Grassroots off-roading, take 2

So i have been toying with the idea of a challenge priced off roading build up. I remember the last time this was brought up the top picks included VW based builds (sand rails/baja bugs) and impreza with forester suspension.

The idea i had playing thrue my head lately is truck based. I would want to start with a compact truck, but it would work just as well with a full size. And X cab is preferable.

Find the bigest tires you can fit up front with out a lift kit, flares and light cutting is ok. For the suspension, to keep cost down make due with stock ride hight, but find upgraded shocks like stock replacement Ranchos. One possible extra suspension improvment would be a front only lift, the kind intended to eliminate the "nose down" look. Pull the bed and fab up a simple Bed/platform out of 2x4's with room for the tires out back. In the rear diff. install a simple yet strong locker, like the power trax unit. To keep the tank safe pull the tank and mount a fuel cell on the bed.

Thoughts on this kind of build?

pathfinders are cheap and so is the calmini lift kit for them

neon4891 wrote: So i have been toying with the idea of a challenge priced off roading build up. I remember the last time this was brought up the top picks included VW based builds (sand rails/baja bugs) and impreza with forester suspension. The idea i had playing thrue my head lately is truck based. I would want to start with a compact truck, but it would work just as well with a full size. And X cab is preferable. Find the bigest tires you can fit up front with out a lift kit, flares and light cutting is ok. For the suspension, to keep cost down make due with stock ride hight, but find upgraded shocks like stock replacement Ranchos. One possible extra suspension improvment would be a front only lift, the kind intended to eliminate the "nose down" look. Pull the bed and fab up a simple Bed/platform out of 2x4's with room for the tires out back. In the rear diff. install a simple yet strong locker, like the power trax unit. To keep the tank safe pull the tank and mount a fuel cell on the bed. Thoughts on this kind of build?

Does it have to be a truck? I'd buy an old K5 or Bronco, cut the E36 M3 out of the fenders, slap a body lift on it, a set of 38's (or whatever I could shove under it), and go to town. Short wheelbase, a backseat, and solid axle up front. Simple to work on and parts are cheaper than dirt.

There are quite a few older Toyota pick-ups running around here in Ohio like that. I suppose that they are bedless due to rust.

Dirty, beat to hell....and cool.

I'd say half of all off-roaders fall in the "grassroots" category. Any sport where "great trail rigs are built, not bought" is a slogan is our kind of thing. You need to come out to Moab when it's not the Jeep Safari and you'll see some very cool rigs built for next to nothing.

Keith wrote: I'd say half of all off-roaders fall in the "grassroots" category. Any sport where "great trail rigs are built, not bought" is a slogan is our kind of thing.

That reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw on a Lada Niva. It read: "Built for Siberia, not Suburbia."

I wonder if it could be worth while to just go ahead and prep my father's f150. He is done with it and we are waiting for him to arrange draging it to a scrap yard.

Down side is all the work it needs. I need to replace half the brake lines, replace the oil pan, fix the speedo cable, and fix the transfer case, it won't go into 4lo.

Plus it is an Xcab/long bed, so the length is determental to manuveribility. But still, it is free.

For a budget off roader, you can't beat a Jeep Cherokee. Capable as the day is long, reliable as a rock, and dirt cheap.

FYI, 80s 4x4 toyotas fit a 33x10.5 bone stock with no cutting.

I think the GRM offroad list includes

• Jeep Cherokees... Good value..

• Toyota trucks.. Tough as hell but rusty

• Nissan Trucks .... tough like toyotas but not so well known.

• Suzuki products - they get no respect but work good.

Beyond those 4 there are like isuzu's and others with less parts available.. but if you can fab who cares.

I think the front suspension and drive setup on the F150 is generally looked upon as a PITA.

My first choice would be a solid axle Toyota ('85 and earlier). Though an IRS toyota is a lot easier to find and probably very capable given your goal.

Second choice (and what I have now) would be a Suzuki Samurai. It's amazing now narrow these things are. Blazing trials in the forest WITHOUT knocking down trees?...wow! Any other suzuki (Sidekick/tracker would be considered a close cousin/subset of this group and also very good).

Next would be a Jeep Cherokee (or any variant thereof, like the pickups). These things have hit rock bottom on their value curve and I love the I6.

However, what's most important, no matter what vehicle you choose...is to get out there and use it. Don't worry about modifications. You'll know after some wheeling what you need to do. Your build list will be decided by what breaks, and what gets you stuck (or prevents you from becoming unstuck). Don't waste time benchracing...get it out there and use it!

Seriously, it doesn't really matter how "capable" your vehicle is as long as you're with other folks (preferably somewhat experienced and/or in very capable rigs). I've ONLY used my Samurai a couple of times and I've ONLY driven it off-road. However, not being afraid of getting stuck (because you know someone can help unstick you) is a really good feeling. There's typically a tractor and two other Samurais on the property (and a few other 4x4s).

Clem

I always wanted to see someone make a rig out of an AMC sedan (or even a wagon)

i wonder if theres an easy way to lift them.

like this

neon4891 wrote: Plus it is an Xcab/long bed, so the length is determental to manuveribility. But still, it is free.

Shorten it.

Apexcarver wrote: I always wanted to see someone make a rig out of an AMC sedan (or even a wagon) i wonder if theres an easy way to lift them. like this

More AMC Eagle info than you ever wanted to know:

www.amceaglenest.com

Woody wrote:

neon4891 wrote: Plus it is an Xcab/long bed, so the length is determental to manuveribility. But still, it is free.

Shorten it.

i have seen how to shorten truck frames in an episode of Trucks. I'll just see if I can get it road worthy again first and play with it from there.

Now I wonder what tires i can fit up front on this stock. '93 F150 4x4

We have a full size jeep pickup, a 1965 Jeep J300. It has a pretty long rear over hang and my dad and I considered just cutting the frame off past the rear spring mount and either ditching the rusty bed or shorting that too. 35 inch BFG mud terrain, spring over conversion, dana 60 front axle and GM corp 14 bolt rear. Top of the front fender opening is 44" from the ground. It has a 400cid Mopar RB (or just a B?) big block bored over .030". Built to 425hp spec parts. I owned this truck and broke it in 1999, then my dad took it and it finally looked like this during the past summer. Other than ancillary and internal parts its all junk yard stuff. Pretty grassroots off road, IMHO.

Trucks is starting (I think, unless it was a rerun) a build on a cherokee, calling it the Cherokee Cheep. :lol: Now, you have to take everything those guys say with a grain of salt (Example: They "bought" some $$$$ frame-pulling jig to straighten the frame/ repair collision damage on the vehicle in question, and will probably have some kind of $$$$ parts on it by the time it's done), but overall, they are barking up the right tree with junkyard axles, swapping over stuff from other Jeep models, etc. Plus, I hear all the time about folks letting these things go for under a grand, in running-but-tired/ugly condition. Perfect for a vehicle that may or may not see much street use.

For a starter off-road rig, I think that's a good jumping off point. I have been thinking, lately, and my next project is probably going to be a 4x4 of some kind. It's not necessarily the same kind of thing that gets talked about here a lot, but to me, the motivation behind it is pretty similar.

Edit: Free is Free, by the way- if your dad is just going to drag the old Ford to the scrapper, might as well take it from him and make something cool out of it. If you can figure it out, chopping off the bed and/or frame rails behind the rear axle and shortening it would be awesome- might not be possible without relocating gas tank, suspension mounts, etc. Take a look and see if you can section the bed and get the rear at least as short as the front- might have to find a new home for the spare tire, but if you lift it and jam big tires under, you won't be needing that anyway...

:)

Hawt. I need one.

Here ya go Poop:

http://www.classicsandhotrods.com/show.aspx?adnum=28313

Eagles are abundant, and so cheap they are nearly free!

The Neon guy is asking about cheap offroaders...Isn't the answer obvious?

Per Schroeder wrote: The Neon guy is asking about cheap offroaders...Isn't the answer obvious?

I have been offroading in both of my neons, on multiple occasions. Just that my last time out, I went over a seasonal road that turned out to be worse than half the state land trails and got stuck. A nice 4 mile walk out of the woods ended that. Thankfully a few days later i went back to dig it out and some one had pulled it out of the mess i was in. Next time I go out I want something more capable.

Let me list all the grassroots offroaders for you:

Cherokee

Hilux/Surf

Samurai

Wrangler

Pathfinder

Old-model Patrol

Toyota FJ series

Now just pick one

Dude, if you're a real offroader, you don't say "Wrangler". You say CJ or YJ or TJ or whatever. You also don't say Hilux in the US because here they were just called "pickups". You're also missing the full size trucks.

Honestly, just about anything is a grassroots offroader. The Range Rover classic is a very capable truck as is, and they're pretty cheap these days as well. Just don't try to build it for power.

Keith wrote: Dude, if you're a real offroader, you don't say "Wrangler". You say CJ or YJ or TJ or whatever.

Well pretty much all of the *Js are good choices so I just used a term that covers them all Same way I didn't say SJ410/SJ413

Keith wrote: Dude, if you're a real offroader, you don't say "Wrangler". You say CJ or YJ or TJ or whatever. You also don't say Hilux in the US because here they were just called "pickups". You're also missing the full size trucks. Honestly, just about anything is a grassroots offroader. The Range Rover classic is a very capable truck as is, and they're pretty cheap these days as well. Just don't try to build it for power.

THIS.

I had one, and it was the most amazing vehicle i think i've ever owned. In a sick twisted sort of way, i enjoyed it more than any of my "sporty" cars. There's something about just dumping it in 4low and just bulling your way through backyards with 4+ feet of snow without the truck giving a E36 M3 that just really does it for me.

Ditch the air suspension if it still has it, go with some bilsteins and have a great time. I had only a 3" lift on mine with some 31s (i think) and it was unstoppable. I used to go out in storms light bar ablaze and tow people out of ditches for fun.

I've seen them pop up locally for $3k or under. The rear tailgate will probably be rusty as hell, but who cares? It's a LOT of truck for the money.