Tools and Clothes of the TradeAs much as we tend to do things ourselves, we always appreciate the help others give us when we're on the trail. This year our friends at Woolrich stepped up to the plate to keep us toasty warm on our 4x4 of the Year event with logo'ed shirts and jackets. This way you'll recognize us on the trail when we come to a snow event near you, and hopefully you'll invite us to stay awhile around your campfire. You can't get these items with our logo on it, but the same quality apparel is available at www.woolrich.com.
Also, our buddies at Schrade stocked us up with this nifty Tough Tool should we be in a pinch in the outback. It's a good thing we had it along on 4x4 of the Year. We busted a jack handle and needed this beauty to crank the vehicle up to change a flat. Pick up your own emergency Tough Tool at www.schradeknives.com.
Cyber Off-RoadingWagoner Machine ShopThe potential powder keg of built-up custom axles, heavy-duty steering, and incredibly built rigs is displayed at www.wagonermachine.com. What started as a machine shop back in the early '50s has found a large plot of killer off-road products that they practically handmake for each specific application. The online site is dedicated to its products and features a catalog, shop info, events, wheelin' pictures, and the boys' favorite off-road links. So what are you waiting for? Surf on by.
Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-RoadDo you think you deserve the truth? You can't handle the truth. That's why we've put our hearts and souls into our cyber off-road site. 4wheeloffroad.com will certainly delight and surprise you with its wealth of automotive news, tech stories, event coverage, and feature vehicles. You can also post notes on bulletin boards and find parts. You'll see all sorts of 4x4 mayhem like real live rollovers, people breaking/fixing their rigs, and digital video coverage of our famed 4x4 of the Year competition.
A Day in the Life...4x4 of the Year CompetitionStuff You Shouldn't Know1. The biggest bet of the week?(a) Whether or not Editor Rick Pw would taste the lime we put in his drink.(b) Whether or not Verne Simons of Jp magazine could stomach a ladle of ranch dressing in one gulp.(c) Whether or not David Kennedy could convert the Avalanche from an SUV to an SUT in one minute.
2. Total number of speeding tickets?(a) One-the Hubinator takes one for the team.(b) Five-the Hubinator takes five for the team.(c) None-thanks to radar detectors, CBs, and Quinnell's quick eye.
3. Total encounters of the Johnny Law kind?(a) 2(b) 4(c) 15
4. Total encounters of the Corona kind?(a) 20(b) 45(c) Uh...what was the question again?
5. Total number of bent/broken axles?(a) 1(b) 2(c) 3
6. Vehicle that changed color during the test?(a) Suzuki(b) Suzuki(c) Suzuki
On the Road With... The Hills Are Alive With the Sound of MercedesDo Re G500 Fa So La Ti DoYodeling and Mercedes go hand in hand in Graz, Austria, where the limited-production '02 G500 is handcrafted. The new U.S. versioned G500 (called the Gelaendewagen in Europe) was introduced last fall as a rugged yet luxurious, technologically advanced piece of off- and on-road machinery. The V-8-powered G-class' roots run deep into military motoring. The new G500 chassis uses a solid-axle suspension similar to its ancestors. The front and rear solid-axle suspension use a four-link design and track bar with coil springs and four-wheel disc brakes.