In any given weekend in every state in our nation there are guys going wheeling, and you should be too. While visiting El Paso, Texas, to investigate the STaK transfer case in this issue, we found a small group going wheeling just an hour away in Las Cruces, New Mexico. With everything from slightly modified Jeeps to full tubed-out buggies, our gang of six crawled through the hot desert to see what our rigs could do.
We explored a new trail outside of Las Cruces known as Cayenne Crawler, which was recently opened by the Las Cruces Four Wheel Drive Club. It's a moderate trail to get through, so for more of a challenge we found Patzcuarro's Revenge. If you're looking for some desert fun on rocks of every size, we recommend visiting Las Cruces for the big Chili Challenge event in February. The weather shouldn't fry you (though it has been known to get pretty cold and windy), and the trails will definitely try you. To learn more visit www.lascrucesfourwheeldriveclub.com. Otherwise just get your rig done and hit the trails in your state, but don't forget to e-mail us about your trip, as we just might show up to see what's going on in your neck of the woods.
Not many folks would consider a Suzuki Samurai a family wheeler, but Sean Farcey bounced down the trial with his wife and daughter without complaints from either of them (though mom and daughter happily got out on the gnarly sections). Sean's Zuki has a 1,600cc 16-valve Sidekick motor swapped under the hood and a hybrid Suzuki/Dana 44 front axle. The skinny 34x9.5x15 tires are spun by a Lock-Right up front with 4.88 gears and a spool within the AMC 20 rear axle. | 
Tony Littlepage (the T in STaK 4x4) was having overheating problems with his 350 Chevy V-8, but it was nothing that a few minutes of rest between slow sections couldn't cure. Tony runs a TH400 auto and Dana 60 axles front and rear, but his pride is the three-speed Monster Box transfer case that gives him multiple low ranges in his '79 Jeep CJ-7. | 
George Dipp had not one but two of the 4x4s he owns on this trail ride. This ex-competition buggy built by Campbell Enterprise made short work of almost every obstacle we saw. Even with a 4.3L GM V-6, George had little trouble turning the 42-inch Iroks on bead-locked Allied rims. The front and rear steering low-pinion Dana 60 axles are set with a 108-inch wheelbase and house 5.13 gears, Detroit Lockers, Superior 35-spline shafts and CTM U-joints. The chassis has 2x3-inch main rails and 1 3/4-inch DOM cage work. |
George's other 4x4 was a brand-new Jeep Unlimited that he let his pals at STaK 4x4 upgrade with their three-speed Monster Box as well as a front Dana 60 from Custom Differentials, and a rear aluminum Rock Jock from Currie. You may wonder how someone can afford to build a brand-new Jeep on 37-inch BFGs, with a Full-Traction long-arm suspension, and then be willing to take it up vertical climbs like this, but all we know is that on hot days in the desert the A/C felt great. | 
Adrian Lopez brought the beater Jeep and wasn't scared to get it scratched. His '91 YJ is packing the stock 2.5L four-cylinder, a Dana 44 front axle, and a Ford 9-inch rear. With a budget of around $2,000, Adrian built this capable little trail rig outfitted with 4.88 gears and 35-inch Goodyears. Budget-built rigs are fun because minor issues like flopping on your side doesn't get any feathers ruffled. | 
This sleeper Jeep Wrangler just crept its way up the trail with little-to-no fanfare, and even fewer problems. Stanley Fleury has a nearly stock-looking Jeep-save the 35-inch Boggers and Warn winch-but it actually sits on a 3 1/2-inch Rubicon Express suspension and locked axles (Detroit front, spool rear). We can appreciate the low-slung build of this trail machine and the solid reliable grunt of the 4.0L inline-six under the hood. |
Want us to come wheeling
E-mail fred.williams@primedia.com and tell us about your event, club run, trail ride, or competition; how many and what types of vehicles will be there; what the terrain is like; and what the closest airport we can fly into is. Remember we are looking for a variety of 4x4s (at least six or eight, and not all Jeeps), it has to be on property that the public could attend (not your buddy Joe's back field that only you and him can wheel on), and we need to know at least a few months ahead of time. We can't promise we'll make every event, but we definitely won't make the ones we don't know about.