Four Wheeler August 2016

Aaaand, that’s a wrap. I’m outtahair like a bald man. I’m gonna make like a drummer and beat it. Splitting like the Red Sea. Think I’ll make like a nut and bolt. That’s right: I’m leaving Four Wheeler and off like a prom dress to be editor of our sister publication, 4-Wheel & Off-Road. In my last editorial I let you all in on a little secret: that Four Wheeler Senior Editor Ken Brubaker had built the July ’16 issue. Well, surprise—Ken built this issue as well. Why? Because Ken is gonna be the new editor of this magazine. This change has actually been in the works for more than five months as of this writing, but thanks to the magic of human resources and other legal hoo-hah, it couldn’t take…

CHRISTIAN.HAZEL@FOURWHEELER.COM FWOTY EXCLUSION? As usual, I read with interest your 2016 Four Wheeler of the Year article. I was disappointed that you neglected to test the 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser simply because you could not obtain a loaner vehicle to test. That is a pretty lame excuse. You could have bought/leased/rented a 2016 Land Cruiser for your test but neglected to do so. Also, the comparable Lexus LX570 could have been sought in its place. I was glad to see that the Jeep didn’t break down and get top honors again this year, as breakdowns seemed to be a requirement for top honors in years past. I noticed that the off-road test caused flat tires on all three vehicles. You must have driven over a lot of sharp rocks this year. DANIEL M. HART NEWTON, MA I’d…

EDITOR@FOURWHEELER.COM THAT’S INTERESTING ->The pricing for the ’16 Nissan Titan XD with the 5.6L Endurance V-8 is out: The 4x4 starts at $38,290 for the S crew cab and things go as high as $55,520 for the Platinum Reserve crew cab. ->Universal Technical Institute has now been at the job of grooming humans to become future auto techs and more for five decades. That’s right, the 50th milestone. ->If you ->GM is acquiring Cruise Automation. In a nutshell, that means they’re now cooking with gas when it comes to autonomousvehicle tech development.buy the new edition of Monopoly Empire, do whatever hand gesture denotes glee over its nod to autos because the Ford Mustang is a new piece. ->Caltex is making getting diesel fuel in remote regions of Australia easier by building what seems to…

EDITOR@FOURWHEELER.COM BLACK PARTS Proform Parts introduces new Black Series four-barrel carburetors that feature a Black Diamond PTFE coating on the main bodies and fuel bowls. The coating is said to reduce fuel temps by up to 6 percent, which helps combat vaporlock. The new carbs range from 650 to 850 cfm in the Street Series and 650 to 1050 cfm in the Race Series. All carbs feature mechanical secondaries. Standard features on all Black Series Proform carburetors include billet metering blocks and baseplates, lightweight aluminum fuel bowls and main bodies, adjustable air and fuel settings for tuning, and compatibility with popular automatic transmission kickdowns. Each carburetor is hand-assembled in the U.S.A. and engine-tested prior to shipping. INFO: Proform Parts, 586/774-2500, proformparts.com WHEELING WHEELS Pro Comp now offers the new Series 45 Proxy wheel. It’s…

editor@fourwheeler.com THE MOAB EASTER JEEP SAFARI IS LIKELY the largest enthusiast off-road event in the world. Moab, the host town, has a full-time population of about 5,000 people, but when Easter week rolls around, the population is said to more than triple by some accounts. This year was the 50th anniversary of the legendary 4x4 event, making it especially significant. The trails in and around Moab vary in difficulty, but nearly all of them have spectacular views. Many trails can be traversed in a completely stock 4x4. Other trails require heavily modified vehicles. If you have never attended the Easter Jeep Safari, it’s certainly an event you have to experience at least once. Don’t fret—you don’t need to have a Jeep. Any brand of 4x4 will do. The Red Rock 4-Wheelers’…

editor@fourwheeler.com THE MOAB EASTER JEEP SAFARI BRINGS off-road enthusiasts and aftermarket manufacturers together from all over the nation, and in some cases, the world. Of course Moab offers some of the most scenic and difficult trails imaginable, but one of the events that we always look forward to during the Easter Jeep week is the vendor show held at the Old Spanish Trail Arena. Unlike industry-only shows, this vendor show gives you, the consumer, an opportunity get up close and personal with the latest aftermarket off-road products and access to the manufacturers that build them. The vendor show is only held the Thursday and Friday before Easter. You’ll find everything from the hottest in current off-road tire technology to the newest suspension, electrical, and axle widgets. It took the better part…