The Latest and Greatest from Vegas

By: Harry Wagner
Photos by: Harry Wagner and Mike McAndrews

Friday we scored All Access passes to photograph show vehicles without having to worry about ending up with a shot of the back of someone’s head.

There is only one thing that makes us want to spend a week in the same town as Celine Dion. It isn’t poker tables, all you can eat buffets, or even buxom showgirls. We endure these hardships in order to bring you the latest in off road hardware that is presented each year at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show. The SEMA Show is for members of the automotive industry only and not open to the public, but there is no need to don your trench coat and dark sunglasses and head to Sin City. Instead you can rely on your friends at BC4x4.com to walk miles each day over concrete floors to bring you the latest and greatest the aftermarket has to offer.

The SEMA Show encompasses everything from wax to wheels to wiper blades, all of which must be waded through to find the practical four wheel drive parts. Along the way we encounter near lethal doses of chrome, 22” rims, and scantily clad spokes models. This year Mega Cabs and H3s were out, and Jeep Wrangler JKs and FJ Cruisers were way in. The new JK shares very few parts with the TJ, so the aftermarket was scrambling to have new parts ready for SEMA. That didn’t stop Mastercraft or Fab Fours from shoehorning Hemi engines under the hoods of their JKs just days prior to the show. Suspensions on the new JK are entirely different from the TJ and the rear geometry will be limited by the new gas tank placement and the fact that the arms are mounted outboard of the frame instead of under it. The axles are also wider and use a different pinion and axle spline count than previous Dana 44s, requiring gear manufacturers to retool for the new Wrangler. The wheel pattern is also an oddball 5 on 5, but Teraflex has already addressed that issue with 5 on 5.5 wheel spacer/adapters.

These girls were trying to sell turbos and import parts so we pretended to be interested long enough to snap a few photos.		Donahoe built this FJ Cruiser to race in the Baja 1000. Rock racer Shannon Campbell will be behind the wheel for the first 300 miles on the race.
One product we were disappointed not to see was low profile taillights for the FJ Cruiser. Somehow we don’t think that these guards are going to cut it on the trail.	It is amazing what can be accomplished with factory support. This FJ Cruiser ‘ute was built by Toyota themselves. Could it be available at a dealer near you in the future?	This new JK Rubicon was well built with a Warn winch, Hutchinson beadlocks, and 37” BFGoodrich Krawlers. The best part was that this vehicle was built by Jeep themselves and displayed in Mopar Alley.
Skyjacker’s Wrangler used their new 4” lift to fit 37” Toyos on 20” rims. The Outback trailer on the back used the same paint scheme and tire and wheel combination.		This diesel Toyota Prado from the Dakar Rally sat at the entrance to the Off Road Hall. It didn’t get much attention since it was short on chrome but rest assured that it is extremely capable.
Did you ever wonder what the result would be if a Commander knocked up a Liberty? Witness the new Jeep Patriot.

Even with all these changes, in the Truck & Off-road Hall you couldn’t throw a silicone breast implant without hitting a new Jeep Wrangler JK or the show’s other darling, the FJ Cruiser. Some manufacturers, such as Warn and Skyjacker, had both vehicles in their booth to attract crowds. The most common products for these two new vehicles were suspension lifts and bumpers. The majority of the suspension lifts consisted of taller coils and new shocks, however Rubicon Express debuted a long arm kit for the JK that uses radius arms front and rear to clear the mid mounted gas tank. Rancho also had an innovative long arm JK suspension that used a three link in the back with the uppers mounted aft of the axle to address the fuel tank. Rough Country had the nicest FJ Cruiser lift we saw; a 6” lift complete with new knuckles and Rad Flo remote reservoir shocks.

Various celebrities were also sighted throughout the convention center during the SEMA Show. Rappers such as Ice T and Funkmaster Flex were found signing autographs alongside buxom models in the Tire & Wheel Hall, while attendees lined up to see racers such as John Force and Dale Earnhardt Jr. in Hot Rod Alley. Chip Foose was also very popular this year, in addition to filming an episode of Overhaulin’ in a studio constructed on site in the convention center parking lot, his vehicles and parts were found in nearly every corner of every hall. The off-road crowd was not left out in the cold; Ivan Stewart, Parnelli Jones, Cameron Steele, and Ryan Arciero were in attendance, as were a number of rock racers who stayed for the WE Rock World Finals in Vegas the weekend following the show.

Rod Millen was also on hand posing in front of his new FJ Cruiser. Millen is to race the Toyota in the Full Stock class at this year’s Baja 1000. He will compete against another famous Rod, the only man to compete in every single Baja 1000 in a four wheel drive vehicle: Rod Hall and his Team Hummer H3. We hope that this reignites interest in off-road racing from manufacturers and the technology developed from these efforts trickles down to the consumer in the future.

Jack Roush was on hand with his trademark hat. Roush split his time between appearances, lecturing, and staffing his company’s booth.	We spied Chip Foose rolling his latest creation into Ford’s booth on Monday before the show began. The rest of the week there was an hour wait to get this close to Foose.	Proof that money doesn’t buy taste. Kids, when you grow up and can afford a Lamborghini, don’t put murals of dolphins on the side.
The ARCA series is the next stop for Toyota’s world domination. After that they are taking on the Busch Series and Nextel Cup.		YEEEEEEHAW!!! We don’t know whether it was the Dukes of Hazzard movie or the release of Dodge’s new Charger, but vintage Mopars were popular at this year’s SEMA show.
The flat black paint under the flames on this show truck was found on everything from Nissan Sentras to Toyota Tacomas to Dodge Magnums.	We can’t imagine why you would need so many gauges so we can only assume that 14 of these are to monitor water temperature. Just a snapshot of the weird and wacky that is the SEMA Show.	Millen Land Cruiser
What is the opposite of bling? Unbling? Antibling? Whatever it is, this Hummer H1 has got it.		Unpainted parts and tack welds are now fashionable, as illustrated by this rat rod. Of course we pioneered this trend several years ago with our vehicles.
Yamaha Rhinos were quite popular this year. Products ranging from roll cages to seats to suspension systems are now available for these side by sides.	When you have to retrofit headlights into your bumper to meet law requirements it might be an indication that your truck is a shade too tall.

Plenty of products already have trickled down, if the 1500 new products unveiled at the SEMA show are any indication. Winches were hot this year, with several new electric offerings from MileMarker, who made their name with hydraulic winches and military contracts. Ramsey released the Patriot 9500 UT winch, which features a 5.5 horsepower motor, a new self-engaging clutch design, and a remote control as standard equipment. Not be outdone, Warn revealed their Powerplant winch that couples a 9500Ti winch with an integrated air compressor that can flow 5 cfm at 90 psi. The air compressor is built in house by Warn and simplifies wiring and installation with buggies or crowded engine bays.

Extreme Outback Products displayed a number of new products this year, including a new air compressor of their own. The ExtremeAire Magnum has a 1.5 horsepower motor that can flow 2.6 cfm at 100 psi and is completely sealed from the elements. When it comes time to air down the tires, Extreme Outback Products now offers Multi-Choice tire deflators with six present levels. They also have an inexpensive alternative to their wonderful TyrePliers with the Bead Buster, which is compact and mounts on the foot of a Hi-Lift Jack.

Those products will come in handy on all the new tires available in large diameters. Pro Comp introduced the Xtreme M/T to compliment its milder Xtreme A/T. The M/T is offered in similar sizes to the A/T and with the same three ply Armor-Tek3 construction. Dick Cepek has been busy developing new treads in a wide variety sizes to fit large diameter rims. If that isn’t enough to seal the deal, the Mud Country has tread that looks like small rocks, while the Crusher tread has skulls and bones in it. Toyo didn’t introduce any new tires, but to keep from being forgotten they did take a select group of media and industry big wigs to the nearby Imperial Sand Dunes for a day of fun with Kyle Leduc and Robby Gordon. Although we found numerous shiny rims in 20-22” applications, the most significant new wheel we saw was Weld’s three piece 17” Commando forged beadlock rim.

New drivetain parts were in abundance this year as well. Dynatrac is producing Dana 60 hubs with 40 spline stub shafts and a 2” slimmer than stock design for better protection in the rocks. Moser has joined Diamond Axles, Spidertrax, Sunray Engineering, and Currie Enterprises in the fabricated Ford 9” axle housing market. They are focusing on street applications but it wouldn’t be difficult to adapt one of these housings to a four wheel drive vehicle. ARB isn’t the only Aussie manufacturer offering air actuated lockers on this side of the pond anymore. TJM introduced their air operated Pro Locker at the show. Applications are currently limited, but TJM hopes to add more Dana applications after testing the waters in the US and Canada. ARB released new cast differential covers, Old Man Emu Suspension for the FJ Cruiser, and a clever competition inspired snatch block at the show.

On the sheet metal side of things, flat and satin paints with bright pinstripes were definitely in style this year. We witnessed this rat rod inspired paint scheme on everything from Nissan Sentras to heavy duty Chevrolet trucks. American Expedition Vehicles, known for their factory clean Wrangler Hemi conversions has dramatically expanded their product line and demonstrated that even in the shadow of the new JK there are still innovative products being produced for TJs. They will now offer their Brute pickup conversion in kit form, complete with all necessary parts and jigs. They also debuted their Highline hood and fenders, which look factory but have bigger fender openings higher for three additional inches of tire clearance.

It is a sad day when an 87 Chevy Caprice has more ground clearance than your Jeep.		Bilstein has upgraded their excellent 9100 series dampers with the 9300 series that feature huge aluminum rod ends and the same rebuildable construction and custom valving.
Kilby Enterprises has already developed an onboard air system for the new Wrangler JK. The new system adds a belt driven compressor under the hood without affecting the factory air conditioning.	One of the most innovative new products we saw were these air bumps from Light Racing. They offer bolt on installation for a variety of vehicles and dramatically improve handling at speed.

Bigger was a theme for Toyota this year as well, who had the best manufacturer’s booth by a wide margin. They debuted the new larger ’08 Tundra, which will be the most expensive new vehicle launch in US history. Toyota is betting the bank on the Tundra and trying to pry away the last market where the domestic manufacturers outsell them. In addition to two Tundras (one lifted and the other lowered), Toyota had many other unconventional vehicles on display. The FJ Cruiser from Petersen’s 4Wheel & Off Road’s Ultimate Adventure was joined by another FJ Cruiser “ute” with a miniature bed and open top. “We wanted to do it before anyone else could” commented Mark Amstock, Toyota National Product Marketing Manager.

A turbocharged hybrid was another first. Toyota displayed a Highlander Hybrid outfitted with a BorgWarner turbocharger to boost the horsepower to 305 while retaining low emissions and excellent fuel mileage. Our clear favorite however, was an FJ45 rat rod built by Richard Graves in just 45 days. The Land Cruiser had an 800 horsepower Toyota NASCAR engine resting under the flat black hood. We have been selling vehicles in the U.S. for fifty years” Amstock declared, “we have a history here too and this vehicle was a great way to express that.”

The FJ Cruiser Trail Team was present all weekend giving away promotional items and giving vehicle demos on the simulated rock course in front of the convention center.		Apparently the bumper stickers are true. Chicks really do dig body damage.
Petersen’s 4Wheel & Off Road Ultimate FJ was in Toyota’s booth, although much of the factory drivetrain had been removed and replaced with aftermarket components.	2008 Toyota Tundra	2008 Toyota Tundra
This little Toyota Stout looked like it was brand new, even though it is 40 years old! Toyota had several vintage pickups on display in front of the south hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

No other manufacturer came close to the innovative and tasteful vehicles Toyota prepared for the show. Nissan’s hot pink 350Z and lowered Ecko edition Armada were uninspiring in our opinion, particularly compared to a turbocharged hybrid and Land Cruiser rat rod. We do appreciate that Nissan had Carl Renezeder’s CORR racing Titan in their booth, but it wasn’t enough. The Pro-4 truck was complete with broken fiberglass and covered in dirt, which did make it stand out in a sea of vehicles constantly swept by California Dusters. They say that chrome won’t get you home, but it will likely get you spot on the show floor in Vegas.