What's Happening In The Industry
Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels will be official sponsor of the 21st Annual Top Truck Challenge, a little event this magazine throws that you may have heard of….

The May 1984 issue of Four Wheeler contained a fascinating collection of content. From a riveting (not really) story about our first annual (and probably last) T-shirt contest to an epic Granville King story where he eloquently recounted the unfortunate drowning of his Ram 50 in seawater. Also in that issue was a unique three-page story about a man’s dedication to his ’70 International Scout.

Welcome to the newest column in Four Wheeler magazine, Two Idiots Outside. Allow us to break down the title for you: There are two of us. We are idiots. We’ll be outside.

If you are reading Four Wheeler, you probably aren’t the kind of guy (or gal) who calls AAA when you get a flat. And that is assuming that a tow truck could even get to where you are wheeling anyway. You roll your sleeves up and fix your own rig, whether that means replacing an axleshaft or just reseating a tire bead. Your vehicle probably came with a basic scissor or bottle jack; standard issue for everything from passenger cars to 1-ton trucks for decades. Venture off pavement though, or add a suspension lift and larger tires, and that bottle jack may not be of much use anymore.

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Exterior mods have come a long way. Unlike the days of triple-double chrome “rollbars” and neon shock boots, most modern exterior upgrades are a blend of form and function. For some, heavy-duty bumpers and sheetmetal armor serve as a way to break apart from the herd, while others are simply seeking out a way to make their rigs more durable wheeling machines. No matter what category you fall into, there are plenty of exterior options that will up the look and performance potential of your 4x4.

We asked you to send in photos of stuck, broken, rolled, rolling, or on fire 4x4s and you responded with a cascade of carnage. We received stories and images from all over the world as well as here in the U.S. of A. The collection shows unfortunate things happening to all types of 4x4s from farm trucks to luxury SUVs.

There’s an old saying along the lines of there is a time and place for everything. In off-roading, that saying rings true in many ways-especially when it comes to vehicle recovery. Making sure you are using the right tools and methods to get the job done off-road will save you time and headaches, and it will be safer for everyone involved. In this issue we’ve covered many of the recovery tools and techniques to help you get out of a bind. In this article, we are focusing on when it’s best to use the two most common extraction implements—a winch and recovery strap.

If there is one part of our hobby that we all dislike, it’s getting stuck. Rarely will being stuck come at a convenient time, and in the digital age of cellphone cameras, your mishap will likely be a memory that your buddies won’t soon let you forget. The fact of the matter is regardless of your talents behind the wheel or how unlimited your buggy is, we all get stuck. From rollovers to bottomless mud pits, Mother Nature is going to best your 4x4 sooner or later.

The torque wrench is probably the most often-used specialty tool. If you’re like us, you may still have your first torque wrench; we got our Craftsman ½-inch drive clicker-style as a Christmas present in 1972. It is the oldest tool in our toolbox. But veteran status might not necessarily mean it’s accurate. We contacted Cornerstone Metrology in Van Nuys, California, a company that does calibration work for both industrial and individual mechanics. We needed a highly accurate test procedure to measure our torque wrenches. Director of Quality Keith Chauvie showed us the digital scale that was accurate to within 0.10 of a pound, which suited our test just fine since we weren’t going to be working on the Mars rover.

80 Where?
What vehicles did the Dana 80 come under?
Name withheld
Via Email

The prep work was absolutely laughable on some of the vehicles waiting in the contingency line at a King of the Hammers desert race I attended several years ago. I wouldn’t have tried to make a short trip to the grocery store with some of the stuff I saw, much less enter a race. There were frayed fan belts, leaky power steering systems, bent driveshafts, oozing water pumps, and more. It’s no wonder the attrition rate of this race is so high. Any on-road competition would have black-flagged vehicles with such hack prepping.

Plenty of folks buy Toyotas and Jeeps and spend a whole lot of time and money transplanting bigger engines and 1-ton axles into their downsized vehicles. Kyle Virgin of Anchorage, Alaska, decided to skip all of the swaps and just start with a heavy-duty truck. His ’03 Ford Super Duty may have started life with a V-10 engine and eight-lug axles, but it was not originally intended for trail use. Virgin used the pickup for a daily driver for a number of years, but after a bad accident in which his insurance company totaled the pickup, Virgin bought back his truck and gave it a new lease on life as a dedicated trail machine.

We, specifically the guy writing this story, took some heat in 2011 for talking about a ’76 Super Jeep in part three of our “70th Anniversary of Jeep” series. We received several scathing letters pointing out that the Jeep pictured in that May ’11 issue was a ’73 (which it was, as it turned out) and that there were no ’76 Super Jeeps produced. We had based our information on an AMC Product Planning Letter from 1975 that was found with the aforementioned photo that we obviously didn’t look at close enough. Ultimately, because we couldn’t verify the existence of any ’76 Super Jeeps, we more or less had to mea culpa in the August ’11 issue. We now, officially, UN-mea culpa.

In our ever-changing world of technology and late-breaking news, the next best thing always seems to be just moments away. Auto manufacturers aren’t oblivious to this reality, and have reacted in ways once unheard of. Take for example the ’14 Jeep Grand Cherokee. For those up on their new vehicle releases, you may recall that it was only a little over 2½ years ago that Jeep completely revamped the Grand. In what appears to be a move from the iDroid-berry phone playbook, Jeep has released the newest version of the Grand in record time. Luckily, there is much more to this fresh-faced SUV than a few software upgrades.

If you drive your rig off-road, it will eventually get stuck. There’s no debating this, it will happen. Heck, you can even get stuck on-road, like during a blizzard. How you plan for this inevitability will determine how long you will be stuck and the level of drama required to get your rig underway.

Modern vehicle recovery tools are amazing and they can make recovering a vehicle incredibly simple. But if you’re on a budget, those items may be out of your reach. If they are, relax, because for almost every modern recovery item there’s a low-buck, and sometimes even free, option. Most require a bit more physical investment, but the end result is the same.

The Frame Twister is a mix of concrete, rocks, logs, and water. The fact is, 424 feet isn’t really that long of a distance. As a matter of fact, at 65 mph a vehicle can cover that distance in less than 4½ seconds. However, when it’s 424 feet of Frame Twister, it’s a completely different ballgame. This course contains a banner collection of items designed to challenge driver and machine every inch of the way. Highlights include the sheet-metal-mashing boulder pile, tire-grabbing log section (logs placed perpendicular to the direction of travel with deep water holes between each log), deceptive 5-foot-tall log pile, and final large culvert pipes.

The Tow Test at Top Truck Challenge is one of the wildest truck pulls you'll ever see. The Tow Test pits our challengers against a 20-Ton cement truck up a steep grade. This challenge pushes axle-shafts and engines to their absolute limit. So how does the Tow Test work, well, it's really quite simple. We tether each Top Truck Challenge rig to a 40,000-pound cement mixer that dwarfs the TTC machines and we have ’em attempt to pull the mixer as far as they can from a dead stop. Uphill! Yep, you read that right, uphill! We give ’em a short run on flat ground to gather some momentum and then our nasty dirt slope climbs 13 feet in altitude over its 150-foot length at a maximum angle of 16 degrees.

Pricing has been released for the all-new 2014 Jeep Cherokee, available in the third quarter of 2013. With a starting price of hundreds less than the Liberty and more fuel economy, safety and technology features, and improved ride and handling, the Jeep Cherokee sets itself up competitively to enter the mid-size SUV segment. Let's get straight to the off-road stuff. The 2014 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk has best-in-class Trail Rated 4x4 capability. With off-road wheel flares, skid plates, off-road suspension, an increased ride height, Jeep Active Drive Lock 4x4 system with low range and locking rear axle, new Selec-Speed Control with Hill-ascent Control and Hill-descent Control, full-size spare tire, all-weather slush floor mats, unique front and rear fascias (that contribute to aggressive 29.8-degree approach and 32.1-degree departure angles), and many more standard and optional equipment choices, the 2014 Jeep Cherokee could make for a fun and equipped off-road SUV for those who want a turn-key, trail-ready, factory-reliable rig. Don’t be surprised to find these trail rated Jeeps atop the same hill climb or trail end as other heavily modified off-road vehicles.

Joshua Middleton showed up at Top Truck Challenge this year in his 1979 Ford Bronco with only one thing on his mind, Winning! Joshua is Justin Middleton’s brother which should make it interesting watching these two compete against each other during Top Truck Challenge. Joshua’s Bronco has really changed since the last time we saw it. The nose of the Bronco has been heavily narrowed to help it get through the tight technical sections of Top Truck Challenge. The Bronco is still powered by the big fire-breathing big block 460 and we’re pretty sure this rig can scoot through most trails in a hurry without breaking a sweat. Check out the sneak peek at Joshua’s 1979 Ford Bronco!

Day one of Top Truck Challenge started off with all the competitors meeting at Hollister Hills SVRA Park for tech inspection and weigh-in. The competitors' camp, along with the Four Wheeler trailer and picnic area is located at the base of the mountain. Each competitor's camp served as sleeping quarters, repair shop, and hangout area, and by the time the Monday afternoon festivities began, last minute adjustments had been made and hundreds of "competitor red" Four Wheeler shirts and sponsor decals had been handed out. As each driver and spotter came by and filled out their paperwork, they received a giant travel bag filled with goodies from Amsoil, Warn, Tuff Country, Poly Performance, 4 Wheel Parts, Mastercraft, and Mickey Thompson!

Glen Green’s 1979 Ford F350 was pretty mysterious lurking under a tree when we first arrived at Top Truck Challenge. Once we heard its 540 c.i. stroker V8 light off, it definitely got everyone’s attention in camp. The big Ford features a pair of dual NP205 Transfer-cases to get the massive 54-inch Interco Super Swamper TSLs to claw their way up the trails in Hollister Hills. Check out the pictures bellow to see more of Glen's fire breathing Ford!

Justin Middleton showed up at Top Truck Challenge this year in his 1978 Chevy K5 Blazer ready to tackle the week long torture test in his competition orange K5 Blazer. Justin’s Blazer will be taking on Top Truck Challenge with what looks to be a failry simple set up. Upon closer inspection we realized that the unassuming competition orange Blazer is powered by a big healthy Rat. A 454 c.i. big block V8 that is! Check out the pictures bellow to see how Justin has prepared his rig to compete in Top Truck Challenge!

Jennifer Smith decided to bring out her 1968 Ford Bronco to take on the ultimate off-road torture test. Early Broncos are quite often seen as clean classic rigs that should not be left unmolested but we think you’ll agree with us that this Bronco has been built to do what it was originally intended to do, dominate off-road at all costs! This wild pony has a little extra kick in its step via a Supercharged 4.6-liter Mustang SVT Cobra V8 engine that should make for some interesting competition this week. Since you’ve read this far without letting your mind wander while making loud engine noises, we’re giving you a sneak peek at Jennifer Smith’s 1968 Ford Bronco.