Four Wheeler May 2017

Like you, I look forward to my annual tax return check. Much to my wife’s dismay and annoyance, I almost always find a way to use at least a portion of it for something 4x4 related. My wife and I have been married for almost 35 years, so she’s put up with my tax return check shenanigans for a long time. It started early. About three years into our marriage, I proposed that we spend the money on a set of used aluminum wheels and 36-inch mud-terrain tires for our ’76 Blazer. She was irritated but went along with it. I was stoked. Those 36s were considered big back then, they made the Blazer look awesome, and they worked great in the Illinois farmland. After I killed the Blazer, I bought a…

KEN.BRUBAKER@FOURWHEELER.COM MAKING WINTER FUN I just read your Firing Order on “Make Winter Fun” (Jan. ’17), and I wanted to share with you a pic from our wheeling trip last year. It was me and my JK and my friends’ Ford Ranger, Chevy S-10, and Toyota Tacoma. We weren’t having many issues until we got to a mud pit that was frozen over. Well, some ATVs that went before us told us that it wasn’t that bad, so my friend with an S-10 tried to go in. Sadly, it was a quick drop and he ended up balancing his S-10 on its drivetrain. I tried pulling him out, but it took another rig (the Ford Ranger) linked to me and me to him to pull him out. What a crazy day! Later…

EDITOR@FOURWHEELER.COM THAT’S INTERESTING Audi’s new vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) tech, called Traffic Light Information, is the first V2I from a manufacturer in the U.S., and it’s launching in select ’17 models for use in Las Vegas. Real-time info displays about traffic lights, such as time remaining before the signal changes, for driver ease. Volvo’s not going need a biggest boat because it’s about to have the biggest bus in the world. It’ll be called Gran Artic 300 and seat up to 300. The biarticulatedchassis bus will be 98-feet long. The Chevy Silverado and Colorado should start arriving in China this year. The must-have auto tech for 2017? Autotrader.com says things like self-driving capabilities, adaptive suspension, apps that remind you about service/maintenance, and electric drivetrain. Chevy and GMC are partnering with Power Solutions International to offer HD pickups and…

EDITOR@FOURWHEELER.COM CRATE CUMMINS Cummins introduces the Cummins Repower program, a crate engine program specifically for the enthusiast market. It will offer brand new Cummins diesel engines from the factory, direct to the consumer market. The first Cummins Repower engine offering will be the R2.8 Turbo Diesel. It is said to include the other major components needed to ease the installation process, as well as all the necessary documentation to make the swap 50-state-emissions-compliant. INFO: Cummins Repower, 800/343-7357, cumminsrepower.com 1-TON PLUS CV If you’re having trouble keeping driveshafts alive in your lifted highhorse 4x4, Tom Wood’s Custom Drive Shafts may have just what you need. The company now offers bolt-in 1410 CV driveshafts for almost any application. They are ideal for heavy fullsize vehicles and can be adapted to Dodge, Ford, and GM applications. And…

editor@fourwheeler.com WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PIT TWO OF the latest and greatest models of SUVs against a variety of terrain and weather conditions? You learn a lot. We know this because we covered a vast amount of terrain and encountered a range of weather conditions as we tested the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk and the Nissan Armada during the 44th annual 2017 SUV of the Year competition. The 2017 competition was special, partly because it had a new name (it was formerly known as Four Wheeler of the Year) and partly because the vehicles in it were both fascinating machines that represented the stateof- the-art of modern, cutting-edge SUVs. For example, both had engines producing horsepower over the 350 mark and were fit with transmissions boasting seven or more gears. How were these…

We asked the judges which one of the two vehicles in this year’s test they’d most like to own, and we asked ’em to pony up the reason why. Official scoring is irrelevant here—this is all about personal preference. Here’s what each judge chose. Stuart Bourdon, Jp Technical Editor I have to admit the Nissan Armada we tested performed well in the sand and snow, and it was quick. However, I remain firmly convinced that the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk would be the better choice for my driveway. It did very well in the snow and in the sand, and although it’s not made for hardcore rock-running, it performed exceptionally well on mild-to-moderate off-road trails. The Grand Cherokee Trailhawk also looked sharp and was enjoyable on the highway. I could commute in…