THE DIRECT LINK TO CUSTOMERS OF 4 WHEEL PARTS & 4WHEEL DRIVE HARDWARE ? WWW.OFFROADADVENTURES.COM MARC H 2010 $3.50 $3.50 MODERNIZED FINESSE: AEM BRUTE FORCE MANUFACTURERS PROFILE: O PTIMA NEW CLASSIC PAGE 72 MADNESS IN MARCH Sale March 13th See Page 32 Or Log-On To: 4WheelParts.com/MadMarch D ODGE RAM 3500 RAM 3500 >>>>>>>>> GO DIGITAL AT: www.OffroadAdventures.com/Digi tal PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Bolingbrook, IL Permit No 1069 THE TRACTION EQUATION PART 2 BESTOP GIVEAWAY JEEP BUILDUP PART 2 400 W ARTESIA BLVD ? COMPTON, CA 90220 ...

Some discounts, coverages, payment plans, and features are not available in all states or in all GEICO companies. Boat and PWC coverages are written through non-affiliated insurance companies and are secured through the ?????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????? ????? These companies are subsidiaries of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. GEICO: Washington, DC 20076. © 2010 GEICO ...

MARCH 2010 ON THE COVER: Michael Vanvakaris? rather rare 1975 Ford F-250 4x4 Crew Cab. Photo by Trent Riddle contents FEATURES 8 NEW VEHICLE REVIEW ? DODGE RAM The new Ram 3500 is still big, it?s still bold, and it still hauls...everything 10 MANUFACTURERS PROFILE: ACID TEST How Optima Batteries Endure in Tough Off-Road Conditions 12 WE BUILD THE 4WD GIVEAWAY JEEP ? PART 2 Bestop?s HighRock 4x4 Bumpers 52 ROBBY GORDON WINS SCORE CHAMPIONSHIPS 56 THE TRACTION EQUATION ? PART 2 Getting the Right Answer Every Time 68 VOTE FOR BESTOP GIVEAWAY JEEP SUSPENSION OPTIONS 72 MODERNIZED CLASSIC F-250 One Tall and Cool Ford Pickup 76 2010 MOAB CHALLENGE BY PRO COMP, SMITTYBILT & G2 REGULARS 26 FINESSE Power and MPG Testing the AEM Brute Force Intake System 66 OLD IRON Better than New 1966 Bronco Roadster Restoration DEPARTMENTS 4 NO NAME 6 LETTERS & STUFF 24 IN TOUCH WITH OUR TROOPS 54 BEST LOOKING/BEFORE & AFTER 70 4WP CUSTOMER SERVICE 78 NEWS BITS 80 GEARHEAD f Follow us on Facebook! Keep up wit ...

NONAMECOLUMN MARCH 2010 No name dude Greg Adler President & C.E.O. 4 / ORA MARCH 2010 NO NAME Check out page 76 for some details to a neat event Pro Comp, Smittybilt and G2 Axles & Gears will be presenting at this year?s Easter Jeep Safari. They?re offering some great prizes worth over $25,000 in a geocaching contest that include Pro Comp 35? tires, Pro Comp wheels, lights, recovery straps, Smittybilt winches and G2 axle components. LET?S SAY THANKS PROGRAM To show the country?s appreciation to the hundreds of thousands of troops stationed overseas, Xerox Corporation has developed a nationwide program aimed at saying ?thank you? to our troops. Through the Let?s Say Thanks program, postcards designed by children from across the country are available at www.LetsSayThanks.com for people to select their favorite and write a personalized message to troops. Xerox prints the cards on its paper and equipment, and mails them in care packages to deployed troops through military support organizat ...

PREPARE FOR ADVENTURE Dick Cepek has always taken great pride in providing quality on and off-road products for truck, S.U.V., and 4x4 owners. From it?s humble beginnings as a means for Dick to supply his family, friends, and fellow off-road enthusiasts with tires that would take them off the highway and into the great outdoors, to today?s high tech product offerings, Dick Cepek?s mission is still carried out by helping thousands of customers to enjoy products that enhance their vehicle and provide off road capability to those that need it. TORQUE DC-2 RADIAL F-C II MUD COUNTRY CRUSHER at dickcepek.com ???????????????? ???????????????????????? ????? ????????????????????? ...

6 / ORA MARCH 2010 LETTERS &STUFF EVAN?S WORK IN PROGRESS JK This is my ?07 JK. She?s a work in progress, but is currently rolling on 34x10.50R 17 LTBs mounted on Raceline Rims. Other mods include a 2? lift from Wild Country, RMX shocks, 5.13:1 gears, Westin steps, and the Rugged Ridge mirror brackets allow me to run the Bestop doors without getting hit by the MPs. When I get back from Afghanistan, I?m planning a Pro Rock 60 swap at both ends, an Atlas II, and a Hemi swap. I?ve included pics from Turkey Creek outside Fort Carson, hope to see one in your mag, love it, keep it up! Thanks for the great mag, PV2 Evan Haley Fort Carson, CO STEPHEN?S BUILT TO THE HILT RUBI 2005 Jeep Rubicon ? 37x13.50x15 Pitbull Rockers on 15-inch 32 bolt Eaton beadlocks, 6-inch long arm Full Traction lift and shocks, Dana 44 front and rear with air lockers and 4.88 gears, 4.0 liter with K&N filter, Mile Marker wireless winch, AmSteel synthetic winch line, Curie Steering, Onboard Air, Smittybilt front and re ...

LOCK IN A GREAT DEAL WITH ARB AIR LOCKERS Call today at 877-716-7111 or buy online at www.4Wheelparts.com Normal fitting charges apply. Promotion runs between 1st February and 30th April 2010 and is available at participating distributors. This offer is not to be used in conjunction with any other offer. ARB 4X4 ACCESSORIES 720 SW 34th Street, Renton, WA 98057 Tel: 800-761-8194 email: sales@arbusa.com BUY 1 AIR LOCKER & GET A FREE AIR COMPRESSOR VALUED AT $175 (CKSA12) SEMA award winning and permanently mounted to your vehicle, this great, compact air compressor is specifically engineered to activate Air Lockers. OR BUY 2 AIR LOCKERS & GET A FREE AIR COMPRESSOR AND TIRE INFLATION KIT VALUED AT $315 + (CKMA12) Tough and hugely versatile, this permanently mounted air compressor is perfect for Air Locker activation as well as rapid inflation of tires and camping equipment. www.arbusa.com ...

AM RAM The new Ram 3500 is still big, it?s still bold, and it still hauls...everything. By John Stewart Photos John Stewart and Bill Delaney/Dodge Truck heavy-duty Ram pickup engines are not Thenew new, but the latest Ram drives like a whole new truck. Overall, the truck is considerably more comfortable, rides smoother and is much quieter inside. The 2500 and 3500 pickups are getting the upgraded interiors as the current Ram 1500, some increases in capacity, and revised sheetmetal. Plus, new features like heavier front axles, a built-in brake controller and an exhaust brake for the Cummins mean the Ram 2500/3500 line will handle bigger loads without stressing. There is still a Regular Cab and a Mega Cab, but the Quad Cab is gone, replaced by a true Crew Cab. The Crew Cab is bigger than the Quad, and will be available for about the same price. The powertrains remain the same as for 2009, with a choice of the 6.7-liter Cummins diesel or the 5.7 HEMI V-8. The Cummins is standard on the 35 ...

The new cabins are similar to the newly redesigned Ram 1500, with all manner of personal-use conveniences and optional electronic enhancements. The HD Ram pickups ride strikingly smoothly and quietly for 1-ton trucks, and include standard airbags, front and side, for all cabs. tires and underbody protection to die for. Meanwhile, it?s a good truck to drive every day, and you can tow up to 10,300 pounds or carry 1,940 pounds in the bed. All Power Wagons are Crew Cab short beds, with SLT trim and powered by the gas HEMI. They start at $38,480, and the Power Wagon Package of upgrades adds about $6,500 on top of that. We had a chance to do considerable off-road driving with the Power Wagon, and can confirm it has tremendous traction, good ground clearance, and with the swaybar disconnect, a suspension that can By ordering a 3500 Crew Cab longbed 2WD dually, towing of up to 17,600 pounds becomes possible, with a gross combined weight rating of 24,500 pounds. The 6.7L Cummins is standard in ...

Manufacturer>Profile ACID TEST How Optima Batteries Endure in Tough Off-Road Conditions By Steve Temple We?ve all been there: the top of a mountain, the depth of ÖÖa forest or a hidden oasis in the middle of the desert ? the perfect end of a long day on the trail and your weekend adventure. Of course, you use all your auxiliary lights to set up the secluded campsite. And while the stillness is intoxicating, why not also crank up the tunes to get the party started? Next day you?re eager to start exploring. You double check your gear, strap yourself into your seat, turn the ignition and all you?ve got is a clicking solenoid ? the death knell of your big plans for the day. You have a dead battery, an automotive component we rarely think about until it fails. Let?s face it, conventional batteries just don?t hack it in the dirt. They?re great for citified sedans that live in garages, roll on asphalt and generally keep all four wheels on the ground. But your rig does none of the above and re ...