| SEMA 2005 |
(Click on any
image to enlarge)
If you can screw, glue, nail, or duct tape something to your
car , truck, SUV, ATV or HUMMV then it was probably on display
somewhere at
in Las Vegas at SEMA 2005. During the first four days of November
over 2100 vendors crowded into the Las Vegas Convention Center
to show off everything from hood scoops to exhaust pipes.
As hard as it was for us to give up a week of our exciting
lives to spend a week in dreary, boring Las Vegas we somehow
managed to muster the fortitude to pack our bags and head
to Sin City. Remember that we did this for you, our valued
readers. OK, in all honesty we did it for them (Photo at right).
The number of products on display at SEMA is simply mind
boggling. Even after we limited ourselves to products of interest
to our 4-wheeling audience we were still left with far too
many products to cover in one article.
(You and I both know that the picture at right has nothing
to do with 4WD vehicles but our editor hasn't figured that
out yet. He hasn't even figured out that the vehicle in the
picture doesn't even have four wheels!) |
One of the first products we looked at was the Power Pup down
loader from Bully
Dog. The Power Pup allows you to download programs for
your Cummins, DuraMax or Power Stroke powered truck so you
can reprogram your Engine Control Unit (ECU) to extract more
power. Depending on your vehicle you can dial in as much as
and extra 230 HP and 470 ft-lbs of torque.
The Outlook Monitor (right) allows you to control 
your Bully Dog ECU programs on the fly. This handy little
device mounts to your dash or A-pillar and gives you insight
into various diagnostic and performance functions.
Bully Dog offers a unique Tri Before You Buy program.
This program allows you stop by your local Bully Dog retailer
and have your truck programmed for extra horsepower at no
cost. After you have had a taste of the good life for a few
days the ECU automatically reverts back to the factory original
program and the power magically disappears. Like Cinderella's
carriage at midnight your rig turns back into a pumpkin and
you right back where you started. If your wife finds a glass
slipper in your glove box, however, you are on your own! |
Gorilla
Axle was on hand to show off their ATV lift kits. Gorilla
Axle will supply you with everything you need 
to lift your Honda, Yamaha or Polaris ATV as much as 6 inches.
Since a taller ATV is also a less stable ATV the Gorilla kit
also widens the track by 2-3 inches to improve stability.
As one might expect, the center piece of a Gorilla Axle lift-kit
is a Gorilla Axle. Gorilla's Axles are proudly made in the
USA out of 4340 chromoly and employ specially designed joints
that survive the extreme angles necessary to achieve such
a high lift.
If you are looking for an extreme lift for your ATV then
get in touch with the folks at Gorilla Axle. |
We think we may have found the ultimate gadget! The Lowrance
iWay 500c packs a complete turn-by-turn navigation system
with 20 Gigabyte hard disk for map storage into an durable,
waterproof case. The easy to use interface features a touch
screen and audible directions. The unit will even recalculate
your route automatically if you miss a turn.
For off-roaders, the iWay 500c is waterproof and features
an Off Road mode that does away with the turn-by-turn navigation
functions so you can use it in the boonies.
Lowrance also manages to pack an MP3 player into the unit
with an additional 10GB of storage to store up to 5,000 songs.
Your iPod may hold more songs but it won't help you find your
way out of the boonies like the iWay will.
The first space shuttle went up with less technology than
this! |
Our next stop was the Borla
booth. Borla has been making stainless steel exhaust systems
for everything from Fords to Ferraris for over 30 years. The
big news for the 4x4 community was that Borla has created
new exhaust systems for Jeeps, Hummers and Range Rovers.
For V8 powered Jeep Grand Cherokees Borla has released a
direct bolt-on exhaust system that offers an improved exhaust
note and, more importantly, improved gas mileage. This system
is almost as light as the stock exhaust system and features
a single polished 4" exhaust tip.
Have you just purchased a new supercharged Range Rover Sport
and discovered that the stock 390 horsepower just isn't going
to do it for you? Well, Borla has a dual exhaust system that
will push your Range Rover over the 400 horsepower mark. This
system features a crossover pipe and manages to weigh less
than the stock exhaust system.
And finally, the award for coolest product name in the exhaust
industry goes to the Humdinger Cat-Back(tm) exhaust system
for the 5-cylinder Hummer H3. This system, which features
dual exhaust outlets, improves exhaust flow by 137 cubic feet
per minute to increase midrange power and torque.
All of these systems are crafted out of T-304 stainless steel
and feature Borla's Million-Mile Warranty. If you want a chuckle,
check out the Love
Hurts commercial on Borla's web site. |
Are you Gellan? - Magellan that is. Magellan
was on hand to show off their MapSend Topo 3D USA Software.
This software gives you access to detailed topographic data
from anywhere in the United States. These maps can be uploaded
to your Magellan Meridian or Sport Track handheld GPS unit
so you can search points of interest and create waypoints
and routes while you are out on the trail. You can also see
a vertical profile of your route which allows you to evaluate
changes in elevation.
This software even links to Trails.com and automatically
uploads their data to the handheld so you have access to fun
things to do near over 30,000 outdoor destinations. |
Nothing is more miserable than having to ride around in a
wet seat. Once water gets into a seat it takes forever for
it to dry out. Wet
Okole offers a solution. Their high-quality neoprene seat
covers are totally waterproof (neoprene is what divers wear).
These easy to install seat covers feature 1/2 inch of extra
padding to enhance the comfort of your existing seats.
In addition to hundreds of other color combinations, Wet
Okole is now licensed to manufacture Bill Jordan's Realtree
camo patterns. |
 Over
at the Garmin
booth the hot ticket was the GPSMAP 376C. This rugged little
unit  is
not only weather resistant, it is also weather smart. With
a subscription to XM Sattelite Weather the GPSMAP 376C will
provide you with up-to-the-minute weather data so you can
see if that storm on the horizon is heading your way. This
is nice to know when you are trying to decide whether to break
camp or hit the trails one more time before heading home.
In addition to weather, the 376C will also receive XM music,
sports and talk radio (with a subsrciption, of course).
With an optional automotive kit (including software) the
376C also delivers turn-by-turn navigation for anywhere in
the US or Canada.
|
Toyota was on hand to show off their trick new FJ
Cruiser. The styling of Toyota's newest SUV pays homage
to the original FJ40 while riding atop the refined and capable
4Runner platform.
The FJ Cruiser is much larger in person than it appears in
pictures. I was expecting something along the lines of a RAV4
when in reality the FJ Cruiser is a full blown, mid-sized SUV.
Overall the package works. It is a sharp looking rig and
with an optional locking rear diff, it should be a capable
off-road performer. We can't wait to get behind the wheel. |
Volant
Performance builds high performance intake and exhaust
kits for nearly every 4WD truck and 
SUV made today. Their Cross-link polyethylene filter boxes
feature large diameter intake ducts to maximize airflow while
insulating the air filter from engine heat to ensure that
the intake air is as cold as possible for more power.
This kit for Jeep TJs includes a snorkel and a separate under-hood
intake that can be capped when you go off roading. |
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Where else but Vegas can you cruise down the street in
a competition rock crawler. |
6 Wheel Drive - Because 4 ain't enough and
8 is just too many. |
Yes, that ATV is sportin' dubs. I guess he couldn't find
anywhere to hang the fuzzy dice. |
The awesome rock garden right in the center of the action
at SEMA. |