Toyota Tacoma Bumpers
Q: Has anyone developed a winch bumper, grille guard, or any other add-ons for the '05 Tacoma? I can't find anything anywhere.T. Friedmannvia e-mail
A: T., All-Pro Off-Road [(951) 658-7077, www.allprooffroad.com] offers a wide range of Tacoma suspension products and trail armor, including a front winch bumper and grille guard for '05-and-later and '95-'04 models. The bumper is constructed from heavy-duty, 0.120-wall, 1.75-inch tubing and is designed to improve approach angle and provide much more clearance than the stock bumper and trim. The bumper also allows for mounting of up to a 9,500-pound-capacity remote-solenoid winch and features an integrated steel skidplate. The stock skidplate can also be retained.
No-Power YJ
Q: I have a '95 YJ with all stock running gear and a four-cylinder engine. It is also equipped with a 3-inch Rough Country lift and 33-inch tires. This all ads up to no power and a top speed of 55 mph at best. I use it as a daily driver and a weekend trail runner. What would you do first to get the power and road speed up? I've been thinking of swapping in a 4.0L motor or changing gears and diffs, but I don't know which would be best first. Thanks for your help and ideas and for a great mag.Trevor Collinsvia e-mail
A: Trevor, the easiest way to increase your top speed is to install lower axle gears. Lower gears are represented by numerically higher numbers. Your stock gears should be 4.10, but with the 33-inch tires you can install 4.56 gears to create more power. A ratio of 4.88 would also produce satisfying power and leave room for a leap to 35-inch tires. Swapping your ring-and-pinion is much cheaper than an engine swap and can be completed in just a few hours compared to the week or more it can take to carry out an engine swap. Too low of gears will rob fuel economy, but greater power will be the result and with only a four-cylinder engine under the hood, you need every bit you can get. You can also look at a few of the available power-enhancing engine components, such as a throttle-body spacer, cold-air intake systems, and exhaust. An engine swap is of course an option, but it can be a complicated and expensive process so approach with caution. Many choose to tackle a few of the cheaper and easier upgrades to improve performance before making the leap to a complete engine conversion.
Corrections
The '07 Jeep JK Rubicon is fitted with all-new lru-loc front and rear electric lockers. In the Jan.'07 issue of 4WD&SU,the locker type was incorrectly identified.
Page 39 of the Jan.'07 issue incorrectly indicated that the featured Rubicon had retained its factory transfer case,the NUG23OR. The factory transfer case for this vehicle is,in fact,the NVG24OR (hey,3 is next to 4!)
The feature,"Rock limo," (p.49), indicated the vechicles front axle is a Dana 30 and then a Dana44. The vechicles front axle is a Dana 30.