Warranties: Bad

You know some companies offer really great warranties and services and some just say they do. K&N Filters as I have come to find out only say they do. I have an older version that has physically shrunk, so I sent them an e-mail and they said that it was a defect in the material that they used. So I called them up to set up a way to swap the old one out for the new one, however, because I don't have a receipt they won't do anything! This is after they stated that this was a defect in their product!!! Needless to say I am not recommending these filters to anyone else at all.

Warranties: Good

There is a company who makes lockers known as ARB. These people stand behind their products. I had a defective unit that caused some damage to my gears and they set a new unit with new gears and bearings at no cost to me at all. This was over 800 dollars for parts and labor!!! This is a business that I will (and do) recommend.   

Unsafe Lifts

   I was driving through town the other day and saw a really high lifted new model Dodge that was sitting on 39.5" TSL Boggers. While I was driving along, I noticed when he stopped at a light, the front of the truck actually went up, instead of down or staying level like most "normal" vehicles. I got beside him and saw that the front suspension arms were at such a severe angle that when the brakes were applied the axle actually tries to push back under the cab. He stopped again as I was beside him and the axle went back about 3-4 inches, and as he came to a complete stop, the axle then moved forward and back into position under the wheel wells. This is a result of really poor design, not by the lift company but by the owner adding to it beyond the maximum allowable limits. The Dodge design is really good, so good that I built my own version and put it under my Ford in place of the radius arms. This type of suspension isn't designed to operate at such severe angles. I can get really technical as to why this is a dangerous mistake but you probably don't have the time. Just a thought: if the shocks were to pull out of the body when he stopped hard, at those angles, the axle would go so far backward the tires could actually hit the cab, or cause a serious accident, is that safe to you??  

Biasing

   You know the type, they are the one that believe that only one thing is good for a certain application. For example those who believe that a Jeep is the only vehicle capable of going off-road. Not to pick on Jeeps, but it is more common in the Jeep crowd. There are those that feel that Jeeps shouldn't be allowed on the street. Any vehicle can be built to perform well for most any type of terrain the builder wants to drive on. In some areas I've seen full-size vehicles make jeeps look stupid and I have seen jeeps make the full-sizes look stupid as well. A capable vehicle is just that, now lets all just have fun.

Trash!!

   One of the most upsetting things I see on trail rides are the piles of trash that seem to be all over the place. Why? Why do people do this when it is just as easy to take it to the land fill or local waste disposal site. I do not litter on the trail, or on the streets. If you are on the trail and have trash from lunch, put it in a bag and keep it with you. You've all heard the saying...All it takes is one bad apple to spoil the whole bunch, well that one bad apple can and has cost us land use privileges and it gives us a bad name. I don't want that and you shouldn't either. 

   Another aspect of littering and throwing trash in the woods, is the fact that it does the environment harm and can kill the wild life in the surrounding areas. When I'm on a trail I like to see the occasional deer, turkey or any other wild creature for that matter. Isn't that supposed to be why we go into the woods, to see the wildlife and scenery? We also like challenging obstacles.  But if the scenery wasn't there would it be worth the trip, money, or time? If there was no wilderness scenery we might as well go to the city and jump curbs all day.

   Oh yeah isn't flinging cigarette butts out the window considered littering? Yet everyone seems to do it!  I don't smoke but come on people, these things start fires that can and do ruin lives. Imagine if you have a gas leak (they happen!) and you stop at a red light and there just happens to be a still it cigarette butt there and catches your vehicle on fire or causes you to get burned! All because someone doesn't care. I'm not saying that I'm opposed to smoking but lets do it in a safe way. They say to drink responsibly or don't drink, well if you can't smoke responsibly then don't smoke!

   And by the way, I recently was given some info on certain types of trash and the length of time it takes them to decompose or break down.  Cigarette butts 1-5 yrs, Aluminum cans / tabs 80-100 yrs, Those little plastic six pack drink holders 100 yrs, Banana and Orange peels up to 2 yrs, plastic film containers 20-30 yrs, plastic bags 10-20 yrs, glass takes about a million yrs, plastic bottles last forever, nylon fabric 30-40 yrs, leather items and wool socks last about 50 yrs, and tin cans last for about 50 yrs. These items are eyesores not to mention they can kill animals in a number of ways. pack it in and pack it out it is just that simple.

Ox Joints don't hold up at all.