Ford's Lust For Fords
Dear Editor,
I am very dissatisfied with my husband. I'm contemplating buying the new Mr. Ford's F-550 4x4 dually with all the trimmings. Included will be his improved 7.3 Powerstroke turbo diesel with 500 lb.-ft. of torque. I'm flushed! However, I desperately need a limited-slip differential of some sort. Mr. Ford has been boasting, or leaking, of his truck that can do much more than in the past.
Upon inquiring at the nearest Mr. Ford's dealer about a limited-slip option, he said, "Ha, ha, he, he, ho, ho-No limited slip. Not if your first, middle and last name is Ford." "Oh, really?" I replied.
What gives? Only 50 percent of my six wheels will be driving? Single rear-wheeled 4x4s with a limited-slip, theoretically, have the same "pulling" power. I want a limited-slip in my F-550 4x4 dually!
Mrs. Fordie F. Ford
Middletown, NJ
At this stage, there are no plans to offer the heavy-duty Dana 80 or Dana 135 with limited-slip differentials; however, it's our guess it won't be too long before there's a Detroit Locker for both. Many of the bigger commercial-duty Rockwell axles, for example, come equipped with Detroits from the factory.
The Rest Of The Story
Dear Editor,
I saw the inaugural show on February 23, and saw some of our group's rigs. Too cool-we're stars. Will tapes of the show or extra footage go on sale? Our friend, Jay Peetz (in the old tractor-tire Ford with smokestacks out the hood,) is the guy who buried the military 8x8. It took several pickups, tying off at the same time, to get the old Ford out. Then they even tried to return the favor, all hooking up to the Army rig. No such luck. Last we heard when we left at about 9:00 p.m., the Army called in a huge D-9 Cat to retrieve them. Ahhh, our tax dollars at work.
Anyway, awesome show. I've printed your show lineup to pass around, and look forward to viewing more small-town friends who love four wheeling.
Shelly Beyel
via the Internet
We will be-and have been-traveling all over the country, covering different events, trying to show the best of four wheeling as it takes place around the U.S. The show runs monthly; look for programming information in every issue. For those who don't get ESPN2 but do have access to the Internet, Four Wheeler TV show times can be found on our Website, along with info on ordering a tape of any particular show. If you happen to be Internet-challenged, tapes can be ordered conveniently by calling 888/FOURWHEELER.
Better Late Than Never
Dear Editor,
I was reading your article about "Rudd's Blazer'' in the June '97 issue. What's up with the front axle setup? That's definitely not a Blazer frontend. Just wanted to bust your chops.
Tim Gallagher
Alexandria, VA
You're right. While sorting through some great photos culled from a Midwest truck show, we plugged a 6-inch-lifted Ranger frontend into the K-5 Blazer feature. Now that's creative engineering.