Best Ultimate Adventure Yet!
This year's UA was the best yet-hardcore wheeling that we can all actually aspire to! Apparently, contrary to every magazine article out there, you don't need Prorocks with ARBs to conquer some nasty stuff. I was delighted to see lunchbox lockers and even Dana 30s thrown in the mix, even with trails just as difficult as before. Dare I say the economic downturn was a blessing? Yes! Now we can be realistic and wheel what we can afford. Cheers to driver skill and tires less than 42 inches.
Jeff Brown
Via www.4wheeloffroad.com
Thanks, Jeff. You'll note that we had a wide variety of vehicles, skill levels, and equipment. The Ultimate Adventure is just that, an adventure, not a contest of who can throw the most money in a rig or build a wallet job and not know how to fix it. Keep reading, and apply today for the next Ultimate Adventure at 4wheeloffroad.com!
No Used 15-inch Tires?
I read with astonishment in your article "Supersonic DED" (Oct. '10) that you were unable to find any 15-inch tires for the Jeep and decided that it must have been because you were in a small town. Yesterday I went looking for a set for my Wagoneer. None of the local used tire places had more than one or two of any tires in the 15-inch size, and most of them were bald. Needles to say, I was equally astonished to find that none of the large tire stores in the city carried them either, saying they could special-order them in about a week and charge me more than it cost for the whole Jeep. So now I am confused. When did 15-inch LT tires become special-order? And what 17-inch rims will fit my Jeep, because the Chevy stock steel rims won't fit over the locking hubs?
Henry Cohrs
Spokane, WA
We are still amazed. That whole transition caught us by surprise. In the last 10 years the move to larger rim sizes pushed the availability of used 15-inch tires out the door, and now 16s and 17s are the norm, with plenty of 18s around too. Late-model Chevy rims won't fit your Waggy because they don't have the large center hole, so yes, you need to order some rims-but I recommend just buying new tires rather than looking for used ones that don't exist.
Backward Goodyears?
On page 31 of the Ultimate Adventure article in the November issue, why does the Hobart M37 have the asymmetrical Goodyear MT/R with Kevlar tires mounted outside facing in, contrary to the way they are intended? I'm just curious. I run the 35-inch version on my '03 TJ Rubicon and was wondering if Mel and Don have discovered something the rest of us don't know. I know some rockcrawlers run the directional Mickey Thompson Baja Claws backward but found this an odd way to mount the Goodyears.
Phil Hall
San Diego, CA
Actually, Mel just felt like it. You'll notice that if you mount them all the same on a wheel, then one side will be backward. This make for difficult rotation when it's time, other than from front to rear. For us, it seems that the new Goodyears work great in either direction.
No More Plates
A few months ago there was an article about Jeeps (the one with a yellow grille). Your magazine claims that you do not put the same picture in other issues and if anyone would find this to be so, that your magazine would send them a free 4WOR license plate. Well, I saw in this month's issue on page 52 the same yellow Jeep. It was in the lift laws article. If your magazine is honorable, then I will expect a free plate. Thank you!
Tim Huston
Cleveland, OH
Well, OK, you got us. But no more! We used that photo for the lift law series, which spans multiple issues (see page 76). Also, note we reuse photos in this department to show what the readers are talking about.