Off Road Podcast 421 – Centerforce Clutches 

This episode of the Off Road Podcast is Sponsored by WARN, Colby Valve, and 4Patriots.

Tonight, Aaron gets a pass, Coy parks by an airplane, & Ben isn’t the best man

Welcome to the off-road podcast. A podcast about everything off-road. We cover the news, review products, and interview people in the off road industry.  Your hosts tonight are Aaron, my name is Coy, and our guest tonight is Trent McGee from Centerforce Clutches.  Welcome to the show.

Coy – went to a STOL competition yesterday

Aaron – Passed the electrical rough in inspection for my shop.  New muffler showed up but I haven’t had time to install it yet.

Trent – 

This week in review was brought to you by 4Patriots.  Have you ever been concerned with the shelf life of the food you take camping?  Since you are a listener of the podcast we know you at least keep some emergency food stashed in your rig.  4Patriots sells a variety of survival food & equipment that pair great with the off road & adventure lifestyle.  Use code “FRN” & get 10% off of your 1st order.

Patriotpatch.co 

We also want to thank our sponsor Patriot Patch. Head over to Patriotpatch.co and check out their selection of great patches, shirts, cleaning mats, signs , and stickers.  You can also join the patch of the month club for 15 bucks and receive a patch, matching sticker, and artist proof each month.

Our patches $13 shipped in the US for one and $10 for any additional.  Or $10 picked up from us in person.  Just send us a message through any of our channels and we can set you up with a Paypal link.

News brought to you by Colby Valve

• The Drive – The Diesel Gladiator is Dead
  • Jeep will officially hang its diesel hat with the 2023 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon FarOut, ending the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel’s run under the hood of Jeep’s toughest trucks.
  • After a short run of just three model years, the Gladiator will drop the diesel option it gained in 2021. Jeep cites the reasoning for the decision as the automaker pivoting heavily towards electrification, with all of its new models due to be electrified in some way in just a few years. 
  • So while the Jeep brand is certainly electrifying, the possible undertone is that Stellantis no longer wants to risk issues with diesel engines. Sister brand Ram also phased out the EcoDiesel engine in 2022
  •  Jeep will officially hang its diesel hat with the 2023 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon FarOut, ending the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel’s run under the hood of Jeep’s toughest trucks.If you want the last of the diesel Jeeps, the FarOut is your last hope.
• TechCrunch – Fisker Reveals All Electric Alaska Pickup
  • Fisker, the automotive startup-turned publicly traded company founded by famed automotive designer Henrik Fisker, revealed Thursday night a dizzying array of EV prototypes, from a beefy pickup truck with an expandable bed and grand tourer sports car with up to 600 miles of range to a souped-up, off-road version of its Ocean SUV and the mysterious PEAR vehicle that it plans to build with Foxconn.
  • CEO Henrik Fisker has called the alaska pickup the “Ferrari of pickups,” targeting other successful all-electric luxury pickups in the space, including Rivian’s highly popular Rivian R1T, the still-vaporware Tesla Cybertruck and the Ford F-150 Lightning.
  • The Alaska is built on a similar platform as the Ocean, but it’s been stretched slightly. Fisker calls the platform under the Alaska the FT31. The company said the EV pickup will be built by automotive contract manufacturer Magna Steyr in Europe at the same plant as the Ocean.
  • Fisker said Thursday that the Alaska will get up to 340 miles of all-electric range along with some unique features, including a “big gulp” cup holder and water bottle, an extendable bed that goes from a 4.5 feet to 7.5 feet with the push of a button, and various cubbies and storage bins, including one for a cowboy hat.
  • The extendable bed has an interesting feature that might be attractive to campers. The back window of the cab and rear wall can be dropped, allowing the cabin to open up to the truck bed and lengthening the entire area (when the tailgate is down) to 9 feet, 6 inches. This feature, which Fisker calls the Houdini Trunk, would offer a sort of sleeping platform for owners or could be used to carry longer items.
  • Fisker said that the Alaska will come to market in 2024 and have a starting price of $45,400 before incentives. With incentives, Fisker says that the Alaska will cost $37,900. Reservations for the Fisker Alaska opened this evening with deliveries taking place sometime in 2025

Main Topic powered by WARN  

Tonight we are joined by a well known member of the off road community, Trent McGee.  He has been a freelance magazine writer and also the editor for both the 4×4 Power and Peterson’s 4Wheel & Off-Road magazines.  The host of the TV show “Superlift’s Off-Road Adventures” on the Outdoor Channel.  Author of 2 books.  Been a part of Ultimate Adventure for the last 6 years.  And the reason  he is on the show tonight, he is the marketing manager for Centerforce Clutches.

Fast Five Facts   

1. New or old vehicle? 

2. Summer or winter camping?

3. Rock, Sand, Snow or Mud?

4. Favorite vehicle brand?

5. Favorite tire?

Any recommendations for someone new to off-roading 

Tell us about you

How did you get started in off-roading?  

What was the first vehicle you took off road?

What’s your favorite rig to hit the trail in?

What’s your most embarrassing moment on the trail?

Where is your favorite place to wheel?

Any places you want to go that you haven’t gone to?

Tell us about your business

How many times does the driver of a manual equipped vehicle have to jiggle the stick shift to confirm that it is in neutral before starting their vehicle?

Why would someone want a manual transmission in their off road ?
Same question but for a tow rig.

What are some tricks that you can do with a manual transmission that you can’t do in an automatic?

In your YouTube videos I kept hearing people talking about “high inertia flywheels”.  I know what a flywheel is but what makes it high inertia?

How can different flywheels affect driveability of an off road vehicle?

Follow up question, would a rock crawler want a different clutch & flywheel combo than a desert runner?

Are there some extra dangers that off roading poses for people who drive a stick shift?

What are some common mistakes that people make when changing their clutch out themselves?

Do you see EV’s and manual transmissions pairing in the future?

Are you worried about the trend of fewer and fewer manual transmission vehicles?

What is Ultimate Adventure?

How do we score an invite to ultimate adventure 2024?

Thanks Trent for joining us tonight. Where can our listeners find out more about Centerforce Clutches?

• Facebook- 
• Youtube-
• Instagram-
• Web- 

Next Week:  Unique Trucks & SUVs

Closing Statements

Thanks everyone who listens to us weekly and also to those who watch us live on YouTube.  We really appreciate you.  Please share us with your friends and help us grow.  God bless America!
Don’t forget to visit Patriot Patch and join the Patch of the Month club. Check out our Gaia affiliate link for up to 40% off. Also, don’t forget to head over to Warn, Colby Valve, and 4Patriots to see all of their great products. We are a proud part of the Firearms Radio Network. Got a question or comment?  Send it to us through our Linktree account or by searching for Off Road Podcast.  Also, you can listen to us live at overlandradio.com Mondays at 7 pm Pacific.  When off-road please remember to have fun, tread lightly, and be safe and courteous. Thanks for listening.