We're always looking for more Readers' Rides, so keep sending 'em our way. As long as you're a reader you have a chance of getting your 4x4 published, regardless of how modified or how stock your truck is. And just in case you're fuzzy about what info to put in your submission, take a look at this example spec sheet below. For you digital-savvy photographers, please make sure the photos measure no less than 1600 x 1200 pixels (or two megapixels) and be saved as a TIFF, EPS, or a maximum-quality JPEG file.
Vehicle (year, make, model)
Owner (name, city, state)
Tires & wheels (size, make, model)
Suspension (lift, springs, shocks)
Drivetrain (tranny, t-case, axles)
Performance (engine)
Other mods
Does everything work the way you want?
Anything you would change?
Funniest wheeling incident
Write to:
Readers' Rides
4-Wheel & Off-Road
6420 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048-5515
Fax 323.782.2704
E-mail to:
rides@4wheeloffroad.com
Vehicle: '79 Ford F-350
Owner: Drew Gaskins, Leesburg, FL
Tires & wheels: 38x12.50-16.5 Swamper TSLs on 16.5x9.75 Mickey Thompson Classic IIs
Suspension: New leaves and shocks, front leaf conversion
Drivetrain: 460ci engine, C6 tranny, NP205 transfer case, Dana 44 front, Dana 60 rear
Performance Mods: Edelbrock Performer intake and 750-cfm carb
Other Doodads: Pioneer head unit
Anything You would change: Next time run the exhaust all the way out the back of the truck
Vehicle: '53 Jeep CJ-3B
Owner: Jared Johnson, Corpus Christi, TX
Tires & wheels: 7.00x15 Powerking Traction Control II tires on stock
Suspension: Rebuilt stock
Drivetrain: Stock 134F-head, Superwinch front locking hubs, rear Richmond locker
Other Doodads: New electrical system, Bestop seats, rebuilt everything
Funniest Wheeling Incident: None yet, just got it on the road about a month ago
Does Everything work the way you want?: Now it does: When I bought it, it had a seized engine, no tranny, no brakes, locked-up steering box
Vehicle: '93 Nissan Pathfinder
Owner: Michael Harris, Mooresville, NC
Tires & wheels: 32x11.50-15 Cooper Discoverer Radial LT on 15x8 Rockcrawlers
Suspension: 2 1/2-inch torsion-bar crank
Drivetrain: 3.0L V-6 engine, five-speed manual tranny, H233B rear limited slip, 4.37 gears
Performance Mods: Fram Air Hog air filter
Other Doodads: 3-inch body lift, Gap guards, 40-channel CB with PA, Hi-Lift jack
Funniest Wheeling Incident: After a day of wheeling, I parked my truck and when I came back, I found a note on my windshield with a girl's phone number on it that said, "Hey Sexy, I like your truck."
Vehicle: '73 International Scout II
Owner: Tobias Tompkins, Sheffield, AL
Tires: 33x12.50 General Grabbers
Suspension: 4-inch Trail Master
Drivetrain: 345ci engine, TorqueFlite tranny, Dana 30 front, Dana 44 with Trac-Lok
Performance Mods: Edelbrock carb, Pertronix coil and ignition system
Other Doodads: 2-inch body lift, dual batteries
Vehicle: '03 Ford F-350 Super Duty
Owner: Bill Petrey, El Mirage, AZ
Tires & wheels: 38x15.50-16.5 Interco TrXus STS on 16.5x12 Mickey Thompson Classic Iis
Suspension: 6-inch Pro Comp leaves, dual Rancho RS 9000Xs, Pro Comp traction bars
Drivetrain: 6.0L Power Stroke diesel, six-speed manual tranny, front ARB Air Locker, 3.73 gears
Performance Mods: Airaid air intake, dual alternators and batteries (factory option)
Other Doodads: 12,000-pound MileMarker winch
Funniest Wheeling Incident: Found a Toyota in a mud hole, pulled him out, then I went through it and blew a head, then the Toyota helped pull me out
Does Everything work the way you want?: Tires aren't aggressive enough
Anything You would change: Putting on 39.5-inch Boggers
Vehicle: '93 Jeep ZJ Grand Cherokee
Owner: Jeremey and Lynette Calori, Highlands Ranch, CO
Tires & wheels: 35-inch SSRs on aluminum
Suspension: Custom 8-inch lift
Drivetrain: Stock engine and tranny, part-time transfer case, front Dana 44 with ARB Air Locker, rear Ford 9-inch with Detroit Locker, 4.88 gears
Other Doodads: Onboard air, custom bumpers, interior rollcage
Does Everything work the way you want?: Yep, there's enough room for my wife and three girls
Vehicle: '72 Toyota FJ-40
Owner: Clifford Patton, Morristown, TN
Tires & wheels: 39.5x15-15 Swamper TSLs on 15x12 Weld Scorpio
Suspension: 15-inch lift
Drivetrain: Stock six-cylinder with more than 500,000 miles on it! 4.88 gears
Vehicle: '66 Jeep CJ-5
Owner: Mary Piper, via e-mail
Tires & wheels: 30x9.50-15 Wrangler-style on 15x7 U.S. Wheels
Suspension: Stock
Drivetrain: 225ci V-6 engine, stock drivetrain
Performance Mods: New clutch, rebuilt tranny and brakes
Other Doodads: Only has 13,000 miles, working siren, has the original red soft-top
Does Everything work the way you want?: Runs great
Anything You would change: Add a steering stabilizer, maybe some paint next year
Vehicle: '77 Dodge Power Wagon
Owner: Andy Carlson, Harris, MN
Tires & wheels: 42x15-16.5 Swamper TSLs on aluminum
Suspension: Skyjacker 6-inch leaves, rear shackle-flip
Drivetrain: 440ci V-8, TF727 tranny, Dana 60 front with 70 outers, Detroit Locker, hub flanges, Dana 60 rear with Lock-Rite locker, 4.88 gears
Performance Mods: Edelbrock intake and carb, aluminum radiator
Other Doodads: CB, Optima batteries in bed, 4-inch body lift, 15,000-pound winch
Does Everything work the way you want?: Now that I shortened the 131-inch wheelbase to 115 inches
Anything You would change: Rear suspension
Vehicle: '91 Toyota
Owner: Stacy Dowell, Mountain City, TN
Tires & wheels: 35x16.00-15 Boggers on 15x10 Rockcrawlers
Suspension: 8-inch homemade fab, Pro Comp shocks
Drivetrain: 22RE four-cylinder, stock tranny, stock transfer case, 4.10 gears
Performance Mods: Head is shaved, engine bored 0.030 over, 3-inch Flowmaster exhaust
Other Doodads: Warn XD9000i winch, Optima Yellow-top battery, homemade front cow-killer (actually ran over a cow too and had to pay for it), bucket seats
Anything You would change: I need lockers and some gears