Wants More P/W "Experiments"
I looked forward to your "Project Power Wagon" series and so far am slightly disappointed. Yep, I got ahold of a 2005 myself. A great platform for an easy-build non-radical dream truck. Your first article stated that the lift kit you had wanted had not come in, so you went with 1-inch spacers and 35s. Are you going to follow up on the lift and larger tires? I too don't want to get too crazy, but would like to put on some real mudders and get the pumpkins away from dirt. As a good all-American working man, I would rather ya'll spend the money experimenting-I prefer to learn from others' mistakes. If not planning on following this avenue anymore, have your readers sent in good or bad tales about lifts and tires? Cruising the 'Net leaves a distinct void when it comes to the already-elevated tank-on-wheels. No worries, though, I'm looking at another two years of your subscription. Keep up the projects, and we P/W owners will keep on crawlin'.
Al Haag
Corpus Christie, TX
Our Power Wagon is still very much a work-in-progress, and we'll be exploring-and experimenting with-more suspension options as time passes and more goodies become available for it via the aftermarket. And rest assured-now that our project Dodge resides full-time at the Four Wheeler Midwest Bureau, it's going to see its share of mud, and we'll modify her accordingly.
Willie On The Chopping Block
It was with amusement that I read Willie Worthy's reply, titled, "Careful With That Axe, Willie," to an anonymous letter in the September '09 issue. While the education on the current regulations on USFS requirements for a campfire were in contrast to a widely held belief that an axe is a requisite tool, the opinion offered that, "An axe is kind of a useless tool, as most people don't know how to use them properly anymore, and they are usually dull," is preposterous. Is an axe such a complex and unusual tool that the average off-roader, a person capable of operating a complex machine on a busy freeway, cannot effectively use or maintain it? Did "most people" forget? How does the instruction manual of an axe read? "Holding the long, skinny part in the user's hands, swing the pointy metal end at the object you desire to chop, cut, or split, being careful not to chop, cut, or split the user's foot."
Your suggestion that a shovel can be sharpened and used to cut brush is equally ridiculous. Are you implying that a person who is too incompetent to sharpen or swing an axe is capable of sharpening and swinging a shovel? To cut brush?!? Wouldn't an axe, even a dull one, perform this job much easier? A person who is too mentally sluggish to swing an axe surely cannot be trusted to flail a sharpened shovel, with the curved "blade" glancing unpredictably and ineffectively into various directions inflicting untold injuries to the semi-retarded user. Although, I will concede that an axe is less effective at "dirt-tossing."
Also, this from the same reply: "One of the facts about driving in mud is that wheel speed is important in cleaning out the tire tread."
Another important fact is that chains, properly installed and tightened, negate this. Snow/Mud chains can transform the mildest set of tread-less, steel-belt-protruding, "may-pops" into the most aggressive of mud tires. The widely-spaced cross links of the chains become the tread, and wheel speed to clean them is totally unnecessary. Since you are so well educated on the current USFS regulations, I am surprised that you are completely ignorant of regulations in some states that require motorists to carry, and during certain conditions, install, chains on their vehicles. I hardly worry about "ruining" my chains, since they are a wear item that I fully intend to ruin, if necessary, to avoid a long walk, or a cold night spent in the back seat munching on cracker crumbs from beneath it. Much as I don't worry about ruining my brakes when avoiding a collision and the resulting violent and fiery death.Another important fact is that chains, properly installed and tightened, negate this. Snow/Mud chains can transform the mildest set of tread-less, steel-belt-protruding, "may-pops" into the most aggressive of mud tires. The widely-spaced cross links of the chains become the tread, and wheel speed to clean them is totally unnecessary. Since you are so well educated on the current USFS regulations, I am surprised that you are completely ignorant of regulations in some states that require motorists to carry, and during certain conditions, install, chains on their vehicles. I hardly worry about "ruining" my chains, since they are a wear item that I fully intend to ruin, if necessary, to avoid a long walk, or a cold night spent in the back seat munching on cracker crumbs from beneath it. Much as I don't worry about ruining my brakes when avoiding a collision and the resulting violent and fiery death.
I have been a faithful reader of this magazine for over 15 years and this is the first time I've felt compelled to write. While I understand your personal philosophy of traveling light, some of us can afford to carry the extra 20 pounds and resent the suggestion that we are too stupid to use an axe.
P.S. If you need some instruction on how to sharpen an axe, or swing it effectively, please contact me and I will be glad to assist you.
Kelly Clark
Fiddletown, California
We'll concede your point on axes. In our opinion, however, snow chains should be kept inside your vehicle unless (a) the law requires you to run them; (b) the law explicitly allows you to run them; or (c) you're in a life-or-death, gotta-get-out situation in the backcountry. Unless you do all your wheeling on private lands, using snow chains simply to go driving through mud sounds to us like a surefire way to turn a good trail into a chewed-up trail-which too often results these days in a closed trail. Remember, in most states that we're aware of, local vehicle code regulations apply on any public thoroughfare, whether you're driving on state or federal lands, on or off pavement, so unless you expect to be wheeling in a snow storm on a regular basis, get a good set of mud tires instead. On a related subject . . .