If it has wheels and goes off road, Ian Johnson will work on it. In FourWheeler, everything from upgrading a daily driving Jeep, to building a custom tube chassis rock crawler is examined. The shop shows the "do it yourself" enthusiast how to tackle everything from simple "bolt-ons" to full on fabrication.
The destination for this year's FourWheeler adventure ride is the iconic Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, featuring trails with names like Hell's Revenge, Poison Spyder and Steel Bender. Between hitting the trails in his custom shop truck, Ian explores the Moab 4x4 Expo, where vendors exhibit the latest and greatest aftermarket parts the off-road industry has to offer.
Ian brings in a Silverado to do some upgrades with the bumpers and suspension. Plus, he shows you the difference between a lift kit and a suspension kit. Then he cuts out the stock crossmembers, installs a drop bracket for the front differential, and bolts on some new wheels and tires.
Ian builds the only two-door Jeep Gladiator with an LS V-8 engine in it; he takes out the old V-6 and shows viewers all of the things people forget when they do a V-8 swap.
The body of the Bronco/Raptor project has been mocked up, and today Ian builds a custom chassis to go underneath; this will not be a standard tube chassis; this will be a plate-style chassis with a twin I-beam setup.
The new Bronco Raptor is expensive, so Ian is going to build his own; he takes an '80s box-style Bronco and adds a wider fiberglass body kit front and rear to give this classic Bronco a modern Raptor look.
Ian finds a way to get 40-inch tires under a Toyota FJ by cutting out all of the stock suspension and installing a solid-axle conversion.
Ian loves the old International Scout body, but doesn't like the chassis underneath. So he finds the right donor Scout body and fits it on a Jeep JK frame, with some modifications of course.
What happens when you take a Smart car and turn it into a desert pre-runner? Let's just say the car still fits on the cart path at your local golf course. Ian finds a way to install new suspension and massive tires under this little platform.
The Jeepster project is back, and Ian wants to focus on some of the drivetrain components; he pulls out a 3.5-liter Ecoboost engine and a 6-R-80 transmission from a Ford Expedition to help the old Jeep drive like a more modern one.
Ian doesn't like spending money on new trucks, so he just builds what he wants. Today, he starts working on a custom frame to sit under a classic Jeepster Commando and outfits the suspension, along with getting new one-ton axles underneath.
If it has wheels and goes off road, Ian Johnson will work on it. In FourWheeler, everything from upgrading a daily driving Jeep, to building a custom tube chassis rock crawler is examined. The shop shows the "do it yourself" enthusiast how to tackle everything from simple "bolt-ons" to full on fabrication.
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