Submission InformationConfused? Email your questions about trucks, 4x4s, and off-roading tech using "Nuts, I'm confused" as the subject and include a picture (if it's applicable). Digital photos must measure no less than 1600 x 1200 pixels (or two megapixels) and be saved as a TIFF, an EPS, or a maximum-quality JPEG file. Also, I'll be checking the forums on our website (www.4wheeloffroad.com), and if I see a question that I think more of you might want to have answered, I'll print that as well. Otherwise drop it old-school style with the envelope addressed to the address below. Letters published in this magazine reflect the opinions of the writers, and we reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, brevity, or other purposes.
Write to: Nuts & Bolts
4-Wheel & Off-Road
6420 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048-5515
fax 323.782.2704.
Email to: nuts@4wheeloffroad.com
Tough Choice 2Question: I'm trying to choose between a '74 CJ-5 and a '71 Bronco. Both are around the same price, $5,000. The CJ has a 304. I'm pretty sure it has the three-speed, is lifted 3 inches, and has 33s. The price tag is $4,700. The Bronco is super-nice. It is red with a white hardtop, has a 3-inch lift also, but is only on 30- or 31-inch tires. It has a rebuilt 302, and a previous owner changed the tranny from a three on the tree to a three-speed on the floor. The only thing wrong with the Bronco is a dent in the driver-side door.
I've got the budget for either vehicle. I want a nice-looking classic that I can cruise around in with the top down, tow more than I can with my '05 2WD Tacoma, and something I can take in the mud and play in if I get the craving to get an orange paint job the easy way. Which way should I go: the American novelty 4x4 in the Jeep, or the classic-body-style Bronco?
Connor
via 4wheeloffroad.com
Answer: I've never owned a Bronco, but I've owned eight Jeeps: two CJ-5s, two CJ-7s, a CJ-10, an FC-170, an XJ, and a CJ-3A. However, I think with the Bronco you'll get a stronger frame, stronger axles, more return on your money down the road, and just as much fun as you would get from the CJ-5. For some reason Broncos seem to go for gobs of money, while CJ-5s get ignored and sold cheap. I've never owned an early Bronco, but would definitely recommend one. There is plenty of aftermarket support for both vehicles, though definitely more for the Jeep. I do like the look of the Jeep more, but that's a personal decision you'll have to make for yourself.
Driving To DeafvilleQuestion: I own an '04 Ford Ranger XLT 4.0L two-door Supercab 4x4 that I bought new. I have been very happy with my purchase and have a Flowmaster 40-series muffler. The muffler sounds great outside but has a lot of resonance inside the cab. My Flowmaster finally gave in to rust after four years and 65,000 miles of northern Maine winters. I have been looking at MagnaFlow dual exhaust as a replacement. Have you any input on interior resonance from a system like this one? It is so loud that I cannot hear my cell phone ring and I have to talk very loudly when I have a passenger in the truck with me.
I have been through a lot with this truck and owe my life and a friend's life to its ruggedness. I struck a 900-pound bull moose with it going 55 mph at night. It came right into the cab with us, but its antlers caught on the roof and pulled back out. That's a ride you won't find at Disney World! The first three people who stopped for us asked if we were OK. The other 50 or so asked if I was going to keep the moose. The ambulance crew and police couldn't believe the amount of damage to the truck and that we were not hurt. They said that we were very lucky.
My poor Ranger had $10,000 worth of damage, but the frame was not hurt, just a lot of cosmetic damage. I wrote to Ford and sent pictures and thanked them for making such a rugged truck but never heard anything back.
John R.
via 4wheeloffroad.com
Answer: Wow, that's one heck of a story! I'll tell my friends at Ford about your appreciation. As for exhaust, it's always a trick to find an exhaust that flows and sounds good without being too loud. Maybe it's old age, but I hate a loud wheeling rig. I like to hear my friends if they are helping spot me over some crazy obstacle, and a loud exhaust is tiresome after a long day on the trail. That said, I do like a healthy growl of exhaust as long as it's not annoyingly loud. I always liked my Flowmaster 40-series mufflers. Both Flowmaster and MagnaFlow make great products, and since I have not driven a Ranger with both I cannot tell you which is quieter, nor can I determine what is the right sound for you. Though you may have found the Flowmaster 40-series muffler too loud for you liking, Flowmaster also offers many others with less sound and resonance that may suit you better, such as the Flowmaster 50-series Delta. MagnaFlow and Flowmaster both have audio files on their websites (www.magnaflow.com, www.flowmastermufflers.com) that you can listen to. Some sort of in-cab sound deadening insulation may also be helpful.
Big QuestionQuestion: I would like to try to put 54-inch Boggers on my GMC 1500 and still make it street-legal.
Jacob
via 4wheeloffroad.com
Answer: It won't be cheap or easy, but I think it's entirely possible. Just remember that although these tires are street-legal, you need a safe, strong steering and braking system as well as a suspension that can control the movement of the large tires. It's very important to the off-road industry that a large lifted truck is safe to run down the highway.
First get some front and rear Rockwell axles out of a 2 1/2-ton military truck. These axles are pretty tough in stock form, but you might as well talk to Ouverson Engineering & Machine (320.983.3030, www.oemaxle.com) about its massive 2-inch-diameter, 47-spline violator axle kit, and a disc brake kit. Many Rockwell rigs run pinion-mounted brakes front and rear, but I would think that disc brakes at each corner, like the Ouverson Super 8 Kit, would be safer on the road. I think a hydroboost brake system is a must for these big tires.
Once you have axles big enough to handle the tires, you'll also need a suspension to put the truck over the rubber. My advice is a minimal lift and definitely a front and rear link suspension to control the weight of the axles and tires.
Fitting the 54s under the body will require extensive bodywork, and this is very important. Most big trucks are lifted sky-high, making them too dangerous to drive on the street, in my view, since you cannot see other traffic and the high center of gravity can make cornering and stopping a nightmare. Cutting the wheel openings larger and spreading the fenders outward to make them cover the tires will take a bunch of man hours, but if you can build a low-slung truck that still covers your 53s, then you'll have a very unique daily driver.
Steering is another tricky system that takes some time to do right. PSC Motorsports (817.270.0102, www.offroadsteering.com) can supply a ram-assist setup that uses a double-ended ram as the tie rod while still having a draglink and a steering box mounted to the frame. I would mount the steering box back beside the link mounts on the frame and run the draglink to a bellcrank on the steering knuckle. This will reduce or eliminate bumpsteer while keeping the system safe for street driving but will make your steering column complicated. Again, a complex and expensive design, but important for street driving.
Another concern is the strength of the half-ton frame. If it were me, I would start with a 3/4- or 1-ton truck, but the half-ton isn't terrible. In fact, many of the component that we used on the Ultimate Z71 built by Off Road Evolution (714.870.5515, www.offroadevolution.com) could probably work for your buildup. "The Ultimate Z71" ran each issue from Aug. to Dec. '08.
Find Your PathQuestion: I recently purchased a '95 Nissan Pathfinder. I know it has IFS and how most wheelers feel about it. But I'm not going rock bashing anytime soon. I am what you would call a weekend wheeler. I like to load up the dogs and wife and go for a ride up in the mountains. But I would like a little more capabilities in case I come across a fun-looking trail. I am having problems finding any parts for my Pathfinder.
Jason M.
via 4wheeloffroad.com
Answer: When it comes to capability off road, I always recommend locking differentials and aggressive tires first. If I owned your Pathfinder I'd put in a pair of ARB Air Lockers and some 31x10.50 Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ radials. This combo would give you traction for exploring those mountain roads, while still letting you cruise to work in comfort. You may also want to look into some skidplates and bumpers for additional protection. Rasta 4x4 (877.973.2411, www.rasta4x4usa.com) offers skidplates for Pathfinders.