December 21st, 2009, 09:42 AM
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| Cowboy Up
 Name: James Joined: August 2006 Location: High Desert Plains
Posts: 4,157
Tech Points: 13 |  Unanswered: Suburbans and Blazers Login or
Register to hide ads. Which do you think are best for family wheeling. I am leaning towards the Burb if I can find one for next to free. You can stow a lot of gear or an air mattress. I can duct tape the kids and toss them way, way in the back when necessary. The only downside I see is the rear quarter squish potential. But I've also seen you guys do bad things to Blazers. Jason was the only Burb guy out here but I haven't seen him for a long time. Chad do you have any specs on your Burb friends' rigs. I remember the guy with the steer horns but not his handle. I need some ideas. It'd be nice to find an older burb that I can swap my running gear into but most of what I see is newer. Then of course there is the last year burb with 4L80. But I also have the spare NP465/205 sitting on my garage floor. Just tossing out ideas.
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December 21st, 2009, 10:18 AM
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| Frite poiken
 | If we're just throwing ideas out there, you could compromise....bob 12-15" (or more) off the big ass end of a burb, then you solve the overhang problem and have, basically a full 4 door Blazer. All of your running gear, minus driveshafts, would bolt up. It would be quite a job, but you would have the ultimate family wheeler when finished. Just an idea. 
__________________ 1986 Chevy K5 Blazer Specs '88 Chevy K3500, 4x4, TH400, 454 TBI. 3" body lift and 3" single exhaust. Otherwise all stock Quote:
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December 21st, 2009, 01:04 PM
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| Super Moderator
 | I think for the wheelin' you like to do, the downsides 'burbs have on the trail would be non-issues for you. IMO, a reasonably built 'burb would be fun and challenging on a trail like Chinaman's without being impossible, if you know what I mean. Plus you'll have all the extra room and there are numerous times I wished the General had 4-doors. Even though you're dealing with the same long wheelbase as the DQ, it would be much easier to install sliders on a 'burb. I think even if you don't bob the rearend of the 'burb, there are other creative things you could do with raising the fuel tank up and cutting off the bottom of the rear fenders. You'd really want to tuck the rear bumper in as much as possible. That big rear overhang is probably the biggest thing that's kept me away from the 'burbs. | |||||||||||
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December 21st, 2009, 04:06 PM
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| Cowboy Up
Name: James Joined: August 2006 Location: High Desert Plains
Posts: 4,157
Tech Points: 13 | One thing I discovered by sticking that tube bumper on the Queen was that she'd roll her butt (scrape) over rocks without hanging. I believe JMS was behind me on Hell's Revenge when I drug the tail for a few feet. No body damage, just some paint lost on the tube. The biggest problem with the pickup is just past the cab as I found out on the last run. I was thinking a 6" lift and 37's would help with a tad more clearance on a Blurb. Won't be more than another year or two that the boys will want to camp out year round. 4 doors would definitely be a plus, I'll have more ways to lock them outside. At some point I need to get them out to Moab, I'd like them to see it at least once. It might be more economical to save up a few thousand and buy one somebody has already modified.
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December 21st, 2009, 04:12 PM
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| Shiny Side Down
 | Login or
Register to hide ads. My BIL's Burb was a lifted '84 that was stock in every other way and would go places that were just scary. Sheet metal was not one of his major concerns. it is still a stock 350/350 but has a 14bff/60 now. And more lift, but no other modifications. It does really well without nearly the work that most people put into their rigs. Mine is a '90 with a stock 350/400 and other stuff that you have read about. I can get anywhere that a Blazer can get, just with one more point added to the turn. Your LWB is actually longer IIRC.
__________________ 1990 Chevy Suburban Specs There are many ways to lose your life that don't involve dying... Understeer is when you hit the wall with your front end. Oversteer is when you hit the wall with your rearend. Horsepower is how hard you hit the wall. Torque is how far you move the wall. | |||||||||||
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December 22nd, 2009, 07:46 AM
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| Super Moderator
| I know with my blazer on the big problems I used to have was slamming down hard on the rear bumper area. To the point where the welds joining the mounting brackets to the bumper were half torn loose. Now some of that was because it was the first real welding I ever did, but still a testament to the severity of impacts the rear bumper was seeing. I've also got a few good dings on the gas tank skid plate. And those issues were from running trails like Chinaman's and even China Wall. I'm just thinking about how much more overhang the 'burb has. Maybe not anymore than your pickup, but you also have the gas tank hanging down back there. I can see what you are talking about with the rear tube bumper. I would just encourage you to bring it in as close the the back as possible. Almost like a roll pan. I think there is a lot of merit to buying something already built. I do think you'll have to take more time and patience though. For one thing a lot of guys are really proud of a truck that might be worth $2000 but they've thrown on a lift and tires and now it's worth $8000. There are 2 concerns I would have about buying a "built" rig; 1) Did they do it right? One big part of this, are the driveshafts the right length? Brake lines? Steering brace? 2) How did they drive their badass, built rig? Luckily you have a good idea what to look for and all the potential pitfalls. | |||||||||||
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December 22nd, 2009, 09:51 AM
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| Frite poiken
| Can't remember which 4x4 mag I saw it in, but there was a full size Wagoneer that had...basically an oversized gas tank skid plate. It went from the rear bumper (possibly welded to it) to just after the rear axle. The cool thing was he had rollers built in so it rolled off of anything it rested on. The pics showed him in the Hot Tubs. The rear tires were hanging in the air and the front tires pulled him through. It looked like a cool compromise for keeping the big rear overhang.
__________________ 1986 Chevy K5 Blazer Specs '88 Chevy K3500, 4x4, TH400, 454 TBI. 3" body lift and 3" single exhaust. Otherwise all stock Quote:
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December 22nd, 2009, 06:09 PM
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 | a wagoneer would be a great offroader. my friend has a mid 70s and i was comparing it to my blazer and the rear hangover between a blazer and a shortbed and the wheel base was not that much longer than mine, probly close to a shortbed. he has stock dana44s all around and borgworner transfer and a 400th in it. but a piece of shit amc for an engine(replace with a chevy) or what also would be cool is a chevy crewcab on a longbeds frame and a short shortbed built on it or a flatbed.
__________________ 78 Chevy k5 blazer Specs 70 chevy 2wd lwb(dreaming of it being a desert runner swb) 84 k5(soon to be cabin rig/hunting rig) "Experiance is a hard teacher she gives the test and the lessan after word." | |||||||||||
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December 23rd, 2009, 08:25 AM
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| Super Moderator
| Yeah, I really think the IDEAL family wheelin' rig is a crewcab with modified or fabricated bed. The older Wagoneers are also about 4" narrower than fullsize Chevy's. Here's a local guy that was in the Ultimate Adventure a couple of years ago. | |||||||||||
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December 23rd, 2009, 08:36 AM
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| Grumps Worst Nightmare!
 | Nowadays the only problem is FINDING the crewcab... I vote either a Crewcab with a shortbed, or a suburban... Youll be comfy, and still have room for gear without it sitting in your lap. Plus, I want to see another family wagon build. 
__________________ 1995 Huffy Mountain bike Specs cbbr "Welcome to the world... just remember that everyone fails, its how you recover that defines you. Use any of it as an excuse and it will keep you down, use it as a lesson and it will make you stronger." | |||||||||||
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