Bank accounts all over the country are hovering near their minimum balance requirements thanks to the sport of off-roading. So what? What else are you going to spend your money on? This isn't just some stupid hobby! With that said, we know you shell out money every month to buy 4-Wheel & Off-Road. So we want to try and save you as much cash as we can on all your other off-road related purchases. If we do our jobs well, you simply won't be able to afford not to buy every issue of 4-Wheel & Off-Road.
This month we wanted to put together some recipes to build what we think are the four styles of off-road vehicles-no matter what rig you start with. You'll notice that we don't even mention brakes, lift kits, rollbars, or winches. That's because we think that as important as that stuff is, there are other modifications you need to make first. Now don't get us wrong. The best 4x4s are as good as they are because they combine a balance of the things listed here with safety, performance, and spare parts. But keep in mind that your vehicle was originally designed primarily for street use, and we want to show you the most economical way to make it into a better off-road vehicle.
The other thing about selecting components is to buy the best stuff you can afford. The harder something is to replace, the more important it is to buy the right part the first time. At the opposite end of the spectrum are things like tires, batteries, and anything that is easy to unbolt and replace. We don't want you to be afraid to experiment with less expensive options that could suit your needs while saving you money. That way you can spend the big bucks on things that your particular rig needs the most.
Mud Bogger
Mud trucks haven't changed much in the last 10 years. They're all about big tires and bigger engines. They are also why the winch and the buddy system were invented. We think mud trucks could really benefit from softer, longer-travel suspensions to keep you from bouncing over ruts, but for now we'll focus on the basics.
1.Tow Rope-No one can help you if you don't have a strap or rope that they can use to pull you out. Get something with at least a 30,000-pound capacity. And we'll assume that you have at least one good tow hook in the front and rear. If we're wrong, buy those too.
2. Tires-There are two kinds of tires in the world: Mud tires and all-terrains. Buy the biggest, most aggressive mud tire you can afford. We'd also recommend wide mud tires because we think it is better to float across the top of mud than to try and dig down through it.
3. Waterproofing-Carburetors can work fine in mud. Just make sure they suck air and fuel, and not water and muck. Buy or make an engine snorkel to move your engine's air intake as high up and far back as practical. Consider mounting the air inlet in the passenger's compartment.
4. Horsepower-The more the better. Nitrous is the cheapest way to get lots of it, but nothing beats a reliable, fire-breathing big-block.
5. Lockers-Run a locker in the rear and a tight limited slip or selectable locker in the front. You want to make sure all four tires always spin, but you'll need to be able to steer too. Gear low enough so that you can spin the tires without redlining the engine.
Rockcrawler
Built to go slow and cling to rocks, these rigs need to keep as much tire on the terrain as possible and ooze over obstacles like molasses. This list isn't for the guy who wants to go rock racing, but will be perfect for anyone who wants to get back to the basics of rockcrawling.
1. Gears-You can't crawl if you can't go slow. So you'll need to swap lower gears into the differentials or transfer case, or use an auxiliary low-range box. Vehicles with a manual transmission usually need lower gears then those with automatics.