If money wasn't a issue what would you wheel in Alaska? Truck, Truggy, Tube? Suspension? Tires? Drivetrain? and most important WHY?
K5 blazer of course! lots of room! haha haha:rockon:haha!
-built one tons with correct gearing/detroit lockers and chromoly shafts for strength to manage tractor tires's (like mine!)
-a big block 454 cubic inch motor to power through the muck
-a 10k # winch in case you get stuck like me
-doubler kit for crawling around the steep stuff nice and slowly
-interior roll bar or exo cage for protection.
- 3/8" steel plated diff guards.
-electric fans for cooling.
-traction bars to keep axle wrap down
-coil overs work nice and would function to stretch the wheel base and improve departure and approach angles with proper placement, Im using leaf springs with plenty of droop but they do limit my approach angle.
-tube bumpers for strength when running into stuff or for unanticipated flops and boat sided body that ties into the bumpers/roll cage for safety, dove nose and tailed front and rear ends -and half doors for visibility
needless to say Im building that said buggy. I cant have it all at once, but i will get there one day.
I think if I was to build a rig CHEEPLY I would go with a toyota frame and body, 350 small block chevy with a 350, 1 ton axles, lockers and 38 swampers. som easy to make tube bumpers and call it good
Truggy
2002-2004 Dodge Dakota Club Cab
Cummings 6BT
Allison auto or NV4500
Ford F250 Frame
Custom tube bed
Coils!!
48" tires + Tracks!!
Larger Dana or Eaton axles
I went with the Dodge Dakota Club Cab because I still wanted comfort and a narrow body. I wanted the 4dr to have room for family or my dog without crowding me. I wanted a narrower body so the axles will not be affected by the fenders. May use a custom tube / sheet metal hood and fenders, but I like the factory look and it should provide enough room for exhaust and accessories especially if I don't have to worry about fender wells. 6BT, have to have a Diesel since money doesn't matter. Allison Auto is probably what I would go with, still up in the air about wanting a stick but if not a NV4500 would be the next choice. F250 frame, from a Super Duty- TUFF. Custom bed, it would need to clear the tires and be able to haul a moose out if I wanted to go hunting. Coils for sure, I want the ride plus the suspension travel to crawl up to glaciers without too bad of a ride. 48" -52", once again I want to be able to cross Boggs, go over Mountains and drive up to Glaciers. I prefer not to go to huge for the center of gravity but I need to get over rocks and such. Tracks, I like the idea that I can go in Snow ever since I saw them on Steveâs jeep. Larger Dana or Eaton axles, I don't want Rocks because of the extra height required for the top loader style and this already comes with disc style brakes.
That's close to mine Don. I've been wanting to build a dakota quad cab for a long time, second generation body style like chris's 1500. But I want it on a short wheel base single cab dakota frame. Just big enough to have a small cusotm tube bed on it. cumming 4bt instead of the 6bt and the NV5600 instead of the NV4500. 4bt cause it is smaller and lighter but you can easily pull 500hp+ out of it. On board air via a york compressor with a 5 gal tank minimum. The NV5600 for that granny low and the ruggedness of it. Atlas II 4 speed T-case. With the 10.1 ultra low. Rockwells with ARB's and front /rear steering. I know the height required but I plan on going that high anyways. Plus going to the larger Dana's above a Dana 70 or so takes away quite a bit of ground clearance and the weight isn't a whole bunch different. 20" Sway-a-ways all the way around. Tube bumper up front with winch tying into tube fenders and an exo cage, I like them better and saves the interior room for me. Roll cage going the full length of the truck. A topper tent that can go on top of the cage out back so I can sleep out in the wilderness. Bucket seats with 5 point harness all the way around. Tires about the same size 48" minimum but would prefer bigger and definately need to by wide for floatation. Not AG's. They do good when the terrain is already tore up but over fresh muskeg and such they will dig and get you in trouble quick. And since money isn't an issue I'm with you Don, Tracks also. Personally having both tires and tracks would be nice. I'd like the Mattracks due to how they are made and will conform when in the rocks. and you sid maney isn't an issue. then there are the little things like the cd/mps player with nice speakers, DVD player for the kids entertainment and to be able to watch some KOH while resting on the trail. custom dash to have just the guages I want. So that's mine. MInus little details that would be worked out as I go along and the small things I would add as I build.
when I think alaska wheeler I think of something I can go anywhere in, including the muskeg out to Rampart and beyond. Not something to take out to fairbanks creek or repp road. But full on exploration. something to conquer all the terrain up here. I don't know how many of you know Dusty but honestly his rig is one of the best built rigs for up here. If he ever gets back on here that will make his head even bigger.
I would go with something i can drive to and from the trail. An 8x8 Tatra with the 11.0L diesel and a custom camper/ parking spot for the zuk on the back.
maybe a little smaller as in a Unimog and trailer. A Himmett with the tec-4 suspenion.
truggy for sure ,heated cabs and some what water tight from elements is huge and summer roll up windows to escape incoming squitos !!
1 ton or larger gear under neath bead locked ags i like the 46 inch wide tires on the bogs down south alaska they float . detroits front and rear for simplicity sake and reliable . gin poles for setting up camp and hauling meat . for the camp gear ill use my military trailer . 2 broke 2 play has some well built truggys now based off the quad cabs and 1 durango all running ags even 1 IH quad cab .
now you are REALLY dreaming wayne !! :thefinger:
if you get the parts for this ill throw in tons of assistance to help build it!:cheers:
thats real nice courtney looks so simple of a build too nothing too exotic ..