DI or IDI?
I was enjoying the article “Original Overlanders,” (Feb. ’12) when I saw some discrepancies in the tech details. A ’92 F-350 would have had an indirect-injected 7.3L diesel not a direct-injected system. Hydraulically actuated, electronically controlled unit injectors were not used in a Ford truck until 1994, when the Power Stroke debuted. Usually I can ignore slight misinformation in the mag, but being a diesel tech that one really bugged me. Otherwise, great article.
Randy Bosworth
Via email
Daddy Goofed
I just want to congratulate you. Today you made my dad look like a complete fool for the first time. He was horrified after reading the 50th Anniversary issue (Feb. ’12) that there was “no mention of Granville King” and proceeded to write an extremely passionate letter. It was one of the funniest letters I’ve ever read, in fact. He was so upset and wanted nothing more than to make the entire staff at Four Wheeler feel incredibly ashamed. While I began emailing a typed version of his letter, I asked him specifically if he had read the entire magazine and was sure that he hadn’t missed anything. He swore he hadn’t, and I believed him. He is the thorough type—so much so that I refuse to go to a museum with the man because he has to read every single placard on every single artifact.
Anyway, while typing I had a copy of the magazine in my hand and proceeded to open the issue from the back. You can only imagine my delight when I discovered the Trail’s End article featuring Granville. I have never been as happy as the moment I handed it to my dad and all he could say was, “Well I’m a son of a b*tch!”
Megan Decker
Via email
Power Wagon Wondering
I ran, not walked, to my local dealer to order a new Ram Power Wagon to replace my ’08 Power Wagon based on the information in RPM (Feb. ’12). I was excited to read that Ram was going to offer the Power Wagon in the Laramie top trim level. My current ’08 Power Wagon has leather seats, which since ’08 have not been available. So I thought Laramie leather, here I come. Alas, it was not to be, the dealer and the Ram factory representatives that my dealer talked to said that this article is inaccurate and they have no way to order such a vehicle.
James G. Rogers
Brimley, MI
I think maybe you need to go find another dealer. The Power Wagon SL (strippy version) and Laramie (full-leather version) have been on the dealer lots since January of this year.
More Fullsize
My boyfriend has been a subscriber to the magazine for a few years now and we both generally enjoy it. We were looking through the February ’12 issue at the Top Truck Challenge winners over the years (“We Are the Champions”). Nearly all of the winners have been Jeeps; I could count the non-Jeep winners on one hand. What happened to fullsize trucks? It seems like the magazine’s main focus has been Jeeps. What about variety? Something for everyone! This past year nearly all competitors were either Jeeps or buggies, we were honestly disappointed. The average Joe can’t afford to build a buggy, and not everyone prefers Jeeps. We know fullsize trucks aren’t as capable as Jeeps or buggies, so why not put the Jeeps and buggies in one class and give the fullsize trucks their own class? Otherwise, just call it “Top Jeep Challenge.” Just a suggestion!
Ashly Kisner
Via email
Interestingly enough, we have a solution to your issue with Top Truck Challenge. However, it will have to wait till TTC 2013. This year is the 20th anniversary and all the past winners will be competing against each other along with one voted-in reader.
Bumper Objection
I disagree with something in “2012 Four Wheeler of the Year,” (Feb. ’12). Holman, calling a Jeep Wrangler bumper robust is like calling a piece of Styrofoam in a fire robust. OEM Jeep bumpers fall apart if you look at them hard. All they are good for is replacing with a real bumper. Of course, I am referring to your comment on page 40: “Equipped with robust bumpers....” That aside, the article was extremely interesting. I love my ’12 Rubicon and have replaced those “robust” bumpers with real, honest-to-God metal ones. The 3.6L Pentastar engine is really great. People say it and the 3.8L are not as good as the 4.0L off-road, but I think that is BS. In stock form, the 4.0L in the TJ was a turd. Mine put 150 lb-ft to the wheels. I don’t know about the 3.8L, but my 3.6L exceeds that by 30 lb-ft. Now the 4.0L really perks up when you add headers, a larger throttle body, air intake, and a high-flow exhaust system. When I left my TJ at Hesco to be bored and stroked to 4.7L, it was putting advertised horsepower and torque to the wheels. I enjoy all the truck group mags. Y’all really cause me to spend a lot of money on my Jeeps. Keep up the good work.
Jim McCain
Via email
When comparing stock vehicles against other stock vehicles, it is clear that the Jeep does have robust bumpers that are far less fragile than just about anything else on the showroom floor. Not only do they take impacts well, but all it takes to pop out the dents is some heat from a plumber’s torch or heat gun. I’m sure you couldn’t do that with the Infiniti. Now, that being said, all of us who will be using our Wranglers are going to replace the bumpers with something metal, including me. I was so impressed with the ’12 featuring the 3.6L that I went out and bought one.
Sean P. Holman
Tech Editor, Four Wheeler fw
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.