Here's the story behind the pic: I got off work early on Friday. On my way home I was thinking that I hadn't been four-wheelin' in awhile. I turned off the pavement onto a powerline trail close to my house to have some fun. I made it about a half mile down the trail when I came upon this bog. At first, I told myself to just turn around and go back. Then I decided to get out and look. Well, I let my pride get the better of me and talked myself into this mess. It took a Jeep Wrangler and an XJ to pull me out. Then we had to get an F-250 to get me to my house. You know what they say about pride ... goes before a downfall.
Teddy Bowen
Jacksonville, NC
Reader: Why isn't fuel economy a central portion of competition in your Real Truck Club Challenge? Think about how you could do it-the trucks get fueled in the morning, the tanks are "sealed" and not refueled until the end of the day, with the quantities carefully measured. Minuscule fuel consumption is rewarded. Running out gets you laughed at. Kind of levels the playing field between a Sammy and a Super Duty, doesn't it? There are places-Canyonlands immediately comes to mind-where stellar fuel economy combined with proportional stoutness and agility can make for an awesome week spent covering a lot of ground without the need to be tethered to a supertanker. And having fuel consumption being a weighted part of the Challenge might encourage 'wheelers to build smarter, not necessarily bigger or heavier.
My current stable includes a nearly stock and very fuel-efficient '01 Ranger that has been to Moab twice and handles the Hell's Revenge-grade trails adequately. For Moab '06, I hope to have my '72 LJ20 powered by a JDM-spec Metro three-banger and a Turbo 200 ready. It should trailer nicely behind the Ranger and be a blast on the slickrock. And for Moab '07, I hope to have a beater shortbox/regular-cab Ranger with 2.3 EFI and a bulletproof drivetrain that will make the 4,400-mile roundtrip without trailering. Size counts-and once you've gone small, you'll never go back!
Gerry Nasi Sr.
Hurley, WI
Editor: Interesting idea, but unless we decide to turn Real Truck Challenge into something like the Dakar Rally, what would it prove? That a four-banger gets better mileage than a big-block?
Mind you, we're all for better mileage, and less pollution, and Treading Lightly, and singing Kumbaya 'round the campfire, for that matter. And in the real world, issues such as mileage and fuel efficiency are important ones. But an event such as RTCC doesn't really qualify as real-world four-wheeling-it basically boils down to different types of racing, and for that reason, you sometimes need big horsepower to simply go faster and farther than the other guy. And when it comes to horsepower, there's really no substitute for cubic inches-and yep, the mileage penalty that accompanies them.
But please give us a shout when you've finished your Suzuki tuner project. That's one rare rig we'd love to see.
Reader: My dad and I have a '96 Toyota T100. This truck is driven on-road about 90 percent of the time. However, we do have property we hunt and work on, so we need something extra in case the Wrangler MT/Rs ain't enough to get us out. We're interested in getting some front and rear lockers. A guy at a local 4x4 shop said lockers have an adverse effect on pavement, and he gave us the names of companies that sell limited-slip-type diffs. I am curious why lockers aren't good on-road. I thought you could just unlock them and be fine. Also, what would you recommend for us?
John Wilson
Jackson, MS
Editor: If your T100 is stock, might we recommend a new engine first? Seriously, though, a conventional mechanical-locking diff such as a Detroit Locker engages automatically any time it senses differences in wheelspeed between axle ends, e.g., when you are turning at an intersection or changing lanes. In a front-end application on pavement, this can result in abrupt and jerky handling and excessive drivetrain binding, among other things. You can likely get used to it over time-plenty of 'wheelers have-but we wouldn't recommend it for a daily driver.
For applications like yours, a limited-slip-type diff such as a Detroit Truetrac is fine up front, but if you want the best of both worlds, why not look into a user-selectable locker like an ARB? With the flip of a toggle switch, you have the tractive power of a locker when you're on the trail, and the benefits of an open diff on pavement.
Reader: I have an '84 Ford Ranger. It has a small 2.8L V-6, and I am always left craving more power. I am only looking for small gains, so besides the exhaust, what do you recommend doing?
Rick Mueller
via fourwheeler.com
Editor: Rangermeister Sean Holman replies: There just isn't a very big performance aftermarket out there for the 2.8L V-6. Most Ranger experts will tell you the best mod is to swap in a 4.0L OHV V-6 from later Rangers. However, if you are stuck on modifying the 2.8, there are a few options, such as adding fuel injection from the 3.8L V-6 from any of a number of Ford rear-wheel-drive cars, a camshaft swap, or adding a high-flow air cleaner and an ignition upgrade. Most of those parts can be obtained from Summit Racing (www.summitracing.com). Also check out the Ranger enthusiast Web sites (www.rangerpowersports.com and www.therangerstations.com) for more in-depth technical information.
Reader: As an (almost) 40-year-old reader who's been a subscriber for a long time, I'd first like to say, super job on the magazine. As someone who drives a big diesel Euclid every day for a living, I'm pretty enthusiastic about the improvements that have been made with diesel engines, but with two of the Big 3 manufacturers having what seems to be financial trouble, I'd like to recommend something to them. As today's sophisticated and creature-comfy vehicles are no doubt great, I myself-as well as a ton of people I talk to-would love to see an emergence back into the past a little bit .... For example, with Chevy's mid-'80s CUCV. It would be awesome to be able to buy a bare-basics Blazer body style vehicle: An emissions-legal diesel with a three- or four-speed auto tranny, or an option of a five-speed manual. No interior plastics, or carpet that every vehicle comes standard with nowadays-just hand-crank windows, maybe, and A/C and cruise control. A coil-spring suspension, and big Dana 60 axles. I myself would love a "new-age" CUCV, and would run to the dealer to order one instead of a four-door Silverado. Just my thoughts.
John Perry
Halfmoon, NY