Harry Wagner

Harry Wagner

My name is Harry Wagner and 4 Wheel Parts was kind enough to let me be part of their blog. In addition to being a longtime 4 Wheel Parts customer, I am also a freelance writer and photographer who has written for Off-Road Adventures (you know, the FREE magazine for 4 Wheel Parts customers) for more than five years. You might have read stories about some of my adventures in ORA or seen features I have written on awesome 4x4s owned by guys just like you. While I still plan to write and shoot photos for Off-Road Adventures, there are a lot of little ideas kicking around in my head that I would like to share with you and are better suited to this format than a full article on the pages of ORA magazine.

I grew up in the back of my family's Land Cruiser exploring Northern California trails like the Rubicon and Fordyce Creek. In fact, my father still owns the '66 FJ40 that he bought new, so it should come as no surprise that I drive Toyotas. My primary transportation is a '98 4Runner that is built to get me into the backcountry and is still comfortable on the road. It has been upgraded with:

For more difficult trails, my '87 pickup is put into service. In addition to the unique color scheme and shortened sheet metal, the pickup features:

I spend as much time as I can outdoors four wheeling, rock climbing, backpacking, shooting photos, and camping. Some of my favorite spots include Death Valley, the Black Hills, and Moab. If you see me on the trail, be sure to stop and introduce yourself. I'm always looking to meet fellow four wheeling enthusiasts and would love to get your feedback on the blog.

TJ Sway Bar Options

Harry Wagner | 1998 Toyota 4Runner | October 14th, 2010

Quicker Sway Bar Disconnects™ by JKS

Jeep first started putting sway bars on their short wheelbase vehicles in 1976 in order to provide better handling on the street and combat rollover concerns.  With the introduction of the leaf sprung YJ Wrangler in 1987, they even went so far as to add front and rear track bars.  A strong argument could be made that track bars (and even sway bars) are unnecessary on a leaf sprung vehicle, but that is certainly not the case for the coil sprung TJ Wrangler, first introduced in 1997. 

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Low Gearing Tips for Off Road Vehicles

Harry Wagner | 1998 Toyota 4Runner | September 30th, 2010

4x4 Lead

The one thing that people agree on is that if you are going to tackle technical terrain in your 4×4, you need low gearing.  After that agreement, the debate starts!  Everyone knows that gearing is required in order to maintain control and keep from beating up your vehicle and your body, but how should you best go about lowering the gearing and improving the crawl ratio of your vehicle?  There are basically three options for gearing: the transmission, the transfer case, and the differentials.  Each has its advantages and disadvantages, which I will discuss here.

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Dakota Territory Challenge – Black Hills of South Dakota

Harry Wagner | 1998 Toyota 4Runner | September 21st, 2010

Dakota Territory Challenge - SD

One of the perks about being a freelance writer is that I get to travel all over the country to experience different trails.  The downside is that Labor Day weekend has to be one of the busiest weekends for four wheeling of the entire year, and I can only be in one place at a time!  Whether it’s short course racing in Crandon, desert racing in Nevada, or trail rides all over the country, the choices are overwhelming. 

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