New Super Duty On The Way
The 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty is on track, and our spies recently caught it out tow testing. While the cab remains the same, Ford's heavy hitter will feature a restyled front clip, as well as a new look in the rear, as shown by the more svelte dually fenders seen here. Taillights are said to mimic those on the F-150. The biggest changes will come under the hood, where the 6.2L Premium V-8 will replace the modular 5.4L V-8 and 6.8L V-10, while the next-generation in-house 6.7L Power Stroke turbodiesel V-8 (codename: Scorpion) will replace the 6.4L Power Stroke V-8 turbodiesel V-8.inline_mediumwraptextright27025447/featuredvehicles/rpm/129_0912_december_2009_rpm_4x4_truck_auto_news129_0912_02_z+december_2009_4x4_news+2011_ford_v8_engine.jpgTrue

Where To Write
Address your correspondence to:
Four Wheeler
6420 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048.

All letters become the property of Four Wheeler, and we reserve the right to edit them for length, accuracy, and clarity. The editorial department can also be reached through the website at www.fourwheeler.com. Due to the volume of mail, electronic and otherwise, we cannot respond to every reader, but we do read everything.

Somewhere, there's a soccer mom missing an SUV. But hey, it's for the best. This is Corey Casper's Durango, and he knows how to build a rig. After all, he's the owner of Casper Customs 4x4 Parts. To create the rig you see here, Casper blended parts from Chrysler, Ford, and GM. The result is a unique rig that not only marries components from different manufacturers, but combines old and new tech to create a capable machine. You voted this rig the Alternate for 2009.

Here it is, folks-the number one vote-getter this year by a wide margin. Not only is this '63 Willys FC-170 mega unique, it's being piloted by Wayne Sheeley, who was the co-driver for his wife, Addie, when she competed at TTC two years ago in her TJ. Now they're back for more, only this time it's his turn to drive. Sheeley says this rig was built over the course of "one cold winter." The result? A rare truck with a fascinating mix of old and new tech that apparently many of you really like.

Leroy Latham resides in Golconda, Nevada, where he kills time between trail rides by wrenching on other people's stuff (he's a mechanic). Apparently, he's pretty good at buggy building, too. This rear-engine two-seater is designed to slither through places like the Tank Trap with no problem. Will our seven events be simply the prey that Latham will crush?

When it comes to creating a state-of-the-art buggy, there are certain "givens." The givens include such things as stout axles, a powerful engine, lots of ground clearance, generous approach and departure angles, a flexy but stable suspension, and of course, big meats. In other words, a rig like Missouri pipefitter Brett Jerome's TJ buggy. It's no wonder you voted him in.

Jamie Eulberg (our only female driver this year) lists her occupation as "administrative," but in the days leading up to Top Truck she wasn't administrating, she was gettin' her hands dirty wrenching on her CJ-7 alongside her husband Dave. They worked right up until the last minute on their tall rig, completing preparations the day before the event.

Every family reunion includes at least one black sheep, and TTC is no different. This year's reader-approved square peg is an '06 FJ Cruiser that was built by some magazine guys as a project rig a couple of years back. The scribes long ago bailed on the project, leaving the hapless driver without a support crew; he managed to enlist his parole officer to help out as a last-minute spotter this year.

At first glance, there seems to be something a bit "off" about Doug Kalhstrom's Power Wagon. Maybe it's the dovetailed front clip, or those tunnel-vision headlamps, or the stubby-looking grille. But once you start poking around and inside this rig, you'll find all sorts of smart modifications that figure to make this Dodge a serious contender at TTC. All told, Doug's ride is not too shabby for a truck that was originally purchased at a junkyard for the princely sum of $400.

If Scott Sidwell looks a little sleepy in this photo, it's small wonder. Halfway to Top Truck from his Minnesota home, his trailer was sideswiped by a passing car, leaving a mangled wheel-and-hub assembly in its wake. Delayed half a day in Utah, he managed to rustle up the parts to patch up the axle, and drove 800 miles nonstop to Hollister a day before the event. He arrived with his Ranger in the dead of night, a few hours before these photos were taken.

A white-collar executive at Top Truck Challenge? Yep, besides being an avid wheeler, Tracy Graf is the CEO of a fund-management firm in Red Deer, Alberta. His Hendrix-chassis four-seater buggy certainly seems like a sound investment to weather the "liquidity crisis" that lurks within the Tank Trap, which has a long and storied history of turning AAA-rated trail machines into piles of junk assets.

On the surface, it doesn't seem like a fair fight. Chris Smith hails from San Martin, California, just a few miles up the road from Hollister Hills, and by his own admission has wheeled the park's numerous obstacles on many occasions. In addition, his TTC Super Duty was built by none other than Toby Lavender, the architect behind our Top Truck-inspired Mega Titan and our head judge at TTC. We also know, however, that "home-field advantage" at Top Truck has been an illusion up until now.

Dave Green is one tough guy. A too-close encounter with a Sawzall in camp found Dave in the emergency room at Hollister General, sporting 32 stitches in his left hand a day before the start of TTC. Unfazed, the Red Deer, Alberta, resident shook off the pain and was ready to compete the next day. Dave's "Road Kill" buggy is an intriguing combination of a stock Dodge diesel powertrain, a custom suspension, 2 1/2-ton running gear, and major-mud agricultural tires.

Back in the April '09 issue of Four Wheeler, we trotted out 55 Top Truck Challenge 2009 candidates and we asked you to vote for the ones you wished to see compete in this year's TTC thrashfest in Hollister Hills, California. You responded in a big way, and we were deluged with ballots.

Power Wagon Returns!
Here is the first photo that we have of the 2010 Dodge Power Wagon. Proving the rumors wrong, the Power Wagon is indeed part of the 2010 Ram HD line-up. Seen here undergoing testing, it appears to use the same mechanicals as the current truck, including the 17-inch polished forged aluminum wheels wrapped in BFGoodrich All-Terrain tires. We expect the current axles and sway bar disconnect system, as well as Bilstein shocks, to round out the package. Also identifiable in this photo is the Warn 12,000-pound winch, nestled behind the stock bumper. Perhaps most significant is the obvious availability of the new, generously sized Crew cab body style.inline_mediumwraptextright30847479/featuredvehicles/rpm/129_0911_november_2009_4x4_truck_auto_news129_0911_03_z+november_2009_4x4_news+2010_dodge_power_wagon.jpgTrue

Forty-five years ago this month, Four Wheeler paid a visit to the Land of Standing Rocks in the Utah Canyonlands, where the cover photo was taken. We savored the rock formations, Indian petroglyphs, and some challenging backcountry driving that we called "among the most enjoyable vacations any of us has ever had." We also published a couple of stories from the backroads of Baja-then as now, a wheeler's paradise-and we spent a little time looking at a "pleasant surprise" for the "growing fraternity of four wheelers who prefer the station wagon."inline_mediumwraptextright30849720/featuredvehicles/letters/129_0911_archive_november_1964_toyota_fj45v_wagon129_0911_04_z+november_1964_archive+toyota_fj45v_wagon_side.jpgTrue

Where To Write
Address your correspondence to:
Four Wheeler
6420 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048.

All letters become the property of Four Wheeler, and we reserve the right to edit them for length, accuracy, and clarity. The editorial department can also be reached through the website at www.fourwheeler.com. Due to the volume of mail, electronic and otherwise, we cannot respond to every reader, but we do read everything.

2010 Duramax LML Spied!
With tougher diesel emissions rules coming online in 2010, Ford and GM have new engines on the way. Dodge's 6.7L Cummins already meets the standard. Our spies recently got a first hand look at GM's new LML Duramax turbodiesel V-8 that will do battle with Dodge's Cummins 6.7L I-6, as well as Ford's in-house and clean-sheet 6.7L Scorpion turbodiesel V-8. The LML Duramax will remain at 6.6 liters and will cut soot levels 90 percent when compared to the 2006 models. This will be the first GM diesel stateside to use urea injection as part of the emissions equipment. Other changes that can be expected are piezo-electric injectors, dual EGRs, and revamped turbo plumbing. Our sources peg the LML power at 390 horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque.

Thirty years ago this month, a new breed of 4x4 made its debut in these pages-specifically, the newly re-engineered Ford Bronco, which was rolled out for the 1980 model year and included its revolutionary Twin-Traction Beam independent front suspension. The new system, we noted at the time, "does away with CV joints, several moving parts, and reduces unsprung weight (by) 50 to 150 pounds, depending on truck model." We also liked the "built-in skidplate on the front diff," as well as the TTB's underlying concept: "fewer moving parts and stronger one-piece construction."

The foundation for Vokoun's rig is a quality Campbell Enterprises Custom Fabrication chassis. There are many cool features integrated into the fat-free chassis, including removable nerf bars. The Jeep Liberty-based bodywork is fiberglass with tinted Lexan doors, and it has paint and graphics by The Paint Shop in Phoenix. With night wheeling in mind, the rig sports a number of exterior lights. Here you can see the two forward-facing 6 1/2-inch-diameter Lightforce lights, and the rig also has chassis rock lights and interior LED lights. Further, Vokoun can bolt on a removable lightbar with four forward-facing 9 1/2-inch Lightforce lights. This rig rolls on BFG Krawler T/A tires that are 40 inches in diameter and they're mounted to Walker Evans Racing polished aluminum beadlock wheels.

An incredible amount of thought and engineering went into each and every modification on this YJ.

Initially, this Tacoma's no-nonsense, shine-free demeanor caught our eye, but on a closer inspection, it became clear that this rig was built to really shine in the rough stuff.

Casey Boyd hails from Truckee, California, a town synonymous with wheeling. Naturally, he has a capable rig that's built to handle even the most brutal terrain.

Where To Write
Address your correspondence to:
Four Wheeler
6420 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048.

All letters become the property of Four Wheeler, and we reserve the right to edit them for length, accuracy, and clarity. The editorial department can also be reached through the website at www.fourwheeler.com. Due to the volume of mail, electronic and otherwise, we cannot respond to every reader, but we do read everything.

Chevrolet introduced the K5 Blazer in 1969 to compete in the fast-growing two-door SUV market. Back then, the folks at GM probably had no idea that decades later the first-generation K5 they created would become such a sought-after machine.