The 4x4 Podcast

Episode 72 – Extreme LandCruiser

Posted on May 12, 2014 by Dan Cole

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On episode 72 I have something special for all you Toyota fans. Ryan from Extreme LandCruiser joins me and schools me on everything Toyota Land Cruiser. Extreme LandCruiser is a customization shop located in southern California. Extreme Landcruiser specializes in customizing Toyota Landcruisers, 4×4′s, and Performance vehicles for use in all adverse conditions including: extreme offroading, rally racing, drag racing, snow, mud, and dune driving.

60 Series Toyota Land Cruiser – Image from ExtremeLandcruiser.com

1989 HJ61V Toyota Land Cruiser – Image from ExtremeLandcruiser.com

In the news we talk about some Ford news. You may not be familiar with the Ford Everest because it’s never been sold in the US but it is a global version of the Explorer that is actually meant to go offroad. This version is a concept is a seven passenger SUV looks to be rolling on 33″ all-terrain tires and has a very slick exterior appearance. It will probably never be available in the US but it is cool to see. I’m not even convinced that any of the themes or components will ever show up in a North American Ford vehicle. No details on the mechanicals but its worth guessing, right?! Check out the full article at autoblog.com.

2015 Ford Everest Concept Beijing Motor Show – Image from AutoBlog.com

Back on show ## I told you everything I knew about the 2015 Ford F-150 but there was no new info about the next Ford Raptor. The next generation of the Ford Raptor has been spied though wearing a fair bit of cladding to disguise new bulges and lines that might give us a true indication of whats to come. AutoBlog said that the next-gen Raptor will be skinned in aluminum, which is really no surprise. The aluminum skin will cut significant weight which will surely make the current power plant feel more powerful. With the big brawny Ford V8 engines being replaced by smaller EcoBoost V6s, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a turbo V6 motivating the new Raptor which will surely impact that overall driving experience. Honestly, I’m kinda surprised that the body panels weren’t completely replaced with fiberglass which is even lighter than aluminum, but also not easily repairable. Over the coming months, I’m sure we’ll see and hear more about the upcoming Raptor. Be sure to head over the AutoBlog.com for a full gallery of the spy shots.

2015 Ford Raptor – Photo from autoblog.com

2015 Ford Raptor – photo from AutoBlog.com

In previous shows, we’ve mentioned the likelihood of Jeep announcing the return off the Grand Wagoneer as a model larger than the Grand Cherokee. On May 6,2014 Mike Manley, Jeep CEO, discussed the five year plan for Jeep. Jeep is already Fiat Chrysler Automobiles most important brand and Manley wants to push to 1 million sales next year and then push to 1.9 million by 2018. That extremely ambitious growth will only be possible by expanding more into global markets. The Cherokee and upcoming Renegade will be built for the Chinese market in China. Jeep also hopes to grow sales in the Latin America market but developing plants there for the Renegade. Manley also announced plans to re-engineer the 2018 Wrangler. The revision plans cover cutting weight, improving powertrain efficiency and aerdynamics. To us diehard Jeep fans, that sounds a lot like ruining an American icon. Replacing heavy steel body panels with aluminum has worked well for Ford so I expect to see the same in the Jeep design. There has been a lot of discussion about moving to an independent front suspension (IFS) which has brought a lot of uneasy feelings from Wrangler fans for a wide range of reasons. The Cherokee sports an IFS and independent rear suspension (IRS) which as rendered it “un-liftable” and basically killed all hopes of aftermarket support in the offroading segment. If Jeep neuters the Wrangler with that same IFS/IRS curse, it will surely lose its top slot at SEMA as hottest SUV and get even more scorn than Jeep garnered by molesting the face of the Cherokee, KL. I fully expect to see riots in the streets of Toledo, Ohio in front of the Jeep plant if these IFS/IRS Wranglers start to creep out of production and into the daylight. Till then, lets hope the three row Grand Wagoneer is a better hit than that three row Commander and the Wrangler remains an easily modified, rugged offroading beast. For more, check out the full report at autoweek.com.

Photo from blog.jeep.com

Categories: episodes | Tags: Ford, Ford Everest, Ford Raptor, Grand Cherokee, Grand Wagoneer, Jeep, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Grand Wagoneer, Jeep Wrangler, land cruiser, Landcruiser, Renegade, Toyota, Toyota LandCruiser, Wrangler | Comments Off

Episode 71 – Lost World Expedition Part 2

Posted on May 8, 2014 by Dan Cole

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On this episode of the podcast Dan brings you part two of the interview with Luis and Lacey of Lost World Expedition. Luis and Lacey are in their third year of exploring every possible awesome sight between the US and the most southern point of South America! In part two, Luis and Lacey share they favorite and least favorite experiences while on the road. Also in the news segment we talk about: Who is Colt Seavers and why does he have a VW Amorak named after him?, the Offroad Expo and coverage from Expedition Portal, ARB introduces a FJ Cruiser overhead console, the next Ford F-150 to be made out of old coke cans, Chrysler ramps up production of the Pentastar motor.

Angela May and Dave DeBaeremaeker shared their offroading experience to win one of the $50 gift certificates to Ram Mount!

Check out The 4×4 Podcast on G+ or any other social networks using the links below. Also, you can support us by using any of the affiliate links found in the affiliates section.

Categories: episodes | Tags: 80s, Aluminum, Amorak, ARB, Chrysler, Colt Seavers, EcoBoost, expedition portal, F-150, FJ Cruiser, Ford, GMC, Jeep, offroad expo, overhead console, overland, Pentastar, South America, Toyota, VW | Comments Off

Episode 70 – Interview with RockIt Offroad

Posted on May 5, 2014 by Dan Cole

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On this episode of The 4×4 Podcast I get Craig back on the show. We also feature an interview with Merrel from RockIt Offroad. Merrel talks about how he got into offroading and all the great stuff happening at RockIt Offroad. RockIt Offroad is a custom 4×4 shop in New Braunfels, TX. RockIt Offroad provides installation, fabrication, restoration, service and repairs for Jeeps, trucks and 4x4s. Merrel also talk about some of the best places to go offroading in Texas so if you’re in the area and looking for some places to wheel, this is a great episode to check out.

RockIt Offroad

In the news we talk about the fact that physics still applies to large vehicles being safer than small vehicles. PickupTrucks.com reports that insure.com’s list of top 10 vehicles to cause the most property damage in an accident. The top 10 includes:

Ford F-250
GMC Sierra 2500
Ford F-350
Ram 1500
Infiniti QX80
Dodge Durango
Toyota Tundra
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Cadillac Escalade
Chevrolet Silverado 1500

The worst vehicles are:

Toyota Yaris
Fiat 500
Toyota Corolla
Mitsubishi Lancer
Nissan Versa
Kia Forte
Nissan Altima
Ford Focus
Chevy Spark
Toyota Camry

Also in the news we talk about an AutoBlog.com story highlighting a backseat trick that the GMC Canyon can do to make it safer for kids in car seats. Car seats must have at least 80% on the seat but some mid-size trucks don’t have much seat cushion. GMC’s solution is to remove the headrest and insert it into the holes on the front side of the bottom seat cushion, creating an extension to the seat. Pretty smart!

Photo from autoblog.com

The last article that we talked about was the Jeep Renogade. Jeep has released some more details and I’m pretty sure that I like this one more than the Cherokee. I do not think that its going to be good of offroading, but may be a great option for someone that wants something reliable year round, fun to drive, economical, and stylish. I also think that this will be a pretty good option if all you’re going to do is day trip down some rough roads.

Photo from Jeep Blog. That is a classy dash that has lots of hidden gems.

Photo from Jeep Blog. The My Sky is a really cool option!

Photo from Jeep Blog. Tail light represents the old fuel cans.

Categories: episodes | Tags: Canyon, Chevy, Chevy Coloardo, Coloardo, Dodge 2500, F250, Ford, GMC, GMC Canyon, Infinity, Jeep, Jeep Renogade, QX80, Renogade, TAT, Trans America trail, TransAm Trail | Comments Off

Episode 69 – #TBT Lost World Expedition Part 1

Posted on May 1, 2014 by Dan Cole

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On this episode of the podcast Dan brings you part one of the interview with Luis and Lacey of Lost World Expedition. Luis and Lacey are in their third year of exploring every possible awesome sight between the US and the most southern point of South America! Also in the news segment we talk about Garmin and the iPhone 5 getting access to the GLONASS GPS satellite constellation, the Dodge Ram Runner vs Ford Raptor, Ford Raptor vs Mars Rover, how much offroader does $400,000 get you, and the 23 year long road trip. In the feedback section we receive a voicemail from Jonathan England, who heard Dan’s interview on The XJ Talk Show asking about importing a Jeep Cherokee from Great Britain to the United States.

Check out The 4×4 Podcast on G+ or any other social networks using the links below. Also, you can support us by using any of the affiliate links found in the affiliates section.

Categories: episodes | Tags: Android, Camping, Dakar, Desert, Dodge, Feedback, Ford, G-Wagen, Garmin, GLONASS, hostel, iPhone, Lacey, land cruiser, Lost World Expedition, Luis, Mars, Mercedes, overland, PanAmerica, Ram, Ram Runner, Raptor, reading, Rover, South America, Tony, Toyota, XJ, XJTalk | Comments Off

Episode 68 – Interview with FTE 4×4

Posted on April 27, 2014 by Dan Cole

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On episode 68 of the podcast I bring you an interview with Steve Fagioli who runs FTE 4×4 Specialists in the UK. Last time we talked with Steve was after he came back from SEMA. This time Steve gives us some insight into what offroading is like in Europe and why he has chosen to specialize in Jeeps rather than a European based vehicle make such as Land Rover. FTE 4×4 Specialists Ltd have been building custom Jeeps (Wrangler YJ, TJ, JK & Cherokees XJ, ZJ, WJ, WK) since 1997. Specialising in off-road preparation, suspension, drive train, axles (gearing, lockers, upgrades), body armour, winches, bumpers, lighting & accessories. Be sure to also follow FTE 4×4 on Facebook.