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4 seat truggy, how would you do it?

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84_Chevy_K10

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I'm thinking it's truggy time, but I'm not sure what to start with.

I was thinking S10 Blazer, or suburban, either way, cutting everything behind the rear seats off, removing the front clip, windshield, doors, etc.

Just for $hits and grins I'm going to do it with an automatic, the cheapest V8 I can find, and probably my old 10 bolt front and a full floater rear.

But, what's the ideal vehicle to start with and hack up?

I'm most interested in 115-120" WB. I figured if I hacked up the suburban and moved the rear axle forward I could get somewhere close to that, maybe 125. Then the S10 blazer idea came.

What would you start with?
 
3/4ton short bed pickup 4wd with the v8 and auto already, 56" rear springs rear for a flip, find some 52's and toss them up front...
yank the front fenders, cut the core support and add tubing, hack the top and back of the cab off and get a sheet of corrigated steel for the rear floor area (if weights not an issue then diamond plate /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif), bob the ass-end behind rear hangers, toss in a fuel cell behind the rear seat and tube it /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif

I seen something about using an s10 with IFS because of the low gear, no lift and running 35's but I can't find the link...
 
For a GM based truggy, see my web pages. Find a K30 with a trashed body and build from there. You get the D60, matching C14FF, typically lower gears (4.10 - 4.56), stronger frame, often a 400/205 or 465/205, BB are not unusual, already 56" rears (just remove some leafs and move it forward), and so on… I have never understood why anyone would start a "serious" build up with a 1/2 ton K10/15/5 and build up when you can start with a 1 ton for a little more. Buying the 1 ton and cutting down is MUCH cheaper than building up.

And with regards to all the D60 nay-sayers, if your starting a new project that is targeted to the hard core side of things in a larger (i.e. 4 seat) truggy (i.e. heavier than a buggy), a C10/D44 front is a waste of time and trouble. I agree with them in many cases where people start to feel they need a D60 at a minimum to wheel. Cost of upgrading to a D60 is usually (IMO) not worth it when your evolving from your daily driver to an ever more capable off road rig until you start breaking frequently (by your definition based on your tolerance for dealing with it). But I don't like fixing broken axles on the trail when I'm supposed to be having fun. And more than that, I don't like holding up people while I fix my junk…

All that said, if I were starting over from scratch (basically back when I started my truggy) I would probably go Toy (heresy!) just because they work better and cheaper for what I've decided I want to do… Lighter, smaller, good frames, good axles, cheap and common with lots of options OEM and after market. No D60 searches, no expensive and heavy doublers, and I've seen cheaper, "less built" toy truggies going places I can't even consider…
 
I have a K30 frame already.

I'm more concerned about the contruction of the body to hold four seats than the rest of it.

As to how to create wheel travel/etc. I already know how to do it.

I'm thinking without the body in the way I can put 35s on it and make the 3/4 tons last a long time. I don't want to steal the D60 from my truck.

I was thinking more like a 4 link rear and hacking the frame off right aft of the coils, and not sure what I'd run up front, hadn't thought of that yet.
 
there was a truck in petersons without a bed in the back, with 6" total lift and it could clear 49" iroks because there was no bed... then the front was hacked up alot... not a truggy but just something to say about being bedless...
 
Start with a Blazer, I know where you can get a one ton K5 for a reasonable price. /forums/images/graemlins/whistling.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Start with a Blazer, I know where you can get a one ton K5 for a reasonable price. /forums/images/graemlins/whistling.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I am going to build the whole rig for half of what he wants for that thing.

I am totally cash poor right now anyway, I just figure plotting it all out would be a great start.

See also my wheelbase comments. A Blazer is too short.
 
I would start with Sub frame. Easy to work with and custom wheelbase. I wish I had done a 4 door S-Blazer for the extra room and wheelbase. I think with the roof cut off at the B-Pillar, and a custom soft top would be cool. Early 90's can be picked up cheap at an auction.

I made the mistake of trying to keep rubber body mounts under the body. Mount it solid to the frame and full cage and make it easy and durable. The floor of an S-Blazer doesn't work well with the K Series frames. I had to rework the entire area under the rear seat to clear the K5 frame. I think if you start with a shorter wheelbase Sub, that will not be a factor and you will be able to retain the rear seat.

One more thing, the more S-10 sheetmetal you have, the heavier it will be. I did not lose a substantial amount of weight with my swap, but along with the smaller size, I have a windshield and a roof when the weather turns bad.
 
Hmm...Sub frame and S10 blazer sounds cool. I'm not going to cut it off at the B piller though, I'm cutting everything above the steering wheel off.
 
What about a K5 or SWB frame with a Suburban or 4 door s-10 blazer body. Cut the back of the body off and make a small flat bed with tubing on the back. And run a narrowed front clip like Bowtie's.... /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
What about a K5 or SWB frame with a Suburban or 4 door s-10 blazer body. Cut the back of the body off and make a small flat bed with tubing on the back. And run a narrowed front clip like Bowtie's.... /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Sounds like a great idea. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif Along with removing the front clip, that is.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Start with a Blazer, I know where you can get a one ton K5 for a reasonable price. /forums/images/graemlins/whistling.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I am going to build the whole rig for half of what he wants for that thing.

I am totally cash poor right now anyway, I just figure plotting it all out would be a great start.

See also my wheelbase comments. A Blazer is too short.

[/ QUOTE ]


if you have 4 link in mind a blazer chassis would work just fine.
 
use a 4 door pickup or put a 4 door pickup cab on a burb frame and shorten the wb respectively
 
hey BadDog ,what is that setup you have on your rear shackles? Did you make it yourself and what with? /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif
 
It's a modified "Springer" AKA "AK-57" setup. I had to run it due to the backwards 57" springs (short side in back) to equalize the droop arch and simulate longer springs.
 
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