Four Wheeler July 2017

New 4x4s today are loaded with some serious modern technowizardry. Recently, I’ve been thinking about technology and how it has changed our 4x4s. Even basemodel 4x4s are packed with it. Personally, I think I’ve gotten jaded to it, but every once in a while I get grounded by thinking about my ’84 Jeep Cherokee XJ that I owned in the mid- ’90s. It reminds me that even fuel injection is awesome. The Cherokee was powered—and I use that term loosely—by the 2.5L four-cylinder engine, which, by the way, had its own litany of problems. One of the carb’s problems was icing. I lived in northern Illinois, and when the temperature dropped below 0 degrees or so, the engine wouldn’t start sometimes. It was a crank-but-no-fire problem, but it wasn’t consistent. This…

KEN.BRUBAKER@FOURWHEELER.COM ABOUT GRANVILLE Love the Granville reprints! I’m not usually very emotional, but the Granville reprint (“From the Back Country,” Mar. ’17) had me bawling my eyes out. Crazy how animals can work their way into our heart so. I’m too young to have read any of Granville’s writings except for the recent reprints. Any chance you might do a special bonus issue with nothing but Granville articles? I’m sure it would sell. Got a real kick from the vintage ads in the article too. DAVID VIA EMAIL I love your entire magazine. I want a newer Jeep than the smelly ’03 Rubicon we have. It’s a five-speed, almost all original, with a lift. I get to drive it behind my husband as he drives the fifth-wheel when we travel all over to go…

EDITOR@FOURWHEELER.COM THAT’S INTERESTING Kelley Blue Book’s picks for best family whips for 2017? The list included the Nissan Pathfinder and Chevy Tahoe. There’s yet another way people are making money from driving: the Roadie app. It’s basically a service in which you deliver packages during trips you’re already taking, whether local or across the country. We just checked imdb.com, and it appears to be nothing like the plot of Midnight Express. eBay Advertising did some studying via a survey it conducted and learned that 63 percent of consumers are extremely likely or likely to buy a vehicle online, and 87 percent used the Internet to research. And that timing of research to purchase runs about two months. The Road Through Warroad: Hockeytown USA is the name of a documentary—and not just any doc. It’s the…

May 5->LIVE! Virgin Australia Supercars, Perth SuperSprint ->Auto Mundial ->Motorsport Mundial May 6->LIVE! 24H Series, Circuit Paul Ricard ->LIVE! DTM Championship, Hockenheimring ->LIVE! TCR International Series, Spa Francorchamps ->LIVE! Virgin Australia Supercars, Perth SuperSprint May 7->LIVE! Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup, Brands Hatch ->LIVE! Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America, Austin May 5->British Rallycross Championship, Lydden ->British Touring Cars Championship, Donington Park ->Mobil 1 The Grid May 9->Dirt Every Day - Episode 64 May 10->GP Confidential May 11->Hot Rod Garage - Episode 52 May 12->Auto Mundial ->Motorsport Mundial ->Real Road Racing, Scarborough May 13->LIVE! Blancpain GT Sports Club, Silverstone ->LIVE! GT3 Le Mans Cup, Monza May 14->LIVE! Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup, Silverstone ->LIVE! Blancpain GT Sports Club, Silverstone May 15->LIVE! European Le Mans Series, Monza ->British Rally Championship, Carlisle Rally ->Ignition - Episode 174 May 16->LIVE! TCR International Series, TBC ->The…

EDITOR@FOURWHEELER.COM JK STEERING EXTENDED Dynatrac introduces the new Jeep JK Wrangler DHD Drag Link Sleeve. It’s said to be more than double the strength of the factory stamped sleeve, which is a common steering failure point on lifted JKs with larger tires. It also offers extended steering adjustment range. The DHD Drag Link Sleeve is made from billet 4130 heat-treated chromoly steel, is threaded to mate with the stock drag link components, and comes with heavy-duty clamps. As with all Dynatrac products, the DHD Drag Link Sleeve is 100 percent made in the USA. INFO: Dynatrac, 714/596-4461, dynatrac.com DICKIES PRO Performance workwear brand Dickies has teamed up with INVISTA’s CORDURA brand to create the Dickies Pro with CORDURA military-grade fiber technology collection. What is it? Well, it’s a fabric that is crafted specifically for the…

editor@fourwheeler.com SOME DEBATES ARE NEVER ENDING AND WILL rage until time stops. Ford or Chevy. Good versus evil. Old or new. Chocolate or vanilla. Donkey or elephant. Which is best can lead to arguments that are difficult to win, although they may be simple to answer from your perspective. Really, who likes evil or would rather drive a vanilla-flavored Ford over a double-chocolate Chevy? These debates occur in the off-road world as well as at the ice cream stand, and many are settled by opinions as opposed to cold hard facts. Still, what works for you may not be the answer for someone else, especially when he or she is trying to accomplish a different job than you. One debate that has and will continue to rage is the never-ending query: What’s…