Radio Fly-by-4
Vehicle: Radio Flyer wagon
Owner: Brandon Black, Rolla, MO
Tires & Wheels: ATV tires on silver-painted steel wheels
Suspension: Triangulated 4-link suspension, custom frame, custom body lift, coil springs
Performance Mods: Powered by his son’s imagination
Other Doodads: Custom stainless steel exhaust stack, custom tonneau cover, custom paint, Rhino lining
Anything to add?: I gave this to my son for his third birthday and would love to see it in your magazine for him to keep and so he can brag about it when he’s older
Family-Built Frankentruck
Vehicle: 1985 Chevy Silverado Owner: Ben Partlow, Bruno, MN
Tires & Wheels: 56-inch tractor treads
Suspension: 12-inch Superlift with custom frame modifications, Rancho shocks
Drivetrain: Modified Turbo 350 transmission, NP205 transfer case, Rockwell top-loaders
Performance Mods: 482ci Chevy big-block V-8 with 200hp nitrous kit and header exhaust stacks
Other Doodads: Custom fiberglass pickup box sides, cowl hood, racing seats with 5-point safety harnesses, “lots of others”
Funniest Wheeling Incident: Breaking the rear window while pulling someone out
Does everything work the way you want?: It definitely gets it done!
Anything you would change?: I would like to put in a rollcage and do some frame modifications
Anything to add?: This has been an ongoing project with me and my three little girls (ages 4 years, 7 years, and 10 months in the photo). We all really enjoy working on it and wheeling it even more.
Nice Tata
Vehicle: 2004 Tata TL 4x4
Owner: Owned by U.S. Army in Iraq, submitted by Sgt. Casey Kelver, Spring, TX
Tires & Wheels: Stock with first tubeless tires from India that significantly reduce tires from bursting at high speeds
Suspension: Stock double-wishbone front with torsion bars, solid axle with rear leaf springs
Drivetrain: G76 5-speed manual transmission, limited-slip rear differential, electric 4x4 with automatic locking hubs
Performance Mods: Stock I-4 1.9L turbodiesel with 92 hp and 137 lb-ft of torque, top speed of 76 mph
Other Doodads: Machine gun mounted in bed, Petersen’s 4-Wheel & Off-Road stickers (I think the stickers may have bumped it up to 100 hp)
Funniest Wheeling Incident: Just driving this thing in Iraq
Does everything work the way you want?: As well as you can expect. Anything is better than a Humvee.
Anything you would change?: I’d trade it for one of the Land Rovers or Suburbans here
Anything to add?: The Tata makes me miss my F-250
Raider Nation
Vehicles: 1997 (left) and 1998 Dodge Raiders
Owners: Justin and Neil Hager, Colorado Springs, CO
Tires & Wheels: 33x12.5 Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac and 235/75/15R BFG Trail Maker tires on 15-inch black steel wheels, 2-inch wheel spacers
Suspension: 3-inch body lift with stock springs and shocks
Drivetrain: Stock
Performance Mods: Weber Redline carburetor on the ’98
Other Doodads: 3-inch exhausts, electric fuel pumps, extended shifters
Does everything work the way you want?: Fantastic
Anything you would change?: Lockers for both, front solid axle swap for both, 32-inch tires for the ’97
Anything to add?: The small one (’97) is mine and I got it for $1,000. The big one (’98) is my dad’s and he bought it for $500. They both run great and outperform my ’80 CJ-5 in many ways.
New Yeller
Vehicle: 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 Sport
Owner: Stefan Brownell, Ithaca, NY
Tires & Wheels: 35x17 Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac yellow-lettered tires on 17x9 Pro Comp black and yellow wheels
Suspension: 4-inch Rough Country suspension lift
Drivetrain: Limited-slip rear differential
Performance Mods: 5.7L Hemi V-8, Superchips programmer, K&N air filter
Other Doodads: N-Fab 3-step Nerf bars, 4-foot bed toolbox, tailgate vise, 120V/15A inverter
Funniest Wheeling Incident: Cruising uphill past emergency vehicles stuck in Upstate New York snow
Does everything work the way you want?: Almost there. Locker and a winch are next.
Anything you would change?: Needs different Nerf bars and onboard air, and I’m just awaiting the next deer hit to get a nice winch bumper
Anything to add?: Upgraded from my ’98 (“4xDose” in Readers’ Rides, June ’09) to this 2008, which is just off-warranty, so let the mods begin!
Ice Breaker
Vehicle: 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 Sport
Owner: Steve Schuda, Sicklerville, NJ
Tires & Wheels: 315/75/16R Pro Comp M/T tires on 16x10 Pro Comp Rock Crawler wheels
Suspension: 5-inch Skyjacker Stage 1 suspension lift system, dual steering stabilizer system, add-a-leaves
Drivetrain Stock transmission, front forks converted to cable setup, NP241HD transfer case conversion, custom driveshafts, Eaton lockers front and rear, 4.56 gears
Performance M ods: 360ci V-8 roller camshaft engine bored 0.10 over, K&N air filter, Flowmaster dual exhaust
Other Doodads: Dual Halo HID 8,000K kit, 8,000K foglamps, eight 130-watt KC Daylighter lamps, LED taillamps and third brake lamp, N-Fab Pre-Runner front pushbar, red Mopar 4x4 bed stripes, Mopar nose badge, all “Dodge” and “Ram” stickers replaced with “Mopar” or “Mopar 360”
Funniest Wheeling Incident: During winter, I was going down a trail and came up to deep frozen water. I decided to drive across, but the truck was too heavy, and at the deepest part the right side of the truck broke through the ice. Just before it flipped, the left side broke through and dropped in, leveling me out. I threw it into 4-Lo and was able to drive right out.
Does everything work the way you want?: Yes. I built it myself, so it runs like a horse!
Anything you would change?: I want a body lift along with bigger wheels and tires
Anything to add?: I love this truck! I built it myself and it’s a never-ending project. There are always things to change.
Domesticated Imports
Pirate 4xCross
Vehicle: 1999 Isuzu VehiCross Owner: Lawrence Wussow
Tires & Wheels: 32x12.5 Nitto Mud Grappler tires on 18x8 Center Line Tomahawk Rapid wheels (photos show 20-inch wheels)
Suspension: Old Man Emu 919 springs and 2-inch poly spacers for 4 inches of lift, 2-inch differential drop, 33⁄4-inch torsion bar crank, Indy 4X HD lower links, Indy 4X tie rods, Energy sway bar bushings, XL Prothane rear bumpstops, stock KYB remote reservoir shocks
Drivetrain: Isuzu 4.77 gears, Aussie locker rear differential, Magnum cross-drilled brake rotors with Indy 4X stainless steel brake lines and Speed Bleeders
Performance Mods: Alpine Supercharger with 5-psi boost, Autometer carbon fiber boost gauge, custom insulated carbon fiber intake with K&N cone and prefilter, Dynomax Super Turbo muffler
Other Doodads: Too many to list, but highlights include 2-inch receiver hitch with D-ring, machined aluminum battery tray, brass knuckles transfer case shifter, Tone Monday front skidplate, custom fabbed 1⁄4-inch steel belly pan under transmission, modified Trooper transfer case skidplate, functional heat extractor hoodscoop, Thule Xpedition 696 roof basket with spare tire, 50cf scuba tank portable air, Optima RedTop battery, third brake lamp flasher, rock sliders, Blazer overhead console, full audio system with tool/storage/subwoofer/amp box, Cobra 40-channel CB radio, Kenworth truck front grille with pirate logo
Flatbed Fun
Vehicle: 2001 Toyota Tacoma
Owner: Levi Burgett, Atascadero, CA
Tires & Wheels: 39.5x13.5 Irok Super Swamper tires on 16x10 steel wheels
Suspension: Custom leaf springs with Bilstein shocks
Drivetrain: 4.70 Trail Gear transfer case, Dana 44 front with chromoly axles, 14-bolt Corporate rear with Detroit Locker
Performance Mods: 2.7L I-4 with MagnaFlow exhaust
Other Doodads: Custom bumper, rock sliders, flatbed, and underbody light kit
Does everything work the way you want?: Heck yes!
Anything you would change?: Full hydro steering