2002 Midwest Hard Core Rig Winner - MW4WDA
Transcription
2002 Midwest Hard Core Rig Winner - MW4WDA
Responsible use of Public Lands through Conservation, Education, and Safety Spring 2003 Volume 2, Issue 2 Official publication of the Midwest 4 Wheel Drive Association 2002 Midwest Hard Core Rig Winner Congratulations to Brian Swearingen Written By: Brian Swearingen My "Extreme Ride"… Like every project, they are never done… unfortunately, I can't seem to stop tweaking things and working to make them better! This rig started out as a $200 junkyard purchase. The frame was blasted and epoxy primered, then coated with Napa Chassis Black. The tub was cut to the firewall and Jim Ridderbush put in all new sheet metal. I did a simple seam-seal job on it, primered it, and then painted it with 6 cans of Rustoleum in 4 colors. I wanted something I could easily touch up, since it tends to earn a lot of dents and scratches! (the color scheme was based on Chris' wheelin pants!) Special points of interest: • Chequamegon-Nicolet NF DIES: Comments Needed! • Iowa Legislative Update: Off-Road Parks a Reality? • MW4WDA Fall Convention: Registration info inside. The truck has changed 4-5 timers since I originally put it together…and there are even quite a few recent changes from the original photo in the MidWest paper! Drivetrain: 1991 350 TBI, SM465 granny transmission, plate adapter to a 72 FJ40 transfer case, Tom Woods 11" stroke front shaft with 1310 joints, High Angle rear shaft running a Toyota minitruck CV to a Cruiser spline and lower yoke. The rear axle is all stock with stock 4.11 gears and welded spiders. The front axle runs an EZ-Lock with Longfield outer joints and Aisin lockout hubs. Rims are now 2" backspacing Allied RockAThon 32-bolt 15" steel beadlocks with 38.5x14.5 Swamper SX's. Axles all have disc brakes, stock in front and a Monte Carlo conversion in the rear. Article continued on page 3… • Check Out The 2002 Hard Core Rig of the Year! Inside this issue: Letters From the Officers 2 Club News and Editorials 3 MW Committee Reports 4 MW4WDA Land Use 5 State Association News 15 Hard Core Rides & Rigs 18 Members of the MW4WDA 19 Page 2 MW4WDA Officers PRESIDENT Mark White (Trailgators 4 Wheelers, Inc.) W762 State Rd. 23 & 49 Green Lake, WI 54941 (920)748-7852 e-mail: [email protected] 1ST VICE PRESIDENT Butch Chapin (Dakota Dirt Diggers) 1404 East 3rd Street Hastings, MN 55033 (651)437-2459 e-mail: [email protected] 2ND VICE PRESIDENT Dan Bergin (Extreme Offroaders) 947 Pierce Ave. Oshkosh, WI 54902 (920)232-8483 e-mail: [email protected] would like your event flyer in place and in hands of readers before your event you need to get me the flyers electronically 2 Deadlines before the event. An example would be that a July event would need to be sent to me by the Feb. 1st so it will be in the newsletter sent out between Feb and May. This again is because of the delay to get articles. Notice to Members: This newsletter is delayed because at the deadline for this newsletter (May 1st) I had not received any articles in which to compile a newsletter. I had to personally contact several members to pull together the content for the newsletter. Because of this the next newsletter deadline will be November 1st, 2002. This means only 3 Newsletters will be sent this year. This is a direct result of the membership, and if you would like to see the full 4 newsletters per year, YOU NEED TO GET ME ARTICLES. Lastly, if the membership would like to continue with me handling the newsletter, this NEEDS to be addressed. I have spent too much time chasing articles. Thanks Reuben Gosewisch Midwestern 4 Wheeler Editor Secondly I have gotten several event flyers to late to put them in the newsletter. If you MW4WDA Merchandise Order Form Order No.: Date: Name: Club Affiliation: Address: SECRETARY Jennifer Weir (Central Iowa 4 Wheelers) 301 Hillside Ave. West Des Moines, IA 50265 (515)277-3992 e-mail: [email protected] TREASURER Kert Peterson (MN 4x4 Highrollers) 1407 Hulet lot G Fairbault, MN 55021 (507)334-6040 State: City: Qty Zip: Product Price MW4WDA Pins 1” round, gold trim $2.00 MW4WDA Patches 4” round cloth $3.00 MW4WDA Decals 5” round self adhesive $1.00 MW4WDA T-shirt transfers large iron-on $2.00 MW4WDA T-shirt transfers small iron-on $1.00 “I Love My 4X4” Button 2” round $0.50 “I fought for my 4X4” Sticker 2” round $0.50 MW4WDA Rain Poncho Orange $4.00 Please send this form and payment to: Laura or Dan Bergin 974 Pierce Ave., Oshkosh, WI 54902 (920)232-8483 e-mail: [email protected] TOTAL Amount Volume 2, Issue 1 Page 3 MW4WDA Club News Spring Convention 2003, A Hawaiian Luau, Oshkosh, WI Written By: Dan Bergin Friday night the 11th, the festivities started early with registration and food and refreshments in the hospitality suite. Besides 90+ Degree temperatures in the room and a malfunctioning VCR, we had a great time, all available refreshments were enjoyed and the food was excellent. The Extreme Offroaders enjoyed meeting and mingling with all of our guests. The Saturday meetings started bright and early with an 8 A.M. Midwest Board Meeting and a Pipeline Meeting. 9 A.M. brought the Wisconsin Association and Minnesota meetings. I am sure that the Secretary will provide minutes for the meetings as soon as they are available. Lunch was enjoyed at Brooklyn’s Food and Spirits, which hosts the Extreme monthly meetings. Some folks also went to Perkins, Razz Ma Tazz, Callahan’s and other local establishments. The meetings that followed the lunch included the Safety meeting which had a slightly modified start time for which I apologize, I wanted to get the most in we could in the time we had allotted. I got tons of good response from those that did attend. It looks like we will be able to bring Dan Bell from Accident Scene Management back to speak directly to our club and maybe even do some situational exercises with EMS in a real life setting. Thank you to all who participated in his demonstrations. Lets all hope we never have to use the things he taught us. I didn’t get to all the meetings but I hope all were well attended and informative. Believe it or not, we are actually welcome in the Hotel again someday. It appears that all the billing errors got cleaned up. I called several times during the week to make sure. It seems the hotel hardly noticed the late night swimmers and hot tubers. I don’t think the bartenders will ever be the same after those nights. I hope to see a few of the Hula Dash Girls up at Spring Fling. Thank you all again, Laura and I had a great time. See you soon. Thank you very much to all the clubs who attended. The door prizes were great, what a spread!! Thank you to everyone that came and participated in the Luau theme and the meetings. I hope all the convention first timers got a better understanding of what it is we do at the conventions besides imbibe in spirits and fun. The food the Extreme members brought was great, plenty to go around. G-rat’s mystery “beer dip” sure was a hit as were Denise Ray’s Tropical drinks. The Iowa crew drank up all of our beer, sorry about that, we didn’t expect Howie and his pals to soak it all up. Next time the beer truck will be ready and waiting. ...Continued from page 1. Suspension: stock wheelbase is 90", mine is in the 96" range. Rear is 3.5" back with FJ55 Land Cruiser wagon rear leaf packs, 8 leaves, longer shackle, and custommounted Doestch Tech DT3000 shocks. Front also uses FJ55 wagon rear leaf packs, custom mounts and a thru-frame rear shackle, one leaf added (9 total) with offset u-bolt plates to relocate it 1.5" further forward. 14" stroke DT3000 front shocks hooked to Ford F250 shock towers. Body/cage: Tub is a RidderFab custom, cage is a RidderFab custom 6-point using 1-3/4 x .120 DOM for all bent primaries, 1-3/4 x .095 DOM for all non-bent primaries, and 1-1/2" x .095 DOM for the bracing and seat mounts, all done on a ProTools bender. Cage is all frame mounted. Seats are gray Corbeau Baja SS (with custom travel covers) on Summit sliders and 2" RCI buckle-type belts. There is no speedo or odometer…gauges are a combo of brands, but mostly AutoGage and Article continued on page 8… Brian Swearingen’s Toyota Land Cruiser 2002 MW Hard Core Rig of the Year! Page 4 MW4WDA Committee Reports MW4WDA Committees LAKE STATES RES. ALLIANCE John Schnorr 413 Iverson Street Rhinelander, WI 54501 (715)362-4520 [email protected] LAND USE COMMITTEE: Reuben Gosewisch (Chair) 501 Delavan Drive Delavan, WI 53115 (262)740-1276 [email protected] IMPORTANT ALERT Written by: John Schnorr On April 15th the National Forest Service released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. There is a 90 day comment period which closes on July 15th. The Lake States Resource Alliance urges all users of the National Forest to view and comment on DEIS. You can obtain a copy of the DEIS by contacting the Forest service at: Mail: Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forests 68 South Stevens Street Rhinelander, WI 54501 Phone: 715.362.1300 Or visit: http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/cnnf Chris Knowles (Committee Member) [email protected] Mike Jarvis (Committee Member) [email protected] MEMBERSHIP Carl Overland 400 Plarmigan Ct. Waseca, MN 56093 (507)833-4717 [email protected] PROMOTINAL COMMITTEE Dan and Laura Bergin 947 Pierce Ave. Oshkosh, WI 54902 (920)232-8483 [email protected] SAFETY COMMITTEE & TREAD LIGHTLY Dan Bergin 947 Pierce Ave. Oshkosh, WI 54902 (920)232-8483 [email protected] UNITED DELEGATE Luana Schneider 6793 CTH “C” DeForset, WI 53532 (608)837-7409 [email protected] The Chequamegon and Nicolet Forest plans provide very different policies regarding access for off-road vehicles. In all DEIS plan alternatives access for off-road vehicles is limited to Forest Service Roads on in the Nicolet National Forest. A brief synopsis of the 9 alternatives listed in the DEIS follows. Street legal 4-Wheel Drive OffRoad Vehicles (ORV) are allowed on Forest Service roads. However, ORV users often desire a more challenging experience on designated trails. There is one existing 25-mile providing that experience (Pipeline). Numbers of ORV trails vary in Alternatives 1-9. Alternative 4 calls for closing the existing trail and rehabilitating it. Alternatives 1, 3, 7, and 9 maintain the existing 25mile trail and add no new 4-Wheel Drive Trails. Alternatives 2, 5, and 6 provide the highest number of miles of 4-Wheel Drive Trails with the potential for an additional ORV trail of a maximum 25-mile length. Miles of existing National Forest Service Road that would be considered for decommissioning and/or obliteration vary from a high of 3,290 miles in Alternative 1 to a minimum of 1,870 miles in Alternative 7. As you can see, even the best case alternative would eliminate nearly 2000 miles of roads which ORV users currently have access to. Please take a moments to review and comment on the DEIS. Forward comments to: Mail: Chequamegon-Nicolet Forest Plan Revision DEIS P.O. Box 221090 Salt Lake City, UT 84122-1090 Fax: (801)517-1014 Email: [email protected] Please Also Look at the Update on Page 7! Also to assist with letter writing, an example letter is included on page 10 Volume 2, Issue 1 Page 5 MW4WDA Land Use Issues Wisconsin Land Use Written by: Luana Schneider Spring has sprung and wheelin’ activities are going to be more plentiful than they have been the last few months. The bad part of this is that there are different land use issues that are now coming to a head and will be in full swing the next few months. So we will again have to split our time between using our 4wheel drives and protecting our access to lands in order to use our 4-wheel drives. PIPELINE RESTORATION PROJECT Mary Strauss has been working with the National Forest and Oconto County and El Paso Gas (previous owner was ANR) on erosion issues especially where close to the pipe, county road issues and trash with the usual threats of closing the area. It was agreed that Mary should set up an on sight meeting with these folks and evaluate the problems with the priority being the erosion problems where the pipe is close to the surface and work out a plan of action on getting those sites fixed. This would include establishing equipment and materials and work weekends. Also anytime anyone is on the trail everyone should be mindful of picking up trash including Spring Fling weekend STATE COMPREHENSIVE OUTDOOR RECREATION PLAN (SCORP) is going to be starting up soon--preplanning occurring NOW! I haven’t heard anything further on this at this point. STATE TRAILS ADVISORY COUNCIL (STAC) Trail Fees was discussed as a possible “Wheel Pass”. Also discussed the need of ATV and Motorized Parks. I’m keeping this in the report even though old so we don’t lose sight of this. On January 13, the Monday after our winter meeting, the STAC held their meeting in Wisconsin Rapids. At this meeting they discussed Trail Funding Alternatives, Land Legacy, and the Trails Management Team (TMT). Of interest were the statements that State Stewardship money is bonded money and is, therefore, available even under the state budget problems and that the DNR has a lot of “outside income”. The new TMT committee is looking at coordinating All State Trails. The actual scope etc. of this team is still being hammered out. The statement was made that “we need more public recreation areas NOT private—private recreation is closing more and more”. Yet later in the meeting the statement was made that motorized recreation should be private not public….ummm why is that I wonder? such. I found this very interesting that others were questioning this. I also question why for four wheel drive trails this is a provision, but for other trail uses this is not a provision…. There was much discussion on the Kettle Moraine Mountain Biking and it’s overuse. They discussed the multi-use of some of these trails and how some modifications needed to be made where cross country ski trails are better suited going straight down and bikes should be more of a switch back and forth type for erosion and holding down the speed and making the trail more interesting. These trails can be together at times and then split up at other times. The officers for 2003 for the STAC are Mike McFadzen, chairman; Chris Kegel, vice chair; and Jeff Butson, secretary. Also Mike Sohasky attended the meeting and received a plaque for his over 12 years on the council and the active role he played. There was a “Year of the Trails” summary. This program was not backed by the governor like the “Year of the Parks” was, but there were definite successes. The Rally was listed as one of these trails and the entire list was submitted to the Department of Tourism for their listing. It was agreed that many of these trail activities would never have gotten the public exposure in other years. I figure that our various events that are trail type events where the public is welcome we should submit to the Dept. of Tourism. So keep that in mind when planning your event and looking at advertising angles. There was much discussion on Rail Abandonment and who has the right of the land etc. They had a conference call with an attorney that is an expert on the subject and received much very helpful information. Interesting definition that came out of this was the definition of “Public Highway” which includes trails such as snowmobile and other trails. Also trails can be anywhere on the abandoned rail “Public Highway” right-of-way and no buildings can be on it. “Public Highways” cannot be purchased for anything but “Public Highways”. Ummm….I found this very interesting and still believe we have a right to having OHV trails on abandoned rails. Some of these can be very interesting and also very scenic and can be access or a corridor to other trails. Phil Barker of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest gave an update on the Forest Plan. This should be out in March and as of the date of that draft we have 90 days to comment. The plan does not have anything new or changed from what we have seen in the past as far as Four Wheel Drive is concerned. . There was some surprise on the inclusion of “subject to partnership with a four wheel drive organization” and questioned the legality of A new trail system called the Great Wisconsin Birding Trails was presented. This trail system is basicly on established roads that take you to different scenic spots where you walk in/on to observe birds and other wildlife and wild flowers and scenery. It is a mapped out network of existing parks, overlooks etc. Eventually there will be trails like this all over the state. When it came to the “Public Comment” time I stated how no matter what the trail use many of the users are out there appreciating nature, wildlife etc. including the challenges etc. of our specific trail interests. I also announced to them the loss of our grant due to the lack of the National Forest Service (NFS) getting the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) done in a timely fashion and how the NFS is working to finish the EIS and has funding available to finish the project with the partners of us, the pipeline and NFS. I also explained how we are currently working on our “Volunteer Patrol Program” from United Four Wheel Drive Associations. I also made a recommendation that a trails event listing be continued as the one that was set up for the “Year of the Trails”. It would seem that people all over the US and even outside of the US would be interested in accessing such—they thought this would be something that the Dept. of Tourism should do since they have a sight for activities in the state now. The problem I see with that is folks who are interested in trails want to look up trails not all the other stuff and I told the council I felt this was an important part of a Trails Council. The next meeting was held on April 7 in the Governor’s Conference Room at the State Capitol in Madison. The new chair, Mike McFadzen, stated he saw some of the priorities for 2003 consisting of ATV’s, Trail passes and purchases of railroad grades. It was noted that Sue Black is not head of Article Continued on page 6… Page 6 Land Use Issues and News in the Midwest ...Continued from page 5. Parks and Recreation anymore—she has been reassigned to another section in the DNR. Her accomplishments in regard to trails were noted and a proclamation was written to recognize this. I would like to see the W4WDA send a letter to her also. A report was given by a DNR representative on the status of the DNR due to the budget. He stated there is probably going to be some layoffs but most of the cuts will be absorbed by current vacancies. There are NO PLANS TO CLOSE TRAILS, but there will be an impact on services. Master planning on parks will continue. Trail projects that have already been issued a “DOA number” will proceed—those that haven’t will not proceed for the time being. The DNR is going to need to rely more on “external groups” to design, build and maintain trails—which as was said makes more sense since these groups have the knowledge. There was a discussion of increasing trail pass fees from $10 per year to $15 and from $3 to $5 for daily passes. The Council made a recommendation to support the increase in the annual fee but recommended a change to $4 for the daily fee. A trail pass is needed to use state trails for equestrian, bicycling, rollerblading, crosscountry skiing, etc. but not hiking. Motorized vehicles need to be licensed or have a registration to use trails/roads they are allowed to run. There will be public hearings on trail pass increase proposals in June or July. The Trails Management Team (TMT) has met and has established a statement of their goals and came up with 57 issues to address. The initial issue is to refine the cooperative agreements with trail partners. A report on the Northern Off Road Recreation Trail Team–ATV Trails was made by Tim Miller of the DNR who is heading up this team. This team was developed because the number of ATV’s registered in Wisconsin is close to the same as snowmobilers if not having surpassed the snowmobile registration by now. It has been recognized that the ATV community has the potential of being a major tourist impact in Wisconsin if more trails existed. Therefore, this multi-agency task force has been formed to address this. This group not only includes state, federal and county representatives, but also the ATV association, WI Co. Forest Association and others. The goal is to coordinate public land managers in the development and environmentally sound guidance to address the engineering, education and enforcement components of providing ATV trail opportunities on public lands in northern Wisconsin. This would include linear, long loop and connecting trails. With the objective being to assist County Forest Administrators to develop access plans that are consistant/similar to other public land access plans. They will be referencing such things as the Wisconsin ATV Association’s Ride Smart program, the ATV suitability mapping done by Phil Barker of the National Forest, etc. Otherwise instead of reinventing the wheel, glean from others. It is also hoped that multi-use would hopefully continue on these trails. They need to address more the philosophical issues than the technical issues. Noise was one concern with ATV’s and decibel ratings need to be met. Issues of private property, easements and in conjunction with Ice Age Trail areas all need to be addressed. They will be meeting on April 28. At a break in the meeting I discussed with Tim the fact the need to keep these trails open for Four Wheel Drive (Jeeps, trucks etc.) as much as possible. Also that we have experienced when they set up a trail it is most often already on existing forest roads and they usually are the more interesting and nicer roads and then they close them off for us to use and also berm off intersecting trails besides so we lose even more than the actual road/trail that is established. There was again much discussion on the legalese of the right of accessing abandoned railways by the DNR. Governor Jim Doyle attended for a short time and expressed is interest and support of trails and the need to address ATV usage etc. of trails. The new Secretary of DOT, Frank Busalacchi, attended part of the meeting and stated a definite willingness to help out with trails. He stated that when he shows up” people think he drove up in a cement truck” but really he has a real interest in trails. Not only can trails be used as a means of transportation to get to work etc., but trails can be used as back-up access in emergencies. It was noted that the Council members representing the Snomobilers, the Equestrians, the Handicapped and Mike Sohasky’s position representing OHV’s was up for re- appointment in June. It was noted that even though the position for OHV is vacant at the present, the governor has decided to not appoint someone to fill that position until June with the rest of the positions coming up. It was noted that both Randy Harden and I are both candidates for the OHV positions and that an amazingly large amount of letters have been submitted to the governor on my behalf. So stay tuned on this! Thanks for your support and those who have not written a letter and would like to, you can do so by e-mail or snail mail or FAX to the governor at www.wisgov.state.wi.us or Governor Jim Doyle, PO Box 7863, Madison, WI 53707-7863, 608-266-1212 and FAX 608-267-8983. The next STAC meeting will be held July 14 in Delafield. As soon as I receive the details and agenda on this meeting I will submit it to the one-list. Anyone interested in attending is welcome. OHV COUNCIL Besides the STAC there is an OHV Council. At the January meeting I recommended that we should have someone attending all their meetings and that currently I could not justify the time to do this too. Since then I have had two individuals volunteer to attend these meetings, they are John Schnorr and Mary Strauss. I had told them that between the two of them hopefully they can see to it that at least one of them can attend each of the meetings and I would notify them as soon as I knew when the next meeting would be. As it turned out they had a meeting on March 13 but it was a Conference Call and so I did not know about it until I received the minutes of the meeting. I am giving both John and Mary a copy of the minutes and will check on when they will meet next. MARCH OF DIMES RALLY This will be the 25th year for the rally and it will be held on September 13 on Langlade County Forest land and headquartering again at the Langlade County Fairgrounds. I had submitted a letter to Plum Creek Timber to get permission to use the land we used down in the Nekoosa/Rome area for our first rally. The discussion I had with the local Plum Creek Timber contact in charge of that area was that they would review and get back to me within a week or two. Since then I have made several phone calls and the statement kept being made that due to an excessive workload due to acquisition of much more land they Page 7 Volume 1, Issue 3 Land Use Issues and News in the Midwest just hadn’t gotten to my request. At the same time I started receiving calls from the Antigo Area Chamber of Commerce requesting that we come there instead and also allow them to have their “Dirt Fest” (Blues Festival) in conjunction with our event. We have since been negotiating different possibilities, discussing pros & cons and dollars. Langlade County Fairgrounds called in the middle of this stating we had priority on the use of the Fairgrounds and if we did not feel the “Dirt Fest” was going to work out that we just needed to say so. I also called the person who represents the group that usually is in charge of camping and explained the whole “Dirt Fest” proposal to him and he was already aware of the possibility and had no problems in working this into the camping part. I finally then after another phone call to my contact at Plum Creek Timber made a decision to go forward with having the rally at Langlade County this year. This is definitely not “a last resort” type of a decision but it would have been rather special to have our 25th Anniversary actually held where it started. Well, maybe the beginning of the next 25 years can be held there…or maybe if this “Dirt Fest” program was to work out extremely well maybe the request of the Chamber of “What would it take to have you folks come back here for your rally every year” may have to be looked at seriously. A postcard has gone announcing the date and place of the rally with fliers going out probably in June. We need door prizes and special prizes. If anyone wants to work on this or wants to donate any prizes, contact Jan Thomas as 608-837-4367 or at [email protected]. NEED LOSS OF LAND Mike Ketterhagen has not received any info from anyone on land that may have been lost for trailriding with a bit of background etc. Please contact Mike with this info so he can compile for reference as we go along. UNITED FOUR WHEEL DRIVE ASSOCIATIONS (U4WDA) There have been several land use issues throughout the United States. I have not done justice to this since time just has not allowed. The conventions will be in Flagstaff, Arizona on June 26 through June 28 with June 25 being the Land Use Conference. We currently need to get our delegates registered in order for them to be seated at the conference. The delegates for W4WDA and the delegates for MW4WDA need to submit a report of what is happening in their association to U4WDA for the Annual Convention by April 28. LAKE STATES RESOURCE ALLIANCE (LSRA) I receive their newsletter. John Schnorr is on the board representing W4WDA. He is attending their meetings and I want to thank John for rolling up his sleeves and taking this on even moreso than just attending the meetings! The benefit banquet was held March 29 in Wausau. Ten of us representing Four Wheel Drive from Four Lakes Four Wheelers and Legendary CJ’s attended the Banquet. This was well noted by LSRA members! Also I hope some of you folks sold and or bought some of the raffle tick- ets. I talked to the President of LSRA, Terry Moore, a bit and thanked him for the letter of endorsement he sent to the Governor in regard to possibly appointing me to the STAC. He said that it was “an easy letter to write”. I also talked to our friend Dick Connors who was the previous owner of McCaslin Mountain. He was concerned about our access to land for the rally and other issues. My primary objective was to talk to Plum Creek Timber, but no one representing their company attended. I also renewed open discussion with other contacts we have at LSRA. Annie Archer, Chief Forester for the ChequamegonNicolet Forest with her advisors will be meeting with LSRA on the Forest Plan later in April. John will be attending and will be reporting to us on that meeting and what LSRA’s stand is on the plan. CHEQUAMEGON-NICOLET NATIONAL FOREST PLANNING The Final Draft of the plan just came out the first week of April. We now have to review and make comments in the next 90days. W4WDA needs to write a formal response to this and also provide the clubs with some recommended verbiage for response. I have contacted Carla Boucher from United Four Wheel Drive Association (U4WDA) for her input on this. We also need to wait to see what LSRA develops and we need to work with the Wisconsin ATV Association. I’m hoping that some of our response can coincide with these other groups. Continued on page 17… Update on the Chequamegon-Nicolet NF DEIS! PLEASE READ! Based upon the public response to the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forests Proposed Land and Resource Management Plan Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), the public review and comment period has been extended. In order to be responsive to requests from a variety of interests for additional time to review and formulate comments. The National Forest Service will extend the review and comment period for the DEIS is being extended an additional 30 days. This 30-day extension will begin the day following the original end of comment period (July 11, 2003), and end on August 11, 2003. To obtain DEIS documents, contact Forest Planner Sally Hess-Samuelson at 715-362-1384, or find the documents online at http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/cnnf Page 8 Pending changes: Steering as noted earlier, 1/4 elliptical rear suspension with 4-link, double transfer case with a minitruck range box and split Cruiser t-case. Hope to have this funded/finished yet in 2003, if not early 2004. I've wheeled this truck lots of places…Paragon PA, Tellico NC, Slade KY, Attica IN Badlands, Castana IA, Upper Michigan, Canada, various private spots in Minnesota, and throughout Wisconsin. This summers pending trips include Attica again, the Black Hills of South Dakota, a few more Wisconsin trips including Dresser in August, and working on a couple into Minnesota as well. Plus the usual winter runs. If you are interested in pics of some of these trips, check my website at http://www.ih8mud.com. Hopefully the "Extreme Rides" section takes off a bit…it's fun to see what people have created and how their rigs are designed…and where they've tested them! ...Continued from page 3. consist of Tach, Water, Oil, Volt, and Hourmeter in a custom stainless insert. Windshield is setup to be easily removed and the front inner fenders are trimmed out. Truck has not had a full top installed in 4-5 years….only a bikini for the trails. Steering: Scout Saginaw power conversion, Flaming River joints and shaft, stock Cruiser column, "adjusted" high output Saginaw pump, external cooler, remote reservoir, 1" Sched-80 rods and QA-1 5/8" heim joints. This is on the "summer upgrade list" to an AllPro high steer setup with minitruck knuckles and GM 1-ton ends (I think)…also going to add the hydro assist ram at that time. Misc other stuff: custom 5-core radiator, 7blade t-bird mechanical clutch fan, 16" electric pusher fan, AC compressor converted for on board air, Warn 8274-50 winch with 150' of synthetic winch rope and an aluminum hawse fairlead. Fullsize spare with beadlock on a swing away carrier. 15 gallon aluminum fuel cell. Dual Optima batteries with isolator. Rock lights. First aid kit and fire extinguisher. The usual assortment of tools, parts, and recovery gear. Truck weighs in around 4100#, fully trail loaded. Newsletter Advertising Specifications: • 133 line screen, 266 dpi+ for photos and images • Black and White only • Layouts accepted in MS publisher or Adobe pdf • Digital Black & White images in TIFF or JPEG • Camera or scan ready art is also accepted Advertising Costs: • 1/2 page back cover ad $100 per issue • 1/2 page inside ad $75 per issue • 1/3 page square ad $50 per issue • 1/6 page horizontal ad $20 per issue • 1/8 page business card ad $15 per issue Note: 10% discount for 4 issues paid in advance. Distribution: The Midwestern 4-Wheeler goes out to hundreds of 4x4 Enthusiasts throughout the Upper Midwest. Deadlines: • Winter Edition: February 1st deadline • Spring Edition: May 1st deadline • Summer Edition: August 1st deadline • Fall Edition: November 1st deadline Associate Members: Associate Members receive additional discounts on advertising in the Midwestern 4 Wheeler. If interested in becoming an Associate Member please visit www.mw4wda.org for details and application form. Contact: Midwestern 4-Wheeler Attn: Reuben Gosewisch 501 Delavan Drive Delavan, WI 53115 Phone: (262)740-1276 E-mail: [email protected] June 10, 2003 Chequamegon-Nicolet Forest Plan Revision DEIS P.O. Box 221090 Salt Lake City, UT 84122-1090 To Whom It May Concern, As a member of the Midwest 4-Wheel Drive Association and a Street Legal 4-Wheel Drive Off-Road Vehicle enthusiast, I cannot and will not support any of the proposed alternatives to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement as it concerns the Forest Plan for the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. The Preferred Alternative by the National Forest Service will result in a closing of nearly 2000 miles of road-way which is currently used doing the sport I love. Further, this plan will result in 3000 lost jobs during the worst economic down-turn in recent history. I would support an alternative which would expand (rather then decrease) general motorized access to the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. I would further support such a plan if it expanded this access by NOT considering any current roads for decommissioning and/or obliteration. Such an alternative should allow for Street Legal 4-Wheel Drive Off-Road Vehicles to be used on all Forest Service roads as well as areas open for timber harvest. Sincerely, Fall Convention 2003 Hosted by: DOOR ST BE R FO E! IZE TUM PR S CO PRIZE Midwest 4 Wheel Drive Fall Convention October 10-12, 2003 - Holiday Inn—205 S Barstow St Dinner reservations Eau Claire, Wisconsin must be made by September 15th COSTUME PARTY - DJ - KARAOKE Option 1: Hospitality, meetings, dance $15.00 per person Option 2: Hospitality, meetings, dance, Saturday dinner, door prizes Club: _________________________________ Names : _______________________________ Make checks out to: ________________________________ Northwest Trailfinders 4X4 Truck Club, Inc. ________________________________ $30.00 per person circle choice $ Option 1 2 _____ Option 1 2 _____ Option 1 2 _____ Send registration via registered mail to ensure delivery! S! SCHEDULE 2003 MAY 18 1:00pm 4 CORNERS – Sparta – Mud Classes, Intersection of Hwy. 162 & 71 (Non-Points, Test & Tune) 1:00 pm MAUSTON – Juneau Co. Fairgrounds – Hwy. 58 South JUNE 7 (Showroom Stock, Super Stock, Modified, & Tuff Truck) 7:00pm MAUSTON – Street Stock, Pro Stock, Open, & Tuff Truck 8 12:30pm ROMANCE– Mud Classes, Hwy. 56 – 12 miles west of Viroqua or Hwy. 56 – 4 miles east of Genoa 14 1:00pm ARKANSAW – South on N 3.5 miles to SS, right to top of hill, left on D (Mud and Tuff Truck) 15 1:00pm REEDSBURG – Butter Festival, Mud Classes 21 3:00pm MEDFORD – Mud Classes, 4 miles West on Hwy. 64 – Pure Country 5 Noon EAU CLAIRE – Intersection of Hwys. 37 & 85 JULY (Showroom Stock, Super Stock, Modified, & Tuff Truck) 6:00pm EAU CLAIRE (Pro Stock, Open, Street Stock, & Tuff Truck) 12 Noon CADOTT – Mud Classes, Nabor Days 19 7:00pm GLENWOOD – Mud Classes, St. Croix Co. Fair 26 6:00pm GREENWOOD, Mud Classes 6:00pm ROCHESTER, MN – Olmstead County Fair, Hwy 63 near downtown AUGUST 2 (Mud Classes: Super, Pro, Modified, Open only) 9 6:00pm GALESVILLE – Mud Classes, Trempealeau County Fairgrounds 10 1:00pm ARKANSAW – Tuff Truck only 16 1:00pm WARRENS – Mud Classes, 5 miles East on Cty. EW 23 1:00pm NEILLSVILLE – Clark Co. Fairgrounds (Show, Super, Mod & Tuff Truck) 6:00pm NEILLSVILLE – Clark Co. Fairgrounds (Street, Pro, Open & Tuff Truck Finals) SEPTEMBER 6 7 CANNON FALLS, MN – Cannon Valley Fairgrounds, Orlin Clark (608) 783-4619 (this is a tentative date) 12:30pm LACRESCENT, MN – Mud Classes, 1 mile west of LaCrescent on Hwy. 6 Minnesota Go-4 Wheelers, Inc. Tech Inspection Guidelines 2003 Items with *s are required. STEERING AND LINKAGE * Steering box and linkage cannot be loose when turning steering wheel. BRAKES AND LINES * Must have front & rear brakes. * No Pinion Brakes. * Lines must be secured to the axle and/or frame. LUG NUTS * No more than 1 of 5 or 2 of 8 missing per tire. **SECURE PLACE TO HOOK Must have at least on of the following front and rear: * Hook secured with two 1/2” or bigger, grade 5 or better bolts. (Backing plates highly recommended.) OR * Receivers can be used following these requirements: vehicles with a gross weight of over 4,000 lbs. must have a minimum 2” receiver; vehicles with a gross weight under 4,000 lbs. must have a minimum 1-1/4” receiver. All receivers must be properly bolted with grade 5 or better bolts. You may be required to remove any other style hitch. * Unsafe hooks must be removed. * Must remove trailer ball - NO trailer ball on trail. Screw type clevis permitted in rear bumper if bumper is secured properly to the frame (must be bolted with grade 5 or better bolts). * Cannot hook to cross member. * Cannot hook to spring, axle, or shackle. SUSPENSION SYSTEM & U-BOLTS * No threaded rod for U-bolts. * No suspension damage. * No lift blocks between front axle housing and front spring. BATTERY MOUNT * Must be O.E.M. style or equivalent. No wire, rubber, or nylon straps allowed. * Battery must not move. EXHAUST SYSTEM * Must have mufflers attached to engine, no open headers or straight pipes. ADDITIONAL SAFETY FEATURES: * Loose objects in vehicle and bed of truck must be secured. * Floor boards must be able to protect passengers from bodily injury. First Aid Kit. Skid plate under gas tank. Working CB Radio. SEAT BELTS * Required for all passengers. * Must be properly anchored. ROLL BAR OR NON-REMOVABLE HARD TOP * Vehicle with full removable top and previously rolled trucks must have roll bar secured with 3/8” or bigger grade 5 or better bolts. * Body mounted roll bars must have backing plates at mounting point. * Vehicles with unsound body structure, fiberglass and aluminum bodies must have a roll bar frame-mounted at a minimum of 4 points with a minimum of three 3/8” or bigger, grade 5 or better bolts. * Must have at least 1 3/4” diameter bar for main hoop and kickers; no well pipe or exhaust tubing. * The main bar must be continuous hoop with no welding. * Kickers (roll bar supports) must be at least half way up or higher. Must have kickers. * Roll bars must have inspection hole. FIRE EXTINGUISHER * Minimum 2 pound, type ABC. * No halon. * Must be securely mounted in a quick-release mounting bracket within reach of seat-belted driver. * Must be fully charged. * Gauge style only, no push button type. BRAKE PEDAL PRESSURE * Tested not running. Pedal cannot be spongy or sink to floor; brakes must have pressure. TOW STRAP REQUIRED * 2” minimum, 4” maximum, 10,000 pound minimum rating. No ropes over 1-1/2” diameter. * Strap must be in good shape; no excessive tears or fraying. * Cannot have hooks attached to strap. * No chains. * No metal splicing between straps. CLEVIS * Must be screw type, 1/2 inch or bigger - no pin type clevises. * 1/2 - 7/8 inch clevis must have stamped 10,000 lb. rating. * Must have adequate size clevis for the vehicle. * No converted pin-type clevis. MISC: * No visible fluid leaks on vehicle. * No antennas over 48” MN ORV Sticker. **To comply with our insurance requirements, the Rally Master, Co Rally Master or any safety committee member will have the authority to make final decisions on any questionable vehicle equipment. All vehicles must go through this inspection prior to trailrides. Volume 2, Issue 1 Page 15 News from the Iowa Association Written by: Merle "Howie" Howard Iowa is going through some changes. The bill we proposed to the legislature did not become a law, but we are ever confident that it will happen. As it stands right now, the senate passed it unanimously and the bill went to the House Ways and Means Committee here it ran up against the DNR. While the DNR didn't actually oppose the bill (they told us they would back it) but they did bring the insurance industry. The insurance industry raised enough of a question that made the Representatives a little uneasy and the House left the bill in the Ways & Means. This is not a bad thing, because Governor Tom Vilsack signed the Standings Appropriations Bill and the wording included that the DNR as well as the DOT will meet with the Iowa Association of 4 Wheel Drive Clubs, to establish a plan to open "Off Road" parks in the state of Iowa. The plan must be reached by Jan. 01, 2004. At this time the DOT is pushing the DNR to come up with dates and times for the proposed meetings as prescribed by the governor and the pressure from the House to get this done is overwhelming. There are more than 90 Representatives on our side and we already have the Senate. If the DNR does not cooperate, we can win be default. On the horizon, there is going to be another off road recreation area in Iowa. There are several members from all of the Mid West clubs in Iowa, working diligently on cutting trails and moving rocks and making paths. The goal is to have it ready by August 1st, 2003. The land, a reclaimed gypsum mine, is privately owned by Jim and Sue Ricke, in Fort Dodge, Iowa and consists of several ravines and hill climbs as well as mud bogging pits and mild trails. There is a concession area, a pavilion (for live entertainment) and shower/restroom facilities at the campgrounds. There are hotels nearby and plenty of places to shop or eat. Some of the clubs are making a name for themselves. The Jeep Outdoor Club of Central Iowa just hosted a Jeep seminar in conjunction with a local Jeep dealership in Des Moines. The Make It Or Break It 4 wheel drive club hosted their infamous Memorial Day Run with over 100 trail vehicles involved and nearly 400 people. They will also out do themselves again during their Labor Day Run this year and their Toys For Tots run this fall. The Iowa Trailhogs had a spring clean up at their local playground called 600 acres and they are planning their fundraising events for this year. Iowa is so much more than the 4th of July run at Castana, Iowa. Give us a chance to show you our playgrounds, you'll be surprised at what we have done with the place and we aren't that far away! Your Iowa Delegate, Merle "Howie" Howard [email protected] Inaugural Run at the Fort Dodge, Iowa Off-Road Facilities! IA4WDC PRESIDENT Bob Rees 402 Adams Warren County, IA 50061 (515)981-4794 e-mail: [email protected] VICE PRESIDENT Jeff Gilbert 3413 Scenic Vallet Drive W. Des Moines, IA 50266 (515)226-1229 e-mail: [email protected] SECRETARY Matt McVicker 2616 59th St. Des Moines, IA 50322 (515)277-1564 e-mail: [email protected] TREASURER Julie Moore 7085 SE Bloomfield Lot 139 Des Moines, IA 50320 (515)287-7438 e-mail: [email protected] BOARD MEMBER Ken Ristau 3217 56th Street Des Moines, IA 50310 (515)334-0492 e-mail: [email protected] MW4WDA STATE DIRECTOR Merle "Howie" Howard We are going to have our inaugural run at the Ft. Dodge, Iowa off-road facilities on August 1st - 3rd. 1112 N. 8th Ave. There is a large campground with bathroom and shower facilities. Hotels and convenience stores Newton, IA 50208 (641)791-9780 within 5 minutes. There will be a food court on site conveniently located for all to enjoy. Parking is e-mail: [email protected] not a problem! There are mud pits, hill climbs, impossible boulder strewn ravines and off camber stuff as well as some very mild trails for beginners. Some trails are as yet untraveled and should appeal to the “Trail Blazers” in the crowd. There will be opportunities to “Free for all” and make your own trail. Admission fees for MW4WDA members will be $30 (per trail rig) and $45 for non-members. A $5 camping fee (for the event not per day) will be assessed for each site (that is 5 bucks per tent or camper not per person). There will be some raffle prizes to be given away. Off road vendors may be on-site to help with parts and supplies. There will be a tech inspection and safety briefing before proceeding onto the trails. I hope everyone can attend, this is a fund raiser for the Iowa Association with proceeds to go for the new legislation and land use in Iowa. Thank You all and tell (bring) a friend! Howie More Info at the MW4WDA Message Board: http://www.mw4wda.org/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl Page 16 MN4WDA PRESIDENT Charlie Malachek MN Landrovers (320)963-6892 e-mail: [email protected] VICE PRESIDENT Ken Martineau MN Swamp Bucks (612)508-4825 SECRETARY Darryl Wesloh Dakota Dirt Diggers (612)724-5878 e-mail: [email protected] TREASURER Dianne Sullivan MN Go 4 Wheelers (763)421-7412 MEMBERSHIP Kurt Loftfield Midwest Vintage Bronco Club (651)731-2645 e-mail: [email protected] LAND USE Scott Bidon Outcasts (507)263-3882 MW4WDA STATE DIRECTOR Gale Jacobsen 6366 320th St. Way Cannon Falls, MN 55009 (507)645-8990 e-mail: [email protected] MN4WDA Insurance Update We have a new insurance carrier for our Minnesota policy it is now being handled by Lloyds of London and the new rate is less than would have cost us with the previous provider for the current amount of clubs we have in the Association. There was a couple of concerns that arose (from Mike Sullavan) during the switch that need to be brought to everyone’s attention. This Insurance coverage is to protect the Association as a whole from being sued if someone was to get hurt during one of our events that a club would be hosting. It is NOT personal car insurance for you, if someone was injured IN YOUR VEHICLE during an event it would be your personal insurance policy that would take care of expenses incurred from the injury. If someone was hurt by your vehicle who was not a passenger and your insurance would not take care of said person our insurance coverage would take effect. With that said this is also a reminder to you and everyone in your club they must have their own insurance coverage for their trailride vehicle!!! We as the Association are not responsible for this for you. I am attaching the e-mail sent to me from our insurance agent after speaking with him about the concerns that we were not receiving the coverage we needed for the events we have and will be hosting in the future. “Your policy had never been nor will ever be Vehicle or Auto insurance coverage. As with any Public Liability policy it excludes injuries to any persons operating, entering into or alighting from any vehicle or while passenger in any vehicle. That is what I was explaining to Mike. It does not exclude injuries to spectators or other people that are not a part of the vehicle should the vehicle hit them while at an event. The MN 4 Wheel Drive Association DOES not own, operate, control etc any vehicles to my knowledge. There is no policy available that will provide coverage for the members for claims arising out of their use of the vehicles - they own their own vehicles & as such are responsible for injuries to any one in that vehicle or damages that cause with the vehicle. The club policies protect the club for accidents of which the “club” is negligent and cause the injury. I tried to explain to Mike that on special events of rides ect, all participants are excluded while occupying the vehicle. I didn’t say the non-participants were excludes. That is why every event - whether it is 4x4, ATV’s, snowmobiles, motorcycles, or any sporting event - all participants sign waivers. That is the only way to protect yourself. You cannot buy insurance that will be “auto” insurance for all your members. If we could find it, it would cost the same as personal auto insurance times the number of members which would run into the tens of thousands of dollars. Needless to say, if MN 4x4 feels that they want coverage for all injuries to people in vehicles, then this policy wouldn’t work and I can’t help obtain one that will that the Association could afford. Trust this will answer your questions. That is why the price on this policy is quite reasonable is because it is public liability insurance - not automobile liability insurance. This policy protects against injuries to the public arising out of the club activities and the club does not own, operate, lease, or have in their control any motor vehicles.” This will hopefully enlighten everyone to what our actual coverage is and what we are getting for the money, and why we sign waivers every time we go to an event. The current process to set up coverage for your club event is: Contact Erickson and Larsen at 1800-4423168 two weeks minimum prior to the event, as for Candy Johnson ext.45 She will take the necessary info for the event, If she is not available, speak to Merwyn Larsen direct at 763-257-1361 Info they will need when you call: Name of the club Dates of the event What the activities will be I.E Trailriding, mudracing, etc… Approximate number of people attending. You will receive a copy of the rider for the weekend for your event from EricksonLarsen. The payment is due upon receipt so please make sure it is taken care of. I will also receive a copy in case there is a problem. Further Questions feel free to call me anytime!! Tim Lundquist HTR 4x4 612-508-4573 Volume 2, Issue 1 Page 17 News from the Wisconsin Association ...Continued from page 7. KICKAPOO VALLEY RESERVE (LaFarge) The Kickapoo Valley Reserve Board was looking for public input from the area as to what they wanted the land to be used for. The local club “The Weekend Four Wheelers” had representation at all the meetings. There seems to be a bit of support by other users for Four Wheel Drive use. This is far from being a reality, but there is at least a bit of discussion occurring. I will be sending a letter (basically the same letter I sent last time with some updating) with the hopes it may help a bit with new people and maybe a bit open mindedness. BLACK RIVER FALLS/JACKSON COUNTY I met with Forester, James Zahasky in Jackson County Forestry and Parks Department. This is the boss of the individual I usually talk to. I asked him if anything had changed on the county forestry land and nothing has changed. I believe as I figured the rumor of opening up the forest more for "four wheel drive" was actually ATV's. The push has been statewide that since the snowfall was so limited this year that ATV's should be able to run areas more during the winter months with certain parameters and possibly even run roads more for access etc., etc. As far as us as the original Four Wheel Drive is concerned the policy is as usual and it reads under Four Wheel Drive Vehicle Trails..."The Committee (Forestry and Parks) has the authority to establish and maintain trails for four wheel drive vehicles, otherwise known as "mud boggers". Organized four wheel drive events, approved by the County, have occurred on the County Forest. Unauthorized four wheel drive use on the forest has been common. Both the approved events and casual use have prompted numerous complaints from local units of government and have resulted in unacceptable damage to Town roads and to County Forest roads and trails. Jackson County will not establish, nor will it condone the use of the County Forest as a recreation area for four wheel drive vehicles. However, he went on to show another part of policy that for some reason I do not have a copy of that indicates Four Wheel Drive use is acceptable on roads/trails as long as no damage occurs. My problem with the statement of "as long as no damage occurs" is very ambiguous since the word "damage" can be interpreted differently by different folks and we did discuss this a bit. I also told him I took exception to the statement "otherwise known as mud boggers". He said the ten-year plan is up for review and public hearings will start this fall and he encourages us to be part of these. We need to be at these and we need people in the area to be the main people keeping tabs on this-anyone or group available? To keep up on what is going on in this respect it was recommended we access their website at www.co.jackson.wi.us. Hopefully we'll find out when these public hearings are going to start and be heard!! He also informed me that the Black River State Forest is the next to be reviewed by the state on their "25 year plan" and we should keep a watch for that. I attempted to touch bases with my contact there but he was out of the office when I stopped by. We have opportunity up there on both a county and state level if there are folks ready to work on this. Let me know of interest out there and let's see what we can put together. COUNTY TEN YEAR PLANS The County ten year plans are starting up soon if not already. Contact your county and fine out when your county’s plan will be starting. You can also check their website at www.co.(name of your county).wi.us for what is coming up or send them an e-mail through their website. LAKE WISCONSIN ATV CLUB This club headquartering in Poynette is visualizing a trail system for ATV’s and possibly Four Wheel Drives at least on some of the trail system. These trails would be primarily on private property along fencelines and possibly other blited land. The Four Lakes Four Wheelers has volunteered to support this with help establishing this trail if there can be some agreement established on usage. It’s a great idea if it could work—stay tuned… WI4WDA PRESIDENT Mary Lynn Strauss 9626 CTY. R. Whitelaw, WI 54247 (920)683-1966 e-mail: [email protected] VICE PRESIDENT REGION A Mike Katterhagen 2192 18 1/2 Ave. Rice Lake, WI 54868 (715)236-7716 VICE PRESIDENT REGION B Orlin Clark 810 4th Ave. North Onalaska, WI 54650 (608)783-4619 email: [email protected] VICE PRESIDENT REGION C Ken Dibble W2851 Johnson LN. Neosho, WI 53059 (920)474-7407 e-mail: [email protected] SECRETARY Helen Wagner 3267 Rolling Hill Drive Pulaski, WI 54162 (920)865-3267 e-mail: [email protected] TREASURER Mary Hoernke 203 Gruenwald Ave. Neenah, WI 54956 (920)722-3777 e-mail: [email protected] MW4WDA STATE DIRECTOR Luana Schneider 6793 CTH “C” DeForset, WI 53532 (608)837-7409 e-mail: [email protected] Page 18 Midwest Hard Core Rides & Rigs Chris Hannis’ 71 Toyota Land Cruiser Written By: Chriss Hannis Purchased in 1993 as a stock ’71 Landcruiser with a 2” body lift I wheeled it a couple of times, once in Lafarge, WI and once at the March of Dimes Rally. Do to the fact that my Girlfriend at that time wouldn’t learn how to drive a stick shift, Jan ’94 began the transformation into the vehicle it is today. Originally I was just going to install the Chevy 400 cubic inch small block and TH400 automatic. Once installed I found that there wasn’t enough clearance for a front drive shaft to be installed, and still keep the stock cruiser axles. This is when the Scout Dana 44 axles came into play. The rear of the vehicle was the easy part doing a spring over to clear larger tires. The front end was another story, installing a 4-link suspension to increase articulation. Using mainly parts that were available and manufacturing the remaining parts to achieve 14” of travel. This was how the truck remained until winter of 2000-2001. I sent the truck to Jim Ridderbush at Ridder Fab for a new Body; Roll Cage sporting Corbeau Baja SS seats. Once Jim was done with it Jon Fintelman at Jon’s Auto Body sprayed the truck a purple similar to the original color it was when I received it from the previous owner. When Jon finished the color I sent it over to Brundrige Auto body for some spray in Bed lining. Running beadlock Wheels and some old Grand Prix 36.5 directional being turned by 4.56 gears and a welded rear end and tracloc front differential it travels most areas with ease. Attacking the Deep Water Climbing the Muddy Hill At the Ice Races! Check It Out! Cleaned Up in the Shop Send us your hard core wheelin’ pics with a write up and you can be famous too! At the end of the year you will have a choice to pick the Hard Core Wheeler Check It Out! Volume 2, Issue 1 Page 19 Midwest 4 Wheel Drive Club, Independent, and Associate Members MEMBER CLUBS Contact: Mike Speiker (952)461-3281 Badger State 4 Wheelers of WI n5414 cnty rd. V, Durand, WI 54736 Contact: Tony Weber (715)672-5747 Mudslingers P.O. Box 572, Manitowoc, WI 54221 Contact: Mary Lynn Strauss (920)683-1966 Badgerland TNT 4X4 Club Inc. 654 South 65th Street, Milwaukee ,WI 53214 Contact: Rob Fehl (414)771-2646 Northwest Trail finders Inc. P.O. Box 235, Chetek, WI 54728 Contact: Chris Novak (715)837-1239 Borderline 4x4 Trailseekers P.O. Box 123, Hager City, WI 54014 Contact: Jon Clemens (715)792-5328 Prairie State 4 Wheel Drive Club 1139 N Harvard Cir., South Elgin, IL 60177 Central Iowa 4 WheelersInc. Clear Water 4-Wheelers Inc. P.O. Box 331, Eau Claire, WI 54702 Contact: Jason Goetti (715)838-9193 Dakota Dirt Diggers 1404 E. 3rd St., Hastings, MN 55033 Contact Butch Chapin (615)437-2457 Damage Inc. 2460 S. 66th St.,West Allis, WI 53219 Contact: Jake Funk (414)546-1419 Extreme Offroaders 4WD club, LTD 1105 Greenfield Trail, Oshkosh, WI 54902 Contact: Rob Ratdke (920)410-4318 Fly-N-Hi Four Wheelers P.O. Box 650, Watertown, WI 53094 Contact: Scott Schoenherr (920)261-8113 Green Bay HighRiders, LTD P.O. Box 13403, Green Bay, WI 54307 Contact: Helen Wagner (920)499-9391 Ridge Runners Jeep Club Inc. 1110 192nd St., Baldwin, WI 54002 Contact: Al Penfield (715)796-2164 River City Four Wheelers 810 4th Ave. North, Onalaska, WI 54650 Contact: Orlin Clark (608)783-4619 River City Trailriders, LTD P.O. Box 161, Watertown, WI 53904 Contact: Steve Dunn (920)927-5745 River Valley Swamp Rats 290 Howard Ave. St., Amery, WI 54001 Contact: Dan Romberg Roadside Four Wheelers, Inc. P.O. Box 216, Mt. Horeb, WI 53572 Contact: Sheri Zahler (608)924-1604 Southern Minnesota 4-Wheelers Inc. P.O. Box 66, Medford, MN 55049 Contact: Amanda Hall (507)334-9291 Swamp Stompers, Inc. 214 Churchhill Rd., Somerset, WI 54025 Contact: Todd Paulson (715)386-2295 Jeep Outdoor Club of Central Iowa The Lake Shore Four Wheel Drive Club, Inc. P.O. Box 0534, Manitowoc, WI 54221 Contact: Scott Ohlrogge (920)684-9257 Legendary Civillian Jeepers Inc. 209 N Hwy S, Cato, WI 54230 Contact: Doug Richter (920)775-4946 Make It or Brake It Minnesota 4X4 Brothers, Inc. 19855 Chevelle Ave., Farmington, MN 55024 Contact: Bob Krammer (651)451-6378 Minnesota 4X4 Highrollers, Inc. P.O. Box 623, Fairbault, MN 55021 Contact: Carl Overland (507)835-4717 Trail Runners, LTD 1650 Garden Drive, Janesville, WI 53546 Contact: Brent Ellis (608)741-8901 Trailgators 4-Wheelers, Inc. P.O. Box 222, Green Lake, WI 54941 Contact: Brenda Stoneberg (920)295-4286 Twin City Bushwackers Off Road Club, LTD. 2091 Claireville Rd., Oshkosh, WI 54904 Contact: Chris Hannis (920)235-9125 Weekend 4-Wheelers Inc. E7906 Cherry Grove Rd., Viroqua, WI 54665 Contact: Nicole Miller (608)637-6801 e-mail: [email protected] John Bjornstad 326 Edgewood Dr., Hudson, WI 54016 Donald Danielson 43362 Stark Rd. Ct., Harris, MN 55032 Ken Dibble W2851 Johnson Ln., Neosho, WI 53059 Jeff Doonan 1103 6th St., Hudson, WI 54016 Bob Evans 27101 Xylite St. NE, Isanti, MN 55040 Steve Evans 26301 University Avenue NE, Isanti, MN 55040 Brian Frank 234 S. Adams St., Westmont, IL 60559 Kenneth Friend 1112 W 4th St., Cedar Falls, IA 50613 Harold and Mary Hoernke 203 Grudenwald Ave., Neenah, WI 54956 Ron King 1013 Artic Trail, Roberts, WI 54023 Tim Meinert 28027 Bayshore Dr. NW, Isanti, MN 55040 Dean Michels 928 Constance Blvd NE, Ham Lake, MN 55304 Marvin Michels 928 Constance Blvd NE, Ham Lake, MN 55304 Norman Michels 2814 317th NE, Cambridge, MN 55008 Greg Plahn 314 Edgewood Dr., Hudson, WI 54016 David Quien 19337 Leyte St. NE, Wyoming, MN 55092 Luana Schneider 6793 CTH C, DeForest, WI 53532 Joel Sundt 712 McCutcheon Rd., Hudson, WI 54016 Bill Westerdahl 1547 63rd. St., Somerset, WI 54025 ASSOCIATE BUSINESS MEMBERS Minnesota Go-4-Wheelers, Inc. P.O. Box 583261, Minneapolis, MN 55458 Contact: Lynn Yetter (612)479-3975 INDEPENDENT MEMBERS Minnesota Swamp Bucks, Inc. P.O. Box 833, Lakeville, MN 55044 Mark Bierbrauer 832 190th St., Dresser, WI 54009 Miller Brothers Auto Repair 1782 46th St., Somerset, WI 54025 Ultimate 4 Wheel Drive Performance, Inc. 2300B W. Leonard Ave., Appleton, WI 54914 Attention Club Delegates! Important Information Regarding the Minnesota Go-4 Wheeler’s 20th Annual Midwest Trailrides at Trollhaugen Ski Area, Dresser,WI Attention Club Delegates: Please share the enclosed Midwest Trailrides ’03 flyer and Tech Inspection Rules with your club members. Note that this Trailride is an invitational event for members of Midwest, Minnesota or Wisconsin only – it is not open to the public. We have current membership lists from the Midwest and Minnesota associations. But if you feel that your list with these associations may not be up to date, please provide us with a current membership list (either mail it or bring it with you). If you have any questions, please let one of us know. See you in August. Rick Oehme (651-451-7561) Lynn Yetter (762-479-3975) We’re on the WEB www.mw4wda.org Responsible use of Public Lands through Conservation, Education, and Safety Next Submission Deadline: November 1st, 2003! Reuben Gosewisch, Editor 501 Delavan Drive Delavan, WI 53115-3050 Email: [email protected] Official publication of the Midwest 4 Wheel Drive Association SPRING 2003 MIDWESTERN 4-WHEELER PERMIT #2637 Madison, WI PAID PRSRT STD U.S. Postage