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Got the truck on the scale today - before and after comparo!

B

BorregoK5

1/2 ton status
Joined
Sep 7, 2001
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Location
San Marcos, Ca USA
When I first bought my K5, it was basicly a stock 79 with a 350ci, 4" lift and 33's and weighed in at a light 4850lbs, top on 1/2 tank of gas.

After adding 1 ton running gear 4 wheel disk, 38" swampers, a cage, top on, tube bumpers, 415ci engine, anti wrap bars, fully trimming the fenders back, ditching the fron inner wells, removing all the tar paper on the interior floor and a 1/4 tank of gas... the weight came to 5645lbs.

I'll have to ditch another 1000lbs here and there and try and keep it street legal as well as confortable for a family of three on a long trip. Getting close!
 
fiberglass fenders and hood should help. ditch the tailgate if possible.
 
I'd like fiberglass but I'm pretty hard on sheet metal as it is, glass wouldn't last long... but the hood doesnt take much abuse. I like the idea of running a stripped tailgate with a camper shell style window though. I was hoping to loose a lot of weight going full tube chassis but it doesn't look like it will loose much. At least with the tube chassis I can manage the weight a little better by placing things like the gas tank and the engine closer to the center. I'm stuck at about 500lbs less... not the 1000lbs I was looking for.
 
Ditch the 1 tons, get a set of aluminum heads, and get an aluminum t-case.

Dan /forums/images/graemlins/burb.gif
 
WHAT!!?? Are you nuts? Hahah!

For a full out desert truck, your absolutely right! But I bought the 1 ton gear specificly to play hard and not have to worry about it (or drop a boat load of cash making 1/2 ton gear as strong). If I was running a 350ci, I'd have aluminum heads on there already, but the siamese 400 cyl's and the different rate that aluminum expands with heat could make that a cracked head waiting to happen. Got an aluminum intake though! Aluminum t-case... have thought about it.. but everyone breaks em all the time.. my boat anchor 203 has bottomed out on all kinds of stuff and is still kicking good. Isn't the sm465 a little lighter than a th350?
 
naw the sm465 is quite heavier than the th350. I've swapped out my th350 for it.

Do like me and lose the top, permanently!!!!

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
trying to save wieght /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif,

that is a bridge I am burning trying to build the truck, but I will cross that bridge when I get there /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

although I could just build it to go around the bridge, and the 14 bolt can anker me down so I don't float away, those 1/2 ton axels are light weight dont ya know /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif


all I keep doing is adding weight the 396 doesn't help much too, then there is the body armer I want skid plates spare parts for every thing, the winch, all the stereo crap, a few subs, bumpers rock sliders a cage I want soon the 14 bolt big tires, oh yea and the girl friend doesn't help either /forums/images/graemlins/ignore.gif j/k she's not that big but then there is the argument......

1) carry winch-gets me out of crap
2) carry the other winch and she can give me crap

what to do???? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
IMO, the only way you'll loose close to 1k lbs without high $$$ aluminum and 'glass everything is to do like I did...
 
well, even if u r hard on the body u could use a fiberglass hood... i mean... you dont thrash your stock hood very often do ya? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

j
 
If it don't protect your mellon, make it go, or keep it going, cut it OFF! /forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif
 
here are a few things.
maybe you have a 14 bolt maybe you have a D60 in the rear. ethier way i would get a D60 with disk in the rear.

next, soft top. some of the newer ones out there ar almost as quiet as a hard top. plus they look cool and are easier to remove.

a glass hood is doable, as for a fully pinned hood can easily be removed at the trail head and left at camp, or at home for SHORT trips, being in CA and all.

remove the rear wheel tubs and make aluminum tubs for them. thats a few lbs there, and a wider area for the lots of flex you have.

sipe your tires. yeah, MAYBE 10lbs, but safer on the wet CA roads.

some nice confy plastic seats with 5pt harnes. just in the front would be about 10bls there, look nice and be a GREAT improvement on the safe side of the house.

lexan glass on the sides if you keep the hard top.

thats about all i can think of for now.

oh yeah... fill the tube bumpers, tires, and roll cage with a bit or helium....
im just kidding man.
grant
 
Yep.. I'm looking to take the partial truggy aproach. I want to keep everything from the bottom of the dash up so I don't have to loose the VIN, the doors still mate up, the windsheild is taken care of, and the top still fits on easily. I figure I can yank the doors for covered tube doors and drop the topper for a softop. But the rest.. BadDog style without the frame! I truly understand your keeping the cab now that I'm getting serious.
 
If you want light, get you a

Lightweight


btw, that check will be in the mail today. I forgot all about it! That's the baddest arse shackle flip for ease of installation that I've ever seen. 2 thumbs up!!! /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
No matter what be sure to keep us informed /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
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