ULTIMATE OFF-ROAD TRUCK (if money was no object)

chev 1 ton frame, maybe a 5 ton frame

crew cab and very short box on reg cab long box chassis.

leave origianl long wheelbase

5 ton rockwell axles

44 inch superswamper bogger tires, maybe 54 tractor tires

2 full size spares on rims

beadlock wheels

trimmed fenders

12 inch lift kit

7.00:1 gears

12.7 liter detroit diesel 60 series engine 500hp

spool rear

heavy duty brushguard

custom made heavy duty front and rear bumpers

20 ton pto winch front and rear

long travel slip spline driveshaft

crawl ratio of at least 120-200

big transmission out of unimog or big rig, hook 2 together for crazy crawl ratio

hydraulic clutch linkage

high performance clutch disk

cooler for: engine oil, tranny oil, power stering fluid, hydralic oil

skidplates for everything

full roll cage

engine valvespring body mounts

nerf bars/rocker panels/rocksliders

fender flares

high power cb with 8 foot whip and military radio boost knob on end

custom shock hoops with triple shocks

dual 60 inch high lift jacks

winch accesories (snatch blocks, tree straps)

painted wodland camoflauge

power steering and brakes

extreme duty drivshaft and u joints

auxillary internal and external lighting

full snorkel to roof height for air intake and exhaust

5 ton 'case

paint interior and undercarrige with box liner paint

mount a turbo charger, tyr to net 600 hp

hydralic brakes

maybe hydralic steering

steel braided brake lines

performance guages, digital and analog speedo

twin stick 'case

pto boat prop

runflat device on rim like humvee

high power heater for cab

pintle mount for .50 cal

cherry bomb exhaust.

UNSTOPABLE

OffRoad

Or, you could just go buy one of these...[IMG]http://www.freakygamers.com/smilies/s/contrib/aahmed/biggrin.gif[/IMG]

[url]http://www.mercedes-benz.com/e/ecars/unimog/default.htm[/url]

The finest off road vehicle not on tracks in the world.

Shoot Platform....ya beat me to it [:)]

Unimogs ROCK!!!!

i don't know....

i think my rig could whip a unimog.

i'm wearing nomex coveralls, and underwear.... flame awawy


p.s. i really like unimogs, they're great.

How about this thing [}:D]

[img]http://www.scorpionvehicles.com/images/scorpgmc.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.scorpionvehicles.com/images/scorpionside.jpg[/img]

Is it ok? or is it a piece of plastic, yuppy fodder?
Ice

Ultimate 4x4 if you're planning on driving through ponds or across river.  That vehice will be WAY too top heavy to do any driving on uneven terrain.  12" lift?  No thanks.  Ever wonder why the Hummvee is one of the best offroad vehicles in the world?  Low center of gravity, wide as hell, and plenty of ground clearance.  Just my $.02

The ultimate off-road vehicle is one that you can legally drive on the road but is more than able to get you around in some serious off-road situations.

The vehicle all American's should own?  

[b][red]JEEP[/red][/b]

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1207778&a=11832448&p=47931145[/img]
[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1207778&a=11832448&p=47931143[/img]
[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1207778&a=11832448&p=52608694[/img]

Engine:4.0L
Lockers: front/rear PowerTrax NoSlip
Skids: Kilby (tank), SkidRow (engine/tranny), 4x4Doc (front diff)
Lift: 4" Procomp
Tires: 32" Wrangler MT's
Winch: Warn HS9500i
Disconnects: AntiRock

Just a perfect go anywhere vehicle that I can take on road trips.

dude!
I LOVE IT!

Dude! That Jeep is just TOO COOL!

Unfortunately, I don't know a damned thing about 4x4's. [>Q]

Can anyone recommend a good website to get some general information? Something along the lines of "4x4'sForDummiesAndOtherIdiots.com"?

I agree with Ice, I would go with a Scorpion MKIII. Build it myself from the kit naturally, with some necessary mods that is.  Sounds like you just want to build the biggest f-ing thing you can and try to make it bullet proof, Offroad.  That's cool, but for overall use, got to go with the MKIII or the 4 seater and take a few friends!



Definitely hydraulic steering, Rockram or something similar.

I'll stick with my 79 Bronco, 400 CI, of pure power. It has seen the Rockies and come back home. [:D]  

Dude, no offense but this is ridiculous.  For one thing it would weigh ~20tons, the ONLY thing it would be good for is mud, and thats questionable, it would ride like hell, flip over if you hit a pebble, and would generally just be fugly.  You wanna real off road truck, just get a solid axle toyota and be done with it.

Yup, what he's talking about isn't an "off-road" vehicle but a stadium truck.  This huge as thing wouldn't make it 100 yards in the woods or "real" off-road environment.  Take a look at serious off-road competitions and you won't see anything configured like this in the line-up.  And if by some off chance some crazy dude tries to run something like this, you won't see it at the finish line.

Go to [url]http://www.moab.com/offroad/offroad.asp[/url] and see what REAL off-roading means.  Moab is one of the best ORV parks in the U.S. and home to one of the most famous ORV competitions.  See how many trucks like the one proposed here there are making this run... [:D].

Hell, where I go 4 wheeling in the Badlands (Indiana) they won't allow a truck like this into the park since they know it will get stuck in a trail somewhere and screw it up for the other off-roaders.

They still allow Hummers in there... but it's funny as Hell to watch these wide ass independent suspension $80k nightmares get horribly stuck every 20 yards.  

It's not about height or how big you can get your tires... unless you want to make a toy that plays in the mud.  It's about suspension, tires, size (smaller the better) and driving skill.

... they don't call them "Jeep trails" for nothing.

This equals,beats or supercedes everything you just mentioned and is the largest rig I have ever heard of successfully completing trails that only modified jeeps could previously go through.

[img]http://home.att.net/~rldp3/pix/moab2k167.jpg[/img]

those are the smallest of the 3 available factory tire sizes with the largets being the Michelin 45in construction radial

650hp turbo diesel that is B rated for 500,000 miles

fords 4 ft of water with no modification

extended t case,diff and engine breather tubes standard

CTI or factory foam cores available

24sp transmission

portal axles as strong as rockwell top loaders but with much more clearance due to drop hub design

front rear and middle PTOs

Front rear and middle hydraulic units


QD attachment points for winches dozer blades front end loaders dump beds and even a backhoe

13MPG

75MPH(sometime slightly faster with different tire and gearing combos)

easily serviced at any Freightliner shop near you

the basis for several of the world's best wheeled armor platforms including a future US tank destroyer that is currently in testing(talk about an armor package and weapons mounts!)


All of this can be yours for just $200,000 dollars with every useful option for offroading

Wgunn,
Nobody said anything about street legal.

Nice jeep.
Ice

Sopmodm4,
Yeah, Unimogs are nice, but they don't have the suspension travel and flexibilty.  If you need a go anywhere hauler, get a Unimog. If you lick going over boulders bigger than most cattle, get a Scorpion.

Who is the blonde chick? She looks good.
Ice

Thanks, I love my baby.  [:)]

I didn't say anyone else mentioned street legal, I mentioned it as a desirable "feature" of a off-road vehicle.

I say this because if you're out wheeling far from civilization, it's always nice to be able to hop-up on a paved road to get back home... or for gas... or to take a shortcut.  I'm an avid off-roader but I'll never buy or build a vehicle that I can't legally take on the road.  I've told too many friends who have off-road only Jeeps "wait here, I'll be back with X" then jumped up on a road to run for whatever X is that time.

...there [b]is[/b] a method to my madness.

[:D]

That is Chris Willsey's woman(and his mog) my mogs is not quite that nice.As a matter of fact mine is not even in one piece at this moment because I need another $13,000 worth of parts to finish it.

ok, ok, you win.

a mog would prolly be better.

this was just a list of the best of everything i could think of for wheelin. to be fair, rock crawling and suspension flex is more of a west coast thing. in the east you get need tires and low gears to be able to crawl. power help too.

i'm not into rock crawling.

read my other post to see what i'd actually build.

Hell yeah.  My friend has a '78, it has a 351 for now but the 1st gear of the np435 makes up for that.  Next on the list of mods is complete new breaks with discs in the back, to help stop those 38.5's. Here is his superford page. [url]http://www.superford.org/registry/index.php?vID=187[/url]


[img]http://www.superford.org/registry/users/289/187/angle-78.jpg[/img]

My truck has stock tires and suspension. [:(]Because I have been spending my extra money on the other hobby. [:D]

I love it Sniper. Mine is not as pretty, it works for a living. I have changed the tires since the pic was taken, the background is where it likes to play.
http://rew.gunsnet.net/images/bronco+.jpg

Very cool, rew.  His is a daily drive also. Well, was and will be once again when we install new breaking system.  FYI all '78-'79 Bronco owners need to check out [url]http://www.projectbronco.com/[/url]

I agree totally with wgunn about he jeep. I just got mine and am slowely starting to get things done to it. Its my daily driver and play toy when i go in the mountains. waiting to get an older one so I can turn it into a rock crawler that i dont have to worry about if I break it. Here she is 1995 with 35K miles,
Trailmaster 4+1 lift
sittin on 33-12.50's (gonna get BFG Mud Terrains here pretty quick)
[img]http://wsphotofews.excite.com/003/9H/QC/37/rl86910.jpg[/img]

snorkel bob those are nice looking wheels.

Best off road vehicle.

I will take a M1A2 MBT with Snorkel.

Drive it completely underwater through the river and back up the otherside.

BEN

[b]military radio boost knob on end[/b]

Those are nothing but protective tip caps to prevent the end of the antenna from entering your brain through your eyeball if you walk into it while it's tied down (or if the aerials are assembled to the feedcone and the antenna is ready to be erected, in the case of the OE-254/GRC or other long-distance antenna.)


As far as off-roading goes, my experience has shown me that a skilled driver can go almost anyplace in a fullsize pickup (or Blazer, Ramcharger, Scout) with 31" tires, wide-ratio 4-speed truck box, medium range gears (3.54-4.10), no lockers, and aggressive tires (I like BFG Mud Terrain T/As.) My old 79 Ramcharger with 318, NP435, NP203, 3.54s, and 31" BFG MTs could go just about anywhere, with only deep mud stopping me. I crawled over just about every rockpile and loose sandstone hill on Ft Sill and in the surrounding areas, forded streams like it was going out of style, and played around on dirt-bike tracks in sandpits all the time. Other vehicles I've had covered every inch of terrain on Ft Stewart GA, up here in the northeast, and a large part of the forest around Idar-Oberstein, Germany (the [i]forstmeister[/i] knew me well [:D].)With the exception of the deep mud, I think that going any taller than 33" tires would have been a liability rather than a benefit.

You can have whatever you want as long as you keep the bumbers within the min and max height regulations. Unlike guns, there is no constitution right to endanger others with bumpers to high. If you want to know why I'm bitching about this, then you need to be in my shoes and witness an illegally jacked-up 4-wheeler rear-end a highway patrol car in a routine stop... shave off the roof and the occupant. Pathetic losers who insist on using these types of vehicles on the road.

Here ya go Offroad--
'84 Toyota, 3"suspension, 3"body, stock solid axles, spool in rear, 33x12.50 Swamper radials, too much custom stuff to list. will pretty much go where you point it (within reason) and if not the winches will take it from there.
[img]http://mywebpage.netscape.com/a4xgatorusa/truckfront1.jpg[/img]

[img]http://mywebpage.netscape.com/a4xgatorusa/truckrear1.jpg[/img]

I still prefer my LAV-25 over those vehicles.
[smoke]
Just kidding, I think the perfect vehicle is a 3/4 ton Ford Crewcab. You want something that you are able to canibalize to keep it going.

I doubt you will be able to find Unimog airfilters in SE Colorado.

Hey wgunn, been wanting to go to badlands for a while, but my baby needs some work before its ready.  Heard the trails there vary for mild to pretty intense.

The Perfect off road vehicle.....JEEP of course.  Preferably a CJ.  No offense to you wrangler guys, just like the classics.  Have a 51 Willys and an 80 CJ-7.  Of course the 51 is still in pieces in my back yard (really need to do something with that.  Plans to add a 350 to the 80, with 35 inch Thornbirds.

Don't waste your money on these, just get the regular swampers, you will thank yourself.

I agree, a street legal rig is the only way to go.  Next year I am gonna try to take my Toyota thru the Rubicon.  I am still learning how to wheel, but my friend took a 100% stock '84 Runner thru without a scratch.  I hope to get an exo-cage on before I try it, as my truck has enough dents in it already.  A Unimog would be sweet, but it is definitely a budget buster.

[url]www.pirate4x4.com[/url]

Drop me an email and we can chat off-line.  I'll go out there with ya when you're ready.  It's a great place, having something for just about everyone.  [email protected]

Me... I've done just about everything out there and I have the marks to prove it!  [:)]  I used to worry about things like dents and paint... but I've long since forgotten about such trivial things.  I'll try anything at least once.  

Duece and a Half
[img]http://www.greensix.simonides.org/owners/jeff-houghton/truck-2-m35.jpg[/img]

Or a real fat UNIMOG.
[img]http://www.mobynet.com/~dberry/other/SHOW-404b.jpg[/img]

well fellas... most of you are saaying my jeep will do this and my truck will do that. that's great. no seriously it is, you're getting outside and doing off-roading thing and that's great.

the limiting factor of most of your vehicles is deep mud. guess what, that's the limiting factor of every 4x4. in the east coast, in my specific province, there's next to no rockcrawling, i'm not interested in it anyway. what's i am interested in is water and mud.

if your wheeling dirt bike trails or hard core dirt roads, or anywhere dry, ......
this is gonna hurt your feelings
you've been warned
you only need 2 wheel drive!!!!!! i'm sorry, but (rockcrawling excluded) i've driven my dad's BONE STOCK 2x4 chevy full size over lots of dirt and even light mud, it goes through fine. really. it's even got ifs front, it goes fine. you only need 4x4 for mud and maybe extremely steep hils in loose terrain. anything else and your just wasting gas. i've taken my atv (4x4) up loose hillclimbs and had all the tires spinning goin gup the side of a drainage ditch. 6 foot high 70 or 80 degree slope, i thought the bike might tip over on me. my friend was there to help just in case. the bike was clawing hard as it fought it's way up the hill.


even in water crossing, if there's a firm base you only need 2x4. sorry.

i don't know why you would consider bigger than 33's a liability.

hummers are grweat for a lot of reasons abut there also expensive ,because they're great, but expensive none-the-less.

mogs just kick ass. new ones are more expensive than hummers though. justifiablily.

yes a 12 inch truck is tippy but watch it in some mud. don't like it, watch rock crawlers in the mud (after you back them off their trailers, lol)

if you can run a BONE STOCK vehicle through a trail, the trail is not hard, you can't explain to me how a trail is hard if you can run a bone stock (not super 4x4... hum, mog, etc.) through it.


if this is my full time hobby, then i'm going to put my full time and full money into it. most of you wouldn't blink at 1000 rounds of ammo for your tool. (yes i called it a tool cause that's what it is) (sometimes toy hehe) so i wouldn't blink at swampers and arb's.

for those of you talking about breakage, than upgrade, if you can't get the money than stop wheeling, cause you'll just pay more to fix the thing. if your running 39's on a dana 44, then it's gonna break when you torque on it. get a 60. 70 for overkill.


i'm not putting you down or calling you stupid, but there's just some stuff you gotta realize

BTW my above ultimate rig was thought of as a tank trap machine.

you'll have comments and i want to hear em

nomex in place

OffRoad

Offroad--mud was my favorite thing when I first started wheeling, but is no longer.  I quickly realized that no matter how much money you sink into the best parts, you are going to constantly repairing something due to the fact that mud/water will find a way to get into it.  I just got sick and tired of having to repack wheel bearings, buy new starters and alternators, clean out the interior, clean out the a/c vents, etc.  Unless you have a dedicated trailer queen, er I meant mud truck, its not worth it.   I'm 100% with Wgunn on this, If your rig cant drive 1000miles to a hardcore trailhead, complete the trail, and drive home, (all in a/c comfort), its a POS.  End of story.  Try the rocks, you'll like it.

lol rotflmao

my dad's truck has ac, it's activaed by the window knob. you roll down the knob, the ac comes on, you roll up the knob, the ac goes off. it doesn't cut into my mileage, and it doens't lose power either. (couhg cough, do you get it??)

i pitty you for having to drive a 1000 miles for good wheeling, i've good stuff 5 minutes form my backyard. hardcore

i intend to have a hose-out interior. by your defintion, 90% + of the rigs in majour magazines would be pos rigs. i like heat. 30C in the shade is great. if i can be outside and work up a great sweat then that's great.

my ultimate rig would be street legal.

there's no rocks where i live (NB canada)

I didn't say I had to drive 1000miles to go wheeling only that the vehicle should be able to.  And your right a lot of the rigs in the magazines are POS's.  Don't get sucked into the idea that the fourwheeling rags are the bible, use them as a guide for ideas, and technical know how.  And your right, temps in the mid 80'sF are quite pleasant and would not be considered  hot, but 100+F is.  What do you consider hardcore??  I've been through holes where the water lapped the windshield on the red truck of mine at the top of this page---was it fun, heck yeah---would I do it again, NO.  Thank God for the snorkel.

ok i understand what you mean.. (1000 miles etc)


?? I've been through holes where the water lapped the windshield on the red truck of mine at the top of this page---was it fun, heck yeah---would I do it again, NO. Thank God for the snorkel


i guess that's the diff between you and me, that IS fun. i would do that all the time.


you're ultimatly right though, most of the chrome-shocked trailer queens in the mags are pos's. i want to build an old chevy. if your ever up my way and need a wheeling buddy.....

On top is the NV/infrared sensor for the HUD system.
[img]sut_1024x768[/img]

Just because a few guys manage to make it thru a trail unscathed does not make it easy.  The Rubicon is not the hardest trail in the world, but it ain't easy.  A few stock trucks make it thru, but most end up like this:
[img]http://www.pirate4x4.com/scrap/nv_scott.jpg[/img]

what do you mean, other thasn scratches and dents, his jeep looks fine

[img]http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/susv_side-s.jpg[/img]

I have always liked these, great in snow!

Off road   Go buy your on truck and abuse it leave dads at home

i hope you meant that as a joke, i got my own rigging for wheeling i was just maikng an example

OffRoad

There's a certain truth to this.  I've been through many of the Orange (tough) trails in Attica Indiana (Badlands) using only 2x4 on my Jeep.  I only had to engage my 4x4 twice the entire day... on a really steep, loose dirty, tree root covered hill.  I made it to the top, only a few feet from being all the way over when I dug in and couldn't make any more forward progress.  The guys I was with were laughing because they couldn't believe I made it that far.  They thought I would make it less than 100 yards before I had to either winch myself up or back-up and engage my 4x4.  

I'll tell ya what though, 4x4 is BARELY better than 2x4 unless you have lockers.  If you have open diff's, hell... you're wasting gas if you're in the serious stuff.  You better have a buddy with a tow strap or a good winch.  Lockers make a WORLD of difference when you do need 4x4.

The solution? It's called a Range Rover.

No offense, but range rovers are for uppity snobs around here, or frat boys.  Most of them would never take their precious range rover off-road, although they are very capable vehicles right out of the box.

You are right. And, it pisses me off to see soccer moms tip toeing around in them.

I take mine where others will not dare to follow. Unless you have a Unimog or Penzgower you won't be able to catch me!

I don't know about that.