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Lets discuss wheelbase

M

Mudzer

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What do you think is the optimal wheelbase for your area. List the terrain you wheel in and your optimal opinion.

Mine is 122" wheelbase currently. I have a SWB Chevy Frame at 118", then used 56" springs flipped backward to move the rear axle back 4".

We have some tight trails here in the Midwest and I will see how this behemoth gets through the trails here using cutting brakes and so on. I am going to make my maiden voyage after having 108" WB previously.

Willyswanter, what is your wheelbase? How about you BadDog? Also, we have a fullsize Dodge guy from Moab here right? I know a majority of the site will be around 106.5" ish. Post up if you have something different for comparison.
 
Wheelbase is something that is both a Pro and a Con. This weekend for instance. On a waterfall we were running I had a hell of a time getting up with my 106.5" WB. Then a truck with a shortbed wheelbase came in behind me and spanked the waterfall. Then after that a truck with a longbed wheelbase couldn't even get onto the waterfall. We where all setup pretty much the same way too. 35-37" tires with some decent flex

For the AZ rocks I would build my truck to be somewhere in the middle of a K5 and a shortbed. Probably around 113" or so. This way you get a little better steering then a shortbed and better stability then a K5. The way we get around getting behemoths threw tight spots in AZ is to is to just drag them threw with no reguard for sheetmetal.
Harley
 
Here in washington we have some tight jeep trails to go through. I started with a 76k5 (106.5" wheelbase), i have since changed to 117" wheelbase with 57"s in the back and 56"s in the front. I love having the longer wheelbase. It has hurt me in only a few situations. But for the most part i love being a little longer then most the people i wheel with.
 
I like the 110" area. That was what my old toy was, and even as poorly as it was set up, there were instances where it would really shine. 110" is, to me, long enough to make hillclimbs and double-bumps more doable, but also short enough that it doesnt kill breakover angle, and is still manueverable through tighter trees. For the kind of rig i want to build, and the terrain i wheel, to me its just right, especially when the rig is kept low to the ground.
 
My current feeling is 115 to no more than about 120 or so. Sometimes longer is really a lot better, especially on some climbs, but 115-120 (or 122) is not too bad and feels like a good compromise to me. But Matt did great on most stuff at 132 (IIRC). The truggy is now at 115 and I can easily go to 117 if I decide to, so who knows. I'm hoping the links deal with the last of my major grimlins, then I'll start worrying about length...
 
I have been stock wheelbase forever... Im almost done Stretching it out, 56"s in the rear with a 0 rate pushing it back 1.5", 52"s in front plus the 0 rate pushing it another 1.5.

So altogether im adding 5 more inches, putting me at 111.5.. And from what ive seen, and expirienced, Around here i think 112 to 120 is pretty optimum...

I cant wait to get out there and See what its like to have some wheelbase to work with...
 
white-rhyno said:
Here in washington we have some tight jeep trails to go through. I started with a 76k5 (106.5" wheelbase), i have since changed to 117" wheelbase with 57"s in the back and 56"s in the front. I love having the longer wheelbase. It has hurt me in only a few situations. But for the most part i love being a little longer then most the people i wheel with.
Click to expand...

Like White-Rhyno, my K5 is also stretched out to 117"...
 
I'll be at 109.5" when the new springs go under the truck. We'll see I guess, but I think it'll work well. I can't see stretching it more than that and keeping it street friendly anyways, so it'll have to do.

Rene
 
I thought he shortened it up to the mid 130's or so...it was 167" or something near enough to a city block before.

I still remember watching DuctTape walk up Double Whammy like it was nothing...right after Fred (FWP)was denied a few times. DuctTapes wheelbase was around 133" I think (whatever longbox wheelbase is)

That was a real eye opener regarding wheelbase.

Rene
 
im at 131.5, there is alot of mud and sand here which makes things tricky. ive been down a few tight twisty trails that i wish i had a shorter wheelbase for the turning radius. other than that ive have no complaints with a longbed.
 
imho short wheel base sux, i dont like how short base vehicles ride, but then around here yo cant offroad in any form less you own soem land,

trade offs, for sure, short be better for offroad of course, but i think its not that great on road, less you have very few springs in rear, to get ride quality,

but theres tradeoffs there too,,,
long wheelbase rules for around here anyways

id love to get this 157" chassis cab 72 i know of, i need to go check on it, just to stash it away for now so no one else can snag it, my favorite thing about it is that its long :D well and dually too :D and chevy, and CST era body style :D





good luck
 
110" is what I'm at now I think, Whats a stock K5? I'm alittle longer than a stock K5..2-3". Anyways, this last weekend I was messin around on a little rock ledge thing at the local spot. My rig gathered alot of attention so there were spectators. After watchin me have some trouble with a certain line where two of the ledges matched my wheelbase perfectly, one of the spectators in an extended cab Tacoma on bald 35" BFG MT's lined up on the same line and walked it without stoping or hardly spinnin a tire. His wheelbase made it look easy. And of course, the dude in his drunken state, hooted and hollered about makin my truggy look silly in his Tacoma. So I followed him around the rest of the day and made him look stupid. Anyways, I don't really think there's any one wheelbase that is perfect for everything. It's fun to discuss, but beyond that, you can't really settle on anything concrete.
 
Yeah, there is a comp buggy out there this season that has an adjustable wheelbase. A slide in the rear link crossmember, a carrier bearing in the middle of it and a short shaft between the rear output and the carrier.
I like the heck out of mine. It is 113". It feels very nimble in the really really tight trails that I run sometimes. My friend (another 10 set up about the same way, 60/14/welded f/r, hydro/ 44's) is 117 and somehow that 4 inches feels long to me when I ride with him in the trees. I have rolled mine over backwards 3 times now, him only once. I think it helps him there. As far as terrain, dirt climbs, very steep with lips at the top, tree trails and mainly creek banks for climbs until we get down to Disney adn play on the granite and trails.
I feel that wheelbase is directly a function of tire size and belly clearance. You don't want to be 117" on 35" tires. Your belly will drag everything in sight. You don't want to be 106" on 44" tires. You will tip over way easier when climbing steep climbs. I think that 110" is good for the 38" or so crowd. Closer to 115"to 120" with 44's. Now tire size isn't that relevant when you are considering turning radius, but just twin stick it, put a line lock or ball valve in the rear and front dig all the really tight spots, works well. ;)
I am, like I said, 113" on 44's currently. I am planning on going out about 2 or maybe 3 inches when I put my glide/203/205 in.
 
blacksheep10 said:
Yeah, there is a comp buggy out there this season that has an adjustable wheelbase. A slide in the rear link crossmember, a carrier bearing in the middle of it and a short shaft between the rear output and the carrier.
I like the heck out of mine. It is 113". It feels very nimble in the really really tight trails that I run sometimes. My friend (another 10 set up about the same way, 60/14/welded f/r, hydro/ 44's) is 117 and somehow that 4 inches feels long to me when I ride with him in the trees. I have rolled mine over backwards 3 times now, him only once. I think it helps him there. As far as terrain, dirt climbs, very steep with lips at the top, tree trails and mainly creek banks for climbs until we get down to Disney adn play on the granite and trails.
I feel that wheelbase is directly a function of tire size and belly clearance. You don't want to be 117" on 35" tires. Your belly will drag everything in sight. You don't want to be 106" on 44" tires. You will tip over way easier when climbing steep climbs. I think that 110" is good for the 38" or so crowd. Closer to 115"to 120" with 44's. Now tire size isn't that relevant when you are considering turning radius, but just twin stick it, put a line lock or ball valve in the rear and front dig all the really tight spots, works well. ;)
I am, like I said, 113" on 44's currently. I am planning on going out about 2 or maybe 3 inches when I put my glide/203/205 in.
Click to expand...



I think we have a winner here.....

Wheelbase AND breakover angle seem to be the "key". An improper mix won't get you any further over the obstacles.....

:thinking:


Maybe I'll go throw this into Excel for a while???? ..... :grin:


.
 
blacksheep10 said:
Blah, Blah Disney, Blah Wheelbase....

....when I put my glide/203/205 in.
Click to expand...
:eek1:

Lucy... You have som 'splainin to doooo.....
 
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