Who Is Better?

Right now I am doing what I should not be doing and am going to try and compare and contrast the numerous vehicle makes out there, trucks that is. This may not seem like a touchy subject but people have been arguing about this for a while, and I personally have ended up in a fight alongside of a friend because of a dispute about vehicles. Now, obviously since I drive a Toyota, I am a Toyota fan, but I am going to try my best and not hate on the other types.

First up is Ford the company that started it all by inventing the assembly line. Without Henry Ford and his company, where would we be today? Who knows, we could have been set back a few years if it wasn't for this company. The problem is though, that the same legacy that Henry created is not still around. Sure you see the commercials stating better fuel economy and what not, but there are numerous problems with ford trucks. One is that parts only fit certain makes and models. If you need an alternator for a 1995 F150, then you can only get one off of a 1995 F150. This doesn't sound too bad considering there are a lot of them out there, but this makes the prices for parts go up. So besides prices how is the product? Mediocre, they simple are not that good. I have seen time after time ford parts fail more than any other vehicle on and off the trail. They are simply not that dependable of a truck due to this. I would love for Ford to go back to their roots and create a vehicle that is dependable, easy to maintain, and cheap to fix. But until then they are on the bottom of mine, and many others out there’s, lists.

Next up is GM/Chevy. This is Fords big rival company. The shapes of the trucks are similar, large and bulky. This makes for a great mudslinging vehicle if that is what you are in to. But in more ways than one, GM/Chevy has the upper hand. The small block 350 cu in motor; this thing is a beast, it is reliable and parts from substitute vehicles of many different years can be swapped out on to it. This engine is still known as one of the best around, putting out almost 300 hp (wikipeda: the free encyclopedia), which it needs because of its gear ratio. GM/Chevy is also known for their axles, the Dana 44 and Dana 60. These are great axles and I am currently running a Dana 44 under my Toyota right now. Another plus for GM/Chevy but there is something that this company is lacking, design change. They continue to put out these lumbering trucks that have the capability, but are just too big for a good all around off-road vehicle. That is why GM/Chevy is number three on my list of great off-road vehicles.

The Jeep, everyone knows this vehicle as an off-road performer, and it is probably the most popular out there. It is designed for it, coming stock with solid axle setups in the front to this very day. They have been doing this business the longest so it's obvious they should be good at it. With a short wheel-base, it’s great for climbing. Parts can be mix-matched throughout many years, and overall it is a dependable rig, not the most dependable, but dependable. The two things that I do not like about them though is there lack of change in design, it’s pretty much been the same for many years now, and they’re weak axles up front, a Dana 30 just doesn't cut it strength wise. Other than this I would have to give Jeep number one except for one reason, Toyota.

My favorite of all the companies, Toyota has been developing great trucks for a while now. From the old Toyota Land Cruisers to the newer Tacoma, they are known to be "tough." Tough as in, impossible to destroy engines, capable of 300,000 plus miles easily, and flat-out rugged parts. The 22re engine has to be one of the most well developed engines out there. Sure it only puts out around 100 hp being a 4cyl, but for tough offloading vehicles you want high gearing over power any day. By changing the gears in the axles you can put it in 1st low and crawl just about anything. Go here and you will see--->TOYOTA CLIMBS ROCK WALL. The downside of the Toyotas though is the fender rust problem, and the Independent Front Suspension that is now on all of the vehicles. This provides a much better highway and road ride, but limits the off=road capabilities. So you do what I did and get rid of it, put an older solid axle under it and you will have one heck of a machine. From the generations to generations parts are easy to acquire because you have a 5-10 year spread that you can get them from, and this means almost any model in those years, if it's a truck/SUV. The models have changed greatly over the years getting rid of any boring models. And let’s face it the 1st generation Toyota is one of the coolest looking trucks out there. Small, versatile, and mean looking. There is not much more I can say about this make besides, it kicks ass.

The Misconception Of "Offroading"

What happens when a truck pulls up next to you that has over sized tires, lift, and possibly other 4x4 accessories? Well for some people, they peer into the window and might expect to see a man classified as a "redneck;" Someone who has a confederate hat on with a fish hook on the brim, chewing sunflower seeds, and blasting out some country music. I would just like to clear it up that this is just another stereotype in today’s society and it isn't always true. For those of us that do consider ourselves off-road enthusiasts, there is nothing worse than being viewed this way when we aren't. There is more to it than driving through some mud holes out in the woods. A lot of us use this hobby as a way to see the outdoors and enjoy it, much like hiking or rafting. We enjoy taking our vehicles to places that they really shouldn't be, and scaling the craziest of obstacles. Also most of the 4x4 clubs we are in are affiliated with organizations that are all about caring for the land, such as Tread Lightly, which means that instead of destroying the land, we actually care about it and would like to see more ORV parks and such open up. With off-roading growing so rapidly right now,

"Currently, there are more than 8 million who tag themselves as off-roadenthusiasts. "

Off-roadreunions: the growth in the off-road industry is proof that America is stillin love with the great outdoors and the vehicles that take them there. by Tim Sramcik

Take note that it is a harmless hobby that inspires ideas and our love for the environment, and not just people driving around with big trucks tearing up land.

Me and my Rig!

Hi, my name is Benjamin Piper, but i go by Ben or Piper. I'm 19 years old and am going to school in order to become a mechanical engineer. I am a pretty outgoing guy once you get to know me and I am told that I can be brutally honest at times. I am a military boy so I have moved around a lot and actually am planning on going into the marines after college. Some of the things that I enjoy doing are working out, offroading, wrestling, MMA, playing guitar, camping, and other outdoor activities, racquetball, and most any sport. I'm a competitive person no matter what I do, but enjoy challenges and learning from mistakes. As far as wheeling experience goes, I have been doing it since before I even got my truck. I used to go out all of the time with my friend and learned the ropes through that. After I got my truck, my life consisted of wheeling on weekends and fixing my rig on weekdays. I have the most experience in either mud or trail riding, but I enjoy trail riding a lot more. I tend to stay away from mud now. Some of the bigger events that I have done are a trip with the J-Ville Jeepers to Uwharrie National Park. I have competed in the Jump and Run Mud Bog in Havelock, NC, and many local off road events in Jacksonville, NC.

Now for my truck. It is a 1986 Toyota 4runner, that I bought at the end of my junior year in high school. I got a great deal on it for 800 bucks and it had about 186,000 miles on it. There is a stock picture of it above, and a present day picture below. Some of my first modifications were a 3" body lift from Performance Accessories. Then I got some 32x11.5 Pro-Comp Mud terrain tires for it on 15x8 American Racing wheels that I grinded and painted myself. Lots of maintenance has been done to it throughout my time as owner. Then I did a two inch suspension lift on it with new leaf springs in the rear, and BJ spacers and Downey T-Bars in the front. Then some 33x12.5 TSL Super Swappers were put on it for a little bit until I sold them because my fuel economy went way down. The carpet has been pulled up and bed liner was put down on the inside. The interior was painted black. Next up came an Aussie locker in the rear which I broke and now it is an open differential for now. I made a custom hand throttle which is a bikes brake lever attached to my shifter and I can use that for my throttle. The biggest project that was done was my solid axle swap. This replaced the entire front suspension for a Dana 44 axle and leaf spring suspension. I am not all satisfied with how this was done so I am going to have to fix that. There are many other little things that I have done but I can not think of all of them. This project is pretty much never ending and have put in around 5,000 dollars right now on the truck. Small price to pay considering how many great memories that I have gotten from it.