There is a lot of turmoil in the automotive world at the moment, but this is not a new story. Lots of seemingly dynamic and innovative car companies have come and gone over the years, often derailed by factors outside their control. We are currently witnessing how significant changes in customer demand, growing environmental concerns, and a downturn in the economy can suck the life out of even the largest corporate entities.

If you wheel in the wild, there will inevitably come a time when a water crossing will rear its head. The trick is to ensure that your air- and fuel-breathing engine stays on a strict diet and doesn’t decide to ingest a detrimental dose of good old H2O. Many things can happen when this occurs, from a simple...

I have rebuilt the front Dana 44 differential with 5.38:1 gears, a TrueTrac, Yukon chromalloy axles, and Warn drive flanges. The rear Dana 60 received the same treatment, except a 35-spline spool replaced the 30-spline stuff.

The cutting begins and the tears are shed. Let me tell you, the hardest part of this experience after all the measuring is breaking out the Saws All and putting it to the body of a perfectly good Jeep. But a means to an end has to start somewhere and in this case, it requires cutting the vehicle literally in half.

I hope that those of you who have a Dakota are getting the impression that, despite there not being a lot of aftermarket parts or upgrades for us Dakota owners, there are definitely ways to improve the performance and look of our beloved trucks. I am back to Sport Trucks Unlimited (www.nsor.com) for the installation of new front brake parts and to upgrade the stock rear drums to full vented disc brakes...

You’ll find them in communities known as Yaletown, the Westside, Shaughnessy and the British Properties. Chances are they will be driven by women who look as though they spend a year’s blue-collar salary on beauty products alone. They are probably driving it only because it has a Mercedes-Benz tri-star on the grille and is the most expensive production SUV money can buy...

For 2009, the Toyota Tacoma is offering a newly reconfigured model that is playing on its “small but tough” attitude. This Tacoma is by definition a mid-size pickup, despite growing its silhouette in 2005, and now that the market has changed (in a case of “timing is everything”) the Tacoma may well be poised for a sales increase.

With the introduction of the updated 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee signaling in a new era for the Cherokee, I thought I’d take one last look at Jeep’s flagship for its last year of production. And while the new vehicle offers a fresh new look, it’s easy to say that the current Cherokee has withstood the test of time gracefully...

Following up the introduction of the all-new 1500-series Ram truck for 2009 is the revamp of the Heavy Duty series pick-ups. This new HD has picked up many of the new half-ton’s generational styling cues, not the least of which is the vastly improved interior design and materials that also make it into the HD.

Since the release of the winter issue of Trucks Plus Magazine, there has been news of epic proportions flowing out of Detroit. Along with the loss of the Pontiac name over at GM, Chrysler filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. Big things afoot in the boardrooms, but what does this mean to current or prospective Dodge Ram owners?