Hammer Down
John, it is with great excitement that I welcome you to the helm of Four Wheeler! I hope you can save my favorite mag! I am a fellow dirtbag and there are few real men in your industry today. The big corporations don’t understand us! But you, Péwé, and Freiburger are real gearheads and you will probably be able to save my subscription. I look forward to seeing more real trucks built by owners. I’d love to see more fullsize rigs too! Maybe I’ll even send a pic of my truck! Hammer Down!
Mike Towe
Middletown, DE
Damper Semantics
For the first time I find myself possibly in disagreement with Willie Worthy. I just read Willie’s Workbench in the Dec. ’11 issue.
My understanding of how a car suspension works could be wrong, but I believe what we call shock absorbers in America are actually dampers.
On a truck suspension, the springs actually absorb the shock of a bump in the road. To prevent them from resonating (sometimes called “twang”) we use a shock absorber, a.k.a. a damper.
On a truck with worn out shock absorbers, when you hit a bump, you end up bouncing up and down for a long time after.
So I could be wrong, but I would think a steering stabilizer actually serves to keep the front end from resonating, which can cause a dangerous wobble.
But Willie Worthy very clearly says they absorb the shock load to steering components. I was thinking about this, and I would assume that your car’s suspension normally serve the function of absorbing any shock to the steering components. So am I wrong about the purpose of a steering stabilizer?
Edward A. Laag
El Segundo, CA
It sounds like you are simply getting too wrapped up in the semantics of it all. Steering stabilizers (or dampers) can help absorb shock loads to protect steering components from damage, like when you hit a curb or rock at speed. Anything that causes some sort of side load to the steering system. They can also help control any resonating movement in the steering system. Ultimately a steering damper is just a suspension shock absorber. However, unlike a suspension shock absorber, a steering damper (stabilizer) has the same valving on both the compression and rebound sides of the piston.
Wit Branded
Congratulations on taking the helm at Four Wheeler! Your brand of enthusiasm, wit, and wheelin’ will be fun to watch in the coming months and years. I would like to personally wish you well and as an off-roader ask that you continue your “take no prisoners and no s#!t” attitude. Remember, friends are for chumps!
Donnie Roebuck
Via email
Get a Real Job Someday
Hey, read your first editorial yesterday (Firing Order, Dec. ’11), and I’m impressed. Keep that s#!t up and you might get a real job one of these days. I’ll read the rest of that issue today, but I don’t expect any changes at this point.
Jimmy Nylund
Via email
Mega-Mega Suspension
I was reading “Mega-Mega” on www.fourwheeler.com and was wondering if there was more information on the build of your ’07 TTC Ram Mega Cab recovery vehicle. I’m looking to fit 46-inch or larger tires on mine and was wondering if Kelderman built the lift package or if it was a one-off? If it was a one-off, what shop did the work?
Sean Momsen
Maryville, TN
The suspension on that particular truck is from Kelderman (www.kelderman.com).
Reader Recovery Assist of the Month
This month we’re sending John Dacy of Sacramento, California, a TJM 29½-foot, 17,000-pound Snatch Strap for the assist in the correction to a blatant error we all here at the magazine somehow missed. Fortunately TJM appears to have a few more checks and balances than us since every tow strap is made in Australia and individually serial-numbered to insure quality. The TJM Snatch Strap is 100-percent nylon and features reinforced eyes as well as eye and seam protectors. The combination of vehicle pull and the tension in the strap creates a snatching effect that can pull a stranded vehicle free from being bogged or unable to move under its own power. Too bad it can’t be used to pull editors’ heads out of their butts.
We Suck!
First, I want to say how much I enjoy Four Wheeler, especially the Top Truck Challenge. As I was reading the tire review (“Maxxis Brovo 771,” Dec. ’11), I was struck by how odd the name of the tire seemed; “Brovo” just seemed strange. Then I looked closely at the image of the tire, and read “BRAVO A/T” on the sidewall. Minor detail, and I’m a nit-picky reader, but I bet Maxxis would appreciate a correction.
Keep up the great work, you really have an excellent magazine. I have been reading your work for quite a while, and look forward to your tenure here.
John Dacy
Sacramento, CA
Where To Write
Address your correspondence to Four Wheeler, 831 S. Douglas St., El Segundo, CA 90245 or send an email to john.cappa@fourwheeler.com. All letters become the property of Four Wheeler, and we reserve the right to edit them for length, accuracy, and clarity. The editorial department can also be reached through the website at www.fourwheeler.com. Due to the volume of mail, electronic and otherwise, we cannot respond to every reader, but we do read everything.