Submission Information
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 Due to the large volume of mail we receive, we regret that we cannot reply to unpublished letters or return photos.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.
Write to:
Editor
4-Wheel & Off-Road
6420 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048-5515
fax 323.782.2704.
Email to:
4wheeloffroad@sourceinterlink.com
Off-Road Volunteers
Reader: I just finished reading "Don't Waste Time Or Our Land" (4xForward, June '08), and had a thought. I belong to the OHV Volunteers group here in the San Bernardino Forest of California. We have about 250 members and are always out on the trails educating the public about proper wheeling. The problem is we just can't get enough info out. We either need more volunteers or more ways to put the info out.
How about putting a monthly section in the magazine that tells what we and other volunteer groups are doing to keep our trails and forest open? We hit an all-time high in Big Bear last weekend of 500 volunteer hours in a single weekend and we need more of that. Myself and a few others would be happy to submit reports every month if that will help to get the info out to your readers.
Patricia Ashley-Johnson
via 4wheeloffroad.com
Editor: The best way for timely information dissemination is on our website (www.4wheeloffroad.com). Get on the forums and post away! And for the updates send a paragraph and a photo our way and we'll see what we can do! We want to promote responsible wheeling and cleanup campaigns, and telling the wheeling community is one way to increase action.
Independent Thinking
Reader: I agree that normal, stock IFS/IRS doesn't work off road, but how much normal stock stuff does? I know it's easy to build and use solid axles, but with time and money and smart people, I think IS can go a long way. I remember a picture of a rockcrawler in (hopefully) your magazine a couple of years back, with IS all around, jacked up on a 6x6 block and still barely off the ground! If you could have that setup, or similar, as a near bolt-in, with strength on par with a solid axle, wouldn't you do it? I know I would. I'm biased because I have IS front and rear on my quad, and it runs rings around solid axles, both going slow where you need articulation and going fast where you need cushioning and control. By the way, it rides better and has over 50 percent more ground clearance to boot! Thanks.
Lanny Myslicki
Niton Junction, Alberta, Canada
Editor: The operative word is if.
Ultimate Adventure Expenses, and Digital Subscriptions
Reader: I am stationed out in Kittery, Maine, right now with the Coast Guard. I have plans to eventually be ready for the Ultimate Adventure. I saw almost everyone seems to have BFGoodrich tires on their rigs. Is this because the sponsor gives everyone tires or just because it is a popular tire? I noticed, if I remember correctly, that Dynatrac was out with you too. If you blow out a tire or an axle component do they just help repair it, but you have to get the parts? Or do they provide parts at a cost or no cost to you but have them available barring any oddities on your rig? I guess in the end I'd like to know what is provided and what do you have to pay for? This way I can plan accordingly and save up for the trip to be able to handle any unwanted expenses. The only other two things I can think of is how much wheeling experience should I acquire before I apply and also even if you aren't selected can you show up on your own dime entirely? Thanks for your time and I really do like the magazines you guys put out. Once in a while I notice something that really catches my eye. I do wish I could get just a digital subscription online (I have to check in case you already have that) like Scientific American has. It allows me to take more magazines to read and reread on patrols at sea and saves paper and clutter around the house.
Thanks again and have fun wheeling. I'll be out at sea or in port calls down south somewhere drinking rum punch.
Rich Brunner
USCG
Kittery, ME
Editor: Many times sponsors, such as our Title Sponsor BFGoodrich Tires, offer products, but we are not bound to use their products or any other sponsor's parts. Just like a regular wheeling trip you are entirely responsible for all parts and products, as well as gas, food, and lodging. As far as experience goes, the more the better, but this year we had a few with only a year or two on trails and they did great. And we do offer a digital subscription at www.zinio.com.
The New Lift Math
Reader: First and foremost: I love your mag. It's my favorite and I eagerly wait for it each month. In your "Leaf-spring Basics" (Sept. '08), a caption for a photo surprised me. It stated that the subject Jeep went from 28- to 33-inch tires, gaining 5 inches of lift. This is incorrect and could be misleading to readers new to four-wheeling who are looking for info to build their own rigs. Based on circle measurements, tire height (diameter) would gain 5 inches, but actual vehicle clearance gain at the diff (radius) would be 2.5 inches. I'm sure it was just a slip-up. Keep up the good work.
John Froehner
via 4wheeloffroad.com
Editor: You are right, but what we failed to mention was that the Jeep received a 21/2-inch lift at the same time. Adding that to the 21/2-inch gain in tire radius, makes a total of 5 inches of lift. But did you notice that not all the lug nuts were on the wheels? Fortunately that was for photography, not driving!