I'm looking into trimming down my K30 long-bed. What do you think the perfect wheelbase length is (good for climbing but still maneuverable)? I'm thinking ~110".

I'd also like to narrow the M715 body I have and slap it on top. How difficult would that be? Has anyone done anything like this? Any feedback would be great.

The basic idea is to end up with something similar to 'the government mule' that competed in the 4wheeler TTC a couple of years back. Picture 1ton components, narrowed body and 44s with very little lift (the M715 wheel wells are massive). What do you guys think?

Oh oh, here we go :D

Everyone has a different idea about what "perfect" is. My junk is 105" which is very stable and still manuverable. But it really depends on how the suspesion is set up, size of the tires and many other things that will come into play.

For ledge and hill climbing but still short enough for tight trails I would say 100 to 108 ish but you can of course get away with 110. This is of course all a madder of opinion you are the one who need to decide.

I hope to be able to get away w/ only 6" of lift and 42-44s, so drive line angles shouldn't be too bad. But then again, I'll be running a 454-TH400-KluneV or 203 doubler-205, so the drive train will be long-ish.

For those of you running the full width axles, do you ever (often) wish they were narrower (so you could use a different line or just fit down the trail)? I hope to be able to narrow the front and cab ~6" and the bed ~10". Will that still be too wide?

Thanks for the opinions. Every bit of info helps me make my plans.

112:eek: :eek: :eek: 90 w:flipoff2: :flipoff2: :flipoff2: :rolleyes:

Originally posted by brutus
112:eek: :eek: :eek: 90 w:flipoff2: :flipoff2: :flipoff2: :rolleyes:

:laughing:

And a body width that would barely allow my fat ass to squeeze in. ;)


I am in the process of converting my cruiser to 105 inch wheel base on Full withd chevy axles. Should be interesting to say the least!

Originally posted by GloNDark


:laughing:

And a body width that would barely allow my fat ass to squeeze in. ;)


I am in the process of converting my cruiser to 105 inch wheel base on Full withd chevy axles. Should be interesting to say the least! :D :D :D :D :D :D haaaaa

All depends on the circumstances. I tend to like 110" or so. I remember those two little steps as you leave the flats on the 'con. Watched many a Jeep or Cruiser not make it because their wheelbase was just wrong. Front tire went up the first ledge just fine but then both wheels had to climb ledges at the same time. Saw one ring and pinion explode trying and none made it. When I tried it (114" WB), my front tires were up both ledges before the rears had to climb one. I went right up. Now, if those ledges had been a little further apart, the scenario would have been totally opposite. In the end what I'm getting at is that there is no "perfect" wheelbase or width.

As far as the body work goes... You need to ask yourself
What do I want to end up with ?

If it's a beater body, than just hack a hunk out of the center and scab it together with a patch strip glued/screwed/rivited down the middle (alum would be fancy) : ) Or, are you going to carefully remove a section and weld it back together ?
That is what you want to know before you start carving up that body. you need to take a good look at it and get some good measurements and marks. You want to have a good picture of how it will fit back together with a (whatever) width section missing from the center, (when things are curved or angled it gets a little tricky)... I'd get some magic markers and make cut lines and notes right on the body...Are you gonna use a windshield ? ...a 2-piece would be easy. I hear a sandblaster cuts glass like butter.
I'd have to cut it with a skilsaw with abrasive blades,sawzall and 4" sidegrinder or cut-off tool, but if I had access to a plasma I'd use it.

If it were me I'd cut it cleanly and scab it for now, get the bugs worked out /see what it can and can't do. Then I'd decide if if doing the body right is a concern...

If I was going to narrow it...I'd Narrow it ...12" maybe 16 or 20, That's too much work to have people think it's just a pickup...
Maybe full width with hummer wheels

One of the wonderful things about the Kaiser M715 is that there are almost no curves. The only possible tricky part to get to look right and match up would be the hood (which has the same little hump as the FSJ hoods) but I figure I can hide that with a cowl induction scoop if needed. I'd say I'm somewhere in between a beater and looking good (utilitarian). I don't care if you can see where the narrowing was done, but I don't want it to look like a scab either. Keep the ideas coming....

Me, I like 110" and that's what my K30 is getting. 110 seems to work well from everything I've heard, good all around, not too much, not too little. And, with the way the K30 frame and drive train is made, 110" is really easy to do.

As for narrowing the 715, that will be a heck of a project. I worked in a body shop (part owner/operator) for several years running a frame machine and piecing totals back together, and I would think twice about it. I want to have fun with my rig, not spend tons of time working on it and then worry that the first time I roll it, I'm ruining all that work. Then again, if I did it, it would have to be RIGHT, which would lead to my not enjoying it the way I want to enjoy my rig... So, can't help you there. Me, I'll be sacrificing the K30 body to the "rock gods", or building a tube buggy kind of thing on the K30 frame, or maybe do like Knight and put an S10 Blazer body on it. I'll have to wait and see where it leads me...

Good luck!

I don't remember what they (715s) look like, but if you do something custom for the grill, the hood should come together good...I channeled my cj tub and gave it a rake, looks cool. I still haven't painted it yet, but one of these days... when I learn how to drive. : )

mine is roughly 108" I like it. I would say anywhere between 100 and 110. Less than 100 couldn't climb well, and more than 110 wouldn't take the twisties as well as i would like it too.

HAY!! BadDog.- Ahh- you dawg!:flipoff2:. Sneeking out, checking out the neighborhood -huh-?


I'm like, a-buck O eight, or so. Best of everything.

Not too short, not too long.