Brute Double Cab
Picture one states that it starts out as a Wrangler Rubicon. Should it read a Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon?
William Behan
Via email
That’s correct. AEV (www.aev-conversions.com) starts with a four-door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited when building the Brute Double Cab.
Tire Selection
Great magazine. I can’t wait to get every issue. I read it front to back, over and over, and then keep them for reference. You guys are doing a great job. Myself, I am long past the off-road stage of truck ownership and leave it to the younger and richer crowd. But rest assured, in my hey-day I was out there in the mix like you guys are today. My ’80 Bronco had monster Goodyear tires that use to leave tread block stamp prints if you did a U-turn on asphalt. They were huge, crude, and I had underwear that lasted longer. Those were the days. Now, I use my truck as a tow vehicle for my H-D Trike/Trailer, a commuter vehicle, grocery shopping, and so on. I would never think of going off-road in a ’12 anything that costs as much as these new trucks do with all the goodies. Maybe later, we’ll see.
Anyway, in the April ’12 issue, you ran an article on tires (“4x4 Tire Guide”). This has got to be one of the best and most accurate tire guides I have ever seen. I have run a couple of the tires you list and can attest to your findings first hand that in fact you are dead on. But, and here comes that sandwich, you missed the one tire I was really hoping to have info on, the Nitto Terra Grappler. I was really hoping to compare that to the Goodyear DuraTrac. I live in the Northeast, in Northern Harford County, Maryland, near the Pennsylvania line. It is real rural horse country. The state government does an excellent job of removing the snow in the winter, but they can’t hit every road. Right now my ’12 Tundra TRD SR5 has BFG Rugged Trail tires (great tire so far on the street and in the rain) but they won’t last forever (thank God). Since your information was so accurate on four of the other brands I have run I was hoping the Nitto Terra might have just been missed, but you might be able to provide the info anyway. I would really appreciate it if so. Like I said, I will have to eventually replace my tires, and right now I am thinking I need a tire I can use to tow (yes, my truck has the tow package too) and is exceptional on-road in all conditions, including at highway speeds in serious rain and snow, and on inclined asphalt surfaces in snowy, slushy conditions. Occasionally I may go into grassed areas that are wet and clay sub-soils are common in my area. The BFG A/T and Pro Comp Xtreme AT suck at these requirements, as you already know. Well, to be fair, at first they were OK, but in slush, they didn’t work well even when new.
So my next choice(s) would be: Goodyear DuraTrac, Nitto Terra Grappler, Goodyear Silent Armor, BFG Rugged Trail, all in a 275/65R18 (this is the factory size) or a plus 1 size. Oh, I would like to justify having fender flares, so wider would be nice too, but not so much that they compromise the snow traction.
Rob Pettis
Street, MD
Really any of the tire choices you have listed should work well for your application, except in the clay-like mud. A mild all-terrain tire will generally pack up quick and become almost useless in wet clay. But that’s the trade-off, a pure mud tire that would do well in wet clay would perform very poorly in the other conditions that you encounter most of the time.
Letter Of The Month
Just for asking us the exact question we wanted to answer at just the right moment we’re sending Zach Simone his very own Battleship Blu-Ray Combo Pack, each has a Blu-Ray, a digital copy of the video, and a regular DVD! Battleship is the epic-scale action-adventure that unfolds across the seas, in the skies, and over land as our planet fights for survival! Starring Liam Neeson and Rhianna, Battleship comes to Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, and Ultraviolet this August! www.battleshipmovie.com
Readers’ Rigs
I was wheeling yesterday and got some fairly good photos of my ’98 Jeep Cherokee XJ. I was wondering what it would take for me to get my Jeep in Four Wheeler. I could send you some pictures.
Zach Simone
Via email
Did you know you can load images and info about your 4x4 right on www.fourwheeler.com? That’s right! There are hundreds of modified 4x4s you can check out, steal ideas from, and look for build tips. Just go to rides.fourwheeler.com/index.html, fill out the simple form, load the photos of your 4x4, and check out others like it!
Where To Write
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