Lifted Trucks For Sale Online

For those of you interested in a cool heavy duty lifted truck for sale, there are many places to look. Here are some useful suggestions for places to find just what you are looking for.

First of all the Internet is a wonderful resource for many sites which specialize in the sale of lifted trucks. Just do a Google search and you'll find many options to consider.

Not only will you find a great deal of useful information concerning listings of these types of trucks for sale

2011 Ford Edge - Beyond a Nip-Tuck

For the 2011 model year, the Ford Edge crossover receives a major mid-cycle refresh, changes that go beyond a nip here and a tuck there. Yes, the outside gets a nice refresh, but the inside and what is found underneath the hood is certain to inspire interest in this popular midsize crossover.

Popular Edge

And popular the Ford Edge is. Through August 2010, sales of the Edge have pushed past 400,000 units, not bad for a vehicle on the market just under four years. The Ford Edge is the best-selling crossover in its segment and, to date in 2010, has seen sales rise by 30 percent.

Do You Need a Headache Rack on Your Truck?

In your quest for accessories that will set off your truck, you'll undoubtedly run across headache racks. What are these truck accessories? Who needs them? What are the factors that go into making a quality rack, versus one that will leave you with a less than perfect experience? Here, you will find all that you need to know about buying a headache rack for your ride.

Who Needs 'Em?

If you regularly carry cargo that shifts, need to mount lights above the bed of your truck, or need to ensure that loads do not crash through the rear windshield of your truck, then a headache rack is the perfect solution to your needs. These racks are the ideal solution for fleet needs, or for individuals, as well.

1952 Willys & 1937 Ford Classic Monster Trucks - Chariots Of Fire

Fully Functional Customs
By Jim Allen

If you knew the builder of these trucks also built real firefighting brush trucks, would you call "Lil Squirt" and "Silly Willy" art imitating life, or life imitating art? If you ask Jeff Cook, owner of 1st Attack Engineering, he'll answer, "Both!"

Cook is a graduate of "Monster Truck University" and "Custom Truck College," as well as a trained firefighter with 18 years experience.

It makes for an interesting mix of experience. Shortly after graduating from Northwestern College with a tech degree, Cook went headlong into the world of monster trucks, building and driving trucks for several teams, including his own, the legendary "War Wagon".

His father, Jack Cook, is well known in the Midwest for building custom cars and trucks and Jeff spent his early days at Cook's Body Shop in Auburn, Indiana, learning the custom car trade from a master.

After becoming a local volunteer firefighter, he put those fabrication skills to work building a brush truck for his fire company. In the process, he discovered a life's work and founded a company, Wildfire Manufacturing.

While not running the monster truck circuit, he built fire trucks. Business picked up enough that he recently left monster trucks behind to focus on fire trucks. The name of the company has recently changed to 1st Attack Engineering after nearly 10 years as Wildfire.

Silly Willy was constructed in 2002 to highlight the design and construction skills of the company. It's built on a custom chassis and suspension and mounts a '52 Willy pickup cab. Lil Squirt was built in '05, also on a custom chassis, but with four-wheel steering. Both have a lot of "show" and are regularly seen on the show and truck Jambo circuits, as well as at firefighting conventions.

They have a "go" side, however, and it may surprise you. They are both fully functional brush trucks, mounting 1st Attack hardware, and every once in a while, they are allowed to flex their firefighting muscles.

Such was the case in the fall of 2008, when they appeared at a training fire set in a wheat field. Yep, they may be "just" show trucks, but they can do the job of a brush fire truck. When asked why he would risk the expensive trucks, Cook replied, "Oh, they'll clean up."

Lil Squirt uses a fiberglass body to represent a '37 Ford truck. The chassis and underpinnings are a smaller version of what you might see on a competition monster truck.

The bed and firefighting apparatus are just the same as used on production 1st Attack brush rigs, which can include the 200-gallon water tank, Honda-powered fire pump, and two -inch handlines on reels as seen here.

The outward-facing jump seats, from which firefighters can safely work a fire while strapped in and protected by a rollcage, are a signature 1st Attack feature.

Silly Willy uses a '52 Willys pickup body on a custom, monster truck-style chassis. It's powered by a 454 fed by a Gerardot racing-style fuel injection system, adapted for gasoline.

The power feeds through a built TH 400 trans and into a New Process 205 transfer case. From there, power goes to a Dana 70 front axle from an IH application and an Eaton rear dropout-style axle used in a 1 -ton truck. Silly Willy also mounts a 1st Attack bed system with water tank, 3/4-inch hand lines, fire pump and jump seats. It also carries a chainsaw and a backpack sprayer for hot spots.

Taken From Fourwheeler.com

4x4 Truck Winch Tips & Tricks - Spool School More Neat Winch Tricks

More Neat Winch Tricks

By Fred Williams

During any recovery there should be only one captain, especially if multiple winches are being run at the same time. This guy tells each controller when to winch, winch out, or stop.

Other than knobby tires, nothing says "I'm an off-road adventurer" like a winch on the front of your 4x4. But winches aren't just for looking good. A winch is a great tool for extracting yourself, your buddies, or those old shrubs from the front yard your wife has been harassing you about removing.

But like any tool, there's a right way and a wrong way to use a winch. We always think we've seen just about every conceivable winch maneuver, but every couple of trail rides we come across something we didn't think would work.

Here are some tips and tricks for using your winch. If you've got some crazy winch repair or recovery that we must see, send us a picture. Until then keep those fingers out of the spool, and may your motor never fry.

1. The first rule of winching is to choose the right winch. We like the rule of 11/2, which means the winch rating should be at least 11/2 times the curb weight of your vehicle. If your Jeep weighs 5,000 pounds, you need at least a 7,500-pound-rated winch.

Of course, more is usually better, but with strength comes weight. This monster Jeep is almost over the load limit of this 8,000-pound-rated Warn 8274 and should be upgraded, but this iconic spur-gear winch has worked flawlessly so far.

2. The next choice is between rope and cable. Winch rope is lighter, just as strong, and readily available, while winch cable is cheaper, more abrasion-proof, and extremely resilient to mud and sand. Though winch rope is less likely than cable to damage when bunched up on the spool, it does need to be protected from UV rays, as the sun can deteriorate the rope over time.

3. When installing your winch it is important to follow the wiring instructions and always run both the positive and negative wires to the battery itself.

Oftentimes off-roaders simply run the negative to the chassis, but if there are any shorts or weak grounds, this can reduce the pulling power and the life of the winch. If need be, upgrade your wire size and length to get the leads straight to the big battery terminals.

4. Another important winch requirement is the mounting system. There's no use having a winch if it's going to rip your bumper off. This truck has a massive front bumper that is solidly attached to the frame, and then the winch is hidden inside for protection from both trail abuse and thieves. Check the installation instructions for proper mounting direction; some winches have forward mounting bolts and others have them on the bottom.

5. Here is something you don't see every day in the USA, a winch with dual motors. In Europe and Australia, there are many long-range endurance competitions that have timed hillclimbs, and competitors have upgraded their winches for even more winch line and faster line speeds.

This type of speed winching isn't required for your average trail ride. The big orange thing is an ARB winch line weight. It easily Velcros over the winch line and would safely drop the cable or rope to the ground should it break under load.

6. One trend we've seen a lot of recently is using the front winch to help compress the front suspension. This is done by running the rope or cable straight down from the drum to an attachment point on the front axle.

This is especially helpful when climbing up steep obstacles, as it helps lower the center of gravity and keeps the front end from unloading and pushing the chassis backward off the climb. Just be sure you loosen up the winch before hitting any high-speed trails where you need the suspension to move.

7. No matter how skilled the driver or capable the vehicle, there is no shame in hooking up a cable before attempting a climb that might send you backward on your lid. It also helps to have a spotter that can direct you and run the winch at the same time.

Winches are great at pulling trucks up difficult climbs, but it's a good idea to drive and winch simultaneously to help the winch out.

8. Here is another trick we saw overseas and that we are surprised hasn't shown up in the U.S. This truck has its winch mounted behind the cab, with a series of pulleys and guides on the passenger-side framerail that routes the winch rope up to the front of the truck.

This serves three functions: It increases the approach angle since the winch and bumper aren't sitting out on the front of the truck, it balances the weight of the winch between the front and the back of the vehicle, and it allows the driver to engage or disengage the winch freespool from his seat while his co-pilot hooks up the cable.

9. It is important to put something over the winch cable in case it should break or come unhooked under load. There are special winch line weights, or you can use a tow strap, a floor mat, or a jacket to drag the line to the ground in the event of an unhooking.

It is important that bystanders stand back behind vehicles. It also doesn't hurt to raise the hood of the winching vehicle just in case the hook comes flying back toward the winch.

10. Be sure to rig your attachment point properly. Use a tree strap to protect the bark of a tree. When you put the strap around the tree or rock, hook both ends of the strap to the hook on the end of the winch line.

This way the strap won't tighten like a noose around the tree and damage the bark. If possible, use a clevis to hold the tree strap ends together and/or a hook with a closing latch that keeps it all from unhooking while you winch yourself forward. If you use winch rope be sure you have a sleeve that protects it from rock abrasion.

11. No matter how much of a superman you are, we do not recommend this as a win

Taken From 4WheelOffRoad.com

Finding Low Cost Truck Insurance

Trucks are excellent for loading and moving stuff but aren't so nice when it comes to insurance rates because in general it costs more to have a truck insured versus a car. Why is truck insurance more costly, and how can you get low cost truck insurance?

Truck insurance cost more because of a few reasons:

* Drivers of trucks, semi's, tractor trailers, big rigs normally don't possess safe driving histories. So, although you may have no history of accident or tickets you are commended for that and please get a good rate on your auto too. You're still a piece of the puzzle that will be paying for the errors of other truck drivers.

* A second reason is that trucks cost more than cars, especially repairs, so naturally the insurance costs will be relative, For example, if your truck is involved in an accident, the insurance company needs to repair it with new parts or replace your truck.

* When a big truck or heavyweight truck is involved in an accident, the vehicle with more weight tends to dish out more damage on smaller vehicles and more injuries to the passengers of those vehicles. If the cause of the accident is your fault, the insurance company will be required to pay and your rate will increase.

Searching for Low Cost Truck Insurance

The good news is that people are able to secure low cost truck insurance. Some people recommend if you can to buy the truck that has a good safety record and doesn't call attention to from thieves. For that data, you can find it online or ask your insurance agent.

Another way to save on truck insurance is by shopping online using various insurance companies. Truck insurance rates and quotes may vary state to state or from one insurance company to another, but you can easily get many quotes from top-tier insurance companies.

It is very simple, just go on the internet and browse to a truck insurance rate website and input your personal and business insurance information if required. The site will get you lined up based on your data with various insurance companies, which will then send you rates.

All you must do is OK them over and choose the best. You can also contact the agents nearest you using an insurance directory online.

Frank Collins is a contributor with Big Rig Truck Insurance carriers in your area.