SHINTON
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2005
- Location
- Triad area of NC
Well, figured I would start a topic of "interesting" what if! Since there won't be much real tech in this I figure a general chit chat area is the right place for this thread.
What started this is the fact we have access to a new 27' travel trailer this weekend which gives me a nice place to stay at the beach, or wherever I pull it. Which leads to the natural question, "yeah but you cannot take BUG" (for those who don't know, BUG is my YJ, full size axles, 36s, etc)
So my what if....assuming the Excursion got traded at some pt for a dually with long bed...most of which have beds that are about 62-63" wide and 8' (96") long... why don't you park your "jeep" up there, hahahaha...hey wait a minute....hmmmm.
With the current buggy craze maybe that ain't as far fetched as it sounds. So I looked around and first thought about zuks! Sure enough I find a thread on pirate and what do I see but a stock Zuk in the bed of a pickup for "laughs!"
I don't have the number in front of me, but I think the zuks are 54-55" wms (wheel mounting surface) So, looking at a set of 33x9.5 or 10.5 tires...and 4.5" backspacing(15x7 rim)....that is DURN close to 60"!!!! If you go with more backspacing it is even better I think?
Zuks are not the strongest of axles so I looked around and first gen toyotas are 55.5" wms in front, 55" in rear.
Then I find out NARROWtrac axles in early jeeps (normally despised) are 50.5!!!! HMMMM....
Ok...so for the 96", 8'....Tires are 33" each .... assuming you build it where the front frame is even with front of tires... from the front edge of the front tire to the MIDDLE of the rear tire needs to be 96" or slightly less to stay in the bed. That would give me a wheel base of basically a max of 62". (there would be only 45" between the edges of the two tires) Try to keep to a minimum, but any overhang beyond rear would be over dead air and ok.
I haven't researched it...but the drivelines I would be considering: Stock suk 1.3L, tranny/tcase, Toyota 22r, auto, marlin tcase.... or a Jeep 4cyl, automatic?, D20?
The 22r would be my highest choice if it will fit, maybe try to find a 1st gen toy 4x4 pickup with a really rusty/worthless body.... (the one for sale on here looked decent shape and got me thinking about all of this) I have a toyota connection /mechanic is the family which is why this would be my first choice.
[I am assuming a 350/350/205 combo will be too much for yota or narrowtrac axles running 33/34ish tires? Or maybe just too heavy? Feel free to correct me on this pt]
Spool rear?...and prob lockright front on the axles... and probably a link suspension with coils from something like a stock ZJ or whatever fits/right price. (3" XJ lift coils are pretty reasonable I think)
Cannot seem to find a google to give me good ideas on the length of those engine/tranny/tcase combos, but I bet it would fit. The wbase calc seems to indicate you could have a passenger area of 45" long x max of say 56-58" wide, I think you could fit two folks in that?!? (I hate to go to a single seat, too many buddies, heh!)
Anyway, so there is a topic for fun... would love to hear speculation on the offroadability at the kind of places we go (Tellico, Uwharrie, Callalantee, Windrock....etc) My guess is it will be like a zuk on 33s which seem to go lots of places! REALLY steep stuff like the waterfall and 62" wheelbase, might be interesting...then again it may scamper up it if the tires are really low psi (beadlocked)
Will want to keep the weight low, mostly due to capacity of the bed of a dually 1 ton, but on this size buggy I don't think that will be an issue?
Biggest issue will be clearance on the axles themselves because I doubt you "high center" this combo very often!?!?!?
As for the comments, "you haven't finished your antiwrap bar, much less a tube buggy"....my sincerest lalallalallalalalalalal...i cannot hear you....
and yes I have seen the $25,000 versions of these running around and followed one thru windrock, it was very cool...I would be looking at MUCH cheaper build!
Sam...crazy man...Hinton
What started this is the fact we have access to a new 27' travel trailer this weekend which gives me a nice place to stay at the beach, or wherever I pull it. Which leads to the natural question, "yeah but you cannot take BUG" (for those who don't know, BUG is my YJ, full size axles, 36s, etc)
So my what if....assuming the Excursion got traded at some pt for a dually with long bed...most of which have beds that are about 62-63" wide and 8' (96") long... why don't you park your "jeep" up there, hahahaha...hey wait a minute....hmmmm.
With the current buggy craze maybe that ain't as far fetched as it sounds. So I looked around and first thought about zuks! Sure enough I find a thread on pirate and what do I see but a stock Zuk in the bed of a pickup for "laughs!"
I don't have the number in front of me, but I think the zuks are 54-55" wms (wheel mounting surface) So, looking at a set of 33x9.5 or 10.5 tires...and 4.5" backspacing(15x7 rim)....that is DURN close to 60"!!!! If you go with more backspacing it is even better I think?
Zuks are not the strongest of axles so I looked around and first gen toyotas are 55.5" wms in front, 55" in rear.
Then I find out NARROWtrac axles in early jeeps (normally despised) are 50.5!!!! HMMMM....
Ok...so for the 96", 8'....Tires are 33" each .... assuming you build it where the front frame is even with front of tires... from the front edge of the front tire to the MIDDLE of the rear tire needs to be 96" or slightly less to stay in the bed. That would give me a wheel base of basically a max of 62". (there would be only 45" between the edges of the two tires) Try to keep to a minimum, but any overhang beyond rear would be over dead air and ok.
I haven't researched it...but the drivelines I would be considering: Stock suk 1.3L, tranny/tcase, Toyota 22r, auto, marlin tcase.... or a Jeep 4cyl, automatic?, D20?
The 22r would be my highest choice if it will fit, maybe try to find a 1st gen toy 4x4 pickup with a really rusty/worthless body.... (the one for sale on here looked decent shape and got me thinking about all of this) I have a toyota connection /mechanic is the family which is why this would be my first choice.
[I am assuming a 350/350/205 combo will be too much for yota or narrowtrac axles running 33/34ish tires? Or maybe just too heavy? Feel free to correct me on this pt]
Spool rear?...and prob lockright front on the axles... and probably a link suspension with coils from something like a stock ZJ or whatever fits/right price. (3" XJ lift coils are pretty reasonable I think)
Cannot seem to find a google to give me good ideas on the length of those engine/tranny/tcase combos, but I bet it would fit. The wbase calc seems to indicate you could have a passenger area of 45" long x max of say 56-58" wide, I think you could fit two folks in that?!? (I hate to go to a single seat, too many buddies, heh!)
Anyway, so there is a topic for fun... would love to hear speculation on the offroadability at the kind of places we go (Tellico, Uwharrie, Callalantee, Windrock....etc) My guess is it will be like a zuk on 33s which seem to go lots of places! REALLY steep stuff like the waterfall and 62" wheelbase, might be interesting...then again it may scamper up it if the tires are really low psi (beadlocked)
Will want to keep the weight low, mostly due to capacity of the bed of a dually 1 ton, but on this size buggy I don't think that will be an issue?
Biggest issue will be clearance on the axles themselves because I doubt you "high center" this combo very often!?!?!?
As for the comments, "you haven't finished your antiwrap bar, much less a tube buggy"....my sincerest lalallalallalalalalalal...i cannot hear you....
and yes I have seen the $25,000 versions of these running around and followed one thru windrock, it was very cool...I would be looking at MUCH cheaper build!
Sam...crazy man...Hinton
