Im at the point know where im wondering do you keep putting money into this K5 thats big heavy and beat to crap or do you save up for a year and pull the drivetrain and do a linked tube chassis? I feel like I hear about people tubing there K5 only to get to the end and say I wish I just did a whole new chassis.
CK5
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buggy or work w/ what you got?
- Thread starter ryaninc
- Start date
Id say if your gona be able to tow your rig to go play, just start hacking away at what you got now and brac and build from there. No sense building a tube chassis when you've already got a good frame! sure the tube chassis look cool. but if you gut ur truck down to the frame and get creative you can drop a ton of weight and keep money in ur wallet. Id have to imagine youd save at least 5K that way. (not sure what a tube chassis would cost but im sure itd be more than 5K and you wouldnt save that much weight.
reddog64
1/2 ton status
a bender is about 1000 bucks...
tube is about 1500...
Welder - another 500
Supplies - another 200
alot of time and extra parts...
Your not going to save 5K...
tube is about 1500...
Welder - another 500
Supplies - another 200
alot of time and extra parts...
Your not going to save 5K...
I would be happier with the final product if I had built a buggy from scratch.
I couldn't afford to have an unmovable rig for a year, plus you can't wheel during the down time.
Hence, you end up with a somewhat compromised final product (still using the flimsy and heavy frame, etc.) but I least its kept me wheelin'
If your getting serious about wheeling a truggy or buggy you will need to be bending and welding tube anyway (for a cage/chassis). I would bet that the truggy route isn't really cheaper, just a lot less time spent fabricating.
I couldn't afford to have an unmovable rig for a year, plus you can't wheel during the down time.
Hence, you end up with a somewhat compromised final product (still using the flimsy and heavy frame, etc.) but I least its kept me wheelin'
If your getting serious about wheeling a truggy or buggy you will need to be bending and welding tube anyway (for a cage/chassis). I would bet that the truggy route isn't really cheaper, just a lot less time spent fabricating.
Talk to "patrick" ramjet gmc & gmc4cw "chas" chas has a shortbed pickup basically turned into a truggy. and patrick built a tube buggy. they can give you good insite on both methods. As for 1000.00 for a tube bender & 1500 for tube. Man you guys pay to much on the west coast. thats insane. you can get a decent tube bender for home use under 300.00 and you can get a 10pt cage from S&W for under 400.00 and then just add what you want from there. plus u got extra dough to buy the welder and tube notcher.
lol you could buy a welder, tubing, cage from S&W, bender, & notcher for the 2500.00 that you just figured for tube and bender! You dont need to buy mfg grade tools for home applications.
Also figure if ur gona do a tube chassis at least 10K from the start. not to mention drive train. seats fuel cell wiring blah blah. you can def save alot of money using the truck you have and build from there. You can reinforce the frame and add supports.
lol you could buy a welder, tubing, cage from S&W, bender, & notcher for the 2500.00 that you just figured for tube and bender! You dont need to buy mfg grade tools for home applications.
Also figure if ur gona do a tube chassis at least 10K from the start. not to mention drive train. seats fuel cell wiring blah blah. you can def save alot of money using the truck you have and build from there. You can reinforce the frame and add supports.
Patrick started with a K5, beat it up wheeling and then spent a lot of money to cage it. it's done. he tweaks things after some rides but there are no more big projects.
here it is.
I started with a K10, beat it up wheeling and slowly removed panels as they got to beat to stay attached. I welded a cage from S&W in it and keep wheeling it. I'm not done and probably will never be. But I have been wheeling it hard for 8-9 years. a buggy would be nice but I would have never been able to save the money. I also would have missed a lot of trail rides.
here is mine.
another person who did it like me is FOR MUD (Julian). he built a mud truck and then started going crawlin with me.
from full bodied.
to truggy in about 2 years.
here they both are in February.
here it is.
I started with a K10, beat it up wheeling and slowly removed panels as they got to beat to stay attached. I welded a cage from S&W in it and keep wheeling it. I'm not done and probably will never be. But I have been wheeling it hard for 8-9 years. a buggy would be nice but I would have never been able to save the money. I also would have missed a lot of trail rides.
here is mine.
another person who did it like me is FOR MUD (Julian). he built a mud truck and then started going crawlin with me.
from full bodied.
to truggy in about 2 years.
here they both are in February.
if I had to do it all together again I would change a few things. I would have bought my 60 earlier and not wasted money on a dana 44. I would have welded a cage in earlier negating the need for a third cab after I rolled and destroyed the second one. and I would have left more structure in the fenders when I skinned them. they keep popping off.
but otherwise I have had a lot of fun in this truck.
the only thing original to the truck I bought is the frame, hood skin, driver side fender outer skin, grill, and a cut down rad support. all of those items are modified so technically nothing is stock.
think of a part on your truck. if its not on that short list then I have replaced it, maybe twice.
but otherwise I have had a lot of fun in this truck.
the only thing original to the truck I bought is the frame, hood skin, driver side fender outer skin, grill, and a cut down rad support. all of those items are modified so technically nothing is stock.
think of a part on your truck. if its not on that short list then I have replaced it, maybe twice.
