So Im new to this whole rock crawling stuff and I was looking at a huge comanche but that fell through. so now I am looking for something else! heres what I have in mind. I want something that I can go wheelin in and it will still be street legal preferably a truck, and I really like huge lifts and huge tires. What do you guys think i should get? im open to anything really, I just want something fun.
What should I get
- Thread starter Cooper
- Start date
Tacoma
Et incurventur ante non
- Location
- far enough away
Why do you like huge lifts so much? They are counter to good crawling. 
I'd say whichever of the big 3 fullsize trucks you prefer, w/cut fenders, 6" lift or less, and 42's then.
I'd say whichever of the big 3 fullsize trucks you prefer, w/cut fenders, 6" lift or less, and 42's then.
- Location
- Smithfield Utah
Huge lifts and rock crawling don't mix... Huge tires are great though
Look into the Toyota mini trucks they are awesome. I only say that because I have one
Search around here for awhile, and its pretty easy to find out what works and what doesn't when it comes to running trails.
OREGON85
from OREGON
- Location
- Independence, Oregon
I vote Toyota pickup too, and not just because I have one! FJ-40's are always a good investment too.
Tacoma
Et incurventur ante non
- Location
- far enough away
Shortbed trucks aren't so bad. And they're cheap as hell to lift and fix.
And they're cheap as hell to lift and fix.
solidfrontaxle
Toyota jihad
- Location
- Casper, Wyoming
Toyotas are simple and cheap to crawl from the get go. They don't have as many parts that need replacing, parts and aftermarket support is plentiful, and they are easy to work on.
If I was new to crawling, no matter how much money I had, I would start out with a stock beater 4x4 (toyota pickups are tough and can take plenty of abuse) and wheel the piss out of it until I took it to its limits. Learn how to work on it, get it unstuck, find out its shortcomings, and build it based on what it needs to get up that one hill you can't quite climb. Alot of upgrades call for other upgrades and need to be done at the same time. Bigger tires need a taller lift and lower differential gears. They also cause you to break more stuff so you need to upgrade that.
If I was new to crawling, no matter how much money I had, I would start out with a stock beater 4x4 (toyota pickups are tough and can take plenty of abuse) and wheel the piss out of it until I took it to its limits. Learn how to work on it, get it unstuck, find out its shortcomings, and build it based on what it needs to get up that one hill you can't quite climb. Alot of upgrades call for other upgrades and need to be done at the same time. Bigger tires need a taller lift and lower differential gears. They also cause you to break more stuff so you need to upgrade that.
- Location
- Smithfield Utah
For a high school budget Toyota mini's, Suzuki samurai's, and solid axle GM's are hard to beat for price, upgradability and capability.
Look through some of the pictures/trip reports and take note of the suspensions, and equiptment most of the vehicles here have to get an idea of what will work best for you. Once you find your rig remember recovery gear and stong tow hooks are one of your best first investments
Look through some of the pictures/trip reports and take note of the suspensions, and equiptment most of the vehicles here have to get an idea of what will work best for you. Once you find your rig remember recovery gear and stong tow hooks are one of your best first investments
solidfrontaxle
Toyota jihad
- Location
- Casper, Wyoming
Oh, and most importantly LEARN TO TREAD LIGHTLY. I think the biggest problem with most newbies with 4x4s is they don't understand that having wreckless fun ruins it for everyone.
cj14
Member
- Location
- Reno Nevada
go toyota best bang for least $
I'd watch the classifieds on this site. It makes my gut hurt to see what some guys sell their vehicles for. Eventually you'll see exactly what you are looking for and for a killer deal. What is you definition of "big" tires? I think its relative to what you are driving.
I don't drive a mini-truck but I have to admit, I have seen them climb things fully modified rigs couldn't climb.
I don't drive a mini-truck but I have to admit, I have seen them climb things fully modified rigs couldn't climb.
Really depends on what it has. Is it the extra cab with the v8?
It definitely wouldn't have a V8, at least not from the factory.
Depending on what that one is (and what your goals are), the IFS under the front may or may not be ideal. It is what you'll get with anything 1986 or newer though, so there are more of those than solid axle years. A fair amount of them have been converted to a solid axle in the front, which is better for most types of offroad stuff but not quite as nice on the street. (good trade IMO)
Link to your $3800 one?
- Location
- Smithfield Utah
V8's in Toyota mini's aren't usually a good thing. I'm not saying they don't work or that people don't successfully run them, but unless some serious thought or money was involved in the swap most times you'd be better off with the stock 4cyl imo.
I bought the truck in my profile for $800 (waaaay too much looking back) when I was 16. I was made fun of to no end by my buddies (still am I guess), but I wheeled it, broke it, upgraded it, and still enjoy every minute of it
You could buy someone elses project, but in the long run it will be a lot more fun to build it yourself. That way you learn more about it, and know the in's and out's. Just a thought
I bought the truck in my profile for $800 (waaaay too much looking back) when I was 16. I was made fun of to no end by my buddies (still am I guess
), but I wheeled it, broke it, upgraded it, and still enjoy every minute of it You could buy someone elses project, but in the long run it will be a lot more fun to build it yourself. That way you learn more about it, and know the in's and out's. Just a thought
I absolutely hate Toyotas(mostly cause I own Jeeps). But in stock form, Toyota is a great wheeler, pretty strong platform, super cheap parts, cheap to lift and easy to work on. Even a $300 Jeep Cherokee, will cost a pretty penny to put on a decent lift, and then the axles are total garbage. I say Toyota, Nissan, Sami, or any midsize which you can install some Toyota axles.
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=389&ssid=5411813&pid=2&rurl=nid,218,ad,5411813,lpid,,cat,402
Thats the link for the toyota. and im also lookin for a comanche this is the best one I have found so far.
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=4881280&lpid=&cat=402
then theres this one I was origionally going to get do you think its worth 3k? these are old pictures its now spray painted black. the track bar is broken causing it to have death wabble and the back windows was "shot out by an ice ball"
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=5310401&cat=&lpid=
Thats the link for the toyota. and im also lookin for a comanche this is the best one I have found so far.
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=4881280&lpid=&cat=402
then theres this one I was origionally going to get do you think its worth 3k? these are old pictures its now spray painted black. the track bar is broken causing it to have death wabble and the back windows was "shot out by an ice ball"
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=5310401&cat=&lpid=