Four Wheeler June 2018

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in this issue

DEPARTMENTS

What Makes a Good 4x4?

What makes a good 4x4? Is it gobs of gooey suspension travel? Locker-equipped diffs? Massive ground clearance? Sick approach and departure angles? All of the above? By “good 4x4” I’m not referring to reliability in this piece, but rather functionality. My first 4x4 was a ’76 K5 Blazer, and I thought it was a good 4x4. It had a 4-inch lift and 36s (somewhat unusual in the early ’80s), which gave it good ground clearance for one of the biggest obstacles in my neck of the woods in northern Illinois farmland: deep snow. One time I went winter wheeling on unplowed seasonal rural roads with my friend who was driving his ’74 Dodge Ramcharger. His rig had no lift and stock-sized tires. The Ramcharger got stuck a lot—the K5 didn’t. However,…

4 min

DEPARTMENTS

INBOX

KEN.BRUBAKER@FOURWHEELER.COM WHICH WINCH? Funny, I never knew there were so many winch manufacturers until I read “Which Winch Is Which?” (Feb. ’18). SCOTT WATKINS VIA EMAIL I have an old winch on my old Ford F-250. The last time I had to use the winch was over a year ago, but even though I don’t use it much when I do need it it’s good to have around. I bought it used off Craigslist (really cheap) and aside from the cable being trashed it was ready to go. AARON BOWEN VIA EMAIL I read “Which Winch Is Which?” and it has given me a lot to think about. I want to add a rear winch to my Jeep JK (already have one on the front), because there are times I want to winch backward and not frontward. TODD AHRENS VIA…

3 min

DEPARTMENTS

RPM

EDITOR@FOURWHEELER.COM THAT’S INTERESTING Land Rover turns 70 years old in 2018, so the automaker chose to celebrate the milestone by restoring an original Land Rover. Actually, it is the original, the one used to launch the vehicle at the 1948 Amsterdam Motor Show. No one knew where “Launch Land Rover” disappeared to for the longest time, which seems creepy. But then they found it. In a garden. It’s being called as “historically important as ‘Huey,’ the original production Land Rover”—aka Hue 166. The restoration will include fixing up the removable rear tub, a feature that never made it to mass production. ALG’s 2018 Residual Value Awards go to: Toyota, for the Tundra and Tacoma in fullsize and midsize pickup categories, respectively, as well as to the Sequoia for fullsize utility. The Land Rover…

11 min

In This Issue

MOTOR TREND TM ON DEMAND

Apr 06 Dirt Every Day, Episode 75 Apr 09 Hot Rod Garage, Episode 64 Apr 11 Head 2 Head, Episode 100 Apr 16 Roadkill, Episode 80 Apr 20 Junkyard Gold, Episode 7 Apr 23 Roadkill Garage, Episode 29 Apr 25 Engine Masters, Episode 34 Apr 27 Put Up or Shut Up, Episode 11 Apr 30 Roadkill, Episode 81 May 02 Ignition, Episode 191 May 04 Dirt Every Day, Episode 76 May 07 Hot Rod Garage, Episode 65 May 09 Head 2 Head, Episode 101 May 14 Roadkill, Episode 82 May 21 Roadkill Garage, Episode 30 May 23 Engine Masters, Episode 35 May 25 Put Up or Shut Up, Episode 12 May 28 Roadkill, Episode 83 May 30 Ignition, Episode 192 June 01 Dirt Every Day, Episode 77 June 04 Hot Rod Garage, Episode 66 June 06 Head 2 Head, Episode 102 June 11 Roadkill, Episode 84 June 18 Roadkill Garage, Episode 31 June 20…

1 min

DEPARTMENTS

PARTS RACK

EDITOR@FOURWHEELER.COM TRUCK TOP Rampage Products introduces the new TrailView Tonneau Top for the ’07-’17 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. It offers the look and function of a truck, without having to wait for the upcoming new Jeep pickup platform. The TrailView Tonneau Top is made of 30-ounce black diamond sailcloth and features a fold-back sunroof that can be opened from within the Jeep. The rear rain-tight curtain includes tinted side windows for better visibility. The rear window can be zipped open, delivering even more of the open-air experience. The tonneau cover zips into the rear curtain and can be easily removed. All three components can be used individually or in conjunction with each other. Each Rampage Products TrailView Tonneau Top comes with all necessary parts, hardware, and a three-year warranty. INFO: Rampage Products, 800/241-7219,…

5 min

COVER SECTION

TALKIN’ TRACTION

jered.korfhage@fourwheeler.com IT’S A COMMON OCCURRENCE WHEN DRIVING off-road. You press the gas pedal only to see one of your drive wheels on each axle sitting motionless while the other spins. Is the axle broken? Hopefully not. You’re just suffering from a case of open differentials—standard equipment on many 4x4s. Open differentials are helpful on pavement, allowing your vehicle’s inner and outer wheels to spin at different speeds when cornering. Take them off-road, however, and they can spell disaster when one wheel finds its way into the air or a mud puddle. How do we solve this dreadful differential dilemma? Thankfully we have a wide selection of traction aids you can install on your 4x4. LOCK ’EM UP The simplest way of stopping wheelspin in low-traction situations is to lock the differential, ensuring both…

8 min