Truck/Off-road guys

[Want_Notch]

Not sure where to put this.

If I wanted to build a "budget" off road vehicle what would I want to start with? What do I want to look for? I can get a full size FI Bronco for cheap, would that be a good vehicle to start with? Would be both on/off road built more for off road use.

[wrath]

How serious do you want to be? IE: tire size and terrain... and are you going to drive it there or trailer it there? How often do you anticipate it seeing on-road use?

How many passengers/gear/(dog)? Going camping in it?

My favorite budget wheeler is probably a Cherokee/XJ.

[Waver]

early cherokee, wagoneer, bronco (like the one you want to pick up) Chevy truck, even a ranger

[Want_Notch]

How serious do you want to be? IE: tire size and terrain... and are you going to drive it there or trailer it there? How often do you anticipate it seeing on-road use?

How many passengers/gear/(dog)? Going camping in it?

My favorite budget wheeler is probably a Cherokee/XJ.

Not real sure on how serious, just kinda getting into it. Probably driving there, wheeling and theoretically not walking home. Don't really have the dough for a tow rig and trailer, although I have access to one.

Passengers would be my wife and two kids at most. Hoping for my off than on road.

looking at 35" tires....something in that area. As far as terrain? Not sure, Pipeline kinda stuff.

[Want_Notch]

early cherokee, wagoneer, bronco (like the one you want to pick up) Chevy truck, even a ranger

I could probably get that FS bronco for about $500.00. Motor runs good, FI 351, auto. Some rust on the rear wheel wells. Needs door pins on drivers side.

[wrath]

Not real sure on how serious, just kinda getting into it. Probably driving there, wheeling and theoretically not walking home. Don't really have the dough for a tow rig and trailer, although I have access to one.

Passengers would be my wife and two kids at most. Hoping for my off than on road.

looking at 35" tires....something in that area. As far as terrain? Not sure, Pipeline kinda stuff.

Well, since you're a Ford guy... and you have a wife and kidlets... go for the Bronco. It'll have crappy TTB but oh well. You can later procure a 78-79 F150/Bronco D44 to get rid of TTB and run radius arms. You can convert to a 9" too if you want but to be honest I don't see any value in a 9". Pinion is way too low.

Or you can go with a Ford D60 in the front. I prefer 77.5-79 as the pinion is closer to the center of the truck (it's what I've got) but a 86up is pretty easy to put in if you can weld, plus they're a lot more common and cheaper. It's just the tiny driver's side axle tube is a PITA.

You can fit 35s without cutting with a small lift, which is really nice on a Ford. You pretty much have to cut on a Chevy for anything bigger than 33s unless you run a ton of lift.

So anyway, I say go for the Bronco as long as it's in good shape.

[subliminal1284]

I vote a Jeep but I may be a bit biased.

[Want_Notch]

Well, since you're a Ford guy... and you have a wife and kidlets... go for the Bronco. It'll have crappy TTB but oh well. You can later procure a 78-79 F150/Bronco D44 to get rid of TTB and run radius arms. You can convert to a 9" too if you want but to be honest I don't see any value in a 9". Pinion is way too low.

Or you can go with a Ford D60 in the front. I prefer 77.5-79 as the pinion is closer to the center of the truck (it's what I've got) but a 86up is pretty easy to put in if you can weld, plus they're a lot more common and cheaper. It's just the tiny driver's side axle tube is a PITA.

You can fit 35s without cutting with a small lift, which is really nice on a Ford. You pretty much have to cut on a Chevy for anything bigger than 33s unless you run a ton of lift.

So anyway, I say go for the Bronco as long as it's in good shape.


Thanks for the info. This is the kind of stuff I was hoping to get.

[BOSS LX]

I would save yourself time and money, and just buy a 78-79 Bronco. The only downside is the motor, but a cheap 460 will bolt right in. With a little help, the 351m and 400's are not too bad.

[Anakonda69]

anything with a solid front axle will be easy.

[stenchmiester]

ithought the 351m is the 400

[BOSS LX]

ithought the 351m is the 400

Nope, they made both.

[Lash]

Get this...

http://brewcitymuscle.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36877

[team beater]

if you are just getting into it, i would recommend an XJ (cheorkee) cheap to build, not ridiculously big making them easier to drive on trails, still very drivable daily, and they still get decent gas mileage being a inline 6. If you want to drive through 6 foot mud holes not the way to go, but to start with they are fun. If you want to do some research check out http://jeepforum.com/forum/index.php or North American XJ Association (http://naxja.org/), ps if you get one get one with a 4.0l.

my 2 cents

may be biased as well, my first build is an xj
98 sport
4" lift
32" tires, no trim

[Sprayaway Fox]

I know your a ford guy but I think in the classifieds there was a late 70's or early 80's fullsize already lifted and tires for like around 1000 bucks a couple months back. If your just doing mudding and trail bangage that would be the ticket. 14 bolt rear and a solid axle and a 205 transfer case and a Turbo 400 or 350. Plus it was already lifted and rims and tires. It was in the classifieds here cant remember whos it was though. Plus parts are cheaper when you fug them up. Would be a good entry level rig thats got everything done besides lockers already. Dont believe the EXTREME 4x4 builds. The stuff is tuff as nails for the Sunday off roader.

[GTSLOW]

Problem with Cherokees is the 35C/30 axle combo they come with. Granted a guy in my off road club in AZ took his to hell and back with 36's.

Also the only ones that can talk are the ones that have actually offroaded. :goof

http://s-seriesforum.com/albums/album315/CIMG5501.sized.jpg

My vote is for a wrangler!!! Whatever you get, get a solid front axle!! I would stay away from a fullsize or compact pickups with IFS.

[team beater]

Problem with Cherokees is the 35C/30 axle combo they come with. Granted a guy in my off road club in AZ took his to hell and back with 36's.

My vote is the only ones that can talk are the ones that have actually offroaded. :goof

http://s-seriesforum.com/albums/album315/CIMG5501.sized.jpg

My vote is for a wrangler!!! Whatever you get, get a solid front axle!! I would stay away from a fullsize or compact pickups with IFS.


agreed on 35/30 combo, they are not for the extremist but fun for what they are.

[Want_Notch]

More great info guys thanks.

[Waver]

Hey you could go the way that I am going...I have a 97 ranger regular cab (you would probably want extended cab) with a 5 speed and the manual 4 wheel drive.....fits 31x10.50x15" tires on there with no problems....they also look goow with a suspension lift, and as we all know, you can drop in a 5.0 in it if you want.

check it out
http://www.trsfabandoffroad.com/

[WickedSix]

might get some heat for this but... solid axle toyota 4 runner is my vote for first ORV .... lots of parts out there...very hardy little things and the abundance of swapable compenent..transmission transfer cases axles EFI etc makes them affordable for a decent wrench. Like everything you can drop in other motors as your taste dictates. stay with a 22r or 22re and you have a pretty much bombproof engine (save for the plactic chain guides in the 22re which can be upgraded to metal ones) They are light enough (and have a removable top too) for mudding and wheeling and have TONS of potential for trail work and rocks.

http://www.allprooffroad.com/

http://www.lcengineering.com/


http://www.whiteknight.ca/4Runner_Mud.JPG

[Want_Notch]

I'm thinking something like this. This is pretty much equal body wise what I was looking at. Something I can damage and not be that pissed about.

http://www.samsoffroad.com/ShowCase/ShowcasePhotos/AnnettePhotos/93Bronco.jpg

[wrath]

If he ever plans on having kids taller than 4' and 100lbs then Jeep SWB, XJ/WJ/ZJ, anything Toyota, S-series, or DangerRanger based are essentially worthless.

Toyota parts are only plentiful in granola eater states without salt. I haven't seen a Toyota built prior to 1995 without bad frame rot in the salt states. Further, 100nothing hp is fine for rocks. Not so great if you ever want to clean your tires. A TPI350/TH400/NP205 crawls just as well as a blinged out toylet with all the marlin crawler goodies (or whoever the current trendy vendor is). Sure, the TPI350/TH400/NP205 doesn't go that slow but the torque converter takes care of most of the "issues" and you have a higher top speed than 3.1mph if you need it.

XJs are good for 31" tires or 34" LTBs on the extreme end. Beyond that they're way too much work to keep from falling apart. They don't handle heavy anything well. I've seen what an Edelbrock MPFI 350 465/205 does to a XJ on 42s and 60/14FF. It's not pretty.

BroncoIIs are pretty neat. 302 and weld'er up. Seen this done too.

Actually, I've seen just about anything that someone can come up with for under $30,000.

The one thing I've learned is that you need to come up with what you WANT to do with it. Not what you might do with it. Not what it could become. But what you want to do with it. And there isn't much "being different" left out there.

It's not bad to start small either. If you have patience you can pick up other people's parts for cheap... especially now in this economy. I learned a lot driving on 33" tires with open differentials. And to be honest, my favorite wheeling was in a longbox truck on cut 33" TSLs with lockers front and rear. After that, the fun was in the building.

The expensive part comes when you decide to start switching directions or platforms.

And you don't want to end up like me with a 4 wheel steer truck with $13,000 into axles and rubber that sits at your parents' house under a tarp because there is nowhere to wheel such a vehicle where you live.

[WickedSix]

there are plenty of places to go wheeling out here..... you just need to know the right people :thumbsup

that bronco looks pretty sweet and has some nice features for wheeling. The winch is notable cus if you wheel...you WILL get stuck it is certainly not an if..its a when... ole murphy said 4x4 just gets you stuck further off road..and thats true. If you are set on a bronco I believe the mid to early 80's came with the 3 speed c6 which is less plagued than the e4od and a 9 inch rear which is plenty stout for most wheeling... iirc the body style u have posted is a c-clip 8.8...and axles walking out on the trail is no fun. if you get one with the auto locking hubs swap then out for some manual locking hubs. I broke two sets of the standard auto locks on my 95 f150 before I bought warn gold hubs and never had a problem after.