Personal Opinions on puttin' the power down...*pics*

[Avery4jc]

Ok so I've been doing some calculations and here is my problem...we go to Pismo the second week of July and if I work as much as possible I still won't have enough money to get everything done.
Either way the first thing on the list is tires...I'm either going to just replace the back two (front two are practically brand new) which will run about $600 ($300 per tire) or get 4 new ones.
The next thing on the list was gearing and a front driveshaft and then I'd basically be done with everything. The problem is I won't have enough money in time to get the front and rear re-geared with a locker out back.

I was thinking that I would actually be better off (keep in mind this is going to be sand and sand alone) with regearing to 5.13's out back in the 14ff and getting a detroit put in INSTEAD of regearing the front and rear and not getting a locker installed.
May seem crazy but I'm thinking 2wd w/ a locker (even 2wd low...won't have a front d-shaft) will be better than 4wd with open carriers.
I've seen tons of people get stuck in the sand due to having open carriers...so yeah lmk what your opinion is on this...

 

[OffRoad]

i don't think that it sounds like too bad of an idea.

put it in low range and keep your foot in it and you should be fine. the tranny will bang through the gears till you have enough wheelspin to get going.

i'd air down your tires. do you or a friend have a source of on board air? (to re-fill tires if they go off the bead)

a locked 2wd with aired down tires should be fine. you might have to say "no" to some terrain, but it's better than being broke.

 

[Avery4jc]

yeah I don't plan on going nuts b/c well two things...this is my dd and I have to be able to drive it the 150 miles home and two...I've never actually done much of anything that would be considered off-roadin' so this would be a first and I don't see myself being too confident in taking the deep stuff...

 

[YZEATER]

get the rear locker, under $350. get a front driveshaft. might have to get it lengthened, and just grind the cv to get more angle out of it.

 

[hunterguy86]

Well if you regear the front are you going to have enough for a driveshaft?

Do you still have your stock drive shaft? If you do, like it was said before grind the cv for more angle. If you don't have a driveshaft at all then there is no point in regearing the front.

As far as a rear locker goes, go with a lock-right. It's half the price of a detroit and for what you do a detroit is overkill. I have a lockright in my 14 bolt and I love it.

As far as tires go, just get 2 new ones.

Some things I have noticed is that a lot of folks are caught up in I need 1 tons and big driveshafts and roller muffler bearings ect ect ect before I can wheel. Just take whatcha got and run whatcha brung. You can have fun wheeling while everyone else is still at home.

 

[fireplug]

I think you would find a lot of guys here run in 2wd most of the time with a locker out back. Switching to 4x only when it's needed.

 

[6.2Blazer]

In sand I really don't think that locked 2wd = open 4wd. About the only time where 2wd and a locker might have the advantage is in slow going twisty stuff. In sand I would think that 4wd with open diffs would be better...otherwise you will just have the all of the weight on the front tires dragging it down like an anchor.

What I would do is weld up the open diff like a mini-spool for the trip, and if you really want a Detroit later on you can just pull out the welded piece and slap in a Detroit.

For the comment about Lock-rights, for a 14FF application the Lock-right is definitely NOT half the cost...last time I checked it was only maybe $50 less.

 

[desertrat67]

I ran 2 wheel drive in the sand with 38s and a govlock and only threw the lever into 4X when I felt myself having difficulty. On the other hand, my worst stucks were when I had no front driveshaft in in the sand and got in over my head. If both axles are the same gearing, throw in the locker, replace the two tires and run it.

 

[desertrat67]

oh yeah, run really low air pressue. Running 8 pounds in the tires in two wheel drive is better than street pressure in 4X

 

[gmc4cw]

spend your money in this order.

1: front driveshaft, then you will have 2 tires spinning when you get stuck.

2: locker for the rear, then you will have 3 tires spinning when you get stuck.

3: regearing, you have matching gears and should only regear when you can do both sets. you do not need 5.13's to play in the sand. keep it in low and you will have plenty of fun.

4: 2 new tires.

unless of course the tires in question are bald and a safety issue. then they would come first.

 

[BadassBlaze]

yeah i would have to say do what it needs to get in goin in 4wd...honestly, I think you would do alot better with open diffs and 4wd than 2wd locked.... like one of the guys above me said...in 2wd, the front tires are just gonna be big anchors on loose sand and just be a pain in the ass to deal with. Just me personally i would get it where it'll pull in 4wd, not worry bout gears, just run it in 4wlo and have fun

 

[balterbuilt]

i would go with the 5:13's front and back, because you don't have to re-setup the gears to install a 14 bolt detroit since it only replaces the carrier. You will be better off with 4wd then 2wd and a locker.

 

[Avery4jc]

yeah I completely agree with you guys and I do have a front d-shaft and a little spacer that I have ran in the past and it works great...
the reason I was going to drop gears was for the trip over more than anything...once I put my 208 in Low its PLENTY low enough for what I do but after not making it over the hills to even get to the dunes last year I'm just paranoid about my gearing...4.10's and my tires measure out to 37" tall and 15" wide...

 

[balterbuilt]

i run 4.56 gears and true 37's and have plenty of power for the dunes. I also have a healthy motor though. The 5.13's should be plenty.

 

[Avery4jc]

yeah exactly...so my current 4.10's and "37's" aren't going to work...so thats why either way I need to go 5.13's but if I do that I probably won't have enough to get the front/rear and a locker out back done along with tires before July...
thats why I was asking if 5.13's and a locker out back would be sufficient...

 

[MattK]

I've never played in the sand, but for any wheelin, I would much rather be 4x4 with opens than just locked out back. As said before...the fronts will be anchors you have to push around if they aren't getting powered. With as heavy as our trucks are I think you are much better off with 4x4.

 

[JDNobodi]

For a beginner, I would say 4x4 open. It takes some skill to drive in 2wd in the sand.
I do understand wanting to do the rear end once. It would be cheaper in the long run to do it once.
You could regear the rear-end and have the front functioning. 5.13 is low enough to get around in 2wd. The gearing will be mismatched, but you could put the truck in 4wd to get out of trouble.
My 74 had mismatch gears when I bought it. It would buck when the sand got hard. I think it was because I had lower gears in the front than the rear.
One thing you have remember about playing in the sand, It's not if you're going to get stuck, it's when.

 

[balterbuilt]

4x4 open with 5:13's, like i said before you don't have to re set up the gears to install a dteroit in a 14 bolt!

 

[Avery4jc]

ok I'll get the new tires then get 5.13's and then work work work to see if I can come up with the funds to get a locker in time...

 

[TruckNutzDude]

ok I'll get the new tires then get 5.13's and then work work work to see if I can come up with the funds to get a locker in time...

Here's what I'd do for this trip:

-front driveshaft
-weld the spider gears in the 14 bolt (can replace the spider ball with a detroit later on, when you re-gear)
-air down

later on:

-5.13 gears (replace spiders with detroit if you don't like the "spool effect")
-new tires (the ones you have will be very worn with a welded rear by the time you are ready for a detroit or a re-gear)

I ran 44" tires with 3.73 gears and a welded 14 bolt for about a year. I competed in the Monson, Ma hill climbs with this setup which is all lose, rocky sand, I did not get stuck in 4-low. I drove there, competed and drove back with no issues except my engine was bogged down a little but I have an SM465 so I just kept it in 2nd gear. When I had the money I upgraded to 5.13 gears and put a spool in my front end, I inspected the welded spider gears and decided to keep them. I still run the welded rear end, I've done burn outs on pavement, busted axleshafts, driveshafts, transmission mounts and the spider gears have held up fine.

p.s. Before the 44" tires I had a 700R4/241 and 38" ground hawgs. Keep the trans out of OD and you will be fine.

Just go have fun in the sand!!!