alright so since iv seen a few ppl on figure id start a post to find out what u guys thinks makes a good 4x4

like attributes more then anything with all the diffrent types and sizes iv seen aroundon cl and stuff im curious

 

SFA, manual hubs, lowwwwww T-case ratio

 

Lockers

 

Ranger

 

5.0....or in Zabeards case 5.4

 

A good 4wd has SFA or really good IFS, low gearing, high ground clearance, decent power, neither short or long wheelbase and good tires. So not a Ranger. HAHA

In the end though it really depends what the vehicle will be used for.

 

does weight matter? i have some friends who prefer light trucks and then others iv seen made really nice 4x4 with like 250s and 150s and bigger trucks like those

 

the only reason to make a fullsize a wheeler is for the v8

 

Depends on your application. Do you want to just play in the mud or do you want to take it on trails and climb stuff?


A good start is lots of ground clearance, aggressive tires and locking diffs. I also prefer an automatic transmission over a manual for wheeling, but that's just me, many others will argue that.

From there, as the others said, lower gearing, SFA or IFS, again depending on your application. Both can get some crazy flex.

 

well i personally am thinkin about starting a mudding/trail rig and im tryin to decide what type of truck i wanna get to start on been leaning tword a bronco but might go with a cheap 250

dont autos over heat really easy?

 

Not if you have proper gearing. That way you will not put as much stress on the motor.

A first or second gen Solid Axel toyota truck with a 22re dual t-cases and 37's+ is my ultimate wheeler.

 

like has been stated previously, its all in what you want it for. if you are going to be hitting the Florida mud pits you want something huge and wide for stability at those ridiculous heights. if you wanna crawl your way though boulders you need something slimmer with good clearance, not too much height and as low of a CG as possible. both of these things can be accomplished many different ways.

 

^ right on that..

might wanna tell what u want to do witht he car so we could help u ecide whats better for ur needs..

but the killer 4x4 thing to have is a good driver... ive seen vids of guys with hummers .... doing stuff that even a lowered 4x2 truck could do... and 4x2 trucks doing amazing things...

but i like manual transmision for alot. for most scenarios lockers are a great plus on the car and ground clearence id say. other than that it depends on the use u want

 

build up a suzuki samurai with toyota axles, ill post a pic in a minute

 

here ya go, this would take alot of work but the are pretty cool rigs

 

alot of people also like to use cherokee's, they are good rigs for beginning: enough power for up to 35's, straight axles, and many parts available, also very CHEAP!

 

im not really sure of my needs to be honest lol im still really new to the whole 4x4 thing and im just lookin for a project for somethin to do over the summer

there really arnt many rock needs around here so im thinkin i want somethin thats good for trails/creeks more then anything but mudding capabilites would be a bonus haha

i want it all make it fly while your at it haha


P.S- any of u pa guys know any trails around south wester pa? i know clarion has a few nice 1s and then just a few little 1s around my house, but those get boreing

 

Get a Jeep YJ or a Cherokee. They're stupid easy to work on and build. They're like the Civics of offroading. You can get ANYTHING for them.

 

i was actually thinking something like a cherokee or a ram 1500 or somethin smaller

i have heard that jeeps are easy tho

 

well, Jeeps pretty much are the offroad kings. There's lots of good platforms out there for wheeling, but like we've all said, your vehicle choice should depend on how you want to use your vehicle.

 

There is alot of trails in PA. From what I have seen everything is pretty tight. Keep away from a fullsize rig if you want it to remain somewhat distinguishable. In trails you need flex. Much like rock crawling, flex and gearing are your friends.

But anyone can wheel a Jeep. It takes a real man to wheel a ranger

 

It also takes money lol.

 

well we'll see how manly i am when i wheel my ranger =P project car comes after the ranger

and i dont really want a full sized unless im only gonna use it for a beater cause fullsized are gas guzzlers

 

downside of the xj/zj/wj, is they're unibody. ftl.

tj has a frame though!

a big x2 for a samurai though, i have a couple buddies with samis, both on yota axles. holy crap. thats all i can say.

 

agreed,

the funniest was watching my bosses Powerstroke F350, on 35's with open diff's get stuck and then a locked (front and rear) jeep cherokee on 235/75/15's drive right past him