If you've been reading OFF-ROAD for a while, chances are you're familiar with our Almighty Dime S-10 Blazer project truck. We've transformed our once retired four-door Blazer into a pretty reliable and fun off-road toy. The problem is we're never really satisfied leaving well enough alone with our project vehicles so it was only a matter of time until we ripped into our faithful little project vehicle!

We had a blast mobbing around the desert in our S-10 Blazer project but after doing 200 miles through the Mojave Road, we realized our front suspension was going to have a hard time shaking off all the abuse we we're putting it thorugh. The toe alignment kept changing while the suspension cycled when hitting mild rollers at speed. Our rack and pinion was causing the wheels to toe out while compressing the front end at full bump. 

As such, we dropped the truck off with Mike Gold of Revolution Vehicle Dynamics in Apple Valley, California to perform a tried and true solid axle swap on the Almighty Dime using parts from Sky Manufacturing as well as a set of awesome Dana 44 axles that we poached from a clean full size Jeep Wagoneer. 

We seriously can't wait to get this thing back out in the dirt and see how our new Wagoneer axles handle some desert two tracks as well as some rocky trails!

Check out the progress we've made to the Almighty Dime!

The guys over at VWerks dropped by our office earlier today to give us a sneak peek at their latest project, and it looks pretty slick all-around! Check out VWerks' 2013 F150 Predator!

The 2013 VWerks F150 Predator is an aftermarket truck that you can buy right off a dealer lot from participating dealerships. The Predator features 35-inch BF Goodrich Mud Terrain KM2 tires wrapped around 18x9 V-Tec Wizard 395 Black Wheels, 2-inch leveling kit, a unique set of fiberglass fenders and bedsides for adequate tire clearance, a fiberglass hood which will have a functional cowl induction system and a sleek looking Venom front prerunner bumper with skid plates. 

The base price of the Predator package will start at $12,900 with optional upgrades available as well. The Predator package will be available with essentially any base 2013 F150 truck, which means you'll be able to buy this truck with the new high powered 5.0L Coyote V-8! How's that for options!

VWerks tells us they will be doing a few more modifications to the truck before it's officially released and so far it looks like they're on the right track. We'll keep you posted on the progress of the Predator F150s in the coming weeks. 

In the meantime, here's a few pictures of the new VWerks Predator F150!

The Petersen Automotive Museum will be having an Off-Road Show on May 4, to kickoff their summer exhibition, Braving Baja: 1,000 Miles to Glory, presented by American Honda Motorcycle Division. 

Be sure to check out this once in a lifetime opportunity to see actual off-road racing history and memorabilia in person. We were absolutely blown away ourselves when we saw "Ironman" Ivan Stewart's MCI single seater race truck. Needless to say we drooled over it for more than a few minutes. 

Who remembers seeing this truck ripping across the desert in the early 90s?

For more information please visit: http://www.petersen.org/visit/museum-events/braving-baja-1000-miles-to-glory

High end sports cars are a dime a dozen but seeing one moments after it was totaled is not a pleasant sight for any gear-head. Unfortunately, some cars are not built for unskilled drivers but that doesn't stop those with deep pockets from trying to one up Ricky Bobby.

Although we're usually more impressed by high speed desert trucks, we do have a thing for muscle cars and hot rods - and the Ford GT, although a modern day super car, has to be one of the coolest speed machines built since the original GT40's that dominated racing in the 60's were built.

We were just about to finish our day at the office when all of a sudden we heard what sounded like a large truck hitting some deep pot holes just outside our office and sounded like it might have lost it's freight. Our good friend Brandan, at Hot Rod Magazine decided to take a look out the window near our super luxurious cubicles and the next words out of him were, "You guy's are gonna wanna see this." 

We could tell something bad had happened since he looked visibly distraught but we couldn't believe our eyes when we walked out the door and realized somebody had just sent a beautiful Ford GT into the afterlife in one fell swoop after loosing control of it and hopping the curb - probably going airborne right into the tree.  

We cringed at the sight of the wrecked Ford GT, but the damage was done and no amount of buffing or TV repair tools were going to fix the scars on this once great car. This isn't something that's supposed to happen to super cars. This is supposed to happen to snob powered Prius', not specimens of high speed-engineering masterpieces. 

What are the odd's that a super car wipes out on one of the trees right next to the Hot Rod Magazine sign on our building.. probably less than the odds that the throttle stuck open like the driver of this car said. Driver error or not, it was a somber ending to our day at the office. 

The Petersen Automotive Museum is celebrating fifty years of Off-Road Racing in Baja by hosting a Baja tribute dinner on May 2 at 6:00 p.m to honor the heroes and legends who have helped make off-road racing in Baja what it is today. 

 Legendary racers Parnelli Jones and Dave Ekins will answer audience members’ questions at a tribute dinner that kicks off the Petersen’s one-day Off-Road Show and summer exhibition, Braving Baja: 1,000 Miles to Glory, presented by American Honda Motorcycle Division. 

To prove the durability of its motorcycles, American Honda sent a CL72 Scrambler on a 950 mile trek through rocks, sand washes, dry lake beds, mountain passes and paved roads. Fifty years later, that 1960's run is remembered for initiating the most significant off-road race for both two and four wheeled vehicles in the world - the Baja 1000!

Dave Ekins and Bill Robertson Jr. will be honored for their daring, first timed run down the Baja peninsula with American Honda. Parnelli Jones, a renowned racer of all genres will be honored at the tribute for his off-road racing success, including multiple Baja 1000, Baja 500 and Mint 400 wins in his famously fabricated Bronco, “Big Oly.” Both Ekins and Jones will answer questions from the audience. Tickets for the evening of food, drinks and legends are available at www.BravingBaja.org

The Baja Day Off-Road Show will take place on Saturday, May 4, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m at the Petersen Automotive Museum. The off-road show is included in the daily museum admission rate for spectators and participation is open to anyone with a vehicle that is off-road capable, including trucks, buggies, motorcycles, sand rails and more. Vendors will also be on-site as well.

The Braving Baja: 1,000 Miles to Glory exhibition will run from May 4 through Sept. 2, 2013 and will feature artifacts of all kinds including significant motorcycles, trucks, buggies, clothing and memorabilia. This never-before-seen collection of historic off-road racing vehicles will show where it all began and how it has evolved. 

Go to www.BravingBaja.org to purchase tickets. Proceeds from the Tribute Dinner and the Off-Road Show benefit the Petersen Automotive Museum’s educational programming. 

For more information, please visit www.BravingBaja.org

We need your help to save the Bonneville Salts! The Bonneville Salt Flats are a national treasure that have mesmerized gear-heads for almost a hundred years. It's a place so flat, you can actually see the curvature of the planet. This has been considered sacred ground for many of us who are die hard speed junkies since the first speed record attempts in 1914. Hundreds of records have been constantly set and broken in various automotive and motorcycle classes.

 There was a time when the Bonneville Salt Flats spanned 96,000 acres but unfortunately it only covers 30,000 acres today due to salt mining. For over six decades, the land has been managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) but if we don't act to save Bonneville, future generations may never be able to bask in the Salt Flats' glory.

The racing community has partnered with the mine owner to restore salt to the Bonneville Salt Flats but we need your help. Save The Salt Coalition is raising funds to restore the Salt Flats to it's former glory. Any money contributed to this cause will be used to return salt to its home. This process will require equipment and resources to transport salt from the mining area and will include a supplemental program to pump and spread salt brine from collection areas.

For more information, please visit: Save The Salt Coalition at 
http://www.savethesalt.org/Save_the_Salt/Save_the_Salt!.html

Who doesn't like watching 850 horsepower Trophy Trucks blasting through the dirt at high speeds - especially if attractive scantily clad women are involved!?

Pretty much anyone with a pulse would be interested in this, but if you need more motivation, how about watching B.J. Baldwin huck his race truck over a super sleek Nissan GT-R and it's smoking hot female driver? Still not enough? Did we mention the truck also roosts a super clean, boulevard-posing Beemer?

It's some epic stuff. Check out the video of "Ballistic" B.J. Baldwin ripping it up in the Mojave Desert in his 850 horsepower Monster Enegery monster!

Don't look now but there's an 850 horspower monster right behind you!

Jeep and Mopar will be debuting a half dozen new Jeep vehicle concepts at the 47th annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah. Easter Jeep Safari brings in thousands of die-hard off-road enthusiasts looking to enjoy a week of wheeling on some of the country’s most famous and challenging trails. These Jeeps are meant for wheeling, so what better way to demonstrate their off road prowess than wheeling them through the legendary trails of Moab during the largest off road gathering in the country.

“Off-road enthusiasts will be pleasantly surprised by the range of Jeep models we’re bringing to this year’s Easter Jeep Safari,” said Mike Manley, President and CEO – Jeep Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. “We go to this extremely popular event in Moab each year to showcase the latest production vehicles from Jeep, as well as a host of new customization and personalization ideas. In doing so, we connect with and receive a tremendous amount of feedback from our most loyal customers.”

Check out all the Jeeps that will be hitting the slickrock trails of Moab this week!

Jeep Wrangler Mopar Recon features 6.4-liter HEMI V-8 power and prototype beadlock wheels and Stinger off-road bumper.

Jeep Wrangler Stitch is a light-weight follow-up to the diehard enthusiasts’ favorite Wrangler Pork Chop.

Jeep Sand Trooper II builds on the extreme off-road capabilities of the original Sand Trooper with 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 and Mopar Portal axles and Shorty off-road bumper.

Jeep Wrangler Flattop features 37-inch tires as well as go-anywhere hardware in a sophisticated package.

Jeep Wrangler Slim combines affordable extreme weekend fun with everyday road use featuring Mopar prototype 2-inch lift kit and prototype on-road beadlock wheels.

Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk Concept is most extreme Grand Cherokee ever with 35-inch tires and EcoDiesel V-6 power!

This Saturday, March 23, the great American off-road race is taking place out in the Nevada desert just outside of Las Vegas. The Mint 400, which was first run in 1967, was done to generate public interest in the Mint Hotel but quickly turned into a full fledged off-road racing event that has grown into one of the toughest races in the U.S. 

The 2013 General Tire Mint 400 is four days of high octane off-road excitement which includes a vehicle parade, a pit crew challenge and the official Mint 400 Party. There's also the Miss Mint 400 Crowning as well as a full day of intense off-road racing!

Here's a few pictures from the 2011 Baja 1000 to get you fired up for the glorious desert racing action at the Mint!

We recently had the opportunity to wheel the seemingly endless Imperial Sand Dunes of Glamis in Southern California. We ventured out with a few good friends as well as plenty of gear to keep us going through the weekend as we kicked up as much sand as we possibly could while carveing through every massive dune we could find.

This was our first time out there and couldn't believe how gnarly the dunes were. Although the sand is relatively soft here, every hill that you crest could have a steep drop off the razorback and as such we took it easy at first until we got good idea of the sand conditions. We were led by our good friend John Cappa, Editor-In-Chief of Four Wheeler Magazine. Cappa's pretty much the expert when it comes to Glamis as we later found out when he led us out of the dunes after getting lost somewhere between a sea of dunes! He seems to know this area like it's the sandbox in his backyard.

The Juice handled great all weekend and even tore all the way up Olsmobile Hill... TWICE!! Glamis is no joke by anymeans and if you're not careful you could end up with a severly torn up body (both operator and truck) by the end of the weekend. Luckily all was good for us as we managed to fly up every dune and go everywhere we pointed it. The Camburg long travel suspension and Bilstein shocks just keep impressing us every time we take it out. We've really been giving The Juice a hard workout off road every chance we get and it just takes it like a champ. Our project Bronco seems to love any terrain we wheel it through and has been consistenly one of the most reliable trucks in our fleet.

Let us know where you want to see The Juice wheel next!

 The SEMA Action Network (SAN) has been actively engaged in defending the Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Recreation Area for future enthusiast use. The U.S. Marine Corps wants to expand its base at Twentynine Palms, California, in order to conduct large-scale training exercises for two months a year. The land has been controlled for decades by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which provides special-use permits for various motorized recreational activities. Thanks to the efforts of SAN members, the message to save Johnson Valley and find a reasonable solution is being heard from coast to coast.

 SAN members were active in securing a congressional amendment to the 2013 Defense Authorization Act that requires the Marines to study alternative ways to share the area with the OHV community without taking ownership of the land. Unfortunately, the Marines have now issued a study that states there is no alternative.

The Marines are moving forward with plans to take ownership of 147,000 acres of Johnson Valley. Nearly 104,000 acres would be permanently closed to off-roading. Another 43,000 acres, including the unique terrain known as “Hammers,” would be available for dual-use purposes. However, this land could be closed in the future since munitions from live-fire training could make the area unsafe for recreational access. The Marines will ask Congress to approve the land transfer as part of the upcoming 2014 National Defense Authorization Act.

The fight to save Johnson Valley is not over. The OHV community has petitioned the White House for support of the special-use permit approach. SAN members were critical in helping gather more than the 25,000 signatures required for an official administration response in just two weeks. The community is now awaiting a White House response.

The SAN will continue to lobby Congress for continued BLM ownership of the land and issuance of special-use permits to the Marines, with no live-fire training. Stay tuned for further developments.

Got a Jeep or Ram truck that's in serious need of new U-joints? Well you're in luck! Mopar has just announced the launch of a new line of Greasable U-Joints for Jeep vehicles and Ram trucks. It's a good thing too since we've become experts at breaking U-joints lately.

The Greasable U-joints feature cold-formed bearing cups that are case hardened, use flush lube fittings in the bearing cups for wheel axle joints for easy access and increased cross strength. The wheel axle joints also feature a Microshield coating to protect against rust and corrosion for those who venture out into mud. 

The Mopar Greasable U-joints are designed with radial grease grooves that are formed in the bottom of the bearing cups to ensure even grease distribution to the needle bearings. For heavy duty applications, Mopar also includes cross trunnions with enlarged grease reservoirs, a thrust washer design that absorbs axial loads as well as anti-drainback features to help prevent dry start-up – which is perfect off road enthusiasts since we all likely go through U-joints at least every other year if not more.

The Mopar Greasable U-Joints also use O.E. quality and performance needle bearings, snap rings and steel forgings made in the USA!

 Who's ready for a Fullsize Invasion of Moab during Moab's annual Easter Jeep Safari?
Bring your fullsize 4x4 out to Moab!
The editors of Off-Road and Four Wheeler magazines are meeting Stephen Watson of Offroad Design for a moderate trail ride on Wednesday and anyone who wants to come along is welcome! We're meeting behind the movie theater behind Burger King on March 27th at 8am.
There's also talk of a hitting a more hardcore trail with some fullsize friends on Tuesday (3/26) as well--more to come on that.

 The editors of Four Wheeler and Off-Road are taking a break from work on Tuesday and Wednesday (3/26 & 3/27) to do some wheeling with Stephen Watson of Off Road Design

 If you need an excuse to get out and go exploring, here's a great one. In fact, thanks to the great prizes waiting, you could get a nice vehicle upgrade in the process.

 Daystar's Geo Stash contest is what we're talking about. Go to the Daystar links on the flyer (click the image for a better view), find the GPS coordinates, and go where the coordinates lead. Once there, you'll find a Geo Stash marker that you can turn in to claim your prize.

World War II gave us death and destruction. It also gave us two of the most iconic vehicles ever to set rubber on dirt. 

Of course, the Jeep is the first one that comes to mind, but the Bug shouldn't be left out. The Bug wasn't conceived as a military vehicle. Instead, it was created to be a simple, reliable, and affordable car for German citizens. It's proven to be all that and more.

 I've gained a lot of respect for Bugs and their derivative buggies over the years. Four-wheel independent suspension coupled with a rear-mounted engine ends up providing quite a bit of traction off-road. Another byproduct of the design is a flat belly pan. These things have got ground clearance for days!

While there's no front driven axle or transfer case, bugs and buggies still excel at off-road adventure in many situations.

This beautiful example was built by Jeff Digby of Hemet, California for his wife, Darla. It's powered by a GM Ecotec four-cylinder motor coupled to an 091 bus box transaxle. It's quick, light, and smooth.

If World War II was a cloud, the Jeep and the Bug are its silver lining.

 The December 2012 issue is on sale now!

FEATURES

24 Blazing a New Trail
Solid-Axle Trailblazer

TECH INSPECTION

56 Sunscreen for Your Truck's Guts
Heat Protection For Truck Components

TECH

30 Intercooling the 6.0L Power Stroke
Coolant Filter System and High-pressure Intercooler Install

50 Hardcore Tacoma Suspension
IFS and Solid-Axle Tacoma Options

60 Back to Blueprint
6.4L Power Stroke Oil Cooler Swap

PROJECT TRUCKS

34 Building for the Best of Both Worlds
Building a Suspension for Towing and Chasing

44 Assist Yourself!
Complete Solid Axle Hydraulic Assist Steering Kit

48 Subtle, Yet Effective Front Finish
Adding More Push and Better Brilliance to a Stock Bumper

EVENTS/MISC

64 A View from Above
How Stewart's Raceworks Got Its Start

70 2012 People of the Year
This Year's Award Goes to a Pair of Brothers

THE REGULARS

8 Rant

10 Unloaded

12 Hardware

16 Long-Term Updates

18 Desert Dirt

20 Off-road Rides

40 Pullout Poster

78 Kopycinski's Brain

On the Cover: Our 2011 Super Duty is close to done in the Tow-Haul-Chase configuration we dreamed up for it. The truck has stayed true to its wolf-in-sheep's-clothing guidelines, and the 3M brushed steel wrap on the sides and stock front bumper only adds to that effect. Agustin Jimenez caught this shot of our Super Duty outside of Elizabeth Lake while following a "shortcut" through the mountains.

(10/4/2012) Just minutes ago, we got a first look at the new Warn Zeon winch line that Warn will be launching at the 2012 SEMA show in about four weeks.

It is available in 8,000, 10,000, or 12,000-pound steel cable versions, or in 8,000 and 10,000-pound synthetic line versions.

 The new Zeon line of Warn winches feature larger planetary and sun gears that use larger retaining pins (still employs a three-stage design).

There is an updated clutch engagement handle (for free spooling the cable) and a removable remote-mount control box.

The Zeon winches are IP68 rated for superior sealing against the elements.

The motor caps on the Zeon winches also use five cap bolts instead of two  (for better sealing).

The brushes are mounted against the aluminum drum to improve heat dissipation.

The new aluminum drum is larger than on other predating models--measures in at 3.15 inches.

There is also a new wire rope anchor in the drum that uses a slot to lock in a puck.

That's all we know for now. We'll let you know if we find out anything new

 You asked for it and here it is:

Austin Lessel's 2WD Duramax Chevy has been outfitted with some giant paddle tires and long-travel IFS suspension.

The current bypass shocks are being ditched for a set of 4.0 King bypass shocks.

 Look for a full feature on Austin's Duramax in a soon upcoming issue of Off-Road magazine

 The November 2012 issue is online for your enjoyment!

Features

24 Toyo Vette
Fully Independent Tacoma

32 Stealth Prerunner
A Low Pro '82 F-250

Tech Inspection

48 Pivotal Moments in Dana 30 Building
Finish a Dana 30 Build with HD Ball Joints

50 40s on 17s
New 40x13.50R17 Open Country M/T

52 No-Paint Facelift
3M Wraps Changes the Look of our Super Duty

60 Half-Ton Hub Conversion
Locking Hubs for '94-to-'01 Ram 1500s

Tech

38 Universal Repair
How to Swap a U-Joint

40 Why Change Gear Ratios?
If the Tires are Bigger, the Gears Should Be Lower

44 To Float or Not to Float
Full-Floating and Semi-Floating Hubs

64 Don't Forget the Backside
Outfitting Rear Bumpers for Off-Road Use

66 IFS Axle Assemblies
The Innards of an IFS Axle

Project Trucks

56 Extreme Outers
Dynatrac's Stub-Hub Conversion

The Regulars

8 Rant

10 Unloaded

12 Long-Term Updates

16 Off-Road Rides

18 Desert Dirt

21 Hardware

70 Kopycinski's Brain

On the Cover: Jon Kennedy's yellow Tacoma features fully independent suspension both front and rear, along with a Corvette engine shoved into the tube chassis to keep Jon ahead of the curve. Our old friend, Jordan May-who is no stranger to OFF-ROAD-shot this cover and full feature that you'll find on page 24.

 The editors of Four Wheeler are in the process now of building this Jeepster for the 2012 SEMA Show in affiliation with eBay Motors.

Working with Mel Wade of Off-Road Evolution, they not only sourced the rollbar-less Jeepster, but every single last part needed to make it the ultimate high-speed JK-chassis’d in existence, and did it exclusively with parts found on eBay Motors. 

While they would love for you to vote for them, the key to this campaign is that you can be the winner. Vote for your favorite, even if it isn’t this rig and at the same time enter to win a $5,000 Dream Garage.

The world of off-roading is no stranger to the Jeep family. But this Commando, the Jeep's redheaded step-Jeepster, might need a reintroduction. Manufactured for only a short period of time, it's as rare as it is bizarre. Once the crew at Off Road Evolution gets their hands on it, the Jeepster will roll, crawl and roar its way back into everyone's memory.

So whether you’re into rally, racing, off-road, or showcars, this competition has everything to offer so join in the fun and pick your favorite. See the entire video series now at www.builtfromebay.com.

 The editors of Hot Rod, Lowrider, european car, and Four Wheeler are in the process now of building SEMA projects sourcing not only the car, but every single last part needed exclusively on eBay Motors.

Best of all, you can vote for your favorite and at the same time enter to win a $5,000 Dream Garage.

The effort is BUILT from eBay® – A web series that takes four automotive magazines and their selected garages and creates a competition to showcase eBay Motors amazing selection. Each team starts with the purchase of a niche-enthusiast vehicle, and then searches out and purchases each and every part to go with them. Whether those parts be new, retro, performance or new-old-stock, these four teams are being tested to pull it off.

So whether you’re into rally, racing, off-road, or showcars, this competition has everything to offer so join in the fun and pick your favorite. See the entire video series now at www.builtfromebay.com.

Royal Purple invited us to the pre-screening of Dax Shephard's new movie HIT & RUN last night at the ArcLight in Hollywood. Dax was there, too!
Lots of car chases and a Tatum off-road race buggy--one that Dax owns in real life! It was cool to see a real car guy make a movie the way he wanted.
It opens August 22, 2012 so check it out!

 Dax Shephard was at the ArcLight, August 9, 2012 for the precreening of his new movie, HIT & RUN. Alongside him in the movie are Kristen Bell, Bradley Cooper, Tom Arnold, and Kristen Chenoweth making a good old fashioned car chase movie for those who love a good car chase.

Dax stayed on after the screening to answer questions from the audience and later we saw him popping out of the parking structure on a sport bike. This is a guy who loves the smell of gasoline.

In the movie, you'll see Shephard's own Lincoln Continental and Tatum race buggy, verifying his status as a true car guy. If that's not enough for you, how about working for GM for a 14-year stint?

We're hoping this isn't the last of Dax's car movie projects.

  U.S. Marines seek expansion to include BLM land!

The U.S. Marines are seeking to expand their base at Twentynine Palms, California to include nearly 189,000 acres of adjacent land owned by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The land is a designated off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation area and site of "King of the Hammers" and other OHV events throughout the year. The Marines would provide the OHV community with limited access to 40,000 acres for 10 months a year. The proposal is included in a long-awaited final environmental impact statement (FEIS). Any land transfer requires Congressional approval.

We Urge You to Submit Comments to the Marines Supporting an Alternative to the Base Expansion
* The Marines only need access to Johnson Valley for two months a year for large scale training maneuvers. Rather than taking ownership of the land, the Bureau of Land Management can issue special use permits to the Marines, as is done for OHV events such as "King of the Hammers."
* The BLM permit solution guarantees shared access to the land by the Marines and the OHV community. The Marines are also relieved of the burden of managing the land for the 10 months a year they don't need it.
* Congress is in the process of enacting legislation that will require the Marines to study alternative ways to share the land with the OHV community, such as with special permits.
* The Johnson Valley off-road area draws at least 200,000 visitors annually and may generate as much as $191 million annually into the economy.

Click here to submit comments: https://extranet.cardnotec.com/29Palms_FEIS/

DON'T DELAY! The public comment deadline ends August 27, 2012.

For more information on Johnson Valley, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

Photo credit: Will Wissman courtesy http://savethehammers.org/sth/

 Check out what was inside the October 2012 issue!

FEATURES

22 Everything But the Kitchen Sink
Tricked-Out M-37

TECH INSPECTION

28 50-State-Legal Spray
Water-Injection Kit that Passes the Emissions test

34 Armed and Steered
Our Fast-150 Gets a Bump-Up in Suspension

38 Big Rig in a Box
Mickey Thompson's New 10-Lug Simulators

58 Spare Tire Tailgating
TireGate's Solution to a Secure Spare Outside of Your SUV

EVENTS/ADVENTURE

32 Mexican 1000 Poster
Shots from our Buddy Timo Kallen

40 Raptor Roundup
Texas is Flooded with Raptors

44 Huckfest 2012
An Official Event This Year!

50 20th Classic Bronco Stampede
Broncos of All Ages Come to Play in Arizona

PROJECT TRUCKS

54 Front-end Fashion
Lazer Star's new LED bars on a KibbeTech prerunner bumper

THE REGULARS

8 Rant

10 Unloaded

12 Long-Term Updates

14 Desert Dirt

16 Hardware

20 Off-Road Rides

62 Kopycinski's Brain

On the Cover: We got this great shot of Justin Yager's Ranger going sky-high at the Huckfest in Oceano Sand Dunes SVRA.

 Air bags are great as a load-carrying supplement to your truck's rear leaf spring setup. But air bags wouldn't work with lots of suspension travel...until now.

Daystar's new air bag cradle eliminate

Daystar finally gave use a way to run air bags without having them act as limiting straps. The new Air Bag Cradle mounts onto the lower air bag bracket and captures the bottom of the air bag in a shallow cup. We didn't want to show you this until we were sure it was working well for us, but we've had the Hellwig air bags and the Cradles on our 2011 Super Duty for about 8 weeks now. We've done two high-speed off-road trips and towed a trailer twice with the air bags inflated. The setup has worked excellently so far with zero problems. When the axle drops far enough to allow the air bag to leave the cradle, a driver will notice the "clap" of the air bag landing back in the cradle upon compression.