Tread – January- 10 February 2024

Summary

Pat Soffe's rock-crawling 1956 Willys proves old sheet metal can still out-flex modern IFS rigs on the trail. Tread January/February 2024 (Issue 40) rolls out seven feature builds plus a full gear guide for overlanders who build their own trucks.

Del Fab's family-wagon build opens the features at page 16, followed by a 2017 Chevy Colorado Z71 that owner-builders will study for its component choices. Trail Hero 2023 highlights from page 44 capture the Utah event's standout rigs and obstacle runs. For the fabricators: ARP's guide to off-road fasteners at page 102 matches bolt grades to suspension loads. The Tread Agency Overland Summit 2023 roundup lists favourite products the editors actually used on the trail.

Departments include "Outfitted" (latest accessories), "Gear Box" (supplies for life off the pavement), and "Made the Cut" (new blades). A deep-dive at page 76, "Hand-Forged Heritage," takes a close look at Thai and Malaysian chopper-making through a world traveller's lens.

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Content Guide

▸ Feature Rigs

p.16 · Family Wagon — Del Fab Relives His Family Dream
A custom family hauler built for weekend expeditions. The walk-around covers suspension geometry, interior storage solutions, and the powertrain choices that keep it daily-driver friendly. Check the tyre-size calculations against your own chassis before you commit to a lift kit.

p.30 · All-American All-Star — 2017 Chevy Colorado Z71
A Colorado Z71 built to split duty between daily driving and overland weekends. The parts list includes bumpers, skid plates, and a suspension tune that maintains load-carrying comfort. Cross-reference the shock valving spec with your truck's gross axle weight before you re-valve.

p.66 · Antique Offroader — Pat Soffe's 1956 Willys
Pat Soffe's Willys rock crawler proves a 68-year-old chassis can dominate modern trails. The feature documents the custom four-link suspension, engine swap, and cage work that turned a vintage farm truck into a competition-level crawler. Study the link geometry photos — they are a masterclass in weight distribution.

▸ Events & Overlanding

p.44 · Trail Hero 2023 Highlights
The annual Utah off-road event captured through the lens of participants and organisers. The coverage focuses on vehicle spotting — which builds finished the toughest obstacles and which broke. Review the obstacle ratings before you register for next year so you know which line to pick.

p.90 · Tread Agency Overland Summit 2023 — Favourite Products
Editors pick the gear that survived a week of abuse at the Summit. No press-release fluff: these are the tools, tents, and recovery kits that earned a spot in the editors' own trucks. Add the top-rated recovery strap to your kit before your next solo run.

▸ Gear & Tech

p.102 · Tough Fasteners for Tough Terrain — ARP Guide
ARP's bolt-grade chart matched to specific off-road applications — control arms, engine mounts, and differential covers. The torque specifications are given in both foot-pounds and Newton-metres. Use the cross-reference table when you replace hardware after a trail repair.

p.76 · Hand-Forged Heritage — Thai & Malaysian Choppers
A world traveller documents the traditional forging methods used to make choppers in Southeast Asia. The photo sequence shows the heat-treat process that gives these blades their edge retention. Consider the geometry differences between a Thai khukuri and a Malaysian parang before you buy your next camp knife.

▸ Departments

p.10 · Outfitted — Latest Automotive Accessories
New bumpers, lighting, and suspension components from the aftermarket. Each item includes the manufacturer's claimed weight and vehicle fitment. Compare the lumen outputs between the light bars listed before you rewire your roof rack.

p.12 · Gear Box — Life Off the Beaten Path
Camp kitchen, water storage, and portable power solutions tested by the editorial team. The run-time test results for the power station models tell you which unit will keep a fridge running through a three-day weekend.

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Editor's Take

This is the most balanced Tread issue in recent memory — seven full-length builds, a proper gear-test section, and a knife-craft feature that breaks the truck-only monotony. The Pat Soffe Willys story alone justifies the purchase for vintage-iron fans. Weakest link: the "Outfitted" department reads like a catalogue with short captions rather than critical reviews. Best for hands-on owner-builders who weld and wrench themselves; less relevant if you only buy turnkey overland vehicles.

Strengths
• Pat Soffe's 1956 Willys rock crawler — four-link and engine-swap documentation
• ARP fastener guide with off-road-specific torque specs in both units
• Hand-Forged Heritage feature on Thai and Malaysian blade-making

Weaknesses
• "Outfitted" new-products section lacks critical test data
• No buyer's-guide price range for any build in the feature spreads

Verdict: Essential — The Willys build and ARP torque guide alone make this a keeper for anyone who maintains their own 4×4.