So I've been mullin around the build up the mag is doing for UA 2007. Its just a basic install a 2WD based body on a fullsize 4WD frame and drivetrain. Not Impressed.  First off: we all know that 2006 dodge mega cabs 4WD chassis with the cummins turbo diesal are readily available at you local junkyard AND they go for pennys on the dollor

Then they take a 2WD(major blasamy in the new jeep market) brand new JK, rip it apart to get the body and make it fit on the other frame by chopping it up. I have a question. Who is funding this build up? Maybe Chrysler/Dodge is in on this? I will admit, this is going to be a cool looking rig when its done.

I would have just built a custom chassis, made the 1ton drivetrain fit, go buy some fiberglass jeep panels and called it a day.

Are they going to swap the axles for some dynatrac units, or will they show us readers what stock 1 ton drive train can do by just installing some lockers. I can see they are running the manual tranny w/an atlas. So they will have plenty of gearing to handle larger axles. I do forsee breaking of drivelines because of the added torque to the soon to be locked axles and large tires. But they might lower the gear ratio in the diffs to help compensate that. I really hope they keep the drivetrain as stock as possible to see what it can do. If they DO swap out the axles, then the build will just lose more character.

Maybe next year they will build another grass roots rig like they did similar to the yellow stepside chevy a couple of years ago. And I hope I can go on next years UA2008 because I forsee my rig complete enough to attend.

I do forsee their rig for this year to be a monstrous butt kicking sight. I just get a smell of corporate America making the desisions in the office of the mag. YEAH, its a way cool build and I am looking forward to the end result, I just hope the Mag remembers who the real fans are.

Take the little Sami from the Rhino Hunter article. Now that thing is impressive and fun, and more at the budget of the common wheeler out there. Im sure that little thing would kick butt on a UA. Just throw some larger meats on it, hack the fenders out to make room, and rip it up.

The mag still is doing great work. This is all my opinion  

Good points on many subjects here. Let me start from the top, or better yet what jumped out at me. "I will admit, this is going to be a cool looking rig when its done." Yep, that's half the battle. I agree that the UAJK seems a bit overdone, high buck, etc., but that's where good ideas come from. To represent the best means to make it the best, which is why we only use parts and products we believe in. Our battle every year is whether to build high-end, or low-buck. The truth is we like both, the readers like both, and we'll do both. In this case we wanted to do what many other people would dream of, and never be able to do. Wouldn't a 5.9L Cummins be cool in a JK? Well of course, so we did it. You also mentioned 2wd be a Blasphemy, yet Jeep has had them since '47, and the old XJs were very popular 2wd rigs. In our case we couldn't fathom taking a perfectly good Rubicon and butchering it, when that's what a 2wd is for. And a custom tube chassis? We felt that since the Dodge chassis and suspension is a perfect match for the axles, so why not? We could have spent countless hours and dollars doing that, but to what end?  And yes, the axles are Power Wagon, which means locked stock and 4.56 gears. So yes, the RubiWagon was a "monsterous butt-kicking site" and I can say it drove and wheeled so well it's been hard to tear me out of it, but Fred Williams built it so he has to go keep "testing " it. But as far as corporate america making the decisions of the mag? Not on your life, or mine actually. The suits try to influence us for the sake of their advertisers as hard as ever, without realizing that for a magazine or website to be trusted by its readers it needs to maintain editorial integrity. As long as I'm around, that's what's going to happen. Thanks for your post!
Rick Pewe
Editor-in-Chief