In the December ’82 issue of Four Wheeler we ran this story on the then-new ’83 Ford Ranger. The small truck was actually quite groundbreaking for the time, and it was Ford’s counterattack to high fuel prices that were assaulting the truck-driving consumer (sound familiar?).

When Dodge resurrected the Power Wagon name in 2005, it was clear the company was dead serious about offering the industry’s most off-road-capable fullsize pickup. Dodge based the Power Wagon on the solid axle ¾-ton Ram truck, and it was fitted with front and rear locking differentials; a switch-operated disconnecting front sway bar to improve suspension flex; lots of beefy underbody protection; a simple lever-shift transfer case; stout Warn 12,000-pound winch; quality Bilstein shocks; large 33-inch tires; and strong 17-inch forged aluminum wheels. It doesn’t get much better than that. Or does it?

After three quarters of living with our Grand Cherokee, we have a pretty good idea of what makes our 2011 Four Wheeler of the Year tick. The WK2, as it is called internally, is a radical departure from previous Grand Cherokees, with its all-independent air suspension, simply gorgeous interior, and astute highway manners. Jeep also packed the Grand full of advanced technology that we have enjoyed getting to know.

When we go camping, we like to bring the comforts of home along with us. We aren’t ashamed to admit that an ARB Fridge Freezer is a nice addition on the trail, or that we have become more reliant on our cell phone for communication and our iPad for navigation. As technology marches forward, we are finding ourselves needing more power than we are used to in order to keep our devices topped off.

LuxoTruck
For 2012, Ram Truck will expand its model lineup by adding the new, top-of-the-line Ram Laramie Limited. Featuring premium materials, such as full-leather seating, piano-black interior components and under-stated exterior badging, Ram Laramie Limited offers a refined luxury alternative to the popular southwestern-themed Ram Laramie Longhorn edition pickup. The Ram 1500 Laramie Limited is available in six exterior color choices, while the Ram Heavy Duty models are available in four. A full-leather cockpit with dark slate Natura Plus leather seats and engraved details lend the Ram Laramie Limited an unmatched level of sophistication and style.

If you want to see a fascinating collection of Jeep Cherokee XJs, go hang out at a North American XJ Association (NAXJA) event. Over the years we’ve wheeled with members of this club in places like Tennessee and Indiana, and each time we’ve seen something cool.

Our ’12 Wrangler Sahara is starting to take shape. Last month we spent some time at the shop transforming it from a staid stocker to a dual-purpose machine capable of taking us deep in to the backcountry. While the suspension, wheels and tires, and axles are in place, we still needed to protect the Jeep from those errant mishaps off the highway, so in this story we’ll focus on armor, as well as a few other upgrades we’ve found helpful.

Ten years ago we ran this feature on Mike Papola’s custom tube-chassis rig, which he called the “Papola Super Flex.” We called it “unusual,” which it probably was in 2002, considering that custom, tube-chassis trail rigs were a relatively new thing. Of course, tube-chassis rigs were destined to make their mark in the off-road world; we just didn’t fully realize to what extent at the time.

Tougher Tundra
Pro Comp is proud to introduce a new 4-inch suspension system for the ’07-’12 Toyota Tundra. This system installs without any cutting of the factory crossmembers and provides clearance for 35-inch tires. Extended steering knuckles are used to keep the rack-and-pinion steering unit in the factory location. These knuckles combined with rockproof, one-piece lower crossmembers provide performance, durability, and ease of installation that Tundra owners demand. Advanced engineering maintains proper CV axle angles and allows the full range of compression and extension travel without binding ball joints. Best of all, it is 100-percent VSC stability control compatible.
Info: Pro Comp
800/776-0767, www.procompusa.com

At the dawn of motorized transport, new ideas were rolling down America’s roads like leaves on a windy day in the fall. In the winter of 1906, a Clintonville, Wisconsin, machinist got his new 1906 Reo mired to the hubs for the umpteenth time and added a couple of new ideas that would make history.

I’d love to tell you that solid axle 4x4s are making a comeback, but the truth is I’m typically laughed out of the building whenever I ask a vehicle manufacturer to offer a 4x4 with a solid front axle. The auto manufacturers prefer independent front suspension (IFS) for several reasons including more precise handling, ride comfort, packaging, engine clearance, crash testing, ground clearance, and so on. But despite all of this logical reasoning and advancements in IFS technology, the seemingly archaic solid-axle Jeep Wrangler was the Ninth best-selling SUV of 2011. Interestingly enough the Wrangler and the Grand Cherokee (Seventh best-selling SUV of 2011) are the only SUVs in the top 10 that have a true transfer case with low range gearing. The rest of the SUVs in this top 10 list are crossover SUVs, better known as all-wheel-drive cars, which ironically enough is actually a good argument for the auto industry to offer more solid-axle 4x4 SUVs.

Over the last year we’ve used our long-term Ford Raptor relentlessly on- and off-road. It’s blasted 100-mph down isolated desert dirt roads, hauled a 6,000-pound trailer up and down steep mountain grades, carried bed-loads of motorcycles, gear, and railroad ties, yet has remained civil enough to be one of our favorite commuter vehicles that can even go out on a Friday night. In a word, it’s versatile.

Wheelers are inherently creative. Maybe it’s something in our DNA that gives us the ability to “think outside the box” and solve problems on-the-fly. Whether it’s a challenging situation on the trail or in the shop, we have a knack for creative problem solving.

Generally speaking, four-wheel-drive vehicles tend to be inherently functional in nature. They usually have squared-off profiles or dedicated cargo space that lend them well to hauling all of our stuff. Stuff is something most wheelers have a lot of, especially when the family is in tow or we are headed out on an extended outing. Here is a guide of products that will make your rig more versatile when you need to pack it up for some time away from the ranch.

Diesel Discrepancy
While reading the “Cream of the Crop” (Mar. ’12), I noticed a problem. I don’t want to nitpick, but to the hardcore diesel community details matter. You stated that the ’89 Dodge W250 Cummins was the first of the Big Three to offer direct injection, a turbocharger, and an intercooler. While the first three are true, the intercooler didn’t appear on the Cummins until the 1991½ model year. The first 2½ years were non-intercooled. If in doubt, open the hood and look for a cast aluminum crossover pipe that goes from the turbo outlet on the passenger side, over the valve covers, and into the intake on the driver side. If it has one, it’s non-intercooled.
Roy Lynn
Stockdale, TX

Wrangler Stabilizer
Got any advice on a steering stabilizer for a Wrangler JK Unlimited running 35-inch tires?
Brian Gilmour
Via www.facebook.com/fourwheelermag

In the fall of 2004, International rolled out the gargantuan four-wheel drive CXT. Basically a semi tractor sporting a modified Ford Super Duty dualie pickup bed, it left people slack-jawed in amazement. It had a monster diesel engine, air brakes, a towing capacity of 40,000 pounds, and a hauling capacity of 11,400 pounds. It should’ve come standard with a mop to sop up all the testosterone.

If you are reading this magazine, you are probably a fan of lifted trucks and as such, you probably use your truck to haul more than just yourself around. Maybe it is your wife, in-laws, or that mob of kids that got you to choose the crew cab in the first place. So what to do when your significant others complain that your love of wheeling is interfering with their ease of getting in and out of your rig?

Top Truck Challenge has always been an indicator of what’s going on in the wheeling world. The uninitiated would expect that all of the vehicles in Top Truck would be sporting the latest and greatest in suspension technology, but they would be wrong. Why? Well, we wheelers tend to write our own rules. We build our suspensions based on how we wheel, our budgets, or depending on whatever parts we happen to have lying around. Sometimes we don’t get it right the first time, so often we have to try again.

For most of us, winter is almost mercifully over. This means our daily-driver 4x4s that we relied on all winter to get us through the snow, ice, and frigid temps are going to start thawing out. You could just run your rig through the car wash and call it good, but that’s no good. Your rig needs attention. Just as you would inspect and prep it for winter, you now need to inspect and prep it for summer. But where to start? To help with that task, we’ve addressed things to check in four major areas.

If this were a self-help magazine, you’d be reading about how to get six-pack abs in four minutes on a diet of corn chips and tuna. Fortunately, it’s not—we don’t care if you have a few extra pounds and neither does the 6Pak shock from MetalCloak. Upon first inspection you’ll probably think the new 6Pak shock looks gimmicky, and quite honestly, so did we. But once you get past the strange unorthodox looks you start to understand its benefits. Ultimately, it’s a somewhat complicated engineering solution to a simple problem on a product that hasn’t changed much in nearly 100 years.

Last month we brought you the foundation of a buildup on our ’12 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara. You’ll remember that we wanted to make a durable daily driver, a capable family hauler, and competent trail rig. The plan was to overbuild the JK for our needs using quality components, ensuring reliability in the backcountry. This month we’ll focus on the items we installed at the shop before turning to our driveway upgrades in next month’s installment.

The only thing worse than being out on the trail with someone who isn’t prepared is when that someone is you! Being the guy borrowing tools to air down tires, the one without a tow-strap attachment point anywhere on his vehicle, or bumming beers off of us when the day of off-roading is done isn’t going to win you any friends. We’ll put one of the core unwritten rules in writing: Bring the stuff you need to be self-sufficient.

Eleven years ago in the Sept. ’01 issue of Four Wheeler we ran a story entitled “Treasure in a Barn” about a ’46 Jeep CJ-2A. As the title implies, the story revolved around a classic old rig that was an honest-to-goodness “barn find.”

I literally laughed at my dad when he told me there were no new SUVs available with a tailgate. He’s in the market for a new 4x4, and he typically does quite a bit of research when it comes to 4x4 systems and the features that are important to him. He’s a retired engineer, so as I’m sure you can imagine, he likes to get all geeked out on that kind of technical stuff. He’s extremely thorough, so I know he would rarely make that kind of mistake. Because he’s such a planner it’s actually pretty awesome to go on vacation with him. He has everything written out, and I don’t have to lift a finger. I hate having to plan, and he always makes sure we see the best sights. It’s a pretty good gig if you can convince him to take you on vacation with him.