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Best full-size trail rig?

Houndoc

Houndoc

Registered User
Location
Grantsville
berrett said:
the 20 rears in the full size jeeps have one piece shafts so they arn't really an issue like the ones in the little guys. also chevy axles bolt straigt in to the front of wags/cheros, and the rear is easy so 1 ton swaps are simple.
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Good to know. It would be fun to pick up the 87 Wagoneer posted then build it up. The tough part will be convincing my wife. But alas, we can dream can't we?
 
ZUKEYPR

ZUKEYPR

Registered User
Location
651.78 miles East of the Rubicon
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I would have to go with the full size Dodge. Even though this photo isn't of the Escalator on Hell's Revenge, I seen him walk right up it with barely lifting a tire when the other two picutred very well equipped rigs had issues. Aaron's Dodge can be seen in the last two issues covering the Ultimate Adventure.
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R

radjeeper

"Why You Say"
Location
Salty City
'73 to '78 Full-size Waggy or Cherokee from the sun belt. They come cheap w/ D44s front and rear. Best if you find one with a 401 engine. The auto trans. will be the stout Turbo 400, the manual will be the T18. The T-case will be a D20 or a Quadra Track. I have two of these, both w/ 401s. One is being built with 35" tires, D60 rear, HD D44 front, SOA font w/ Rancho 44044 springs, shackle flip rear, etc., etc. The other is a donor rig w/ lots of good parts. Be carefull to check them out carefully for rust befor you buy. You'll get about 10 mpg no matter what you do. BJ's Offroad on the web has lots of parts for them as well as Rusty's. You can also buy a spare parts vehcle for almost nothing. A good web site for AMC engines is Bulltear.
 
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Houndoc

Houndoc

Registered User
Location
Grantsville
radjeeper said:
'73 to '78 Full-size Waggy or Cherokee from the sun belt. They come cheap w/ D44s front and rear. Best if you find one with a 401 engine. The auto trans. will be the stout Turbo 400, the manual will be the T18. The T-case will be a D20 or a Quadra Track. I have two of these, both w/ 401s. One is being built with 35" tires, D60 rear, HD D44 front, SOA font w/ Rancho 44044 springs, shackle flip rear, etc., etc. The other is a donor rig w/ lots of good parts. Be carefull to check them out carefully for rust befor you buy. You'll get about 10 mpg no matter what you do. BJ's Offroad on the web has lots of parts for them as well as Rusty's. You can also buy a spare parts vehcle for almost nothing. A good web site for AMC engines is Bulltear.
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Sounds like a fun rig you are putting together. Post some picks as it comes along and if I can find one, I'll come your way for advice!
 
thenag

thenag

Registered User
Location
Kearns
camicaztoy said:
if your going to do any rock crawliing you'll need to put a 60 in it to make it hold up.
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with the exeption of high zoot toy axle mods and in buggy apps, if you are going to go 38 inch or bigger tires will need to build a d60 for the front to make it live.

i have a modified ford bronco, i used to say that if it got stolen i would buy a k5 blazer with a TBI 350, 4spd (i like to bang gears) the engine mods are cheap and easy compared to ford and the one ton swap is just about a bolt in conversion.

if you can do with a truck buy a surpluss CUCV, 1 1/4 ton military chevy detriot in the rear and sometimes detroit in the front. they come with a crappy diesel but i would imagine a 454 swap would be pretty easy.

the problem with bronco/blazer/charger is it is not long enough for it's weight. and by the time you build them up they are friggen heavy.

regardless you should do a 203/205 doubler in any of them that will give you bomb proof twin sticks, 2:1 and 4:1 in the case for under $1000.

then you have a rediculous amount of money in your rig and want to build up a full width mini truck (mmmmm 4.3L s10 with a sm465, np 203/205 doubler, d60 GM 14bolt) but that is another story...

nathan
http://www.supermotors.org/vehicles/registry/detail.php?id=194
 
Houndoc

Houndoc

Registered User
Location
Grantsville
blt2krl said:
Here is my FUll size. I vote for A Waggy.
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I think I agree that would be my first choice- mostly for four doors. They also look a little narrower. True? Don't know. There are a couple on e-bay with 6-7" of lift, running 35 tires, but alas the budget says wait..
 
ace

ace

Parts Collector
Location
Bountiful
I'ld say get a 3/4 ton 87-91 Chevy Suburban. I wheel one when it runs and it's great. It's not a rock buggy, but that isn't what you are looking for. You would start with a healthy v8, have a th400 tranny and a 14bsf rear axle. 35 inch tires go right on with a little trimming up front. Lifts are reletively inexpensive and the one ton stuff swaps right in. You could tow, haul people, camp in the back, wheel, and fit right in at the PTA meetings.
 
F

Fat Tony

79 Toyota Truck
Location
Salt Lake City
I had a full size Bronco 89 with a 5.0 V8. it pulled my friends 4runner from salt lake to moab and back with no problem. the traler was like 2,500 Lbs plus the runner and all the camping things. It wheeled ok. Mean sounding engine too.
 
SUPERFLY

SUPERFLY

CaptainRob
Location
sugar house
my fj62 is pretty fullsize and it does very good, its takled just about everything ive ever given it. even before it was locked and only had 33s it went every where, its a pretty good rig tows good too(i got a 350 in it) i used to work construction and i hauled the dump bed trailer out to the dump a few times (one of those heavy @$$ hydrolic dump trailers) and it towed it alright, i would rather tow it with a cumins or a powerstroke but it got the job done. great camping truck too :)

but the best full size rig by far is the new 2005 mercades unimog, try and argue that :p
 
Houndoc

Houndoc

Registered User
Location
Grantsville
SUPERFLY said:
my fj62 is pretty fullsize and it does very good, its takled just about everything ive ever given it. even before it was locked and only had 33s it went every where, its a pretty good rig tows good too(i got a 350 in it) i used to work construction and i hauled the dump bed trailer out to the dump a few times (one of those heavy @$$ hydrolic dump trailers) and it towed it alright, i would rather tow it with a cumins or a powerstroke but it got the job done. great camping truck too :)

but the best full size rig by far is the new 2005 mercades unimog, try and argue that :p
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And it just happens to be for sale, eh? :cool:
 
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