Mine is 112.5" wheelbase on 42" IROKs, Steve Fox is running 39.5" TSL's. Its been a while since I've been wheelin' with Fox but I think his wheelbase is pretty similar to mine.
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CK5
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Put your Blazer on a diet
- Thread starter Sandman
- Start date
Mine is 112.5" wheelbase on 42" IROKs, Steve Fox is running 39.5" TSL's. Its been a while since I've been wheelin' with Fox but I think his wheelbase is pretty similar to mine.
I'm pretty damn satisfied with my IROK's, I bought them used at ~3/4 tread. Stephen Watson runs the sticky IROK's and I think those will be my next tire or maybe the 43" SX.
You can call me Chris
Well, I think I've changed my opinion on this. I've never bent an axle tube but I feel that a 3.5" or 4" .250" wall axle tube would probably hold up well and save some weight. .250" tube is awfully hard to dent, even on an axle tube.
79chevyk10
1/2 ton status
Chris it is 
I'm Aaron. Couple of close friends have the IROKS and I'm very impressed with them. The only place where my TSL's shine is in the loose rutted out stuff, such as Tank Trap. Way better on rocks than TSL's. My next tire will be the 42 IROK (my buget will not allow the sticky).
Have you ever wieghed your truggy?? Do you wish you could change anything about your build?
I've been an admirer from afar for some time now and would love it if you would pm some pics of seating, dash.
I'm Aaron. Couple of close friends have the IROKS and I'm very impressed with them. The only place where my TSL's shine is in the loose rutted out stuff, such as Tank Trap. Way better on rocks than TSL's. My next tire will be the 42 IROK (my buget will not allow the sticky).
Have you ever wieghed your truggy?? Do you wish you could change anything about your build?
I've been an admirer from afar for some time now and would love it if you would pm some pics of seating, dash.
Just over 4000 lbs. without me in it.
Oh yeah, I'd do some of the tubework differently. The A and B pillars and the halo on my truck are from an S&W cage kit, I would make those differently. I'd bend the A pillar forward more (to match the windshield) and push the B pillar back a little.
I kept the firewall and wiring to make everything easier, I'm 50/50 on whether that was worth saving. I've already had to rewire the truck from scratch and I'll probably redo the firewall this winter.
I'll send ya a PM
79chevyk10
1/2 ton status
Just over 4k.......like 4,001 or 4,250???
I think I will spoil my pants if I get my down to 4k!
I have an interior cage that I built and would like to have the truck be as wide as the interior cage. I measured and that puts it 8" plus a little reduction on each side. Can't decide if to build off of it (it already goes thru the dash and matches the contour of the A pillar) or build all new. I'm better at fab work than I was when I built the cage so....?? I know I don't want the width of the stock A pillars and just so happens I busted my windshield on the last trip........FLOP.
Thanks for letting me bug you about all this Chris.
I think I will spoil my pants if I get my down to 4k!
I have an interior cage that I built and would like to have the truck be as wide as the interior cage. I measured and that puts it 8" plus a little reduction on each side. Can't decide if to build off of it (it already goes thru the dash and matches the contour of the A pillar) or build all new. I'm better at fab work than I was when I built the cage so....?? I know I don't want the width of the stock A pillars and just so happens I busted my windshield on the last trip........FLOP.
Thanks for letting me bug you about all this Chris.
40xx, I don't remember the exact weight.
That's pretty much what mine is, an interior sized cage that is now the outside of the truck.
And I was going to keep the windshield frame at first but it was very apparent that I would bust the windshield the first time out. Hell, I've hit every piece of sheetmetal that's on my rig now even though it's way skinnier.
something in the video of buggy isn't right. old swampers or more likely should i say not siped like they should be. wrong gearing - any idea what t-case and if he had it in lower range, seemed to be trying to only power out. when the skinny wont do it then one must look elsewhere. or i guess since the topic is miss piggy, is the buggy too heavy? just doesn't look like the combo is working, actually surpised he didn't take out something.
something in the video of buggy isn't right. old swampers or more likely should i say not siped like they should be. wrong gearing - any idea what t-case and if he had it in lower range, seemed to be trying to only power out. when the skinny wont do it then one must look elsewhere. or i guess since the topic is miss piggy, is the buggy too heavy? just doesn't look like the combo is working, actually surpised he didn't take out something.
Its simply a tough obstacle, way too tall to crawl unless you're in the 130"+ wheelbase range and even then...
Steve's is probably not much heavier than mine (4200 lbs), quite frankly I feel he missed it because he stayed too far left.
But now we're getting off topic
79chevyk10
1/2 ton status
Tire grooving and tread sipping are two totally differnt things. 
Tire grooving and tread sipping are two totally differnt things.
Regardless, I was just trying to show the steepness of the climb using pics/video of Steve's rig since nobody took any good ones of mine.
And I'm almost positive Steve has made that climb before; it kinda all depends on the line, how much water is in the bottom, the phase of the moon, etc.
79chevyk10
1/2 ton status
Totally agreed!
The obsticles most cherished are the ones you have to work for.
Side note: the first time I did Back Door at Johnson valley I handled the first climb and went over the second climb with a good bump and some throttle. The second time I did it, I handled the first climb and the second climb did not want to "give it up". I was hammering on my rig, front digging to get the right line and healthy amount of throttle just to lauch all 4 tires in the air and come down on the pass. side slider. Finally with enough trying I made it. That's the one that I remember most fondly about. That was the day I relized that I built my truck well. Nothing broke.
Good times.
Aaron.
The obsticles most cherished are the ones you have to work for.
Side note: the first time I did Back Door at Johnson valley I handled the first climb and went over the second climb with a good bump and some throttle. The second time I did it, I handled the first climb and the second climb did not want to "give it up". I was hammering on my rig, front digging to get the right line and healthy amount of throttle just to lauch all 4 tires in the air and come down on the pass. side slider. Finally with enough trying I made it. That's the one that I remember most fondly about. That was the day I relized that I built my truck well. Nothing broke.
Good times.
Aaron.
Well all of the points on this thread are pretty much right on. But this is my definition or my form of diet. Just start with something smaller, for instance blew the 304 in my CJ5, go for cubes and make sure valvetrain is for low end. So, I picked up a 401, nobody seems to want big displacement motors so they have dropped big time. While everyone is chasing late model motors and wiring harnesses, I just decided to go old school and simple.
Small Body + 3/4 ton axles + 6.6 Litre = priceless to me.
Basically, more trail friendly for hard trails, Lighter than my pickup with similar motor to my 396. Kinda nice amc pulled a chevy type trait and had similar motor family. 401's not a bbc but torque should be great and plenty of weight on front end, biggest problem with cj's short wheelbase.
By the way, keep up the photo posts says so much more than text. I gotta stop spending money on parts and get one of those digital thingamabobs.
Small Body + 3/4 ton axles + 6.6 Litre = priceless to me.Basically, more trail friendly for hard trails, Lighter than my pickup with similar motor to my 396. Kinda nice amc pulled a chevy type trait and had similar motor family. 401's not a bbc but torque should be great and plenty of weight on front end, biggest problem with cj's short wheelbase.
By the way, keep up the photo posts says so much more than text. I gotta stop spending money on parts and get one of those digital thingamabobs.
seems as if the diet thread is dead but i must admit if you are not going with a buggy type chassis, i would want something like you built. looks great, keep up the good work. 
maybe when my pu has seen its day i will look for this thread for ideas on putting it on a diet!
maybe when my pu has seen its day i will look for this thread for ideas on putting it on a diet!
seems as if the diet thread is dead but i must admit if you are not going with a buggy type chassis, i would want something like you built. looks great, keep up the good work.
Is this directed at me?
Anyway, this thread has been kinda slow but its always around
i know the best way -- remove all my HD stuff and repllace it with jeep stuff
i know the best way -- remove all my HD stuff and repllace it with jeep stuff
So, do you like heavy stuff or hate Jeep stuff?
Are you saying that caring how much your rig weighs is meaningless? Or that lighter has to mean less reliable?
If light weight is your prime design criterion then you would be better off starting with a jeep....
But then you would have to drive a jeep.
But then you would have to drive a jeep.
If light weight is your prime design criterion then you would be better off starting with a jeep....
But then you would have to drive a jeep.
If light weight is your prime design criterion, you're best starting with tubing. A tube chassis/buggy will be lighter and stronger than anything else by far.
And if weight is the number 1 concern, you won't be running a V8 or conventional 1 ton stuff.
The lighter the rig, the less stress that's put on everything and the more capable the rig.
The more you "overbuild" something, the heavier you make it, which in turn is harder on everything and necessitates more "overbuilding". Its a catch 22.
Sure, this site is full of heavy, overbuilt trucks. Chevy trucks are heavy, adding bigger tires and axles compounds it.
The lighter a rig gets, the more capable it is along with better reliability (less breakage, etc.) and hence the existence of this thread.
