bogger survey

[78Suburban]

I am bored because I am waiting for it to get back from the shop, so I have been sitting around thinking about it's posibilities..... IT's a '78 K20 burban with a 350/400/203 with 3.73's... I want to use it for primarily Muddy roads and an occasional trip to the mud races in the consistency or stock class..... I am going to save up for a 4" tough country lift..

I am considering seriously going with 33" boggers because I want awsome traction with little rotational weight... sure I could drop an extra couple of grand and put it on axle snapping 44's... and that would get me what, like 5.5 inches of extra axle clearance??? not really in my budget... Is my thinking backwards? am I waisting my time with 33's?? I know the long ol girl would look alot better with some bigger rubbers than that, but I am only concerned with having fun and performance....

 

[big94gmc]

"Wider is better".

Although the 12.5" and 14" width is minimal, it can only help to float.

 

[86Cucvbeater]

go skinny if your truck is heavy or underpowered so u can get to the bottom and u'll have less rotating mass also u wont go fast enuf to float anyways. wide if your on the lighter side or got some good hp to wieght ratio. havnt had any experience yet with skinnier tires in the front but ive seen guys run skinny tsls in front with wide boggers in back they say its easier to turn with the tsls.

 

[78Suburban]

the skinny vs. wide debate.... its as old as mud boggin itself
I am a bit heavy and underpowered............. when I first start wheelin with this combo I will be pretty close to stock.... eventually when $$ permits I might throw some 4.56's and a rear detroit into the mix I am really just digging for yall's confirmation that I could be with only 33's......

 

[86Cucvbeater]

well if youve got 10 bolts id say your perfect but if theres a 14 bolt back there then go 35s at least every centimeter of axle clearance helps IMO

 

[mikey_d05]

I'm ridiculously underpowered and my 39's (15" wide tread, 18" section width) do wonders in the mud pit, you're gonna get a slew of answers both ways.

 

[78Suburban]

yes I've got the old 14ff out back, but I'm not sure that my dog motor, 3.73s, turbo400, and big meats mix. Maybe I reasearch how to shave a little off the bottom of the 14ff

 

[78Suburban]

MIKEY, I just noticed the thing at the bottom of your reply, sorry to bring it up, but are you reffering to Jessica Sterwart from Thomaston GA????

 

[mikey_d05]

No, she lived in the same podunk town as me in south central Minnesota.

 

[78Suburban]

I'm sorry to hear about that... I just thought for a second you were talking about a girl I graduated with the same age..

 

[OffRoad]

if you're set on the boggers i'd go witht eh 33/12.5s not the 14s. you don't have a ton of power. the skinnier tires will be easier to spin. i don't think you'll notice much diff in floatation anyway.

EVERY time i've seen a truck do sweet in the mud it's because the guy spun the tires like crazy cause he was revving the **** out of of his motor. if you put your foot to the floor (and leave it there -- that's important) you'd be surprised where your truck will go in the mud.

i saw a toy on skinny 31s outmud an xj on 33s cause he dropped the hammer and left it dropped. i saw a z71 with dual exhaust and 31s outmud stuff on 33 and 35s cause he dropped the hammer and left it dropped. i saw a k5 on 33 outmud everything else at a mud bog including guys on 38s and stuff cause (say it with me ) he dropped the hammer and left it dropped.

the key to mud (imo) is motor.

you'll be fine with 12s. don't worry about it. you know about fitting 12s. they're cake. you'll need wide ass rims for 14s. and they'll rub and you'll need special backspacing and stuff. i say stick with what you know.

a sub on 33" boggers will looking friggin pimp. post up pics when you do it. oh man that's gonna look sweet.

 

[Brocky]

What have we learned.

Guys use thumb throttles for rocks, so hmmm. Will I gonna run my throttle on a toggle switch for bog.

 

[78Suburban]

yeah, I've been kinda leaning toward the 12.50.... it would probably be easyer to turn them over........ I wonder if I could go with less lift than 4 inches,,,,,,,, would a 2 or 3" lift be significantly easier to install? I would like the looks of a 4 inch, but I've never installed any lift before, so if a smaller would be simpler to put on, I might consider it..

 

[86Cucvbeater]

I'd put on a 4 in. tough country but that's just me. Should be no diff installation wise than a 2in. sus. lift. Shouldn't have driveshaft issues either. You'll need diff shocks and brake lines but you would with a 2 in. too and all that should come in the kit. Might want to get a drop steering arm tho. Thats about it. If u do get the 2 in. lift then you might have to cut the fenders a little.

 

[78Suburban]

4 inches would be good. it would get me higher up out of the mud, and give room to go bigger in the future when $$ permits... I guess I need to start saving...........

will 3.73s turn 33's ok??? I would like some 4.56's..... but will have to save up after lift and tires..... I bet 4.56's would really turn them over (and I ain't gonna be doing much crusin on the pavement)

 

[86Cucvbeater]

3.73 would be fine but 4.56 with 33's would be the **** especially if your not on the street much. I had 4.56 gears with 31's on my truck for a while haha

 

[rjfguitar]

Are you just looking to mud race? To really compete you have to have a big motor, if you are just looking to have fun with friends then go for it. 33x14's would be great for mud draggin'..

If it was me I would just save up for 3/4t axles that already have the gears you need and go with the 35x16 bogger. The problem with the 33" boggers and smaller (the 35x14.50 bogger is the same as the smaller tires) are that they have a shallower tread depth and smaller side lugs. The 35x16 is deeper like the 39.5" and have the larger side lugs.

Hard to explain, you have to have a 35x14.50 and a 35x16 standing next to each other to really see it like I did. You can see the tread has a slightly different design and depth between the smaller and larger sizes.

 

[78Suburban]

It will be 90% just playin on muddy roads with friends..... the other 10 % will be at 352 side by side mud drags... www.highvoltagemudracing.net I have been there a bunch and fully understand that I can't hang in with the big boys.... there is ALOT of racing fuel there, and it's very common for the trucks to do wheelstands when leaving the starting line......... but there is a consistency class in which everyone is on level playing grounds (I've won ATV consistency twice).... And if I eventually get a little more pep (better heads and a stroker kit ) I might play around with the street class... I mostly just want a cool looking truck that will do ok in the mud (it won't hurt my feelings if I have to get buddies to tow me out from time to time)

I think shallow tread might be better on drivetrain parts due to less traction, I am a little hesitant to get bogger anyway because of the massive ammounts of traction they provide (dirveline stress).... I also like the idea of 33's because they are eaiser on drivetrain than 35's....

all that being said, I am kinda leaning toward the 33x12.50's..... with a good set of light alloy wheels... now just to figure out the lightest wheels...

 

[mikey_d05]

If all you're doing is mud racing, stop worrying about too much traction.

 

[78Suburban]

I guess I don't need to worry about too much traction... but I might go to an occasional mud bog competition... I've seen plenty of people break stuff in deep competitive mud bogs..

I probably should wait till I can regear an get 35's, but I'm so dang antsy to get some mud tires...... I think I would be satisfied with 33's for my poser purposes.............. I love the way 31's perform on my dad's 97 wrangler... but its a hole different animal than my long turd..