All Entries Tagged With: "off-road"
New Product: MAXTRAX Recovery System
Getting stuck while driving your Toyota Tundra is never a fun time, but getting stuck out on the trail can be even more of a hassle. While you can usually count on locating a tow service to haul you out of a ditch or tug you free from a snow bank, off-roading far from civilization car dramatically reduce your options should you encounter a loss of traction serious enough to immobilize your truck.
MAXTRAX is designed to easily slide under the drive wheels of a stuck truck.
Some all-terrain enthusiasts always make sure to buddy up when trail driving in order to avoid being stuck out in the wilderness alone, but there are situations where even a tow rope might not be enough to get your moving forward again. This is where a product like MAXTRAX can be a lifesaver.
Today Is Unofficial “Lobby For The Hobby” Day
I recently became aware of two things:
1. Hot Rod, Motor Trend, Four Wheeler, Off Road, and others (90 web and print properties total) are all owned by one company. I guess I should have paid closer attention.
2. Today, November 1st, 2010, is SEMA’s unofficial “lobby for the hobby” day, where anyone who is an avid automotive enthusiast is encouraged to think about recent regulatory changes that endanger automotive hobbies. For example:
- Changes in off-road access rules for federal lands
- Changes in federal fuel economy and emissions requirements
- Changes in state emissions laws (California, I’m looking at you)
While laws are always changing, the case could be made that the pace and direction of these changes has been “anti-automotive” over the last 2 or so years. SEMA and Source Interlink Media want you to think about these issues today, which just happens to be the day before election day.
Is this a legitimate gripe? Judge for yourself.
Toyota Tundra Aftermarket Shock Options
The Toyota Tundra, like most trucks, has a fairly large number of after market replacement shock absorber options. In addition to the standard KYB shocks that are available on almost every vehicle ever built, the primary after market shock brands that cater to the Tundra are Rancho, Skyjacker, Tuff Country, Fabtech, and Pro-Comp. We’ve put together a quick roundup of the shock products offered by these five companies.
Wilderness Regulations Threaten Off-Road Recreation
The latest craze in state and federal land management is to designate large tracts of public lands as “wilderness,” a term that sounds perfectly reasonable and innocuous. After all, who doesn’t love “wilderness?”
View of Yosemite national park
Of course, there’s a catch: The Federal Wilderness act of 1964 states that areas that are “untrammeled” by man (a.k.a., untouched) can be set aside as wilderness. This means they can never be built upon, sold, leased, mined, etc. It also means that “wilderness” can’t be used by trucks, 4×4’s, ATVs, snowmobiles, and even mountain bikes.
According to the Blue Ribbon Coalition (a special interest group dedicated to responsible recreation on public lands), the flurry of Wilderness bills being proposed and/or signed into law has raised a red flag in the access community and other multiple-use interests.
Off-Road Tire Basics and Buyer’s Guide
As with most specialty tires, when you’re looking to purchase a set of off-road tires, a lot of the knowledge you might have about standard street tires simply won’t apply. The tread styles, construction and size of off-road tires are quite different than what most people are used to, and it’s helpful to take a quick look at the basics of off-road tire design before heading to the local tire and wheel shop to have a set installed.
Big tires on Todd's 2008 Tundra - featured last week.
Almost everyone is familiar with the look of off-road tires – tall and aggressive. Even tires that are meant to fit on rims as small as 15 inches can be 30 or 33 inches in height (visit TireRack.com to see exactly which tire sizes will fit on your Tundra). A common misconception with larger tires is that the giant sizes are meant to provide extra grip and traction. While there is an off-road benefit in a tall sidewall (especially when you make the tire pressure artificially low), the main benefit to over-sized tires is that they get your truck up in the air as much as possible and boost ground clearance.
When it comes to boosting traction, there are two aspects of off-road tire design to consider: tread type and tire construction.
