too soon?). Fortunately, we were able to plug the tire and get home, but if the truck were ours, we might be looking at three-ply sidewall options when it comes time to replace the rubber. During our scheduled maintenance, our local Ram dealer zeroed out the suspension computer under warranty and replaced our tire to the tune of $353.41, in addition to the scheduled service with tire rotation for $244.62. Shortly after, the same suspension warning returned, so we’ll have to bring it back and get the issue resolved before the end of our loan. With only a few months left of having the TRX in our daily life, please excuse us as we head back out to the desert for our adrenaline fix before Ram comes to collect. Although, if they want their truck back, they might just have to catch us first.
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Thanks to matte black hood graphics, the TRX keeps glare from the bright sun to a minimum. Because the TRX is so much wider than a standard Ram 1500, the bodywork features muscular, but tasteful, bulges. The TRX uses 325/65R18 Goodyear Wrangler Territory all-terrain tires, which are speed rated for 118 mph. With all our aggressive trail driving, we have started to see a little bit of chunking of the tread.
Report: 3 of 4 Previous reports: Mar. ’22, July ’22 Base price: $70,325 Price as tested: $92,080 Four-wheel-drive system: Full-time, two-speed
OPTIONS AS TESTED Technology Group ($1,095), Trailer Tow Group ($195), Advanced Safety Group ($995), Bed Utility Group ($845), Lower Two-tone Paint ($250), TRX Carbon Fiber Package ($1,295), TRX Level 2 Equipment Group ($7,920), TRX Red Interior Accents ($1,495), TRX Exterior Graphics ($495), TRX Hood Graphic ($895), Mopar Rock Rails ($995), 19 Speaker Harmon Kardon Premium Sound ($1,195), 18x9-inch Beadlockcapable Wheels ($1,895), and Trailer Reverse Steering Control ($495)
LONG-TERM NUMBERS Miles to date: 13,725 Miles since last report: 5,181 Average mpg (this report): 10.84 Test best tank (mpg): 13.79 Test worst tank (mpg): 8.13
MAINTENANCE This period: Scheduled maintenance ($244.62), tire replacement ($353.41) Problem areas: Suspension fault, flat tire
WHAT’S HOT, WHAT’S NOT
|> /> /> Here is the culprit that took out our tire on the trail, and because it was in the sidewall, we plugged the hole
to get home and replaced the tire out of safety. Learning how to plug a tire is a great skill that can get you safely off the trail, as was the case with the TRX. The TRX uses a true ram-air intake system, which funnels air through a massive airbox that houses two air filters that measure in at 13.3 square feet of surface area. One-way drains are used to clear the intake of any water.
Hot: Amazing suspension, amazing power, amazing fun Not: Questionable tire durability, suspension fault
LOGBOOK QUOTES
POINT YOUR PHONE CAMERA AT THIS CODE TO READ THE SECOND LONG-TERM REPORT ON OUR LONG-TERM RAM 1500 TRX
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In addition to the rear link-coil setup, the TRX uses a kicker shock to help control rear axlewrap. Here is a peek at the TRX’s lower rear shock mount. Note how much material the aluminum-bodied Blackhawk e2 shocks have around the bushing, no doubt to provide strength. The beefy shaft is protected from stone pitting by a specially designed guard.
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-> “I wish the TRX drive modes could be accessed on a dial, the pushbutton carousel takes too many presses to get into the modes I want quickly.” -> “We got a leaker! Just found a tiny stick in the tire, hard to believe this is what caused the flat.” -> “Found a fast road where there was jump after jump after jump, seamlessly sublime.” -> “Just had the suspension zeroed out at the dealer … well, the warning just came back.” -> “Even with the suspension fault, you can’t stop the TRX, it’s still a riot off road.” FW FOUR WHEELER OCTOBER 2022 77
TECHLINE COMPILED BY VERNE SIMONS EDITOR@FOURWHEELER.COM PHOTOS: VERNE SIMONS
FORD RANGER IFS TO LONG-TRAVEL, TTB, OR SAS? I have an ’01 Ford Ranger with the 4x4 off-road package. The torsion bar front suspension sucks. I want to install a Twin-Traction Beam like what came from the factory on my ’88 Bronco II. Is this possible with my truck having rack-and-pinion steering? What would fit? Maybe a frontend from a ’00 Ford Explorer? I would like your expertise on this matter, please, because where I live no one knows. MIKE VIA EMAIL
Great question. We understand why you are displeased with the torsion bar IFS front suspension on your Ranger. We are willing to bet that many folks have had the same thought about changing it out for the venerable TwinTraction Beam (TTB) suspension found on older Rangers, Explorers, Bronco IIs, F-150s, fullsize Broncos, and more. TTB is generally the sweetheart of offroaders who want to go fast in the desert, and it works pretty well for those of us who also like rockcrawling and trail riding. Because of its popularity in go-fast off-road circles, TTB has been swapped under many trucks … and even a few cars. So, the short answer is yes, this swap can be done on your Ranger. But, and this is a fairly big but, your truck will need quite a bit of modification to do this swap correctly, and the parts from a ’00 Explorer won’t help (they are basically exactly what you already have). We’re talking
thousands of dollars of parts and custom fabrication, adding plating to the frame in certain areas, maybe grafting two frames together, extensive welding and more. It would end up being a totally custom job, and that’s not usually a good place to start for someone who is new at off-road fabrication. Many things will have to change, including, as you’ve noticed, the rack-and-pinion steering your truck currently has. You’d be better off swapping to a Saginaw-style steering box and building a single-swing steering system. Still, you have options. First, it may be easier to upgrade the IFS you have. You can drop the torsion bars and add suspension travel by buying a few well thought out aftermarket parts. We pretty quickly found a 4WD longtravel kit from F-O-A (f-o-a.com), and we’ve heard several people talk about a similar long-travel suspension from Vegas Dezert Fab (vegasdezertfab.com). These kits ain’t cheap,
but they get rid of the torsion bars and add coilover shocks to the suspension, adding travel and tunability. Also, you can modify and keep the rack-and-pinion steering you have. Secondly, you could go the full TTB suspension swap. In that case, it might be best to source an ’83-’97 TTB Ford Ranger (the later ones would be best), ’80-’96 F-150, or ’91-’94 Explorer to salvage parts from, or at least the frame section from the firewall forward. Chances are you can re-purpose brackets and parts from the steering system in your swap to replace your rack-and-pinion. You might even be able to graft the frame from a TTB truck to your frame at the firewall. You may also want to upgrade some of the parts and there are a ton of suspension companies that make aftermarket parts for TTB. We would reach out to and check out Solo Motorsports (solomotorsports.com) and Desolate Motorsports (desolatemotorsports.com), both of which have custom TTB components. The last suggestion we can make, and this is more if you are interested in rockcrawling or trail riding over going fast off-road, is to consider a solid axle swap (SAS). Solid axles are the gold standard for most rockcrawler and trail riding rigs because they are strong and simple and relatively inexpensive, but you do have compromises when it comes to going fast in the dirt. There are several older forum postings, some good, some not so good, about doing this swap. You will need to replace the rack-and-pinion steering with a more traditional steering box setup, but an SAS is probably a bit simpler than a TTB swap. You could use leaf springs for your front suspension or copy the front coil-spring front suspension from a Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco or go to a fully custom three- or four-link setup with coilover shocks. You’ll also have to source a front axle, but there are many options to choose from that would work depending on what size tire you want to run. You could use a Jeep Wrangler front axle, one from a solid-axle Bronco or F-250 or go to a full width Dana 60 axle for large tires. There are also a bunch of solid axle swap tech articles on fourwheeler.com and within the pages of many decades of Four Wheeler magazine to reference. These articles may not be specific to your ’01 Ranger, but they are almost all custom and will show you the basic steps you’d need to follow to SAS your truck.
WHERE TO WRITE ave a 4x4 tech question you want answered in Techline? Drop an email to editor@fourwheeler.com or message us through our Facebook page at facebook.com/fourwheelermag. All letters become the property of Four Wheeler, and we reserve the right to edit them for length, accuracy, and clarity. Due to the volume of mail, electronic and otherwise, we cannot respond to every reader, but we do read everything.
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WHICH GEARS FOR A 1993 F-150 ON 33S? I’m not very techy or much of a fabricator like most of the guys out there in the 4x4 world, but I got my grandfather’s old truck that I’m building into an overland-style truck. It’s a ’93 F-150. All the shocks were bad, and all the springs rusted out and broken so I put in all new that were included in a 4-inch lift, and I put on 33-inch tires. I need to know the correct gears to put in to get some of the power back but not completely kill the fuel mileage. Fuel mileage already isn’t great. It has the 5.0L V-8 and I’m almost positive the tag on the rear axle says “3.88/8.8.” I found a formula to go by but not sure if it is correct ... new tire size multiplied by old gears plus old tire size. Which gets me 4.56. Sorry for the longwinded email. Any help would be appreciated. Also, any good ideas on better suspension setups would be cool. SHANE VIA EMAIL
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Figuring out gear ratios is always a bit of an art as much as it is a science. My friend and unquestionable off-road expert Christian Hazel has provided the answer, and I couldn’t agree more. Also, on top of Christian’s years of experience he has recently re-geared a Ford Bronco for his new show 4x4 Garage. So, I’ll pass the staff to Christian for his sage advice. “For starters, believe it or not, your biggest mileage hit is going to come from the suspension lift. You’ve increased the amount of turbulent air under the vehicle, which will act almost like a small parachute. That’s one of the big reasons why you see a plastic or rubber air dam or valance under modern trucks - to push the air around the vehicle rather than underneath it. “That said, 33s aren’t all that big of a tire, so as long as you don’t get the bigger-is-better bug later on and wind up going to 35s or 37s, I think if it’s got the V-8 and 3.55s you won’t actually recoup your regearing investment in fuel economy going with, say, a 4.10 gear, which is roughly what I’d recommend for what you’re looking to do. “If you’re planning on regearing with limitedslip differentials and/or lockers then it doesn’t matter, but if you’re planning on keeping the factory open diffs then you’ll need a new carrier for the front if you go to 4.10s. If you do 3.73s
they’ll work with the factory front Dana 44 TTB carrier. The Ford 8.8-inch rear factory carrier will work with any gear. Just FYI. “There’s not a whole mountain of difference between the 3.73s and 4.10s. The actual formula you use to determine rpm would be 336 x speed x overall gear ratio / tire diameter. The tire diameter measurement should be taken from the static loaded radius, in other words, the distance between the center of the rear hub to the ground with the weight on the vehicle, then multiplying by 2. In your case, the tires most likely measure out at 31.75 inches and your transmission overdrive ratio is 0.67, which is pretty deep and helps your freeway driving. It essentially turns 4.10s into 2.75s or 3.73s into 2.50s. “Anyway, your freeway rpm at 75 mph with 4.10s would be roughly 2,180 rpm with 33s. At 75 mph with 3.73s you’d be turning 1,983 rpm with 33s. “Bottom line: Personally, I’d do the 4.56s because the extra gearing will help you a lot getting that big truck up and moving around town and going down the trail with an engine speed of 2,425 rpm. The extra freeway rpm won’t really ding you all that much at the pump. The 3.73s probably would still feel a bit undergeared and the 4.10s would be a good compromise between the two.” FW
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CALENDAR COMPILED BY JERED KORFHAGE JERED.KORFHAGE@FOURWHEELER.COM
October 3-8 What: Trail Hero Where: Hurricane, Utah Hosted by: Trail Hero Info: thetrailhero.com
October 7-9 What: Overland Expo East Where: Arrington, Virginia Hosted by: Infinity Downs Farm Info: overlandexpo.com
October 8 What: Trail Hawk-Tober Fest Where: Cosby, Tennessee Hosted by: Outdoors in the Smokies Info: outdoorsinthesmokies.com
October 12-15 What: Chile Challenge Where: Caballo, New Mexico Hosted by: Las Cruces Four Wheel Drive Club Info: chilechallenge.org
October 14-16 What: Big Dogs Fall Crawl Where: Winchester, Virginia Hosted by: Big Dogs Offroad Info: bigdogsoffroad.com
October 14-16 What: Pumpkin Run Where: Copemish, Michigan Hosted by: Twisted Trails Off Road Park Info: twistedtrailsoffroadpark.com
October 15-16 What: Off-Road Expo Where: Avondale, Arizona Hosted by: Phoenix Raceway Info: offroadexpo.com
October 16 What: Mud Bogs Where: Lisbon, Ohio Hosted by: Tri County 4 Wheelers Info: tricounty4wheelers.com
October 20-22 What: Gateway to the Cumberlands Jeep Jamboree Where: Williamsburg, Kentucky Hosted by: Jeep Jamboree USA Info: jeepjamboreeusa.com
October 20-22
October 20-23
What: Greenbrier Valley Jeep Jamboree Where: White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia Hosted by: Jeep Jamboree USA Info: jeepjamboreeusa.com
What: Trucks Gone Wild Where: Okeechobee, Florida Hosted by: Plant Bamboo Info: trucksgonewild.com
October 20-23
October 21-23
What: Cruisers on the Rocks Where: Oliver Springs, Tennessee Hosted by: Windrock Park Info: windrockpark.com
What: Jeeptoberfest Where: Belleview, Florida Hosted by: Ocala Jeep Club Info: ocalajeepclub.com
October 20-23
October 27-29
What: King Shocks Laughlin Desert Classic Where: Laughlin, Nevada Hosted by: Best in the Desert Info: bitd.com
What: Moab Jeep Jamboree Where: Moab, Utah Hosted by: Jeep Jamboree USA Info: jeepjamboreeusa.com
WHERE TO SEND SUBMISSIONS ddress your correspondence to: Calendar, Four Wheeler, 831 S. Douglas St., El Segundo, CA 90245, or email jered.korfhage@fourwheeler.com. 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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TRAIL’S END BY JERED KORFHAGE JERED.KORFHAGE@FOURWHEELER.COM PHOTOS: FOUR WHEELER ARCHIVES
LOOKING BACK TO ED MEYERS’ 1986 FORD F-250 AND CUSTOMBUILT UTILITY TRAILER
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ometimes a trailer is more than planks and loading ramps, more than the camper on its rails, or the toys and tools it transports. For Ed Meyers, the custom utility trailer was an extension of his truck both visually and in its ability to help out on the jobsite. Looking back to the August 1990 issue of Four Wheeler, we explored what Ed Meyers considered one of the greatest assets to his carpentry career: this Centari Shadow Blue ’86 Ford F-250. Ed purchased the truck new and when he was replacing the stock bed with a utility bed, he hatched a plan. Instead of completely retiring the factory floor and bedsides, he decided to give them new life a bit farther behind the cab. Enlisting the help of Mike Dexter of Dexter Custom Fabrication in Simi Valley, California,
Ed had a custom frame built from 4-inch channel steel. The new frame matched the dimensions of the pickup’s rails and used similar mounting pads. Hellwig rear helper springs went underneath to support the load above the narrowed 5,000-pound-capacity axle. Thanks to Mike’s fine work, mating the Ford bed to the new trailer frame was seamless and Ed went to work further modifying the creation. He affixed U.S. Custom spoke rims and BFGoodrich mud-terrains to each end of the trailer’s axle, coated the interior with Duraliner bedliner, and capped it with a Stockland camper shell. Inside, Ed installed a drawer-style sliding toolbox with another box at the front of the trailer. On the tongue went a Weatherguard toolbox and an Atwood jack. Ahead of the custom trailer, Mike’s truck is just as much as a rolling tool chest. Its new bed boasts a diamond-plate false floor with bed-size
drawers, a bumper-mounted vise, plenty of utility boxes, an Emglo in-bed air compressor, and much more. The F-250 and its trailer are painted to match, and Ed told us he had yet another Ford 4x4 with a similar paintjob at home—a ’90 Bronco that could also be found pulling the trailer. Are you a fan of building trailers tailored to your needs? Have you repurposed a military trailer to follow behind your 4x4? Or do you prefer having something brand-new in tow? Let us know how you tow, and feel free to send any high-resolution images you might have to editor@fourwheeler.com. FW
FOUR WHEELER (ISSN 0015-9123) October 2022; Vol. 59, No. 10. 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. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: Send address corrections to FOUR WHEELER, P.O. Box 37198, Boone, IA 50037.
82 OCTOBER 2022 FOUR WHEELER
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THE THE THE THE
TOUGHER TIRE, EASIER ESCAPE.™
Any Vehicle. Every Terrain.™
REMOTE WORK.
BILSTEIN B8 5160 for JL Wrangler & JT Gladiator • Remote reservoir • Increases wheel travel • Improves heat dissipation • 46mm piston monotube design • Lift height options: 2-3” and 3-4.5” • Application specific tuning • Includes reservoir mount kit • OE specific hardware • Optional billet clamp (shown) • Limited 2 year warranty
WAY AHEAD.
