I was just sitting here thinking to myself, how does each have it's advantage compared to the other. So what do you think?

full size rigs have many weak points in my opinion. too wide! well for most of the areas i wheel anyway. they have trouble on the tight trails. people try it but usually go to a smaller platform. another thing is if you wheel semi hard you will need 1tons. yes me and others run the big boys in smaller rigs but the stock axles break like tooth picks on the full size rigs. here is one...how about towing? you'll need a big trailer and a big tow rig. big heavy rigs are harder to tow. these are just a few of the issues i have seen with people running the big rigs on the trails.

I say full sizes all the way. Why would you want to have another jeep just like the rest of the crowd. Both do have there good points but i think that driver skill and knowledge of your rig no matter what it is can make any rig very capable. Still mark me down for the full size thoough.

Wide axles all the way! It helps for the off camber stuff. I've been in seven ARCA events and only tipped one time. And I am far from easy with my rig.

Originally posted by high5:
<STRONG>full size rigs have many weak points in my opinion. too wide! well for most of the areas i wheel anyway. they have trouble on the tight trails. people try it but usually go to a smaller platform. another thing is if you wheel semi hard you will need 1tons. yes me and others run the big boys in smaller rigs but the stock axles break like tooth picks on the full size rigs. here is one...how about towing? you'll need a big trailer and a big tow rig. big heavy rigs are harder to tow. these are just a few of the issues i have seen with people running the big rigs on the trails.</STRONG>
I think full size is the way to go.I ran stock 1/2 ton axles and wheeled hard for 7 years with no problems.I cant count how many jeeps with broken axles Ive past on trails.Most of the trails Iv been goin on lately are trails that jeep guys said I wouldnt fit on and the onyl people I see hung up are the jeeps.And as far as towing,why?I can fit all my camping gear,parts,tools,food,water,and fire wood in the back of my Blazer.

....and my Chevy is built with 99% Chevy parts.How bout yer jeep?
<IMG SRC="smilies/rolleyes.gif" border="0">

all depends on what you like
http://pages.prodigy.net/nuttyisme/_images/croped.JPG
or
http://pages.prodigy.net/nuttyisme/_images/ford.jpg
both have advantages and disadvantages

Full size trucks wouldn't fit on a lot of the trails here. Hell my ZJ is a tight fit at times. I'll take a Jeep or FJ.
Nathan

You know sometimes the width is a problem.
This is the back side of trail 11 (Guardrail and Helicopter pad). K5 in a CJ size hole hehehe
http://communities.msn.com/_Secure/0LwBFVIMPcmC8NG2silM4UwNNAQHJRcqwEzjBilL9iMCm!m*XZ kn35bnes7FIYeUJfx7Q7pcWtY4/Dscn0372.jpg
Yeah that left a big mark!
Sometimes my size helps. Lost of rutts where I run (Southeast). Often I am wide enough to straddle stuff that Jeeps with stock axles fal into. Wheel base has often got me past stuff to. Some stuff it hurts me on like the picture above. I drove through that but it sure sounded bad hehe. It's a give and take. Most of the places my Jeep buds go I can go. Just rare occasions that I run into problems like above. Most of the trails we run here are old logging roads so you don't get into this often.

I had a full size Chevy, snapped every axle on it at least once, couldn't fit down any of the harcore trails, so I got a Jeep, you have to replace everything to make a killer rig outa one. Now I wheel a Toyota. I will never wheel anything else..... JMO <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">

[ 10-23-2001: Message edited by: zags ]

The only thing I don't like about wheeling my full-size the huge front and rear overhangs (it only a 97... so I ain't bobbing it yet <IMG SRC="smilies/eek.gif" border="0"> )

The extra wheelbase kicks ass on most things and I can usually make all the tight turns the SWB guys do, just takes 2-3 tries to get around.

As for width, no big deal in most cases. When it is going to be a problem, I just take *MY* club to someplace that I can fit <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

Full Sizes have only 1 ONE!! advantage. Interior Room. That's it. PERIOD.

I've had both, and I will take a fullwidth axled, narrow body rig, over a fullsize any day!! There isn't a single offroad situation, where the added wieght and bodysize does anything for you, besides get in the way!!

Suppose it all depends on what terrain you are looking to conquer. I assume most folks here like to play on the big rocks and that lends itself to SWB and narrower rigs with wide axles.

Being 6'4" and 325lb with a need for comfort, I need all the interior room I can get so it's full-size for me.

Look at Potato Salad Hill and Double Whammy. Longer wheelbase seems to be the largest factor for success when comparing otherwise identical rigs. So full-size does have it's strong points.

Also, mud and slick stuff lends itself to LWB typically.

I look at it this way- "Run what ya brung...." and I ain't gonna flame ya for it.

After wheeling my Jeep, and wheeling my brothers Super-Duty...I choose the Jeep. The fullsize is much more stable for sure.

And I fit it down a small two track made for ATV's!! So never count out a big a%# truck with tons of power...It will fit it you want it too! Except rocks, rocks don't move.

I like my Jeep for climbing the hills we did. His truck with the LWB was bouncing and bucking all over. The Jeep just kept going.

JMO

Steve

I like wheelin the fullsize, it has few problems once you get used to the smashing crunch of dying sheetmetal

i usually wheel a chevy. all my buddies with yotas and jeeps get stuck every two seconds, and who's there to pull em out? me. the weight plops me down deep into the mud so i get traction from the solid ground underneath, and the wheelbase/wide-ness keeps me out altogether sometimes. my vote is with the fullsize

[ 10-23-2001: Message edited by: 47willysdude ]

I say Kia Sportage! Short wheel base but not too short, probably perfect wheelbase length IMO as long as you lift them up, because you won't get anywhere dragging your a$$ on the ground! Good mileage for a daily driver too. Go ahead, flame me hehehe..
1996 Kia Sportage
2.5 inch Eibach suspension lift
1.5 inch custom UHMW Polyethylene body lift
31x10.5-15 mudders
1-inch Spidertrax wheel spacers
high-airflow muffler
K&N Filtercharger

Lifted Kia <IMG SRC="smilies/eek.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/eek.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/eek.gif" border="0"> .
Now I've heard it all.

Originally posted by Grim Reaper:
<STRONG> http://communities.msn.com/_Secure/0LwBFVIMPcmC8NG2silM4UwNNAQHJRcqwEzjBilL9iMCm!m*XZ kn35bnes7FIYeUJfx7Q7pcWtY4/Dscn0372.jpg </STRONG>

You know, last time I was in Tellico that rock was only high enough (or ground eroded enough) that I was able to pivot on it with my rock sliders (and I was only on 33's at the time).

Guess that goes to show how long it has been since I was in Tellico <IMG SRC="smilies/tongue.gif" border="0">

if your asking, then your wheelin on wider trails then me. <IMG SRC="smilies/tongue.gif" border="0">

jeep vs. fullsize?

i like jeep fullsizes, m'self. <IMG SRC="smilies/thefinger.gif" border="0">

i can fit anywhere a wrangler can, and i've got an extra 20 or so inches of wheelbase. not to mention 1/2 ton axles. only thing i hate is the damn overhang. i've got a 40 degree approach angle and a 20 degree departure angle. ah well, nothin's perfect.

Originally posted by Cutter:
<STRONG>if your asking, then your wheelin on wider trails then me. <IMG SRC="smilies/tongue.gif" border="0"></STRONG>

Yeah, his mom's Driveway is pretty wide!!

<IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

Originally posted by DRM:
<STRONG>You know, last time I was in Tellico that rock was only high enough (or ground eroded enough) that I was able to pivot on it with my rock sliders (and I was only on 33's at the time).

Guess that goes to show how long it has been since I was in Tellico <IMG SRC="smilies/tongue.gif" border="0"></STRONG>

Hahaha yeah you must be talking 4 years or more then. It didn't look much different at last years Dixie run. Only difference is I wasn't having to get past the MF! LOL.
Yeah Tellico has gotten pretty serious. You should see guard rail...it's gone! it's laying on the side of the mountain with nothing left to attach it to! Trail 5 was taking major bites out of rigs and I don't me Rough water crossing. I mean the other end. The rock at Jeep eating tree now has about a 30 inch ledge to climb. They didn't even run a stock class at Dixie run this year. If you didn't have some hight and lockers you were suffering.
Yeah I was hoping to run into you at Dixie.

Originally posted by JeepZJ:
<STRONG>Full size trucks wouldn't fit on a lot of the trails here. Hell my ZJ is a tight fit at times. I'll take a Jeep or FJ.
Nathan</STRONG>
Just to pint something out. 73-91 K5'w Wheel base is only 106.5. Your ZJ is 105.9 <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0"> Yes I have some tail and yes I have a little width. However for the most part anywhere you can go I can go also <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0"> Now you get talking a long bed or even a short bed truck yes the wheel base is much longer.

Originally posted by Nukeiridium:
<STRONG>I say Kia Sportage! Short wheel base but not too short, probably perfect wheelbase length IMO as long as you lift them up, because you won't get anywhere dragging your a$$ on the ground! Good mileage for a daily driver too. Go ahead, flame me hehehe..
1996 Kia Sportage
2.5 inch Eibach suspension lift
1.5 inch custom UHMW Polyethylene body lift
31x10.5-15 mudders
1-inch Spidertrax wheel spacers
high-airflow muffler
K&N Filtercharger</STRONG>
Pics, gotta see pics for the comedy effect <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">.

Fullsize vs JeepI vote for none of the above. Gotta be skinny to run the fun ones.

[ 10-24-2001: Message edited by: Todd ]

Up here there are fullsizes that run with us and they do pretty good. But where I see Jeeps seperating fullsizes from them is when you get to a slippery hill. A fullsize truck just has so much wieght to push. If you think about a fullsize aint balanced that good. All there wieght is in the front and there is none in that back. Like I said though they do ok up here but the hills kill them... My 2 cents... <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

Originally posted by Todd:
<STRONG>Fullsize vs JeepI vote for none of the above. Gotta be skinny to run the fun ones.

[ 10-24-2001: Message edited by: Todd ]</STRONG>

i say a little rig with big wide axles is best in texas!! u can still fit cause the body is so narrow. it's the best of both worlds . it's light weight and stable.

Originally posted by Todd:
<STRONG>Originally posted by Nukeiridium:
I say Kia Sportage! Short wheel base but not too short, probably perfect wheelbase length IMO as long as you lift them up, because you won't get anywhere dragging your a$$ on the ground! Good mileage for a daily driver too. Go ahead, flame me hehehe..
1996 Kia Sportage
2.5 inch Eibach suspension lift
1.5 inch custom UHMW Polyethylene body lift
31x10.5-15 mudders
1-inch Spidertrax wheel spacers
high-airflow muffler
K&N Filtercharger</STRONG>
Pics, gotta see pics for the comedy effect <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">.

Hehe We had a guy that was running one for a while. Wheels kept falling off...I'm serious the wheels fell off. Kept breaking the front suspension. Guy dumped it and now runs a CJ.

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Nukeiridium:
I say Kia Sportage! Short wheel base but not too short, probably perfect wheelbase length IMO as long as you lift them up, because you won't get anywhere dragging your a$$ on the ground! Good mileage for a daily driver too. Go ahead, flame me hehehe..
1996 Kia Sportage
2.5 inch Eibach suspension lift
1.5 inch custom UHMW Polyethylene body lift
31x10.5-15 mudders
1-inch Spidertrax wheel spacers
high-airflow muffler
K&N Filtercharger
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Pics, gotta see pics for the comedy effect .


Yes, I'll post pics, but not until I get my new tires, the ones I have are thrashed. I know plenty of guys who wheel them and the wheels don't fall off... There is just a lot of prejudice against them, just like there used to be against the Samurai, everyone said they were useless back then too, then people started making more aftermarket stuff for them and now they are legit, so if people would just make more aftermarket stuff for the Sportage...