Stover Starts's on Four Wheeler's New '08 Rhino 700
Side by sides are all the rage these days in the deserts of the South West. Right out of the box these little rigs can do some pretty incredible stuff. We think this new breed of "mini wheeler" may even prove to be a strong indicator of things to come for the 4x4 industry. It's not like us to let a new vehicular trend pass by without at least kicking around the idea of a buildup. So Feature Editor Robin Stover took the rains and secured a brand new Yamaha Rhino 700 to showcase all the various uses and improvements for side by sides. Check out the list of upgrades Stover plans to make to Four Wheeler's Project Rhino in the coming months.
Round 1-Roll cage, mirrors and a soft top. Safety is always the most important thing to consider when building a rig. So in Round 1 we're adding a new cage to better protect occupants in case we ever take a tumble. With this upgrade we also plan to include rear view mirrors and a soft top to keep the sun out.
Round 2-Wheels and Tires. The Rhino 700 is equipped with pretty nice set of Maxxis tires from the factory. But we think the idea of adding bead locked wheels would greatly improve the rigs trail performance. Plus, with a light-weight wheel you can add stability thanks to additional back spacing.
Round 3-Long Travel Suspension and Lighting. The industry is flooded with bolt-on suspension systems that increase the Rhinos track-width as well as usable wheel travel, both items we feel would make any side by side better, so in Part 3 we will bolt on a complete long-travel suspension system along with LED and HID lighting to aid with high-speed night driving.
Round 4-Front Bumper and Winch. We like the idea of having a sturdy electric winch for self recovery. So in part 4 we will show readers how easy it is to mount up a new bumper and winch.
Keep your eyes peeled for future coverage of Four Wheeler's new Project Rhino both on line and in print.
Take a look at the recent in-car footage Stover got in the mountains just outside Placerville, Ca.