Four Wheeler December 2018

Thank you to everyone who has emailed regarding my past few Firing Order columns! Many of you have shared stories and photos of your 4x4s. We’re publishing several of those in the current Inbox department and will continue to do so in future issues. Many readers have noted that I talk about my old ’77 Scout II, which I owned for decades but hardly ever show in pictures. The reason is simple: I didn’t know where the photos were. All photographs of the Scout were taken in the pre-digital days and were in a box somewhere—or in an album, which was in a box somewhere. Surprisingly, my wife found a bunch of old Scout photos recently. So for those who have asked, and even for those who didn’t, here are some images…

KEN.BRUBAKER@FOURWHEELER.COM MORE V-DRIVE I was reading one of your articles about the VEMCO drives and thought these pictures would be nice. I’ve had this van for about four years now. It’s missing the radiator, distributor, and starter. I found it in Albuquerque at a car shop that had a track car. They needed some parts one day for that race car and removed the items from the van. It ran very good until the parts were removed and it only has 87,000 miles. I’ve been hand turning the engine twice a year and I feel good that it still has some compression. I hope to get it running soon. I hope you like the pictures and thanks for doing the VEMCO article—it gives me more motivation to do this project. TODD RUCKER VIA EMAIL SCOUT…

EDITOR@FOURWHEELER.COM THAT’S INTERESTING Nissan decided to build a shrine to the beach and call it Titan Surfcamp. It began as a Titan XD Midnight Edition that got hang-10’d with surfboards, paddleboards, fishing equipment, and a bunch of aftermarket parts. The point of the build: “Inspired by the vintage beach trucks of the 1960s, Titan Surfcamp is a celebration of the beach truck tradition with all the modern technologies Titan customers want when they head out to surf, shore fish, and camp-out by the water.” You might want, but you aren’t going to get, unless you do it yourself. This was a project truck. The newest inductees into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame are Cameron Steele, Robbie Pierce, Mark McMillin (Andy’s uncle), Johnny Campbell, Ed Robinson, and Jim Bramham. Congrats to the class…

Catch these shows on motortrend.com Oct 05 Auto Mundial Oct 05 Motorsport Mundial Oct 06 LIVE! Virgin Australia Supercars, Bathurst Oct 07 LIVE! Virgin Australia Supercars, Bathurst Oct 08 Roadkill Garage, Ep. 36 Oct 10 Engine Masters, Ep. 40 Oct 12 Auto Mundial Oct 12 Motorsport Mundial Oct 13 LIVE! 24H GT Series/24H Touring Car Endurance Series, 12H Spa - Qualifying and Race Part 1 Oct 13 LIVE! 24H GT Series/24H Touring Car Endurance Series, 12H Spa - Race Part 2 Oct 13 LIVE! DTM Championship, Hockenheim Oct 13 LIVE! FIA Formula 3 Championship, Hockenheim Oct 13 LIVE! Formula Drift, Las Vegas, NV Oct 14 LIVE! FIA Formula 3 Championship, Hockenheim Oct 15 Dirt Every Day, Ep. 82 Oct 17 Mobil 1 The Grid, Program 18 Oct 18 British Touring Car Championship, Brands Hatch Oct 18 FIA World Rallycross, Germany Oct 19 Auto Mundial Oct 19 Motorsport Mundial Oct 20 LIVE!…

EDITOR@FOURWHEELER.COM SLINKY ZJ Iron Rock Off Road introduces the Rock-Link three-link front long-arm upgrade for the ’93-’96 Jeep ZJ Grand Cherokee. The subframe is made from ¼-inch steel and the arms are made from 2-inch-diameter, 5⁄16-inch-wall DOM tubing. The subframe is said to tuck up as tight as possible to improve ground clearance when keeping your Jeep low and your belly high. The adjustable control arms feature an inboard bend to clear the tires when turning. No welding is required for installation; it is a completely bolt-on kit. INFO: Iron Rock Off Road, 877/919-5337, ironrockoffroad.com WELD TIGHT Miller Electric has expanded on the Weld-Mask series with the introduction of Weld-Mask 2. It’s an alternative to traditional bulky welding helmets. Weld-Mask 2 is said to be engineered specifically for the unique hazards prevalent for construction…

editor@fourwheeler.com IT’S WHAT MAKES A 4X4, WELL, A 4X4. IT’S ONE of those critical components that most people rarely give a second thought to until they have a problem with it. Hands down, your vehicle’s transfer case is the single most important part of your 4x4. Why? Because without it, you wouldn’t have four-wheel drive! Much like the rest of the powertrain under your 4x4, the transfer case has seen a steady evolution over the years. However, that’s not to say that all aspects of a modern T-case are better than those of yesteryear. Part-time, full-time, two-speed, four-speed, gear-driven, chain-driven—there are plenty of differences from one T-case to the next. Navigating your way through the sea of transfer case terminology and options may seem overwhelming, but we’re here to help. In this…