Geoff Beasley

A great set of tires needs a great set of wheels. Four-wheel drives in particular need high-quality wheels since they see much tougher duty than street driven vehicles. Off-road wheels need to be strong, not only to support the weight of heavy tires under a heavy truck, but also because of the forces they encounter on the trail.

Suzuki owners are lucky to have such a broad selection of various aftermarket and factory replacement clutches available. For the extreme off-roading that many Samurai owners like to do with their vehicles, the stock clutch is inadequate and quickly wears out.

Samurai owners know how tough our little Suzukis are, but as with any vehicle that gets pushed far beyond its original design's intent, weak links surface. As we fit larger tires, install traction adding devices, increase the gear ratios and squeeze more power out of the engine, our trucks become capable of playing on increasingly tougher trails.

One can always tell when a 4x4 has been on a fun trail: the truck comes back completely splattered with mud. Usually, the driver and passengers will be covered in mud too, especially if the truck's doors were removed prior to entering the mud pit.

Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area is a great place to make a day trip or a weekend excursion for some great off-roading.