A new rig?

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IronPercheron

IronPercheron

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Well, the rust situation with Uncle Ruckus (my 84 bronco) is terminal i am afraid... the truck just isn't worth the trouble of a tub swap or cutting the roof off of another vehicle... might as well just build up the not rusty vehicle right>??

or take a new direction all together??

i find myself puzzled and want to hear the members of O.B. weigh in on this topic, i have come to respect the friendly and respectful help we offer here to others... and now i need some myself.

well... options.

i have an extended cab F250 4x4 that is just hanging around.... seriously just sitting there... only a few surface rust spots. i got it for 300$.... i bought it as a parts truck for the bronco but we got it running and it earned a spot in the fleet :-)

this comes to mind.... \


at 2:00 you can really see the bed

but diesel is so heavy! and trail fixes for them is much harder than the regular gasoline stuff.
i would likely keep the small block v8 option that i have i just freshened it up a bit and its good to go. i am getting my hands on a 4 speed manual trans and i have my np205 all gear t-case... should be sufficient. also this truck us much taller than mine would be. i dont need 40 inch tires :-) and after running 37s i think 35s is fine for these trucks.
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another option obviously would be to buy something completely different.... like my friends 80 series LC he has offered me, lift, tire, bumpers and all.... idk a price yet or if i can spend that... has 205k original miles and is in wonderful condition and he takes care of his stuff.....

in the "buy a new rig" category the jeep commander comes to mind... i favor the 5.7L jeep commander overland... just saying. and i am NOT a jeep person. ive had two and was just absolutely ... this would make three "i might be crazy" the first two where wranglers. so this should be new.

if i did buy a cherokee i would have to have an xj for the rear leafs... and i would have to put a 9 inch in the rear and a dana 44 in the front ( i have one ) to make me happy... i dont trust the D35 or D30 anymore...i have watched others struggle with them and i have helped them repair and replace them... so my knowledge is good on the XJ... however it isn't a full-size 4x4 like i have grown to favor


ugh... lmk what yall think... its wiggin me out. i am open to suggestions about other 4x4s too.


until i get the new rig built my 2012 F250 FX4 will have to pick up the load, and that will be fine, its just A LOT of truck for a trail....
 
Michael

Michael

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Anything is possible, and I bet you could turn that f250 in to a suitable rig for your needs. Keep in mind what you will be using it for.

As a "trail rig" my 80 is actually quite long, though I can do most stuff. Its fine in Baja or on the open road, but it can be tricky in the Sierras. The FJ Cruisers and Jeeps do mush better. There are some trails the 80 just can't do. If trails are your thing, You'll have more fun with a shorter wheel base.

Long distance or not? Another consideration. If I were traveling around the world, I would probably change up my tire configuration. Less aggressive, smaller, more economical.

Just a couple thoughts to get you started. 4Runners are pretty unbeatable for all around streetability and reliability.

Does your friends 80 have the front and rear differential lockers?

M
 
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ShawnR

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I love the 80 series. 205,000 miles is a lot, for a Jeep anyway. Not sure about a Toyota. They seem to last forever. I love my Wrangler, but I also love my Grand Cherokee. It has the 5.7 V8 with LSD front and rear. It also has the Quadradrive II. Which I don't care for because I want to be able to engage the 4x4. It does it automatically, except 4 low. An old XJ would be sweet if you can find a good deal on one. I'm also kinda partial to the KJ's. I don't know why, but I like them. There are a lot of options out there. I'd love to have a diesel Wrangler. But unfortunately they don't sell them here in the U.S. Good luck with your search. I'm sure you'll get a lot of great feedback from people with way more knowledge than me.
 
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IronPercheron

IronPercheron

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@ShawnR @administrator thanks for weighing in... it's a hard choice.

The 80 series is a lexus.. so idk that it will have the lockers.

The f250 is limited slip so that's nice... front is open but I think I can lock it.

It's an extended cab long bed... so I would chop it down. The bronco is 105" wheel base

The f250 would likely end up at 120 inches... 18 inches shorter than a regular short bed wheelbase... so a bed build would take place..... likely with a removable rack. like he racks I have seen other pickups have for thier RTT.



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Truckerbizz

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You could always take the bed off the f250 and cut the frame shorter so it's not as long. You would get better approach and departure angles. Here's some pictures I found over on another site of a chopped bed. F250 Flex.jpg F250.jpg

I think you could turn the f250 into a pretty good rig. But like you said, diesels are HEAVY. Also how you build it would depend on the type of trails you do
 
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maktruk

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As was said, chop the framerails at the rear. Then, find a Ford stepside bed and bobtail it. You'd be unstoppable.
 
IronPercheron

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I think I can cook something up. Let me grind the bondo off of the bronco and see how bad it is and what they where hiding.

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IronPercheron

IronPercheron

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It's raining in my truck and all my windows are up...

WELL THEN...

The search continues. Good thing this isn't my Daily Driver anymore

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IronPercheron

IronPercheron

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going to look at an excursion.

2002
5.4 gasoline (common engine easy to fix and get parts for) (cheap)
4r100 trans (strong for a 7.3 and bomb proof behind a 5.4)
tcase unknown at this time
rear is a 10.5
front is a dana 50 solid axle. will get a 60 when i can

98k original miles
does not run... needs fuel pump.... we will see.
 
IronPercheron

IronPercheron

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uploadfromtaptalk1461338634160.jpguploadfromtaptalk1461338647994.jpg

Couldn't pass the deal up. And after some trouble shooting I am also convinced it is the fuel pump.

Saw some VERY nice inspirational pic around the net.

This is gonna be like driving a Fawkin school bus out at Big Bend and other areas... but it was a Texas HWY patrol rig since new, retiree bought it and when the fuel pump quit he isn't able to drop the tank and doesn't want to do keep it anymore anyays. Idk what all mods the force made to it... but I'm interested.

Motivation:uploadfromtaptalk1461338852823.jpg

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