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Moto News Weekly Wrap December 16, 2025 What’s New: Aussie Speedway crowns U21 and U16 250 cc champions Daniel Sanders looks to 2026 Craig Dack (CDR Yamaha) Interview Stark conquer Los Ojos del Salado setting record Giuseppe Luongo retires Philip Whittle recognised by MA Oceania Women’s MX Cup returns to Wonthaggi in 2026 SMX Video […] The post Moto News | Speedway | MX | SMX | Rally | Track | SX appeared first on MCNews. View the full article

2026 CFMOTO 450CL-C CFMOTO Australia has released the MY26 450CL-C, introducing a series of incremental updates to its LAMS-approved cruiser while retaining the core mechanical package that has underpinned the model since its launch. Available now in Australian dealerships at a ride-away price of $8,990, the 2026 450CL-C focuses on rider comfort, ergonomics and visual […] The post CFMOTO Australia releases MY26 450CL-C with comfort and detail updates appeared first on MCNews. View the full article

From a radical new Honda three-cylinder engine, to Ferrari's wacky oval-shaped pistons, to the latest Toyota Hilux, things aren't the way they were yesterday. Here, we'll round up the biggest news stories of the last 24 hours on AutoBlog and divvy them up into bite-sized chunks that get right to the heart of the story, allowing you to go deeper if you want. Honda has a new V-shaped three-cylinder for motorcycles View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article Honda has a radical new V3 engine. Up until this engine's 2024 debut, all previous V-type three-cylinder engines have been two-stroke. This one is double that, using a liquid-cooled four-stroke cycle with a 75-degree angle between banks, displacing 900ccs. The funky engine also uses a new E-Compressor layout, integrating an electronically-controlled compressor mounted on the forward cylinder bank, feeding the airbox. To find out more about how the radical new type of forced induction works, read on below. Read More: Honda’s New V3 Engine Ditches Turbos and Superchargers for Something Smarter Toyota won't put the new Hilux on the Tacoma's platform Toyota This month, the latest Hilux marked the model's eigth generation. The truck uses a 20-year-old body-on-frame layout that's been around in one form or another since 2004. The platform has been updated since then, of course, but it's also rather old. It's the ethos of Toyota's continued focus on using what's working instead of chasing the latest tech. However, Toyota does have both with the Tacoma's TNGA-F platform (also used in the Lexus GX and others). However, the brand passed on the platform for some very Toyota reasons. To find out more, read on below. Read More: Why Toyota Refused to Put the “New” Hilux on the Same Platform as the Tacoma GM's passionate V8 owners argue for thicker oil Chevrolet General Motors has faced substantial engine reliability challenges with its current V8 lineup, leading to multiple recalls affecting hundreds of thousands of vehicles. The primary culprit behind these failures has been identified as inadequate lubrication in critical engine components. When thin oil struggles to maintain proper film strength under high temperatures and loads, metal-to-metal contact occurs, resulting in premature wear and catastrophic engine damage. So, owners want thicker oil. To read about GM's compromise and how it relates to the Trump Administration's new CAFE standards, read on below. Read More: GM Enthusiasts Want Thicker Oil for the Next-Gen V8 — and GM May Finally Agree Ferrari's wacky oval pistons make a lot of sense European Patent Office Ferrari has filed protection for what engineers call a stadium-shaped or pill-shaped piston design. Instead of the traditional cylindrical form, these pistons are ovals with elongated sides. Ferrari’s innovation lies in the orientation. The long side of each oval piston lies perpendicular to the crankshaft. This arrangement allows the short dimension of the piston to run parallel to the crankshaft, which means the entire engine becomes significantly shorter from front to back. It'll greatly aid in packaging and indicates Ferrari is still exploring future gasoline tech despite shifts towards increased hybridization. To learn more about how these strange piston designs can help make engines more efficient, check out the full story below. Read More: Ferrari’s Radical Oval Pistons Could Rewrite the Future of Gas Engines View the full article

It's here! The rest of our trip down to Baja and back is recorded and in the bag! View the full article

We recently went on a 3 week overlanding road trip from our home here in BC, Canada, down to Baja Mexico. Here's the first video to prove it! This video covers the first part of our trip, heading down through California. We do some mountain biking, meet some friends, and have a few breakdowns on the way. View the full article

The internet is a crazy place full of all sorts of different people with different ideas and experiences. So when you jump on the internet to see how hard or easy it is to clear 35” tires on your Tacoma, it’s very difficult to find a reliable answer. One person will tell you they installed them and never rub and didn’t have to do anything, and the next person will tell you that it’s impossible to fit them, so don’t even try. I’m here to set the record straight. After installing many many sets of 35” tires on Tacoma’s over the years, as well as even larger tires up to 40” so far, I feel qualified to talk about this topic with real experience. One thing that I’ve discovered is that most people have different opinions on what “full clearance” means. This even includes different companies and shops claiming that their “kit” will let you clear 35’s if it’s installed, when, in fact, it’s just one small piece in the puzzle. I’m going to start off with what I consider to be the 3 “levels” of clearance for any size tire larger than stock, not just 35’s: Street Clearance This means that you can run these tires on the street, and have no rubbing until you hit a big enough speed bump or curb, but at normal ride height, the tire clears through the entire steering angle from lock to lock. Dirt Road Clearance This means you can take your truck off the pavement and start hitting regular dirt access roads with potholes, bumps, dips, and mild obstacles. Your tires will clear through around 85% of the available suspension travel with full steering input in either direction. However, if you hit a big enough G-out or bump, you will still rub somewhere. Full Clearance This is the big daddy of clearing larger tires. This means that you can hit the biggest bumps or holes, as fast as you like at whatever steering angle you like, and you won’t rub your tires ever. Go ahead, jump your truck, or flex it out, no problems. This is for the people who are serious about off-roading and pushing their vehicles as hard as they can, using the full amount of suspension travel available to them. Caveats Before I get into the guide, I want to clarify one more thing. I am talking about fitting tires with a standard bolt in suspension kit, which means no drop bracket kits. Drop bracket kits move the suspension pivot points and change the geometry. A drop bracket lift will make fitting larger tires easier as far as body clearance goes, but they are not very good for offroad, as they are weaker, don’t improve ground clearance, and raise your center of gravity. This guide will be completely centered around bolt-in suspension kits, however, it may also apply to many long travel kits, though these kits may require some additional work to make 35’s fit because they usually allow additional up-travel. So with all of this in mind, I’m going to walk you through all of the ins and outs of clearing your 35’s at each clearance level. This is going to be a comprehensive guide and will give you different options for each clearance level. If you want, you can skip ahead to the clearance level you’re looking for. I will also include a list of terms and definitions at the end of the article, so if you come across a word or term you aren’t familiar with, check there. 35" Street Clearance Fitment So we will start with the easiest clearance level: The street. This will allow you to drive around town without rubbing, unless you hit a particularly aggressive speed bump or curve. The biggest challenges when clearing tires at ride height are going to be clearance at the cab mount, lower firewall, frame, and upper control arm. Factors There are several factors that will make a big difference about how easy or difficult it is to clear 35’s at this level: Wheel width/size Wheel offset Tire width Tire tread (A/T vs M/T) Suspension Lift or ride height. Alignment When you are just trying to clear your tires for the street, each of those factors will make a big difference to how much needs to be done to be able to turn your wheels lock to lock. Wheel width and offset are going to have big impacts on your scrub radius. The wider your wheel, and the more it pokes out, the more clearancing will be required to steer. As scrub radius increases, the wheel is pushed further out, which brings it closer to the firewall and front of the wheel well as you turn. However, if you choose a wheel without enough offset, the tire will be too close to the UCA and might even rub on the frame. Tire width/size/tread is an obvious one. The wider and taller the tire it is, the harder it will be to clear. A 35x11.5” tire will be easier to clear than a 35x12.5” tire. Tread also affects the size, as more aggressive mud tires usually have a more square profile, and larger side lugs which can lead to rubbing. Most tire companies seem to use a different measuring tape, as it is very rare to find a tire that actually measures out to it’s rated size. A 35” tire is typically closer to 34.5” when fully inflated. A 315/70R17 is basically the metric equivalent of a 35x12.5” tire. It is closer to 34.6” tall and 12.4” wide, but honestly, that’s around where a 35x12.5” will measure out to as well. Your ride height is also going to have a large impact on how easy it is to clear your tires at this level. The higher you lift your truck, the easier it will be to clear the tires. However, the con is that your ride quality will get worse the higher you lift as well, as you are decreasing down travel, as well as typically running more preload or a stiffer spring to achieve that ride height. My personal recommendation is to keep your ride height between 1.5-2.5” of lift over stock height. This will give you the best balance of suspension performance and tire clearance, as well as keep your COG lower. Your alignment is able to affect tire clearance by moving the LCA forward or back. The hardest place to get clearance is at the cab mount and firewall, so you can use your alignment to move the tire forward by close to .75”. The problem with maxing out your caster at the LCA is you are twisting the rubber bushings in a way that they weren’t really designed for, and it can wear them out quicker. If you are mostly just driving your truck on the street though, this shouldn’t be too big of an issue. What to do So to get your 35” tires to clear for the street, I would suggest choosing a wheel with a moderate offset, around -12 to -18 should work well. This pushes the wheel away from the UCA and frame, without getting too extreme and causing issues elsewhere. From there, use a suspension lift of some sort, and increase your ride height by around 2-2.5”. This will give you a bit more room at ride height to steer, as well as give a bit more up-travel before you rub. Once the suspension has been installed and ride height set, you’ll want to make sure your alignment is pushed as far forward as possible, without compromising camber. Next up is cutting. For a street level clearance, you will need to get creative with cutting the front plastic and wheel well liner. A viper cut is an easy way to get the front bumper out of the way. If you already have an aftermarket front bumper you won’t need to worry about it. At the cab mount, depending on your specific wheel/tire combo, and how much you are able to push your wheel forward, you may be able to get away with a simple aggressive cab mount chop. However, in my experience, this is not very likely, or you will find yourself rubbing the cab mount even over minor bumps while turning. The best way to make sure that the tires clear is to do a cab mount relocation. This is a kit that moves the entire cab mount back on the frame, leaving you with a lot more room than even the most aggressive CMC. Hammering your pinch weld on the firewall back is a must. My favourite way to do this, is to take a sledge and just hit it towards the outside of the vehicle. Some people like to cut slots into the pinch weld, hammer it over, and then use a seam sealer. I’ve never found the pinch weld to be so hard to bend that cutting it was necessary. Your fenders and flares will need to be cut in the rear lower section. Here, you can get your vehicle sitting on the ground so you know where ride height is at, and turn the wheels back and forth, cutting the body back until you can turn fully, lock to lock, in both directions without rubbing. That is basically all you need to do to clear the tires for driving around the street. I would recommend putting sizeable spacers behind the bump stops to prevent your tire from going too high in the event that you do hit a speed bump too aggressively. What to expect Don’t expect to never rub on the street, as there are lots of different situations that will compress your suspension while turning, such as turning into driveways, or hitting speed bumps, and dips in the road. This is just the minimum clearance level to be able to drive around without being embarrassed every time you turn a corner. 35" Dirt Road Clearance Fitment This is probably the most common level of clearance that people do and spout online about how they fully clear 35’s and never rub. The fact is, if this is all you do, you are still going to rub in several places when you push your truck a bit harder. In my opinion, if you aren’t pushing 35’s to the point where they are rubbing with this amount of clearancing, you probably don’t need 35’s in the first place. Harsh, I know. Regardless, this is what most shops and people will be pushing as “fully cleared”, despite only really being cleared for around 85% of the available wheel travel. There are a couple different routes you can go to get enough clearance to drive moderate dirt roads and obstacles, so I’ll go over those here. Factors At this level of clearance, the factors that affect the tires fitting properly mostly stay the same as the street level clearance; Wheel and tire specifications are going to be a big part of it. One thing that does change is lift height. When you start making extra room, the lift height doesn’t make as much difference. Your tires should only rub in the last 15% of wheel travel, which means that you can run less lift, and still clear, you’ll just have a bit less up travel before your tires hit the wheel well. Your fenders and flares are also going to become a problem if you want to drive on dirt. They simply aren’t big enough to fit a 35” tire, and if they aren’t cut back, the flares will pop off, and the fenders will get bent. The problem with cutting the fenders and flares back is that the wheel well liner loses all of its mounting points. This will allow dirt and water to spray all over inside of your wheel wells, and you will get a lot more dirt into your door hinges and engine bay. The main issue with this though, is that your engine’s air intake is in the wheel well. Usually it is protected by the wheel well liner, but with that removed, it is left completely exposed. What to do As I mentioned, there are a couple of ways to go about clearing 35’s for dirt roads. However, no matter which way you go, you will have to cut your fenders and flares back. The amount you need to cut will depend on if you are in a 2nd or 3rd generation Tacoma. A 2005-2015 Tacoma is usually best to cut around 1.5-1.75” out of the fenders and flares, a 2016-2023 Tacoma needs 1.25” cut out. Once you have cut out your fenders, you’ll find that you can no longer reinstall your wheel well liners. If you never drive through water, you can likely get away with just replacing your filter more often. However, if you live in an area with lots of water and mud, you are going to want to do something about it. To solve this issue, you can do one of the following things: relocated your intake with something like a snorkel. Even a cold air intake setup that moves the intake into the engine bay will be better than nothing. The other option is to replace the wheel well liner with something else, such as the C4 Fabrication Over Size Tire Fitment Kit. I would also recommend some small bump stop spacers to keep your tires from smashing the wheel wells too hard, especially during hard impacts or g-outs. This will limit your up travel instead of your tire and wheel well limiting it for you. Beyond cutting the fenders and dealing with your air intake, here are the different ways you can clear your 35’s. Option 1 The first way to get your 35’s cleared for most driving is to do some gentle persuasion. Try asking your wheel wells nicely if they could kindly get out of the way. If that doesn’t work, you can grab a giant sledgehammer and go for a more “brute force” method. Hammer the firewall back as much as you can. Depending on your wheel/tire specs, and alignment, you might juuuuuust get enough clearance at the firewall. You can go along the top of the wheel well and hammer it back as well, especially below the battery and washer fluid reservoir. I would recommend unbolting the reservoir before hammering, as you are likely to break the tabs that hold it in place. Post hammering, it may not fit back in properly anymore either. Of course it goes without saying that a cab mount relocation also needs to be done. Even the most aggressive cab mount chop will still end up rubbing at full turn. Hammering the firewall and wheel well will only give so much space before you actually start tearing the sheet metal though, and it won’t be enough for many wheel/tire combos out there. It’s also possible to get a couple leaks into your cab if any of the seams open up, or any tears happen. Using an automotive seam sealer can fix that problem. Option 2 The second option is very similar to the hammer method, but instead of smashing the firewall back, you cut out the sheet metal, and weld new plates back in. This is called tubbing. To clear a 35 for normal dirt roads, you can get away with a pretty minor tub job at the bottom of the fire wall. Of course you will still need a cab mount relocation done. Option 3 The third, and in my opinion best, option is to use the JD Fabrication lower pivot relocation kit. This kit allows you to move the entire lower control arm forward up to 1.25” in .25” increments. This gets you the space required to clear the firewall without any tubbing or hammering other than the pinchweld. You don’t even need to do a cab mount relocation, and can get away with a simple cab mount chop, unless you have an extremely aggressive wheel offset in the front. This kit does a lot more than let you fit 35’s without tubbing the firewall though. It also replaces the weak lower pivot mounts and cam tabs with beefy .25” steel, so the front of your truck is much much stronger. Not only that, but the kit has a skid plate built into it that adds 2” of additional ground clearance under the engine compared to any bolt on skid plate set. If you’re into wheeling, you know that this is huge! It’s the same ground clearance gain as bolting 4” larger tires on your truck! Of course, this kit comes with an additional cost, not only for the kit itself, but the labour to install it if you aren’t confident doing all of the cutting, grinding and welding yourself, because it is a lot! I believe it is well worth it though, even for mild offroading, because the upgraded strength and clearance will always be welcome. What to expect After all this work, you can expect to drive regular dirt roads without any rubbing. If you end up hitting an aggressive g-out, big bump, or a very articulated obstacle, rubbing is still extremely likely. Usually along the top of the wheel well, especially the area just behind the headlights. You may also rub the end caps of your front bumper if you have an aftermarket bumper that doesn’t compensate for larger rubber. 35" Full Clearance Fitment You won’t know how amazing it is to drive wherever you want, as hard as you want, without ever even thinking about tire rub, until you’ve experienced it. Getting into a tough obstacle with the suspension fully articulated and your big 35’s stuffed into the wheel wells, then turning the wheel full lock to find traction, and never hearing the sound of rubber on metal is awesome. Or deciding to take your truck off a sweet jump, landing hard, and driving away like a boss without a single brrraaaapppp. It makes you feel like your truck is purpose built for this sort of thing, and that’s because it is. It is definitely a lot more work than what most people are willing to do, but it’s well worth it if you’re serious about off-roading. Factors When you’re fully clearancing 35’s on your truck, a lot of the factors that affect the other levels of clearance don’t really come into play. It doesn’t matter what height you set your suspension lift at, because the tires aren’t going to rub at any lift height. You could even lower your truck and they will still clear. For your wheels, you don’t have to worry about having an offset that is too aggressive. The only thing you need to think about is making sure your wheels give enough space to the frame and UCA. As long as that is okay, you can go with any wheel you like, even if you like a lot of wheel poke. One thing you’re going to want to take into consideration at this point is frame flex. The Tacoma frame is not especially well known for it’s strength, and you would be shocked at just how much the frame actually flexes when driving offroad. When you cycle your suspension to see where the travel limit is, you can expect another 1.5” of movement just in the frame flex on hard impacts. Keep that in mind, because you don’t want to go through all of the effort and expense of getting your tires to fully clear, only for them to just rub under heavy compression. For your bump stops, you can usually actually move your bump stops up a little bit, and gain a little bit of travel, depending on your suspension setup. You do need to watch out for your UCA contacting the inside of the wheel well, which can happen when going hard. What to do Again, there are a couple of options you can choose between to get 35’s to fully clear on your truck. Once again though, no matter which way you choose, you will need to cut out your fenders and flares. The same measurements as before should still work, but you can verify while doing the rest of the clearancing, and making adjustments as required. You will also still need to take care of your air intake as mentioned before. To do this properly, the best way is to pull the coil off of your front shock, and remove your bump stops. This will allow you to jack up and turn your wheels fully in any direction and figure out exactly where the tire is going to hit. One thing I noticed having done this many times, is that you find a limiting point, cut it out, and think you’re done, only to then have the wheel move up even further and hit another area. You always end up needing to cut way more than you originally think! Option 1 The first option is similar to before with the tubbing. Once a cab mount relocation is complete, and you are able to cycle the suspension, you can start cutting out the firewall and wheel well as much as needed until the tire can be completely bottomed out at mechanical bind, and still turn the wheels completely in both directions. I usually then cut back another inch or so to compensate for frame flex. You don’t want to actually drive your truck with it able to hit mechanical bind, the idea is to setup your bump stops before mechanical bind occurs to save all of your parts. However, it can still happen, or your bump stops can fail, so it’s good to clearance as far as the wheel can physically go, plus enough to make up for frame flex. Once you’ve cut back far enough that you are confident that the tire could never make contact, it’s time to weld in new sheet metal. You’re going to end up tubbing not only the firewall, but the wheel well too. This usually means something is going to need to be relocated, typically the washer fluid reservoir. You can kind of zap strap it in place, or you can replace it with a smaller container that fits in the area. Option 2 The second option is basically a combination of using the JD pivot kit to avoid tubbing the firewall. You are basically trading not having to tube the firewall (which really sucks to do honestly) with doing the JD kit instead. You would still need to do some tubbing in the wheel well below the batter/washer fluid reservoir, as well as a cab mount chop. The JD lower pivot kit still has all the same benefits as mentioned previously, by increasing ground clearance around 2”, and being substantially stronger than the stock pivot points. What to expect Yeah, it’s a lot of work to do correctly, but once it’s done, you never have to worry about tire clearance again, which is such a great feeling. You would be amazed at how much the Tacoma frame flexes under hard impacts, so clearancing well beyond the limitations of the suspension itself is necessary to have a truly rub-free experience on any terrain. It’s hard to describe how confidence inspiring it is to drive your truck hard off-road, and never hear rubbing; it really makes a big difference to the experience. Additional 35" Tire Fitment Recommendations Of course installing 35” tires on your truck doesn’t just end at making them fit. There are a host of other considerations to take into account as well. Things like drivability, wear & tear, and strength are big factors, as adding larger tires increases the strain on the rest of your factory components. There are a few upgrades that I wouldn’t suggest doing 35’s without, and then a few others that may depend more on your driving style. Gearing So a big one that most people will ask is about gearing the differentials for 35’s. Larger tires will add rolling mass and change the gear reduction that your vehicle’s engine and transmission were designed around. The effect is the truck feeling sluggish and like it lacks power. The transmission and torque converter will also be struggling more to spin the larger tires, which leads to more heat build up. This can be somewhat compensated for by changing the differential gear ratio. I would recommend any 2016-2023 Tacoma to go to a 5.29 gear ratio. The stock gearing is already a little bit too high, so this makes up for it and will make the truck drive much better. For the older 2005-2015 Tacoma, I would recommend a 4.88 ratio. You can go 4.56, but I personally find that 4.88’s drive much better, and the fuel economy is essentially the same between the two. Your transmission does have an effect on what each ratio will feel like, as the gearing between the manual and auto is different, but I still feel as though these ratios are the best fit for either transmission. When re-gearing your differentials, this is also the perfect opportunity to add front and rear lockers to your truck, which completely changes the capabilities of your truck offroad. You will be able to crawl up obstacles with ease that were impossible before. Especially when combined with a 35” tire. Strength Reinforcements & Gusseting With a larger tire comes more weight, and more leverage, which cause extra stress on the stock suspension components. Cam tabs, spindles, and shock buckets are all common failure points when running 35” tires. Here I will list out all of the modifications I would strongly recommend when going to 35s. Spindle Gussets The stock spindles are especially weak on the Tacoma and 4Runner, and I would almost suggest this being a mandatory mod for 35’s, considering how easy they are to bend even with a 33” tire. Cam Tabs The cam tabs are another weak point of the Toyota suspension set up. If you installed the JD pivot kit, then you don’t have to worry about this, but if you decided to go a different route, then you’ll want to reinforce the cam tabs another way. I wrote a separate article on this specific issue. UCA/Shock Tower UCA gussets are a very beneficial mod when running your truck harder, especially with 35’s. They double shear the ends of the massive UCA bolt, which drastically strengthens it, while also helping to reduce just how much the coil bucket flexes on impacts. It can’t completely eliminate it, but it does help a lot. Lower Pivot Mounts Again, if you decided to go with the JD lower pivot kit, you don’t need to worry about this, but if not, then the lower pivot mounts have been known to crack and tear under heavy abuse. The JD kit replaces these mounts entirely, but there are other kits out there that are designed to reinforce them. Steering Steering is such a crucial component of your truck, as well as one of the parts that takes the most abuse from running a truck hard with large tires, that it gets it’s own section. Blowing steering racks is common on Tacomas and 4Runners, but when you throw big 35’s on, it becomes inevitable. There are a few ways to deal with this when it eventually becomes an issue. Get really good at swapping racks The first way is to just get really good at swapping racks, which is a big pain in the butt. Tundra Rack Swap The Tundra rack swap is probably the best way to take care of the steering issues. A couple companies, such as Basikbiker, offer modified Tundra racks that can be installed instead of the OE Tacoma one. It is substantially stronger and can take a lot more abuse without blowing. Slide Rack JD Fabrication also makes a slide rack setup for the stock steering rack, that reinforces the OE rack with some modifications. It is a good product that adds a lot of strength, but it doesn’t allow you to run rack boots, so if you drive in muddy or wet conditions a lot, then this is not necessarily the best option for you. Tie Rods Your tie rods also become a weak link in the steering system. They can be upgraded in many ways, from tie rod sleeves made by W.A.R. Fab, to fully machined and heimed tie-rods. They can also be reinforced with double shear gussets at the spindle for added strength there. Brakes Many people go for the big, visible upgrades that help them get up obstacles and drive faster, but many people don’t consider what all of the additional weight and speed do to your braking system. Big brake kits are definitely a valuable upgrade when your truck starts having a lot more mass and big tire leverage to keep it from stopping quickly. Upgrading your brakes to handle more heat and have more braking power is an important part of starting to drive your truck harder! Conclusion Hopefully this was a helpful article for you to make a realistic decision on whether 35’s are right for you, as well as how far you want to go when it comes to making them clear. I always suggest getting the most out of whatever modifications you do, which means fully clearancing everything every time. However, I also understand that not everybody uses their truck as hard as I do, or has the same feelings about what is really required for their driving style or terrain. That’s why I wanted to go through each “clearance level” and give a realistic expectation on what the limitations for each setup would be. I also wanted to help clear the air, because I have seen many customers come to us asking us to clear 35’s for them, and then tell us how so-and-so shop does it easily, and wonder why it takes so much more work for us to do it. That’s because our definitions of “fully cleared” are very different based on our hands-on experience of taking the Tacoma platform to the very limit. If you are interested in having 35’s, or really any oversized tire, installed on your Toyota, feel free to reach out to us and have a discussion about what level of clearance and supporting upgrades is right for you. We can also get you booked into our shop to get the work done, and have you out on the trails with confidence. Terms & Definitions Bind - When two immovable objects meet and don’t allow any further articulation. Typically when a ball joint or other is maxed out. Bump - When the suspension is fully compressed and hitting the bump stops. Cab Mount - A mount on the frame that the cab or body of the vehicle is bolted to. Can also be referred to as a Body Mount. Camber - The amount the top of your wheels are tipped in or out from the front of the vehicle. Castor - The distance between the center point on the ground created by drawing a straight line from the upper ball joint through the lower ball joint, and the center of the tire contact patch on the ground from front of vehicle to rear of vehicle. CMC - Cab Mount Chop - When the front cab mount is cut back and a new plate is welded in to create extra clearance. May also be referred to as a BMC or Body Mount Chop. CMR - Cab Mount Relocation - When the entire front cab mount is cut off of the frame and replaced with a new mount further back to great a lot of extra clearance. May also be referred to as a BMR or Body Mount Relocation. COG - Center Of Gravity; The point from the ground that the vehicle will roll or tip over at. Cycle the Suspension - Move the suspension all the way up and down. Down Travel - The amount of suspension travel from ride height to full extension or top out. Droop - when the suspension is fully extended. Firewall - The sheet metal body between the engine compartment and the cab of the vehicle. LCA - Lower control arm; a component of the front suspension Lock to Lock - Turning your wheels from all the way left to all the way right or vice versa. Poke - How far the wheel sticks out past the fenders of the vehicle. Ride Height - The height your vehicle sits at on level ground. Scrub radius - the distance between the steering center point on the ground created by drawing a straight line from the upper ball joint through the lower ball joint, and the center of the tire contact patch on the ground from center of vehicle to outside of vehicle. Steering Angle - How far you can turn your wheels from straight in either direction Toe - The amount the front of your wheels are pointed in or out compared to each other. Travel - How much suspension movement is possible from full extension to full compression. Tub (tubbing) - cutting out the stock sheet metal, and replacing it with new sheet metal further back to create more clearance. UCA - Upper control arm; a component of the front suspension Up Travel - The amount of suspension travel from ride height to full compression or bottom out. Wheel well - The area where the wheel is free to move. View the full article

So you want to build your truck for off-roading! Cool! So what does that mean? There are a bunch of different kinds of off-roading, and none of them are really built anything like any of the other ones. When you’re building your truck, what is the difference between an overland build, vs a prerunner build vs a rock crawling build? What makes each one so much better at doing what it’s designed to do? There are a lot of “overlanders” who think they are rock crawling, and there are even more rock crawling or go-fast guys out there thinking “isn’t overlanding just car camping”? There can definitely be a bunch of overlap between each style of build depending on how you want to use your truck, what the terrain around you is like, and what type of trails you enjoy hitting the most. Overlander It’s funny to me because “overlanding” is often seen as offroading for nerds. And I totally get it. Overland builds are often pretty mild, some bolt on suspension upgrades, bumpers and a winch, then a roof top tent with a bunch of recovery gear bolted to the outside. (if you want to see my recommended build order for overlanding, check out the video up here ^ after this one is over). Hard core wheeling guys make fun of the overland builds because of that, they seem to not really be built for “actual” off-roading, plus they look overly prepared. And that’s kind of the point. An overland truck build is not made to hit whoops in the desert at 100km/h, or get up a 4’ ledge. They are designed to do multi-week long trips, driving hundreds of kilometers on pavement to hit a dirt road into the mountains, drive comfortably on those for another few hundred KM’s, camp in an amazing place, then head on to the next spot. I don’t know of any serious wheeling truck, either rock crawling or prerunning, that you would want to do that with. Overland builds will have larger, but not huge tires to keep fuel economy in check, while still being able to get over some trail obstacles, and drive a decent pace on dirt roads. There is a HUGE range in vehicles that people use for overlanding, from Porsche to Unimog, and everything in between. The type of vehicle you build, and the way you build it is going to entirely depend on where you are trying to go. I hear all the time “Isn’t overlanding just car camping?” and it sort of is, but it’s a more fun word to say. “Car camping” doesn’t quite inspire the same thought of awesome views far away from the nearest paved road, at least in my mind. It just doesn’t have the same ring to it. Prerunner The prerunner guys will typically trailer their trucks out to the desert, because they run super high RPM’s on road, are loud, uncomfortable to sit in for a long period of time, have TERRIBLE fuel economy, and are otherwise purpose built for One thing only: Going very fast over very big bumps. Not to mention, the odds of breaking something that can’t be fixed in the desert is pretty high. Prerunners are built with big power, and big suspension travel. Usually they are only 2wd, though 4wd is becoming more common. Race seats & harnesses, and a cage are pretty much mandatory as you get more power and suspension, because it’s pretty easy to land your truck on its lid at 80km/h+ the faster you start going. Suspension is usually IFS in the front, with either beams or a-arms. Rear suspension will be a long travel spring under axle setup, or trailing arm 4-link setups. Front travel would usually be 16+ inches in the front and 18+ inches in the back, with 22-26” being very common. We went to the desert recently in Ocotillo wells with the JD Fabrication guys to blast around the desert, and it was insane. The most fun I’ve had in a very long time. But after ripping around the desert for the day, it was back to the tow trucks, sleeping in campers, and then trailering home at the end of the day. There are for sure people who drive out to a cool spot in the desert, and setup camp there, but they will have minimal gear because prerunners typically have minimal space, and are trying to keep their weight even so that they aren’t getting bucked over big hits. Rock Crawler The rock crawling builds are similar to a prerunner, where they often are either towed to the trails, or are driven there, but only over as short of a distance as possible. Rock crawler truck builds can range from relatively mild, to tube chassis truggies. Rock crawlers are trying to get to places that nobody else can get to. 4wd, lockers, transfer case gear reduction, huge suspension articulation, and massive tires are the mainstays of a build meant for crawling. Usually you’ll see solid front axles and winches, with exocages on these kind of builds. Typically a prerunner will have an internal cage because the smaller cage is a bit stronger, and the truck also looks a lot cleaner without a jungle gym around it. Rock crawlers, on the other hand, are basically using the cage as a giant full vehicle slider. The roof can slide along trees or rocks, the quarter panels and rockers are protected, plus they can roll over, then flip the truck back on it’s wheels and try again. Rock crawlers roll pretty often, but at slow speeds, trying to get up super off-camber obstacles. While race seats and harnesses would be a lot safer, you need to be able to see the ground right under your wheels, and you just can’t lean out of your seat at all with a harness. That’s why most rock crawling builds will just keep the stock seats. I would say that the biggest difference in design philosophy between a prerunner cage and a rock crawler cage is that a prerunner cage is meant to save the driver/passengers, while a rock crawler cage is designed to save the vehicle. I don’t know if that’s totally true or not, but it’s an observation. Rock crawlers will often go on day trips to the trails then head home, but they will just as often hit a difficult trail, and then camp out for a day or two before heading home. They just will usually use a ground tent and more simple camp setup because having a low center of gravity is super important for the kind of obstacles these vehicles are built for. Your Build So I hear you saying “but Braeden, I don’t fit into any of those categories, I do two, or all three of those things”. I hear you, and I understand. I also do all of those things, but the truth is, my truck can’t really do any of them very well. When you try to compromise between 2 or 3 different styles of build, you inherently have to make compromises. Maybe you built a long travel tacoma with a rtt and camping gear on it, and like to hit the desert, and camp for a week straight. That’s awesome, but I guarantee you aren’t driving in the desert even close to how a dedicated prerunner does, PLUS your truck probably doesn’t drive nearly as nice on the highway as a milder truck would. Or maybe you like to overland into really cool locations, and there are some pretty techy rock features on the way that you get up and over. That’s rad too, but you’re probably locking up the diffs, and possibly winching up sections that a dedicated crawler would drive over like it’s flat. I’m also trying to build a truck that does all of these things, but my tacoma is loud and annoying to drive on the highway, with tonnes of body roll and terrible fuel economy. It’s also relatively slow in the desert, because it’s heavy, underpowered and doesn’t have the suspension travel or cage to really go fast. Then when I get to a rock crawling feature, my truck is too long, and the spring under leafs get hung up on rocks, and the front IFS doesn’t have forced articulation like a solid axle would. I basically want a vehicle that doesn’t exist! Like an Ultra4 Truck that can do crazy rocks, go super fast over whoops, but with a roof top tent and a fridge and good fuel economy and on-road handling. Everything is a compromise depending on what you want to do, and your build might not completely fit into any of these molds, but it will be a combination of certain parts of one or another. Maybe you don’t mind roughing it a bit more on the highway and at the camp site, so you sacrifice those things for a more capable crawling truck. Maybe you’d really prefer to cook a proper nice meal and hang out at a beautiful spot for a few days without rocks in your back, so you lean towards a more comfortable camping setup, and sacrifice all out truck capability. There’s an infinite amount of ways you can build your truck, and that’s the beauty of this hobby. Your truck is like a statement of what you're into and where you like to go. And things change over time as well, I can’t count how many times I’ve changed the direction of my own truck build as I learn things and my interests change. Conclusion If you want to check out the day we spent having our minds blown in the desert, you’ll like this video, or if you want to watch us trying to tackle some of the harder rock crawling features we’ve tried, maybe watch this video! Hopefully this video helped break down the differences in builds and why each truck is built the way it is. Overlanders get a lot of flack from the older styles of off-roading like the rock crawler guys or the prerunner guys, saying that they spend a tonne of money on their trucks, then just drive on pavement. But I know just as many rock crawler and prerunner builds that actually only live in their garage, and their hobby is more just building a cool truck than actually driving it. View the full article

Independent Front Suspension is the most common kind of suspension that we see coming through our shop. We are Toyota specialists, so we see a lot of both Tacomas and 4Runners. Having run our shop for a few years now, along with the time I've spent reading on forums online and being a part of the wheeling community, I have realized that there are a few big myths floating around regarding lifting an IFS vehicle; Especially when it comes to fitting larger tires. Although we mostly work on Toyota's, these myths apply to all A-arm style IFS vehicles. The biggest misconception I've seen is that a suspension lift is a requisite to putting bigger tires on a vehicle with Independent Front Suspension. That is simply not the case. Excluding drop bracket lifts, a suspension lift will not give you any additional clearance for tires. I can explain it this way; lets say your vehicle has 8” of IFS travel. At your stock ride height, you are sitting close to the middle, giving you 4” of up travel, and 4” of down travel. That's a great ride height for good suspension performance over bumpy terrain with equal parts up and down travel. Say you install a suspension lift that lifts your vehicle 2 inches. Now, out of your 8” of total travel, you have 6” of up travel, but only 2” of down travel. Here you can see that for the same amount of wheel travel, a larger tire will not clear the wheel well when the suspension is compressed, despite clearing at ride height. Regardless of where you sit within your 8” of travel at ride height, at full extension or full compression, your wheel will still end up in the exact same position as it would have with your stock suspension. This means that whether you are on stock suspension or a high end suspension setup, when you bottom out or turn your wheels, you will rub in all the same spots with bigger tires, regardless of how much lift you have. With a suspension lift, you might clear bigger tires at ride height; but that is only useful if you rarely leave the pavement. We are a performance oriented “off-road” shop, so I like to assume that our customers actually use their vehicles to get off-road. If that's not you, then by all means, a lift and bigger tires will work fine on your way to the mall. No matter what size lift you have, to properly clear bigger tires is going to require modifications. And I don't mean bolt on modifications. I mean hammering, cutting, grinding, and welding to make more space in your wheel wells to clear tires when your suspension is at full bump and your steering is at full lock. There is no way around this, whatever else you've read on the internet. It's physics baby! I find that, for the Tacoma and 4Runner, a 33", or 285/70R17 is the best compromise for most people. They give more clearance, more off road comfort and traction, all without needing to do any major cutting in the wheel well, and without an excessive impact to on-road performance and economy. All that is usually required for proper clearance would be a mild cab mount chop, moving the pinch weld some, and a bit of plastic trimming, depending on the specific wheel/tire combo you go with. I'm not going to talk about drop bracket lifts here, because in my opinion, they are not useful for overlanding. Although they will give you additional room for larger tires throughout the full range of travel, they will not give you better performance, and will raise your center of gravity unnecessarily high (lower is better). All while giving you no additional clearance at the belly of your truck, because all of the brackets have been extended down. In my personal opinion, it's not the best way to lift a Toyota. This leads to the second myth that I have seen around: that lifting your vehicle equals better performance. I already touched on this a little bit earlier, but I want to elaborate a bit more. When you lift your IFS vehicle by preloading the coil more, or installing longer or stiffer coils, you are only changing your ride height. The actual wheel travel remains the same. Thus, you will have less down travel. This means that the higher you lift your front end, the more often you will feel your suspension top-out (fully extend) over holes, or after big speed bumps, etc. which can give a rough ride, especially combined with the generally stiffer coils or additional pre-load. For this reason, I recommend keeping your lift between 2-2.5". Most of the more budget friendly lift options, such as Bilstein 5100's or Old Man Emu Nitrochargers lift your vehicle by using more preload, or a stiffer/longer coil. While they will generally perform as well as or slightly better than stock, they generally do not add any travel to your vehicle. Higher end suspension from brands like King or Fox usually have an "extended travel" option. These coilovers will allow you to lift your vehicle 3", but only lose 2" of down travel, giving much better performance (along with drastically superior strength, heat dissipation and damping). They generally will give you around 1" more travel than a non-extended coilover. These extended length coilovers do require an aftermarket upper control arm on Toyota's though, to clear the coil at full droop. Ivan Stewart's famous race winning trophy truck was kept very low, while getting as much wheel travel out of the suspension as possible. This, combined with large tires, gives the best performance for most off-road scenarios. So, after all of this, what do you gain by lifting your vehicle? You do gain a small amount of ground clearance in some areas, such as break-over angle. However, larger tires are the best way to gain more ground clearance. Unless you are only after the look of a lifted truck, lifting itself should not be the goal of changing the suspension on your vehicle. Performance should always be at the core of every modification, whether that's suspension, armour, lighting, or whatever else. I would prefer to set up a vehicle with less "lift" knowing that it will perform better and put less strain on stock components off-road, even if a bit more trimming or cutting is required at ride height. What other myths have you heard about regarding IFS? Did you learn anything from this post? Did I miss anything? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below! If you're interested in getting some suspension, or any other work done on your vehicle, get in touch with us about our installations! View the full article

Hello all of you! This is Braeden again with another Frequently Asked Friday! Lets goooo! Today I wanted to talk about Upper Control Arms. In our shop we only work on Toyota’s, so that’s what I’ll be going over here, but the same general information applies to most independent A-Arm front suspension. So the upper control arm or UCA for short, is a part of your front suspension. In a double A-Arm setup, you have a lower control arm and an upper control arm. Typically, you’ll find that people talk about changing their UCA when they are changing the suspension on their vehicle and adding lift. There are a few reasons for this! The first reason to change your UCA is because, through the range of your suspension’s travel, your alignment changes, especially the Caster. I’m going to make another video in the future about alignments specifically, but for now, all you need to know is that having a higher positive caster makes your steering more stable and turn into corners slower. Having a lower or even negative caster will make your steering very twitchy and your steering wheel won’t return to center as well. For off road, we usually try to aim for a caster somewhere between 3-4 degrees. So as your suspension droops out, the geometry causes your vehicle to lose caster. The same applies to lifting your truck, which also causes you to lose caster. A big misconception is that higher caster equals more clearance for big tires. This isn’t really the case; What an aftermarket UCA does is move the upper ball joint out and towards the back of the vehicle. This increases the amount of caster you can get, while also adding back the camber that would be lost, correcting for the higher ride height. I recommend changing your UCA’s for 2” of lift and strongly suggest changing them for 2.5” or more. However, they are mandatory on many suspension setups for the next reason! The second reason for upgraded UCA’s is for additional droop. Most aftermarket suspension kits, especially the high end setups, allow for more down travel than what the stock shocks can do. However, the stock UCA limits this travel for two different reasons. One; the ball joint doesn’t have enough range of movement, so it starts to bind; and Two; there isn’t enough room on the inside of the arm, so as the suspension droops out fully, the stock UCA will contact the coilover. The third reason to swap UCA’s is for additional strength. There are 3 main brands of UCA that we sell in our shop. We sell SPC, JD Fabrication, and Total Chaos. SPC UCA’s are cool because they have a greasable ball joint that can be adjusted. This allows you to fine tune your alignment, as well as use your alignment to make more clearance for larger tires easier. However, in my experience, if you wheel hard and are driving off road a lot, the SPC arms can’t quite handle the abuse. For most people they will work great, but for those people that are going quickly down rough roads on a very frequent basis, the SPC ball joints tend to develop play. I’ve seen them need to be replaced after around 9 months of hard use. Another brand, JBA, also has a similar issue, and I’ve replaced a lot of JBA ball joints because they wear out so quickly. Total Chaos makes a very strong UCA. They use polyurethane inner bushings, and a uniball outer joint. If you’re going for strength, these are a solid option. However, depending on where you live, they might not be the best choice. Here in BC, Canada, we get a lot of rain, and harsh winters with salty roads. The exposed uniballs on the TC arms require a lot of maintenance and care to be kept running smoothly in those kinds of conditions. The poly inner bushings also tend to squeak a LOT. We have a hard time recommending the TC arms to any of our customers, or for anybody that lives in a similar climate to us. JD Fabrication makes a really great UCA. They have 2 options, depending on how strong you want the arms to be. They have one option that uses stock rubber inner bushings. These are great because they simply just work. They are quiet, and reliable. The other option is to use uniballs on the inner pivot. JD has custom seals made to try and keep as much mud and grit out of the uniballs as possible, which helps keep them working, even in harsher climates. For the outer, JD uses what’s called an EMF joint. These are made in Canada, and are a uniball, but are sealed on the top, with a grease port. This is kind of the best of both worlds, between going with the greasable ball joint, and the strength of a full on exposed uniball. But this is just what I’ve found in my own experience. What UCA’s are you running on your truck? What’s been your experience with them? If you’re still just planning your build out, what kind of UCA’s are you leaning towards getting? Let me know in the comments! And as always, if you liked the video, give it a thumbs up, but even better, subscribe so you don’t miss the next FAF! View the full article

The End of the Lightning, As We Knew ItThe Ford F-150 Lightning’s future has been under a cloud since last month. Production stops, cooling EV demand in the US, and big losses in Ford’s EV division all pointed to trouble. Now it’s official: Ford will end production of the current all-electric Lightning this year. The truck launched with a lot of excitement, but it never quite found its footing. But Ford isn’t dropping the Lightning name. Instead, it’s changing course. The next version will be called the F-150 Lightning EREV, an extended-range electric truck that shifts the Lightning’s role in Ford’s lineup. This isn’t the end of the Lightning, just a new chapter aimed at buyers who want electric power but aren't ready to give up the pump gas. Ford What an EREV Brings to the TableAn extended-range electric vehicle isn’t just another hybrid. In the Lightning EREV, only the electric motors drive the wheels. Much like Nissan’s upcoming e-Power, there’s no direct connection between the engine and the wheels. Instead, a powerful onboard generator kicks in to recharge the battery when needed, which means you get a lot more range without giving up the electric drive feel. Ford says the new Lightning EREV will go more than 700 miles on a charge, while keeping the instant torque, quiet ride, and power-out features that made the original Lightning stand out. The goal is to keep the EV experience for daily driving while removing the worry about range when towing or heading out on a long trip. It’s a move toward flexibility rather than sticking to a pure EV formula, and the company claims it’s what customers want. "The F-150 Lightning is a groundbreaking product that demonstrated an EV pickup can still be a great F-Series," said Doug Field, Ford's chief EV, digital and design officer. "Our next-generation F-150 Lightning EREV will be every bit as revolutionary. It delivers everything Lightning customers love – near instantaneous torque and pure electric driving. But with a high-power generator enabling an estimated range of 700+ miles, it tows like a locomotive. Heavy-duty towing and cross-country travel will be as effortless as the daily commute." Ford The Pickup EV Reality CheckFord isn’t the only one changing direction. Stellantis already dropped its plans for a fully electric Ram 1500 and is now focusing on the range-extended Ram 1500 REV. GM’s electric pickups are still on sale, but sales numbers are modest at best. Chevrolet has sold 9,379 Silverado EVs so far this year, and GMC has moved 6,147 Sierra EVs, according to Cox Automotive’s Q3 2025 EV sales data. That’s behind the Lightning’s 23,034 units in the same period, but the whole segment is still small. Tesla’s Cybertruck is in the middle, with 16,097 units sold in Q3 2025, but even those numbers have slowed from early hype. The bigger picture is that electric pickups aren’t going away, but the market is shifting toward more practical solutions instead of all-in EV bets. Ford says the next-generation F-150 Lightning EREV will be built at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, with further details and timing to be revealed down the line. We're expecting it to arrive earlier than 2028 as previously reported. Getty Images View the 4 images of this gallery on the original article View the full article

Hey guys, I’m Braeden with Overland Outfitters. You know what day it is! We are diving into another Frequently asked Friday, so let’s get FAFing about! Today I wanted to talk about the pros and cons of steel vs aluminum armour. First up I figured we could just talk about the general benefits and deficits of Aluminum and Steel. Aluminum Armour Benefits Aluminum is lighter than steel, and it also doesn’t rust, which is great for areas (like here in BC) where roads get salted in the winter. However, Aluminum is quite a lot more expensive than steel. Aluminum isn’t as strong as steel either, and under repeated stresses, Aluminum tends to crack.. Steel Armour Benefits Steel has the benefits of being cheaper, stronger and easier to work with, however, the penalties are weight and the fact that it can rust. Where to Use Each Type There are a lot of different kinds of armour you can get, and the material that they are made out of matters more or less depending on which part we are talking about. We’ll start with the front of the vehicle and work our way back! So in the front you have the front bumper; Here, aluminum is great to save weight, but if you plan on winching a lot, or doing hard recoveries in the front, steel will be the better option. I had an aluminum front bumper on my truck, and I did bend it under a hard pull. However, the light weight is really nice, so if you don’t intend on abusing it, it could be a good option. For the skid plates underneath the vehicle, the same general idea applies. If you plan on dragging your truck over rocks frequently, steel is definitely the better option. Not only are they stronger, but they also slide better. Aluminum actually tends to gouge and get stuck on rocks. However, if you just want skids to protect your vehicle from the odd accidental bad line choice, and don’t intend to really hammer them hard, aluminum can be a great option that will save weight. Getting into the sliders, I would absolutely never recommend aluminum. I’ve seen steel sliders bend from heavy hits; so aluminum would stand no chance at all. If you want to use your sliders as a hilift point, aluminum won’t be able to support the weight of the vehicle either. Aluminum “sliders” are more like glorified side steps than actually useful armour. Not to mention, once again, that aluminum tends to gouge and get stuck on rocks, rather than SLIDE over them like they were designed to. Finally, the rear bumper. I don’t know of many brands that offer an aluminum rear bumper, and that’s for a reason. If you ever want to use a built in hitch to tow a trailer or hold a bike rack or anything else, aluminum would not be up to the challenge. The rear bumper also sees the most abuse from getting dragged on the ground and over rocks frequently. Typically your rear suspension is able to handle weight better than the front anyway, so Steel rear bumpers are definitely the way to go for the back of the vehicle. So basically, Aluminum is an okay choice depending on how hard you use your vehicle, and how often you are doing recoveries or dragging through rocks. However, the further back you go on the vehicle, the more sense it makes to use steel. But that’s just what I’ve experienced running both aluminum and steel skids and front bumpers. I want to know what your thoughts are! Has Aluminum worked well for you? Or is steel the way to go? Let me know in the comments; If you liked this video, hit the thumbs up, and if you want to see more of our frequently asked questions getting answered, make sure you subscribe! See you all in the next one! BuhBye! View the full article

“Shock Value” is the game show where two off-road enthusiasts, Ian from Wheel Every Weekend and Braeden from Overland Outfitters, took on the challenge of blind testing various suspension systems on a stock third-gen Tacoma. Did they guess which suspension system was installed? More importantly, which shocks came out on top in a series of rugged tests? Buckle up as we dive into the adventure that unfolded! Introduction To Our Off-Road Aficionados And Their Ride Meet the Contestants and the Tacoma Setup First off, let’s meet our fearless contestants. Ian, a suspension guru and part-time tuna connoisseur, and Braeden, the trail boss from Overland Outfitters, brought their suspension expertise to the fore. Their test vehicle was a stock third-gen Tacoma fitted with ADD Leafs, 33-inch tires, and a Westcott spacer lift. The shocks in the running included Fox 2.5s, Dobinson IMS, Bilstein 5100, Old Man Emu Nitro Chargers, and Eibach Stage 1s. The stage was set; let the tests begin! The Razor Burn Test: Who Could Handle The Rattle? Shaking Things Up First up was the Razor Burn test. This test involved chatter boards that mimicked rough, uneven terrain, pushing each suspension to its limits. Ian and Braeden experienced a mix of bone-rattling discomfort and surprising resilience. While the stock shocks held their ground, 3 offering a decent performance despite the harsh conditions, some aftermarket contenders struggled with excessive bottoming out and inconsistent damping. The contestants’ reactions were priceless as they got shaken but not stirred. Highway Test: Smooth Operators Or Rough Riders? Cruising Comfortably Next, they hit the highway to assess body roll, brake dive, and overall ride comfort. This was where some aftermarket shocks shone, providing tighter, more controlled rides compared to the stock setup. However, not every upgrade was a winner; a few shocks delivered a harsher ride, amplifying road vibrations. Ian and Braeden’s feedback was mixed, highlighting the importance of choosing the right suspension for both off-road and daily driving. High-Speed Whoops: Ready, Set, Jump! The Ultimate Challenge The most thrilling part of the testing series was the high-speed whoops, where the Tacoma was driven over a series of large bumps at speed. This test pushed each suspension system to its limits, revealing stark contrasts in its ability to handle high-impact scenarios. While some shocks managed to keep the vehicle stable and controlled, others caused significant bouncing and discomfort. The high-speed whoops separated the contenders from the pretenders, with Ian and Braeden experiencing some hair-raising moments. The Best and Worst Shocks After the dust settled, it was time to rank the shocks. The Bilstein 5100s took the crown, offering the best balance of performance and value. Dobinson IMS and Old Man Emu Nitro Chargers also impressed, securing top spots. The Fox 2.5s, despite their high price, are disappointed with frequent bottoming out and poor control. Our contestants agreed: some shocks were better left on the shelf. Wrapping Up the Shock Valley Showdown Choosing the Right Suspension “Shock Valley” was an eye-opening adventure, highlighting the critical role of suspensions in off-roading. Whether you’re tackling rugged trails or cruising the highway, the right suspension can make all the difference. The Bilstein 5100s emerged as the clear winner, but every driver’s needs are unique. Choose wisely, and your off-road experience will be smoother and more enjoyable. Stay tuned for more wild rides and in-depth reviews from Wheel Every Weekend and Overland Outfitters! View the full article

Hey there, Tacoma enthusiasts! If you’ve ever wondered what goes into getting a perfect front-end alignment on your beloved truck, you’re in the right place. We recently had a Toyota Tacoma come into the shop for some front-end work and a fresh alignment. Today, we’re sharing a detailed walkthrough of the entire alignment process from start to finish. Whether you’re gearing up for some off-road adventures or just want to keep your daily drive smooth, we’ve got you covered. Let’s dive in! Reflectors: The High-Tech Beginning First things first, we start with the reflectors. These nifty gadgets are key to getting accurate alignment readings. Each reflector has a unique combination of dots and an X, which the computer uses to determine the position and angle of each wheel. Here’s how it works: Attach the Reflectors: We mount a reflector onto each wheel. The computer sends out a laser that reflects off these dots, calculating the exact angle and tilt of each wheel. Initial Computer Setup: Once the reflectors are in place, we boot up the alignment software. The first screen shows how the vehicle is lined up on the rack, with each reflector pulsing as it receives the laser. We adjust the height of the rack to ensure all reflectors are centered and the computer has a clear view. Computer Setup: Dialing in the Details Now that the reflectors are in place and the computer is ready, it’s time to roll the vehicle forward and back to calibrate the reflectors. This step is crucial for the computer to understand how everything is oriented: Rolling Compensation: We roll the Tacoma forward and backward along specific lines. This helps the computer understand the current alignment of the wheels. Locking the Brakes: We then lock the brakes to keep the truck steady. This involves starting the truck so the brake booster is active, then using a special tool to hold the brake pedal in place. Making Adjustments: The Fine Art of Alignment With everything set up, it’s time for the real magic – adjusting the alignment. This involves tweaking the camber, caster, and toe to achieve optimal performance: Camber and Toe: These are relatively straightforward. Camber is the angle of the wheels when viewed from the front, while the toe is the angle when viewed from above. We adjust these to ensure even tire wear and good handling. Caster: This is where it gets interesting. The caster is the angle of the steering axis when viewed from the side. A higher caster angle improves stability at high speeds – crucial for off-road driving. We often set our caster higher than the manufacturer’s specs for better off-road performance. Test Drive: The Final Check After making all the necessary adjustments, it’s time for the moment of truth – the test drive: Removing Reflectors: We take off the reflectors and make sure everything is tightened up. On the Road: During the test drive, we check if the steering wheel is centered and if the truck drives straight. Any final tweaks are made to ensure perfect alignment. The Final Word: Alignment Done Right Aligning your Tacoma isn’t just about hitting factory specs; it’s about customizing the setup to fit your driving style and needs. Whether you’re tackling tough trails or cruising the streets, a precise alignment makes all the difference. If you found this guide helpful, leave a comment below and share your thoughts. We love hearing from you and are always here to help with your next off-road adventure or daily drive. See you next time! View the full article

As some of you know, we went on a road trip last September to head back to wear I (Braeden) grew up; Haida Gwaii. Our amazing friends, Ollie and Hailey put together an awesome video (below) about the trip, and Tepui was generous enough to help out a bit! Hope you enjoy it if you haven't seen it already! View the full article

Is Now The Greatest Time In History For Wheels & Tires? Goodyear made the first air-filled truck tire in 1916; before that, tires were solid rubber. In 1931, DuPont invented... The post Why Unsprung Weight Matters When Upgrading Wheels & Tires appeared first on Trail4R.com - 5th Gen 4Runner Mods. View the full article

The EV market is changingThere’s been a tonal shift when it comes to EVs. It’s not an assertion, either. Ford has shifted its focus toward hybrids, as have several other automakers. Where we once thought electrification would dominate automakers’ lineups, we’re now seeing a regression to meet consumer demand. The expiration of federal tax credits dramatically dented EV sales and is something automakers point to as a reason they’re no longer as bullish on EVs. Now, a new study underscores that auto brands likely saw this curve in the road before any of us. Where car buyers once planned to switch to an EV, there’s now a massive dearth in interest. Kia Where EVs stand in 2026A new study from CDK Global on consumer sentiment shows interest in EVs among gas-powered vehicle drivers has dropped 20%. When asked if they planned to purchase an EV in the future, only 11% of respondents who drive ICE autos said they do, down from 31% in 2024’s survey. Similarly, in 2024, 54% of hybrid drivers said they were planning to switch to EVs; in 2025, that group’s interest in switching to a fully electrified car stands at 35%, down 19% year over year. Interestingly, plug-in hybrid drivers are still quite interested in a fully electric vehicle. 54% of respondents who currently drive PHEVs said they would switch to an EV in the future, down only 4% from last year’s survey (58%). Speculatively, this suggests that a PHEV is a bit of a toe-dip into electrification for many and helps better frame the benefits of full electrification than vehicles that rely on gasoline. Almost half of existing EV drivers (47%) say they plan to purchase an EV in the next three years, while 42% say they will buy another EV within 5 years. This figure suggests EV owners understand that electrification is evolving quickly. It also shows that federal tax incentives worked, and existing EV drivers don’t seem put off by the higher cost of a fully electrified vehicle. EV sales are in troubleWhile 89% of EV drivers plan to buy another EV within five years, that number drops to 80% among hybrid drivers and 63% among ICE drivers. After five years, all statistics dip dramatically. In seven years, only 14% of ICE drivers think they’ll purchase an EV, rising to 23% by the 10-year mark. For ICE drivers, it seems that if the auto industry doesn’t give them a compelling reason to purchase an EV soon, those drivers are willing to wait a decade before going electric. EV and hybrid drivers trail off dramatically, too, but their numbers never rebound. It’s worth noting that EVs make up less than 10% of the overall auto market, so such a significant swing in buyer intent may make automakers shy away from EVs even further. Interestingly, 19% fewer ICE drivers say they have friends or family who drive EVs now. Hybrid drivers and PHEV drivers also say fewer people they know drive EVs, but slightly more EV drivers say more of their friends and family have gone electric. Final thoughtsGas-powered cars dominate the auto market. ICE drivers switching to EVs is critical for the success of electrification, but sadly for EV enthusiasts, interest is waning dramatically. This study also concludes that far fewer ICE drivers are shopping for EVs, and they no longer care what friends or family have to say about fully electrified cars, either. Perhaps most damning is that when asked why they planned to purchase a gas or hybrid vehicle over an EV, 10% more respondents (compared to 2024’s survey) report EVs “don’t suit my lifestyle.” The EV market is evolving dramatically, but it may not have developed quickly enough to sway the most critical demographic. View the full article

Check out our fourth gallery of photos below, and remember we’ve got a link to anything you might have missed already too! Check them all out and if you click on a photo it will expand and you can swipe through them all! (Words and Photos by Chad Reynolds) We’ve got photos from the 2025 PRI Show in Indy right here! Man this place is full of epic stuff that I’d really love to see under the tree, or under the hood in 2024. The PRI Show is where everyone that’s anyone seemed to be on hand checking out parts, making sponsors happy, signing autographs, partying at the local bars and just having too much fun all around. It’s our favorite trade show of the year and we are having a great time. There are tons of things to see and even more importantly, awesome people to talk to. Check out our continuing coverage below, we’ve got more galleries coming this week as well! We are in Indianapolis for the 2025 PRI Show and man there is lots of cool stuff here as usual. Thursday we got to the show, judged the featured products, saw some awesome stuff we’d never seen before, and then wandered around shooting some photos. Then we attempted a more stuctured approach to our coverage and went aisle by aisle in search of all things cool. Check back tomorrow for even more coverage as we’ve got all kinds of cool stuff we know you will dig. The Performance Racing Industry show is one that any racer would love to attend. Unlike the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, where every kind of automotive aftermarket part is on display, the PRI Show features only racing-related parts. If the parts aren’t related to the motorsports world, you won’t find them here. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PHOTOS WE’VE ALREADY POSTED! The post Check Out The Cool Stuff From The PRI Show In Indy! Pictures Of Cars, Parts, People And More! appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

(Words by Darr Hawthorne) • The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) announced today that U.S. 131 Motorsports Park will host a Mission Foods Drag Racing Series event in 2026, with the inaugural NHRA Great Lakes Nationals opening the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. The new event, scheduled for Sept. 18–20 in Martin, Michigan, will serve as the 15th of 20 races during NHRA’s 75th anniversary season and the first of six playoff rounds. Tickets go on sale February 1, 2026. U.S. 131 Motorsports Park will also host an NHRA national open on July 8-9, leading into a Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series divisional event on July 10-12. While NHRA framed this announcement as continued growth, the move effectively ends the Keystone Nationals following the IHRA’s acquisition of Maple Grove Raceway, removing one of the sport’s most historic venues from the NHRA national event schedule. 2025 celebrated the 40th annual NHRA Reading Nationals at Maple Grove. It should be noted that the seating capacity of Maple Grove is upwards of 30,000 while U.S. 131 Motorsports Park reportedly accommodates some 12,000 plus spectators. The Great Lakes Nationals will mark NHRA’s first national event at U.S. 131 and brings the total to four “new” National Event facilities for 2026. A majority of those tracks were formerly AHRA or IHRA or Outlaw Street sanctions. This shift underscores a changing landscape for NHRA, as expansion into new markets comes at the expense of long-established tracks with large capacity grandstands, raising questions about tradition, territory, and the long-term direction of the national event calendar during NHRA’s milestone 75th Anniversary Season. The post NHRA Announces Great Lakes Nationals At U.S. 131 Motorsports Park! appeared first on BangShift.com. View the full article

Nissan’s luxury brand Infiniti appears ready to spawn a performance-focused sub-brand. The company has already gone on record about wanting “true performance” models capable of taking on BMW M and Mercedes-AMG, developed with help from Nismo and built in limited numbers. To Infiniti and Beyond, if you will. Now, internal developments suggest that this ambition may be moving out of the concept phase and closer to production reality, with a clear starting point and a tentative timeline. From Ambition to Execution Infiniti When Infiniti leadership previously spoke about performance, the message was largely philosophical: build halo cars, make them meaningfully faster, and ensure they feel worthy of the badge. According to recent comments from Infiniti and Nissan executives, that thinking has progressed into technical feasibility work. The QX80 has emerged as the front-runner for this new performance line, having already been previewed through multiple high-profile concepts, most notably the 1,000-hp R-Spec and 650-hp Track Spec. The next challenge is all about real-world feasibility. Engineers are now tasked with proving that improved cooling, brakes, suspension, and chassis tuning can support that output reliably, putting it in the same conversation as established performance SUVs like the BMW XM. If approved, the stand-alone brand's performance DNA could eventually trickle down the lineup, potentially influencing future models such as the 2026 Infiniti QX60. Learning from Nismo Missteps Nissan Infiniti’s renewed push is also shaped by lessons learned the hard way. Previous performance efforts struggled to gain traction because the gap between standard and upgraded models was simply too small. That criticism extends beyond Infiniti itself. Nissan vehicles like the Z Nismo and Armada Nismo delivered only minor power increases, leaning heavily on red accents and visual flair rather than power gains. This time, Infiniti appears determined not to repeat that mistake. Executives have spoken about dramatic gains rather than incremental ones, with some even floating the idea of doubling output compared to standard models. Expected to Arrive in 2027 Infiniti If internal studies continue to produce positive results, Infiniti could make a final go-ahead decision as early as 2026. Should that happen, the QX80 Track Spec would likely be the first production model under this new performance umbrella, potentially reaching showrooms within a year of approval. Volumes would remain low, and pricing would sit at the top of the range, positioning these models as halo products rather than mainstream sellers. There is still plenty left unanswered, including what this performance division will ultimately be called. And if it is not called “Beyond,” it would be a missed opportunity. View the full article

Chances of EV Fires are Low, But Not ZeroStatistically, EV fires are a rare occurrence compared to hybrid and ICE vehicle fires. Of course, they're reported more often than not, and understandably so. Nonetheless, it's hard to deny the stats, and there will always be the danger of a fire, regardless of propulsion. But what makes EV fires different is the battery's composition. Most use lithium-ion cells, which, when exposed to flames or damaged, explode. Putting out said fires is a different challenge for first responders, as they also have to deal with a phenomenon called thermal runaway. To oversimplify it, it's a chain reaction that makes them harder to put out. MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images/Getty Images Solutions, Anyone?Automakers are doing what they can to prevent EV fires from happening in the first place. At the same time, fire departments already have protocols in place to extinguish them. What we don't have right now is to suppress the fire before it gets worse. Granted, ICE-powered cars don't really have them, but given the volatility of thermal runaway fires, it's something good to have. Over in China, one solution proposed was to eject the flaming battery from the vehicle. We can already see you raising your eyebrows, scratching your head, or laughing. Shooting a flaming projectile into a sidewalk won't end well for anyone. Meanwhile, Stellantis might have a solution that might work for everyone. The company was recently granted its patent (Pub. No.: US 2025/0372750) for a built-in fire suppressant for EVs and hybrids. It surely sounds better than firing a flaming battery pack at unsuspecting pedestrians and road users. Built-in Fire Suppressant SystemOn-board fire suppressants aren't new in cars. It was once an option for the Ford Crown Victoria, specifically the Police Interceptor. As police vehicles are vulnerable to being rear-ended, it was a worthwhile thing to add. With EV fires being a concern, it's a good time to revisit it. Stellantis' solution is a little more extreme compared to the one fitted to the good ol' Crown Vic. The proposed fire suppressant system has to deal with a more intense flame and prevent thermal runaway from happening in the first place. So, what are the key components? U How It WorksThere's a bladder filled with fire-retardant chemicals, along with two blades to pierce it and channel the suppressant to specific cooling lines, and a barrage of actuators and sensors. The entire system constantly monitors operating temperatures and will channel more coolant when certain parameters are exceeded. The foam will only be activated when the risk of thermal runaway is high. In theory, it sounds like a viable solution. Putting it into practical application will be a totally different matter. As with all things, it's easier said than done. But if Stellantis can package it in a way that it won't add more weight or force them to use a smaller battery, then this has all the potential to be a win for consumers. We reckon firefighters will appreciate it too. U View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article View the full article

Tesla Looks to the SkiesA recent Tesla patent explores the use of radio-frequency (RF) transparent materials in the roofs of its electric vehicles, hinting at the possible future integration of Starlink connectivity. However, implementing such a system would not be as straightforward as it sounds, as these alternative materials could raise structural and compliance challenges. The patent (Pub. No U.S. 2025/0368267) references materials such as polycarbonate, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, and acrylonitrile styrene acrylate, which, compared with traditional materials like metal and glass, can present different strength characteristics. Tesla reportedly plans to mitigate these concerns by using a multi-layer construction, potentially consisting of four layers, which could help restore rigidity while also improving noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) performance. “By employing polymer blends, some examples enable RF transmission from all the modules to satellites and other communication devices, both inside and outside the vehicle,” Tesla wrote in the patent filing. United States Patent and Trademark Office A Broader Technology EcosystemGiven Starlink’s connection to SpaceX – a rocket and satellite company also led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk – the use of polymer-based, RF-transparent roof panels could further strengthen the broader Musk-led technology ecosystem. In theory, such a design could allow Tesla vehicles, including mass-market models like the Model 3 and Model Y, to maintain satellite connectivity even in remote areas where cellular coverage is usually limited. At present, Tesla offers Standard Connectivity, which includes navigation and basic vehicle functions, with many features available over Wi-Fi. The company also offers Premium Connectivity, available as a $9.99/month option in the U.S., which enables features such as live traffic visualization and streaming services over cellular networks. Teslarati Rethinking Satellite IntegrationWhile most automakers pursuing satellite-based vehicle connectivity rely on partnerships with third-party providers, Tesla's integration of Starlink directly into its EVs would represent a unique approach. It’s worth noting, though, that Tesla and SpaceX/Starlink, despite both being led by Elon Musk, operate independently. As this remains at the patent stage, there is no guarantee the concept will reach production. If Tesla successfully implements the concept, it could reinforce the brand’s reputation as a technological frontrunner, alongside innovations such as the 4680 battery cell. Execution, however, will be key, as poor integration of new materials and construction methods could result in build quality issues, an area where Tesla has faced criticism in the past. United States Patent and Trademark Office View the 9 images of this gallery on the original article View the full article

Nothing captures the romance of early motorcycling quite like a vintage sidecar rig. There’s a certain magic to the pre-war and post-war setups—images of Harley-Davidson Panheads and Indian Chiefs rolling down a dusty road, with elegant, streamlined sidecars attached. It evokes a golden age of two-w... View the full article

In a climate of regular price hikes, getting anything worthwhile for free is rare, and for 2026 Ford Mustang Mach-E buyers, there's one fewer item that falls into that category. As reported by Electrek, Ford's new Mustang Mach-E brand manager, Teddy Ankeny, revealed to The Electric Duo that, for the 2026 model year, the controversially badged crossover will no longer provide a frunk for free, despite the fact that many EVs offer extra space in the area that an internal combustion engine would traditionally sit. But this decision wasn't made for nefarious reasons, says Ankeny. Instead, it's meant to save buyers a little money on their base MSRPs. Why The Mustang Mach-E's Frunk Now Costs Extra Ford View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article Ankeny explained that the Blue Oval opted to make the frunk a charged option because of buyer choices. Basically, Ford revised pricing and added a price to the frunk because most buyers weren't looking for it in the first place, and no longer charging for a frunk as part of the base MSRP gives buyers a slightly cheaper entry point to Mach-E ownership. Indeed, the 2026 Mustang Mach-E GT is roughly $1,000 cheaper than the 2025 model, starting at $53,395. Related: The Average New Car Price Is Now Over $50k In The US, And EVs Are To Blame Lower down the ladder, the 2026 Mustang Mach-E Select starts at $37,795 ($200 less than the 2025 model), while the new-for-2026 California Edition starts at $55,890. This special edition is based on the range-topping GT variant and adds a number of Rave Blue accents to the badges, grille, interior, and special 20-inch Carbonized Gray wheels, which boast gloss black aero covers. 2026 Mustang Mach-E Features Ford Depending on spec, the 2026 Mustang Mach-E produces 264 horsepower or 272 hp from a single rear-mounted motor, 325 hp or 370 hp from a dual-motor all-wheel-drive configuration, or in top-tier guise (that means the GT model with the Performance upgrade or the Mach-E Rally model), 480 hp and 700 lb-ft of torque, delivering a 0-60 time in the mid-to-low 3-second range. Up to 320 miles of range is possible on a single charge, and the cargo area offers 29.7 cubic feet of volume for all your stuff. For the record, the front trunk/frunk offers an additional 4.8 cubic feet of storage space. That's not a huge amount to give up for a $1,000 cut on pricing; as noted by Ford Authority, the frunk shrunk by some 40% for the 2025 model year after Ford added a new heat pump, and at the time, the Blue Oval was already saying that most buyers were barely using the space. View the full article

A Dakar Icon, RevisitedThe Dakar Rally is as tough as motorsport gets. It throws everything at a vehicle – deserts, mountains, rocks, and jungle. Back in 1985, the event stretched over 22 days and 6,390 miles, with 4,650 miles of that spent racing the clock in special stages. The route even forced teams to cross the Ténéré Desert twice, just to prove a point. Out of 362 starters, Mitsubishi’s Pajero took the win – its first overall Dakar victory. Called the Montero or Shogun elsewhere, the Pajero built its reputation on results like this. That 1985 win kicked off a run that would see Mitsubishi rack up 12 Dakar wins, including seven in a row. Now, forty years later, Mitsubishi has gone back to the original Pajero prototype that started it all. Instead of just cleaning it up for a museum, the team set out to get the Dakar winner running again – just as it was when it finished the rally. Bringing a Champion Back to LifeAfter the 1985 rally, Mitsubishi shipped the Pajero prototype back to its R&D center in Okazaki, Japan. It sat there for years, battered from Dakar and untouched. According to Mitsubishi, the idea of getting it running again felt out of reach for a long time. That changed this year or 40 years after the win. Mitsubishi’s motorsport engineers – including veterans from both WRC and Dakar – took charge of the restoration. They stripped the Pajero down to the last bolt, checking every part for wear, damage, or anything that might have given up after decades in storage. They fixed what needed fixing, but kept things original wherever possible. The engine got a full overhaul, but no major parts were swapped out. It took a few tries, but they got it running again. Suspension, cooling, and electrics were brought back to working order, while the chassis, body, seats, and dash stayed as they were. But perhaps the best thing about this restoration is that Mitsubishi left the scratches and dents from Dakar untouched, so the Pajero still looks exactly like it did at the finish line. Mitsubishi View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article Looking Forward by Looking BackWe believe that this restoration isn’t just about looking back. As we all know, Mitsubishi has been reconnecting with its motorsport roots through Ralliart, and the timing isn’t a coincidence. There’s already talk of a new flagship SUV, and it looks like the Pajero name could be coming back – sooner rather than later. Restoring the original Dakar winner is Mitsubishi’s way of reminding everyone what the Pajero stood for. It also hints at what a new Pajero could be. Mitsubishi View the 5 images of this gallery on the original article View the full article

Mercedes-Benz is lining up 2026 as a full-on anniversary year, stacking big historical milestones with what it calls the biggest product rollout in its history. The company will mark 140 years since Carl Benz patented his “vehicle with gas-engine drive” in 1886, 100 years since the Mercedes-Benz brand was created by the 1926 merger of Daimler and Benz, and 130 years since its first commercial vehicles. On top of that, it is celebrating 75 years of the crumple-zone “safety body” patent, 50 years since the W123 launched as the ancestor of today’s E-Class, and 20 years of the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. From The First Car To 140 Years Of BenzThe headline date is January 29, 1886, when Benz filed the patent widely considered the birth certificate of the automobile. Mercedes is using “140 years of innovation” as a banner for museum events, special “Classics & Coffee” meets in Stuttgart, and partner exhibitions such as “Mercedes, The Story of the Star” at Autoworld Brussels, which will bring together everything from early three-wheelers to modern hypercars. Alongside that, the brand is spotlighting 130 years of vans and trucks, including early 1890s transporters, and 75 years since Béla Barényi’s safety-body patent laid the groundwork for crumple zones. It is the kind of historical sweep that helps explain why one enthusiast was able to assemble the ultimate Mercedes collection, spanning everything from classic sedans to modern AMG flagships. Sasha Lekach Centenary Of The Star Meets A New Model BlitzThe 1926 merger that created the Mercedes-Benz name gives the brand a clean “100 years of Mercedes-Benz” hook for 2026, and the company is timing a major product cycle to land at the same time. Internal plans call for dozens of new or updated models across its “Entry,” “Core,” and “Top End” segments over 2026 and 2027, including a new CLA family on an “electric-first” platform and fresh SUVs. Mercedes also plans to lean into G-Class milestones and commercial-vehicle anniversaries, using the moment to connect its EV truck and van plans back to 1890s delivery vehicles and decades of off-road history. The message is that the lineup is changing fast, but the company wants to frame it as evolution from a long-running story rather than a clean break. Classic AMGs And Future Classics In The SpotlightAnniversary programming will run alongside a strong collector market for both older and newer Mercedes performance cars. The W123’s 50th birthday is likely to push already rising values for clean examples, but attention is just as strong on modern two-door AMGs that are already being treated as future classics. Combined with curated auctions built around single-owner Mercedes collections and big heritage events at the museum and major shows, 2026 is shaping up as a year when the brand leans on its back catalog just as hard as it talks about new EVs and software-heavy flagships. View the full article