September 2005 Readers' Rides

Submission Information

Click HERE for a Readers' Ride submission form in MS Word format.

Click HERE for a Readers' Ride submission form in Adobe PDF format.

Hey, readers! We appreciate you sending in pics of your rides, and we'd like you to keep doing so, but we encourage you doing it via e-mail from now on. We can still receive 'em by snail-mail, but you'd make our lives a lot easier by sending us a submission electronically. Digital photos must measure no less than 1600 x 1200 pixels (or two megapixels) and be saved as a TIFF, EPS, or a maximum-quality JPEG file.

Please e-mail photos to:
jerrod.jones@primedia.com

Write to:
Readers' Rides 4-Wheel & Off-Road
6420 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048-5515

Digger
Vehicle: '90 Geo Tracker
Owner: Neil Tackett
Tires: 31x9.50-15 Swamper TSL radials
Wheels: 15x8 black steel
Suspension: 11/2-inch coil spacers with front upper strut flip mount and Crown Victoria rear shocks
Drivetrain: 1.6L eight-valve engine, five-speed manual tranny, 5.13 gears
Performance: K&N air and oil filters, Calmini header, 2-inch exhaust system
Other Mods: 2-inch body lift, custom-built front bumper, skidplate/truss for front A-arm mounts, Mile Marker E3000 winch, Bosch driving lights, CB, Hi-Lift Jack, auxiliary back-up lights
Does Everything Work the Way You Want?: Yes, nothing has let me down yet
Anything You Would Change: I would've built the bumper before the body lift for better fitment
Funniest Wheeling Incident: Going for one last loop around the trails and finding a new offshoot that had a bottomless quagmire at the end of it

Climber
Vehicle: '73 Jeep CJ-5
Owner: James Cochran, Mena, AR
Tires: 36x12.50-15 Swamper TSLs
Wheels: 15-inch American Racing
Suspension: 31/2-inch Rancho, RS 5000 shocks
Drivetrain: AMC 304ci engine, T-18 manual tranny, Dana 20 transfer case, Dana 30 front axle, Dana 44 rear, 4.27 gears
Performance: Edelbrock Performer intake manifold and cam and 500-cfm carb, D.U.I. distributor
Other Mods:Chevy alternator, power brakes
Does Everything Work the Way You Want?: Yep, definitely the best is the custom hydraulic clutch and power brakes
Anything You Would Change: In hindsight, I would've put in a 4.3L Vortec instead of the 304ci V-8, and vinyl seats instead of cloth (dirt)
Funniest Wheeling Incident: Going up a loose climb totally open, while a buddy couldn't make it up with a locker

Tame Ride
Vehicle: '91 Chevy S-10
Owner: Keith Maclennan, Ithaca, MI
Tires: 40x17-15 Gumbo Monster Mudders
Wheels: 15x12 aluminum
Suspension: 4-inch, custom body lift
Drivetrain: 350ci engine, TH350 tranny, NP203 transfer case, 10-bolt front, 12-bolt rear welded up, 4.56 gears
Other Mods:All built with help from my dad
Best Mod: Keeping it light
Funniest Wheeling Incident: Watching my buddies

Range Riding
Vehicle: '88 Land Rover Range Rover
Owner: Tim Woolford, Mabelvale, AZ
Tires: 245/75/R16 Dunlop Radial Rover
Wheels: Stock alloys
Suspension: Old Man Emu springs, 2-inch spacers in front, 1-inch spacer in rear, Pro Comp shocks
Drivetrain: 3.5L aluminum V-8, ZF four-speed auto tranny
Performance: K&N air filter, replaced three catalytic converters with one
Other Mods:8,000-pound Warn winch, Garmin GPS, CB, KC lights, Hella lights
Does Everything Work the Way You Want?: Everything works great for now
Anything You Would Change: I would add taller mud tires, axle upgrades, a rear locker, and a limited-slip front diff

Fuelie Wannabe
Vehicle: '59 Jeep CJ5/M38A1
Owner: John Peterson, Elks, NV
Tires: 35x16-15 Boggers
Wheels: 15x10 white spoke
Suspension: Wheelbase stretched to 100 inches, rear XJ leaves front and rear, revolver shackles
Drivetrain: Chevy small-block V-8, NP465 four-speed manual tranny, Warn overdrive, Dana 18 transfer case, Dana 44 front with Detroit Locker, Dana 44 rear with welded diff, 5.38 gears
Performance: V-8 engine
Does Everything Work the Way You Want?: Doesn't sidehill very well
Anything You Would Change: Need to add a fuel cell and fuel injection