August 2009 Reader 4x4 Trucks - Readers Rides

Submission Information
Send us a picture of your ride if you've never done so. We keep a surplus of Readers' Rides submissions, but only one submission per person, and we love all off-road vehicles so send in your entries whether your rig is stock or not. Make sure each digital image is at least 1600 x 1200 pixels (or two megapixels) and saved as a TIFF, EPS, or maximum-quality JPEG file.

Write to:
Readers' Rides
4-Wheel & Off-Road
6420 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048-5515
fax 323.782.2704

Email to:
readersrides@4wheeloffroad.com

Vehicle (year, make, model)
Owner (name, city, state)
Tires & Wheels (size, make, model)
Suspension (lift, springs, shocks)
Drivetrain (tranny, transfer case, axles)
Performance (engine mods)
Other mods
Does it work the way you want?
Anything you would change?
Funniest Wheeling Incident
Anything to add?

This Is Sparta!
Vehicle: '95 GMC 1500 Z71
Owner: Dan McDonald, Sparta, MI
Tires & Wheels: 35x14.50 Pit Bull Rockers on 15x12 Eaton wheels
Suspension: 6-inch Rough Country with custom rear springs
Drivetrain: TH400, 4.56 gears
Performance Mods: 383ci, Vortec heads, 700-cfm throttle body, custom computer chip, K&N air filter
Funniest Wheeling Incident: Driving four hours to Drummond Island only to have the transmission break within 10 minutes of arriving
Does everything work the way you want?: Yes
Anything you would change?: Solid-axle conversion with coil springs and a four-link rear suspension
Anything to add?: I'd burned through a dozen professionally "built" 4L60E transmissions before I got smart and dropped in the Turbo 400

Stock Rocks
Vehicle: '97 Ford F-250
Owner: Steve Coultas, Colfax, IN
Tires & Wheels: 285/75/16 Baja All Terrains on 16x8 American Racing
Suspension: Rancho shocks
Drivetrain: Stock
Performance Mods: 7.3L
Other Doodads: Bed cap
Funniest Wheeling Incident: Misjudging the length of the White Rim Road and having to spend the night in the truck
Does everything work the way you want?: Yes

Double-D Charger
Vehicle: '79 Dodge Ramcharger
Owner: Spencer Curtis, Saluda, NC
Tires: 33x12.50x15 TSLs
Suspension: 4-inch Skyjacker
Drivetrain: NP203, Dana 44 front, 9.25 rear
Performance Mods: 340ci plucked from a Dodge Charger
Other Doodads: Custom emergency brake and body work
Does everything work the way you want?: Yes
Anything you would change?: Bigger axles, tires, and lift

Wass Wheeler
Vehicle: '00 Toyota Tacoma
Owner: Nate Wass, Brighton, CO
Tires & Wheels: 255/85/16 BFG KM2s on 16-inch factory
Suspension: Custom kit using all Old Man Emu components
Drivetrain: TRD rear E-locker with an Inchworm harness, a Lock-Right front, Aisin hubs, 5.29 gears
Performance Mods: four-cylinder, K&N intake
Other Doodads: Bobbed 12 inches off the bed, custom rear bumper, ARB front bumper, ORS sliders, Wet Okole seat covers
Does everything work the way you want?: Yes
Anything you would change?: 1-inch body lift, Bud Built flat-bottom skids, Marlin Crawler gearbox, and custom front bumper

Paso Wagon
Vehicle: '00 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Owner: James Olbrisch, El Paso, TX
Tires: 33x12.50 Pro Comp Xtreme Mud Terrains
Suspension: Custom long arm with Rancho shocks
Drivetrain: NP247, Tom Wood's driveshafts, Dana 44 axles
Performance Mods: K&N intake and Flowmaster exhaust
Other Doodads: Custom bumpers from Kennesaw Mountain, Iron Rock Off Road sliders
Funniest Wheeling Incident: Lost a spring before I found out about limiting straps!
Does everything work the way you want?: So far it works great, but can always be better

Open Yellow
Vehicle: '00 Jeep Wrangler
Owner: Andrew Wickham, San Luis Obispo, CA
Tires & Wheels: 37x14.50 Toyo Open Country Mud Terrains on 15x10 steel
Suspension: 4-inch Pro Comp
Drivetrain: NP231, slip-yoke eliminator, Ford 8.8 with a Super 88 kit, Dana 44 front with Superior axleshafts and an ARB Air Locker, CTM U-joints, Warn hub conversion
Performance Mods: Airaid intake and Magnaflow exhaust
Other Doodads: Currie steering, cut fenders
Does everything work the way you want?: I love the low center of gravity, but the short arms don't work that well at high speeds.
Anything you would change?: Long arms, rear locker, tube fenders, and a cage
Anything to add?: Thanks to the Poly Goats and SC4WDC for the all of the help

Go Pro
Vehicle: '01 Ford Excursion
Owner: James Spikes
Tires & Wheels: 35x12.50 Mud Terrains on 16-inch aluminum wheels
Suspension: 4-inch Pro Comp
Drivetrain: Rear Detroit Locker
Performance Mods: V-10, custom cold air intake, Flowmaster exhaust, computer upgrade
Other Doodads: ARB front bumper, Fab Fours rear bumper with a custom tire carrier
Does everything work the way you want?: Yes
Anything you would change?: Add front locker, winch, and supercharger

Arctic Ninja
Vehicle: '88 Suzuki Samurai
Owner: Joe Shaw, Wasilla, AK
Tires & Wheels: 38.5x11 Boggers on 15-inch steel wheels
Suspension: Spring-over-axle conversion using 4-inch Wrangler springs
Drivetrain: 6.5:1 transfer case, Toyota mini-truck axles, Lock Rights, 4:37 gears
Performance Mods: PFI 16-valve 1,600cc out of a '95 Sidekick
Other Doodads: ARB bumpers, Ramsey winch, Tom Wood's driveshafts
Does everything work the way you want?: Yes, very well.
Anything you would change?: Extend the wheelbase 10 inches

Ad-Vance
Vehicle: '66 Toyota Land Cruiser
Owner: James Vance, Sacramento, CA
Tires: 37-inch MTRs
Suspension: Custom spring-over axle with Rancho shocks
Drivetrain: SM465, NP205, Dana 44 front, Dana 60 rear, ARB Air Lockers, Warn hubs
Performance Mods: 350ci
Does everything work the way you want?: Yes
Anything you would change?: A new gas gauge that works

Got The Power
Vehicle: '42 Dodge WC-12 Power Wagon
Owner: Ken Basile, Cato, NY
Tires: 42-inch TSLs
Suspension: Custom lift via 8-inch springs
Drivetrain: 727, NP205, Dana 60 front, 14-bolt rear, Detroit Lockers, 4.56 gears
Performance Mods: 360ci
Other Doodads: Crossover steering, bed-mounted radiator
Does everything work the way you want?: Pretty much
Anything you would change?: Get rid of the 16.5-inch wheels
Anything to add?: I built the entire truck for under 2,000 bucks. Special thanks to my dad and all of my friends for their help making it happen.

High Bar
Vehicle: '82 GMC Jimmy
Owner: Jason Hicks, Kelowna, B.C., Canada
Tires & Wheels: 38.5x15 Boggers on 15x10 steel
Suspension: Custom 8-inch
Drivetrain: 700R4, NP208, 10-bolt front, 12-bolt rear, 3.73 gears
Performance Mods: 350ci
Other Doodads: Ramsey winch
Does everything work the way you want?: Not yet
Anything you would change?: Lower gears, fuel injection, and Dana 60 axles
Anything to add?: I love the magazine! Keep up the good work!

CC-5
Vehicle: '77 Jeep CJ-5
Owner: Chad Conn, Hemphill, TX
Tires & Wheels: 44x18.50 TSLs on 15x12 steel
Suspension: Custom spring-over axle
Drivetrain: SM465, Centerforce clutch, NP205, Dana 60 front, 14-bolt rear with a Detroit Locker, 4.56 gears
Performance Mods: 350ci, Edelbrock RPM intake, Howell TBI kit, headers, Flowmaster exhaust
Other Doodads: Transfer case brake, Ramsey 8,000-pound winch in the front, Warn 9,500-pound in the rear, hydraulic assist
Does everything work the way you want?: Yes
Anything you would change?: ARB Air Locker in the front and 5.13 gears