"Trail Beater" project

[Beefcake]

I'm starting a project and dubbing it the "Trail Beater". This will be a 3/4 chebby built as cheap as possible but completely trail capable. Think it can be done? I'm looking for ideas and ways to get performance with out piling up the cash. Feel free to add your .02cents.

P.S. If anyones giving away stuff i'd be more than glad to take it off your hands. lol.

 

[stallion85]

Petersens 4wheel and offroad mag is doing the exact same build up (Kind of). I would suggest you pick up there rag and use some ideas they are using. They will also be wheeling it in this years Ultimate Adventure........

 

[OffRoad]

well i typed out a page long response (i know i should have done it in notepad), but it gave me some bs about not being logged in.

so here's the short version.

do you have the truck now, or are you looking to buy?

make sure it has a sm465 tranny, 350 motor and 14b full floater rear axle. and 4.10 gears.

put on 35s. put a detroit in the rear. remove anti-sway bar. shave the hook off the rear axle, there's a nub there that hangs down. extend your vent lines for axles, tranny and t-case.

go wheeling.

don't follow 4-wheel & off-road for that buildup. they're a great mag but that buildup won't be cheap.

 

[Desert Rat]

If you are in Ca., I have a 74 Blazer I will be selling soon very cheap. It is perfect for someone looking to do a trail rig. Rattle can ugly paint job on a so so body but with a good engine, interior, and other parts. I expect to put it in the for sale section within a month or so, maybe less.

 

[Beefcake]

i've got the truck but not sure on the specs i'll have to check it out. I'd love to see your full pager. Glad your interested. I thought that would be a perfect project for a young beginner like me. THANX

 

[OffRoad]

yeah i typed that post out, but explained more stuff and used longer sentences. i'm only 21, and i'm new to wheeling trucks, so we're sort of in the same boat.

i'm interested because this is something i plan on doing in the future. i'd like to do it now but
1. i can't afford the gas mileage for a daily driver.
2. i can't afford insurance on 2 vehicles.
3. the sammy i have does good off-road and gets good mileage.

some guys really love k5s and that's fine. i can see the fun in them. but i've had enough *fun* with convertables on my sammy. i wouldn't want another dd convertable. a pickup would work better for what i want to do. i could always put on a crew cab and tube doors.

i would say get the k20 over the blazer. the frames are tougher and it already has one axle you don't have to swap. plus it would be easier to find one with a manual, and they come with lower gears.

if you get a blazer to run 35s on, you have to
-swap the rear axle
- lift or trim fenders
-change the front gears
-get new/used rims
-mount tires

if you get a k20 to run 35s (assuming it has 4.10s), you have to
-lift or trim fenders
-mount tires

there's other stuff like lockers, but that's gonna apply to any rig.

it's a quick decison for me. plus you can install some old bench seats and haul your friends around. that would be fun!

wheeling and trucks are a lot of fun. but, when you feel like cutting you truck in half, come post about it. i felt that way about everything i've wheeled at one point or another, it's normal.

is the truck you bought 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton? got pics?

(i typed this in notepad)

 

[Beefcake]

It's a 3/4 ton. I live on a ranch and have old junkers laying around everywhere so really i have 1 and a half 3/4 ton chevy's. Where do you live in canada, I live in the southeast corner of Montana so there might be a chance were close. Maybe you could come down and wheel sometime.

 

[jekbrown]

sounds like a fun project. Cheap capable rigs are always fun to watch... sometimes more fun than $uper bling $uper $pendy tube buggie$. When $ is short, there are always mods you can do cheap/free. I highly recommend doing lots of fender trimming/skinning. It ditches weight, is free to do, and allows the use of bigger tires without tall life springs.

j

 

[HELLBENT DESIGNS]

It's a 3/4 ton. I live on a ranch and have old junkers laying around everywhere so really i have 1 and a half 3/4 ton chevy's. Where do you live in canada, I live in the southeast corner of Montana so there might be a chance were close. Maybe you could come down and wheel sometime.

keep your eyes open for 1 ton stuff! ranches=1-tons=d60's also on the 3/4 tons you may get lucky and one has the 4.56 gear option! most probably had factory rear lockers also

 

[Z3PR]

I'm starting a project and dubbing it the "Trail Beater". This will be a 3/4 chebby built as cheap as possible but completely trail capable. Think it can be done? I'm looking for ideas and ways to get performance with out piling up the cash. Feel free to add your .02cents.

P.S. If anyones giving away stuff i'd be more than glad to take it off your hands. lol.

Do you have a welder, are you good at welding, do you have a tube bender ??? If yes. You could always remove the body and build a cage.

 

[OffRoad]

what's this about locking rear end in 3/4 tons?!?!?!

are we talking gov-locks or good lockers?

=======================
i live in new brunswick is is above and to the right or Maine. unless you have many free airmiles, there's not much chance of me coming to wheel. but i appreciate the offer.

i wish 3/4 ton pickups were lying all over the place here. oh man do i ever wish that.

i didn't know 3/4 came with 4.56 gears factory. sweet!

 

[stallion85]

I believe the 14ff out of CUCV military trucks had 4.56 and a Detroit. All other stock 14ff had gov-loc's or open diffs IIRC

 

[Beefcake]

Thanx for all the advice. I'll look around for those 1 tons and d60's. If i don't have them some old guy with trucks sittin around down the road from me would probably sell me one for like 10 bucks so thats not a real problem.
THANX again.

 

[big_truxx]

start w/ yer 3/4 chevy idea. add 350 (for wicked cheap parts and such) 465 trans for cheap and strength. throw on ord shackle fliup rear and 52" springs in the front to match. dirt cheap and makes ya flex more.... throw on a set of high-tec retread 35's and stomp on the skinny pedal!!!

with that being said i am doing a budget build on the m1009 when i get it. just 31's maybe gears in the future (people seem to forget about 4-lo which does work well w/ 3.08's) couple lockers and away we go with a dd/wheeler getting 20-22 mpg

 

[Beefcake]

Great ideas. I was planning on retreads. I only live a little over an hour away from edgmont. THANX

 

[HELLBENT DESIGNS]

what's this about locking rear end in 3/4 tons?!?!?!

are we talking gov-locks or good lockers?

=======================
i live in new brunswick is is above and to the right or Maine. unless you have many free airmiles, there's not much chance of me coming to wheel. but i appreciate the offer.

i wish 3/4 ton pickups were lying all over the place here. oh man do i ever wish that.

i didn't know 3/4 came with 4.56 gears factory. sweet!

i have only seen one with 4.56's but also had it on the option spec sheet i was implying detroits rather than a govloc. arguably i would opt for an open carrier vs a govloc if gears and other stuff were equal. (easy detroit swap)