1/2 ton axled buggy

[88K5Jimmy]

Just curious of anybody out there has made a buggy out of a blazer, using the stock frame and possibly the windshield and firewall, half ton axles and 35's?

The specs would be:
-stock K5 frame
-10b/14bsf
-35's
-enough cage for K5 skins and 4 seats
-350/700/208
-leave the firewall & windshield

My main goal would be to make it light enough to be able to tow it with a half ton truck and 3500lb axled trailer. However, I would leave enough of the windshield and firewall to run it down the road.

I know of marv's buggy and supersizes buggy. However isn't marv's a different frame and supersizes runs larger tires and heavier axles. Maybe those guys will chime in here?

 

[Emmettology 101]

I think Marv has built just what you are talking about. Do a search on his username or look in the photo gallery section. I believe he runs 35" MTR's and lots o'tube... I think he did away with the factory cowl and windshield though...

 

[88K5Jimmy]

Yeah I searched for his name and looked at some pics....I was thinking about leaving a little more in terms of windshield so I could still drive it on the street....tire coverage here doens't seem to be an issue because nobody knows the laws about it

How much does the fun buggy weigh?

 

[Bubba Ray Boudreaux]

Yeah I searched for his name and looked at some pics....I was thinking about leaving a little more in terms of windshield so I could still drive it on the street....tire coverage here doens't seem to be an issue because nobody knows the laws about it

How much does the fun buggy weigh?

Sounds like a plan, I would probably go full float out back to put the mind at ease...........

As for the mud flaps..............................................

State statute is Title 47, 12-405:

K. K. All trucks, trailers, and other vehicles operating on the highways,
except animal-drawn vehicles, not equipped with fenders over the
rearmost wheels shall have attached thereto a rubber or fabric apron
directly in rear of the rearmost wheels, and hanging perpendicular
from the body of the vehicle. Said apron shall be of such a size as to
prevent the bulk of the spray or other substances picked up from the
roadway from being thrown on the windshield of a following vehicle and
thereby obscuring the vision through the windshield of the driver of
said vehicle. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to a
farm tractor moving over the state highway system at a speed less than
twenty (20) miles per hour.

As for it being actually enforced, I don't know about the cops out your way, around here even though we know the statute, it doesn't rank high on our "to stop for" list...................

And no need to rub it in over the game either

 

[CyberSniper]

My abomination weighed 2660 with me in it and 31 gallons of gas. That's no bed, no inner wheelwells, and no hood... and no tools/parts. 10 bolt/12 bolt locked with 4wdisc and crossover with 40s on aluminum wheels, TBI305/465/208. 56"/64" springs. 87 cab with buckets and zero interior, not even a dash pad. No door glass/window regulators/locks either. Cab moved back 3", motor/trans/case moved back 2.5", rear axle moved back ~2.5", front axle moved forward 4.5".

Embarrassed the hell out of a lot of people with 4x-10x the amount of money in their rig. In that form I had around $2600 into it. It went like hell and I never broke anything, largely due to the fact that it didn't weigh anything. I've since retired the axles and tires. 40s are just stepping stones.


Asking here on ColoradoK5 is about the last place I'd ask a question like this. You're better off anywhere than here. Here, if you don't have 1 tons with anything bigger than 31s you aren't given the time of day.

 

[88K5Jimmy]

Sounds like a plan, I would probably go full float out back to put the mind at ease...........

As for the mud flaps..............................................

State statute is Title 47, 12-405:


As for it being actually enforced, I don't know about the cops out your way, around here even though we know the statute, it doesn't rank high on our "to stop for" list...................

And no need to rub it in over the game either

Excellent. Thank you VERY much for clarifying that. The local 4WD club we belong to doesn't even know the exact wording of the law due to the fact that when they are pulled over, the law enforcement agancey can't even tell what the law states, let alone a specific reference to the law.

CyberSniper

Do you happen to have any pics, if not that cool but thanks a bunch for the info/specs. That's what I like to see

 

[CyberSniper]

Between my computer taking a dump this summer and hurricane Rita taking out my website I have no buildup pictures.

 

[dremu]

Asking here on ColoradoK5 is about the last place I'd ask a question like this. You're better off anywhere than here. Here, if you don't have 1 tons with anything bigger than 31s you aren't given the time of day.

Amen, brother!

Now, I don't understand why people mess with 10- and 12-bolt rears, when a 14-bolt is so easy to put in ... and converting the front to 8-lug is NOT that hard.

But D60's are so fricken hard to come by unless you're Allan in WA ... I figure I can bust a coupla sets of front shafts and U-joints, if I get foot-stoopid.

-- A

 

[Leper]

Click this link for pics of what you are talking about.
k5 buggy

 

[CyberSniper]

I have a plethora of half ton axles. I could break my spare for my spare for my spare... and that'd just be my spare shafts... not my spare complete axles. I ran a 12 bolt in the rear because the shafts are just a wee bit bigger than 10 bolt ones, I could get the same clearance out of it as a 10 bolt (13" under both cases after shaving... with 3psi in the rubber), and I could just swap on a set of 10 bolt disc brakes. I could run my 6 lug wheels... which I happen to have like half a dozen set of aluminum 15x10s...

Most of the club runs Heeps with 37x13 Boggers or 38x12.50 TSLs with Dana 44s and either an I6 or Chevy/Ford V8. I had the same clearance as them, a tread width wider than their section width, and 2.5" taller tire... while having between 800 and 1,500 fewer pounds to carry around. While I had a foot more wheelbase than them... the lowest part of my frame was 25" from the ground (flat crossmember/clocked 208)... with just 4" of suspension lift... so I had the same breakover angle as them. Since all my weight was low... even my battery mounted under the passenger seat and running zero glass in my doors... my **** could run at an angle that they cried at. I tried to get the weight so low on the chassis that I didn't even run sun visors.

CK5 is full of people running 1 tons because their stuff weighs 5,500 to 7,500lbs. It's almost like they all build their stuff out of railroad tracks with 1/2" plate welded on it or something. Or bending a bunch of tube so they can try to piece together their frame that keeps cracking from poor nodal analysis and it ends up looking like a jungle jim that weighs twice what a full on tube frame would.

 

[afroman006]

I like your thinkin Cyber. I am one of the one-tons and all that **** crowd but smaller built trucks intrigue me. Marv's buggy is badass in its own little way, he basically took evey commonly discarded piece from blazers and put it behind a 4 banger import motor. IIRC he is running 2 Np208s (something with the transaxle...) and 10 bolts, with the motor centraly located and the the seats at the very front. I may be buying another blazer soon to delve into the "lighter is better" world of wheelin, but we'll see.

 

[88K5Jimmy]

Thanks for the info CyberSniper. My main goal would be to keep the Jimmy because its already paid for and built enough for me to have fun w/o sinking any more money into, then make it as light as possible and then get a 1/2 ton Chevy or GMC, preferably a crew/extended cab, 2WD, nice set of rims and have the best of both worlds.

 

[CyberSniper]

Well, when I started building it (this past March) I figured there was a 90% chance that wherever I went 36s would get me where I wanted to go. So, I planned on selling the 40s and buying 38s and then build a buggy for "real wheeling" that requires a trailer and several states worth of travel.

Like I said, I have pretty much nothing into it compared to most people. Half ton stuff is nice because nobody wants it.

Well, I ended up staying because I found a relatively decent paying job for the area. Here there are just enough rocks to break **** but it's mostly sharp rocks, muddy logs, and mud. Around here, 40s are "sufficient" but 44s are ideal... and no one has beadlocks except me and I never ran 'em. The wider footprint will let you go snow wheeling easier even with the added weight of 1 tons. Very few people have 40s or bigger around here. There is only one person that has a 60 in the front and he just got his... and it's in an 80s Ford (converting from TTB so it has 36" perches).

I joined the "one ton and all that" crowd with my purchase of a high pinion 60. I wanted high pinion something no matter what (run a driver drop 241 and keep my 40" driveshaft nice and flat) and I found a 60 at the right time. I'm anticipating 5,000lbs with me and all my gear.

 

[pauly383]

This is 1/2 ton all around , 35's , and I don't plan on fenders . Cut the tailpan off , and bobbed the rear frame to the hangers too . There is room for 4 seats if I wanted , but I am putting a toolbox there , and spare over gastank

Just got the motor in , painted snd hooking stuff up . It will be street legal because I don't own a trailer yet . Need tube work , but garage got wired today and welder is requested for Christmas

 

[jekbrown]

Asking here on ColoradoK5 is about the last place I'd ask a question like this. You're better off anywhere than here. Here, if you don't have 1 tons with anything bigger than 31s you aren't given the time of day.

Come on now... pirate is way worse than us about these kinds of elitist issues. We may be second worse though. Nothing wrong with light axles... I personally won't go back after running a D60/ff14b, but that doesn't mean everyone else can't. Anyone wanna sell their 60 cheap? Trade ya a 10 bolt.

j

 

[CyberSniper]

Come on now... pirate is way worse than us about these kinds of elitist issues. We may be second worse though. Nothing wrong with light axles... I personally won't go back after running a D60/ff14b, but that doesn't mean everyone else can't. Anyone wanna sell their 60 cheap? Trade ya a 10 bolt.

j

Eh, there are enough people on Pirate that have done it that you aren't given the ignorant "you're gonnnnnaaaa dieeeee" if you don't run D44/14FF up to 33s and anything bigger requires a 60. Most of them are smart enough to realize that if you keep the weight under control and spend some money you can get it to hold up. I think it's because of all the competition buggies.

I think the whole idea of 3/4 ton axles is retarded. You're always going to break the front axle first. Why stick in a 14FF that costs you 1.5" of clearance when it's not going to be the rear axle that breaks anyway?

40s are definitely the limit of half ton stuff. There's nothing like watching all four shafts wind up... first the right front lets loose, then the left rear/right rear, then the left front. There are only so many times shafts and joints can survive that... even if you weld the caps like I did. And, as I found out, Warn locking hubs. The next step is aftermarket shafts, expensive joints, flanges, and then the weak point becomes the knuckles and ring/pinion... for a lot of money.

The idea is to know where you're going. I figured I'd end up somewhere where I'd keep those axles after I graduated from college because of tire size. Well, I ended up staying here... and around here 44s are about ideal. A lot of Jeep people end up going through three iterations of "axle building" because they don't know where they are going as far as tire size.

I won't go back to half ton axles either. But, I need the tire to warrant 1 ton axles. Anything smaller than 40s is a waste of a Dana 60.

 

[BadDog]

Marv's is a custom buggy chassis with D44 and D60 IIRC. For a tube truggy, look at my truggy and at Beck's (one of the ORD guys). Mine is a 4 seater on a 1 ton frame, his is a 2 seater on a K5 frame. Both built on stock frames with 1 ton axles, but you could easily keep the lighter axles if you adjust accordingly. As long as you keep the tire size reasonable and learn the limits of 1/2 tons (don't let them bind, particularly backing UP something, and so on) and keep the weight down as much as possible, it should be fine. Just look at Robzilla's 6000+ lb monster on 1/2 tons, and he thrashes it pretty hard on those axles, though he's replaced quite a few. Just carry spares and accept that you may one day have to invest in Superiors/CTMs or go up to 1 tons depending on where you take it. But no reason to just jump straight to 1 tons if you don't think you need them...

 

[OffRoad]

HOW TO BUILD A LIGHT WEIGHT MOOSE BUGGY
======================================================
Remove the body and take 18" out of the middle of the frame from any full-size blazer that has a Dana 44 in the front and a 12 bolt in the rear (1978 and earlier models).
Bend a custom roll cage.
Axle choice is pretty important here for ultimate reliability! Don't swap in 3/4 ton or 1 ton stuff because it adds way too much weight and drastically reduces ground clearance. You could run up to 33" tires with a strong v8 and not have any problems with the 1/2 ton stuff.
We installed Posi front and rear. This a must! Posi traction is nice if you don't have allot of money to put into lockers. Buy Detroit's or Arb's for the ultimate traction. You have got to be able to spin the mud out of the tires. You could run a spool in the rear and some type of auto-locker in the front. It is better to choose a higher gear for the mud and a lower gear for rocks.
We used 31x15.5/15 Good year terra tires with 3.73 gears but there is no reason you couldn't use a larger tire of the same tread design with different gearing. You could try 33x12.5/15 Good year Traction Sure Grips . If you are going to run lots of hp then buy a set of Super Swamper Boggers and cut the little lugs out.
On the front of the buggy rests a warn 8274 8000 lb winch. Decent bumpers are of great importance. We built ours with schedule 40.
Do not get to carried away with making things bullet proof though. Your goal end weight is less than 3000 lbs. Less weight is better, especially after you load it down with gear and a few friends.

 

[Seventy4Blazer]

I think Marv has built just what you are talking about. Do a search on his username or look in the photo gallery section. I believe he runs 35" MTR's and lots o'tube... I think he did away with the factory cowl and windshield though...

the treasure beetle

a very odd contraption, but from what i hear it works GREAT.
more info in the AZ forum.
Grant

 

[jekbrown]

Eh, there are enough people on Pirate that have done it that you aren't given the ignorant "you're gonnnnnaaaa dieeeee" if you don't run D44/14FF up to 33s and anything bigger requires a 60.

lol, I don't think most ck5'ers think that either. thats just the vocal few flapping their jibs.

I think the whole idea of 3/4 ton axles is retarded. You're always going to break the front axle first. Why stick in a 14FF that costs you 1.5" of clearance when it's not going to be the rear axle that breaks anyway?

Well, another way to look at it is that if you break the front, you know you'll ALWAYS have the 14-bolt to "get ya home". Thats a good thing IMO... especially for people to poor to afford trailers/tow rigs/daily drivers etc. As far as clearance goes, I seem to smack my D60 on stuff more than my ff14b. Sure, it hits stuff from time to time, but it pretty much always drags over. When I really hit my D60, 90% of the time its time to throw it in reverse and try again.

The idea is to know where you're going.

No doubt about that... there is nothing more expensive in the hobby of offroading than constantly changing your mind / upgrading.

I won't go back to half ton axles either. But, I need the tire to warrant 1 ton axles. Anything smaller than 40s is a waste of a Dana 60.

Depends on the use/user I guess... there are always your throttle jockeys who can break a 60 with 35s in rocks. Personally, I really doubt I'll break my 60s shafts even with 42s. Might happen I guess... if it does, the ff14b will get me home.

j