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4-Wheel & Off-Road welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must include an address or a telephone number so the sender can be verified. Once verified, your name may be withheld at your request. Letters published in this magazine reflect the opinions of the writers, and we reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, brevity, or other purposes. Due to the large volume of mail we receive, we regret that we cannot reply to unpublished letters or return photos. Digital photos must measure no less than 1600 x 1200 pixels (or two megapixels) and be saved as a TIFF, an EPS, or a maximum-quality JPEG file.
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4-Wheel & Off-Road
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Should We Get These Guys Together?
Reader: I know you guys love your Jeeps, but take a minute to consider this truck, a Kia Sportage. It's just as capable and tough and with a little work can be a very good trail truck. I don't have a subscription to your magazine, but I try to get an issue from the stands as often as I can. It doesn't surprise me that I haven't seen a Sportage in your magazine because it's not quite as popular as a Jeep, but it's got its own following. I currently drive a '95 model Sportage four-wheel drive with a stock suspension and 235/75/15 BFGoodrich tires and have gone off-roading with a few friends that own Jeeps, and they were surprised at how versatile my truck was. I'm not asking for a cover shot (although I know a guy that has the perfect truck for it) or even an article, just a nice little mention for us Kia owners or even a picture once in a while.
Turtle
via 4wheeloffroad.com
Editor: Here's your shot at fame, Turtle. If Hershman brings his flat-tired, rod-knocking FJ down here, we'll pit him against your Sportage in a no-hold-barred competition, other than stock versus stock.
Ultimate Wrangler JK Buildup
Reader: Editor Pw: Please instruct young Fred to;
1. Do something different for this year's Thrasher.
2. Rockwells with discs at the wheels.
3. Big diesel motor.
4. Immediately throw those ridiculous plastic fenders in the art direc-tor's trunk.
5. Dana 60 and 14-bolt seem so last week.
6. Tires would need to be huge for Rocks' gear ratio.
7. Make tires fit by suspension that works/sheetmetal surgery.
8. Do not build a monster Jeep out of it.
9. Portal Tek axles would also be cool.
10. Big-inch Fomoco/GM motors also allowed.
Big79'Terry
via 4wheeloffroad.com
Editor: Terry, read about our Ultimate JK in this issue, and see if you are a mind reader!
Point Taken
Reader: Breakage as an Art FormYour "Left Laners" 4xForward (Aug. '07) was perfect. We have the same problem here in the Dallas area. However, I would like to react to your comments to Karl Smith in your In Box about his "parts breakage." Mr. Smith is probably like 90 percent of your readers who enjoy off-roading (much like the name of your mag) and do not care for breakage. I am 61 years old, have owned Jeeps since I bought my first V-8 CJ in 1975, and am currently driving "the kid's inheritance" (Warn, Rock Hard, Pro Comp, Tuffy, and so on, equipped '06 Rubicon Unlimited). Sure, it is great to see you fix breaks and do buildups on hard-core vehicles, but tearing up something is not "the real world" as you seem to imply in your reaction to his letter. "The real world" is those of us who enjoy off-roading-not tearing up and fixing. Your smart-ass answer belongs in Jp, and you owe Mr. Smith (and the rest of us in what is really the "real world") an apology. See you on Black Bear and in Moab this summer-if you aren't fixing your broken parts.
Billy Carter, Waxahachie, TX
Editor: Billy, you have a point and I apologize for the misconception, but the object isn't to break, but to wheel how you want without breakage. It seems that you have fixed your ride so it won't break, but how did you learn that? And if it did break, won't you upgrade to something that won't, or will you be satisfied with not wheeling where you want since parts will break? I'd rather not have stuff break myself, but am willing to fix it and upgrade if something does twist apart. That's the reason the aftermarket is flourishing, because stuff breaks!