In 1948, Arthur Warn Figured Out A way to put needle bearings in front wheel hubs so Jeep owners could use them in two-wheel drive on the pavement. Eleven years later, Warn would adapt a logger's tool used in the Pacific Northwest forests-the electric winch-for use in vehicle recovery. Arthur Warn didn't invent off-roading, but those two developments were essential in the evolution of four-wheeling as a recreational activity.
Warn Industries recently celebrated its 60th anniversary with some very special events. First came a picnic and carnival for Warn's employees and their families. Then, Warn hosted some two dozen off-road journalists for a day of new-product introductions, demonstrations, plant tours, and other fun stuff.
You'll be hearing more about these products as we get our hands on them, but here's a brief look at what Warn showed us.
Endurance 12.0 Winch: Warn continues to incorporate air into its latest innovations. In this case, the company figured out a way to cool a winch's motor with air from an underhood fan, increasing the motor's duty cycle and allowing higher line speeds. The motor's performance improvements forced the company to upgrade the winch in other areas, too; and in the end Warn considers this 12,000-pound puller "the ultimate performance winch." It's on sale now, priced just below the PowerPlant Dual Force winch/compressor combo.
PullzAll Davit Kit: This bed-mounted hoist was just in the prototype phase when we got our sneak peek, but it looks like its uses will be limited only by one's imagination. The 1,000-pound cordless PullzAll lifting tool, attached to the rotating davit arm, made easy work of the ATV used in demonstrations. We can imagine this device being used to load anything from lumber to big game.
New hydraulic winches: The 20,000- and 30,000-pound behemoths were designed for tow-truck companies and others in the professional recovery business, but they elicited looks of unbridled lust on just about every off-road writer in the room.
Air-Power compressors: When we first saw the PowerPlant Dual Force winch/compressor, we asked about a stand-alone air source. Warn listened and developed single-cylinder and V-twin 12-volt compressors that'll move as much as 8 cfm at 90 psi (if you choose the two-cylinder model).
Powersports accessories: New winches and body armor were developed for ATVs and UTV/side-by-sides. The new XT40 UTV winch has a wireless controller.
GM Performance Online
Looking for a Chevy crate engine for your project truck? GM Performance Parts has a new website (www.gmperformanceparts.com) that will let you shop and buy engines and speed parts online. The site offers access to nearly 40 GM crate engines (not just V-8s, either) and more than 300 different part numbers for engines, transmissions, blocks, heads, cams, intake manifolds, and more. As you go through the purchase process, you can choose to have the parts shipped to your door or save the freight costs and be referred to the nearest dealer stocking the part. The site even accepts PayPal!
'09 Ram Prices Announced
Base prices for '09 Ram pickups will start as low as $22,170 (which includes a $900 destination charge) for an ST 4x2 regular-cab/shortbed V-6 model. The cheapest 4x4 we can find on Dodge's price announcement is a 4WD version of that ST for $26,625. The 4x4 crew cab, the Ram's newest body style (shown in the picture), will have a base MSRP of $35,750 in SLT trim. The most expensive Ram 4x4 listed, a Laramie crew cab, will have a $44,140 base price.
Want to know a secret? The Dodge press release announcing these prices made a big deal of the fact that they were lower than the base prices of '08 models. We, however, just happened to have kept an '08 model-year price sheet from Chrysler and found that the '09 trucks are, in fact, pricier than the '08s. Not by much, but enough to knock the knees out from under Dodge's claim. But hey, we'll chalk it up to a little overenthusiasm in the midst of a horrible business year. After all, no one else has told a little white lie to sell a car, have they?
Blower Bucks
Great minds must think alike in the world of speed parts, as supercharger makers Vortech and Paxton are offering $250 cash-back deals with the purchase of a complete blower kit. We don't know who stole whose idea, but we like it either way. To find out more about Vortech's "Bonus Bucks" program (which runs through December), log on to www.vortechsuperchargers.com. For info on the "Paxton Payoff" program, which also conveniently runs through the holidays, visit www.paxtonauto.com.
Hummer Sets H3T price
Hummer's new H3T, which GM is calling a "midsize pickup," will carry a base MSRP of $31,495 (including $745 destination) when it hits the street this fall. The T features a four-door crew cab and a separate, 5-foot-long cargo box with a standard integrated bedliner. Because it shares architecture with the H3 SUV, the H3T shares many of the H3's features, like fulltime 4WD, 32-inch tires, and locking diffs front and rear.
Operation gratitude jeep delivered
Earlier this year we told you about how Army Specialist Michael Gallagher from Fort Lewis, Washington, was surprised with the keys to a new Jeep Liberty when he opened what turned out to be the 300,000th package from Operation Gratitude (a non-profit organization that sends care packages and letters of support to troops deployed overseas). We're glad to report that Spc. Gallagher returned safely from Iraq and was presented with his Jeep in July.
When he realized he had won the Jeep, he said he wanted to use it to somehow create a way to remember fallen soldiers from his unit, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team. A custom-painted mural on the Jeep's hood will reflect the names of those soldiers.