Overkill or just badass

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Penstarpurist

Penstarpurist

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I've been looking at alot of rock crawlers lately. Mostly just for fun, but I would like to build one sometime in the future. Maybe start with my bronco. So, in doing totally a hypothetical bench build at this point, I have been wanting to upgrade my bronco to a full tilt rock crawler rig. Its a 1986 bone stock 302 v8 automotive. Fuel injection. I've got a 1970 351w on the stand for a future powerplant. I saw on craigslist this week a 2.5 ton Rockwell driveline driving front end for $800 and a Rockwell front steering 5 ton with the pulleys for $1000. Are these both way overkill or just badass. Obviously I would need a rear to match. Or do I just go Dana 60, 70 or 80 instead? Maybe ditch the bronco as a crawler, keep it a light wheeler and go full tube chassis truggy type crawler?
 
Rockwells are always badass. If you can swing it i would go that way.
 
1 ton should be enough. Most run big tire, with enough strength to handle them. Weight is still an issue because if the nose is high and add power, over you go. something really heavy up front can topple over. Also not a lot of lift, just enough for tire clearance, and suspension travel, they do try to keep C.G. as low as possible. There is a rock crawling park close by to me in Hot Springs Ar. Called Super lift off road vehicle park. Great weekend out, special events all the time.
 
I think it would be good to go check out these types of rigs in person. Watch them in action, see what works maybe talk to the guys or their crew. See what kind of numbers cost wise these guys are into to build, maintain and operate them.
 
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My self with my friend at a different park. Just a little to much power trying to get up a rock face. Friends Mid 80's chevy full size Blazer, long arm kit to get the tires as close to the obstacle as possible, and converted to propane. Hard to run with a carb because of the angles of approach and tilting on the side. A great weekend though.
 
If you have deep pockets there is also rock bouncing. Very hard on equipment, done at mostly full throttle.
 
I've seen those full throttle guys on YouTube. Man that looks like fun, but has got to be hard on the driver too I would think. Probably out of my budget to build a rig that I'd be dumping new parts in every time I drove it and broke it.
 
Just toooooooooooooo much weight that is unnecessary!
 
Yeah, I know they are darn heavy units. I think part of me wants them because I have always wanted a duece and a half military truck. I just haven't been able to justify getting one. Which I think has morphed itself into wanting to build a badass wheeler. Maybe I should just get a duece and a half military truck and build my bronco as just a light duty wheeler. What I would ever do with an army truck besides hope for a zombie apocalypse or something to need it for. Lol. My wife might be right, I buy way too many toys and need help. Haha.
 
Until you go above a 42" tire with 5.10 gears it's not realy needed.

I was looking for pics of the last truck we built but cant seem to find em. It was running 52" tires and they are just to heavy for the Dana 60.
The owner ended up going to 47" and we still had issues with the hub stripping out. I put threaded inserts in every hole and saftie wired the bolts with red lock tight and haven't heard from him so I guess its holding up?

If you go that big you best have a bad *** hauler. The owner tows his on a semi trailer behind a F550.

I'll see if I can find the pics.
 
My daily hauler is a very badass one ton diesel. But my son and I have been discussing the need and being time to step up our set up. Our current trailer is a 20' 10k two axle tilt bed with 12k winch, bumper pull. I am always looking at semi trucks and gooseneck haulers. I told my wife i was thinking about selling our old trailers and getting a new 24+4 or 28+4 gooseneck. But thought maybe should keep our bumper pull as its sometimes a tight spot to get into and is nice to have a smaller trailer if needed. She said just keep the old one too, you'll never get what you want for it trade in or selling it anyway.
 
We dont just haul old mopars around. Lol. We do alot of heavy hauling and are always on the edge if not past our trailers capacity. My son hauls haying equipment for farmers during the season. Sometimes with their trailers and rigs, sometimes with ours. We participate yearly in the local tractor shows, pulls and parades. Our pulling tractors are very heavy and often barely fit the deck. We have to make multiple trips to get them all to the two week show as some loads only haul one piece whereas the small garden pullers can fit several on. We haul produce for farmers, distilleries, etc. Our set up is really showing the wear and tear, so that over the need to haul an offroad rock crawler is more pressing the need for a big set up. Not one that barely gets it done. We use our trailer every month at least to haul cars, tractors, machinery, building supplies, etc.
 
It was pretty cool, he drives the truck on and off the trailer with no ramps. Just pull up and blip the throttle.

I had a very capable yota. 37" tires, 1 ton running gear, twin case, hydro assist steering.
It the only vehicle I still wish I had. (And I've had lots) Unfortunately right after I bought my house money got tight and she had to go.
 
I told my boys the other day, while I love American built gross horsepower and torque anyday of the week, that nothing wheels like a well built and setup yota. Hands down lightweight, low geared, suspension flexibility capable wheelers. I would put one in my collection anyday anytime. Bone stock or trail ready, if I find one on the cheap or in a trade deal it's on.
 
The guy we built that truck for also has a heavy equipment company, so he has no shortage of trailers and tractors.

I'll tell you, you don't wanna try and move a 52" tire with out equipment.
 
Yeah, when we have to swap out our 52' ballasted tractor tires it's not any fun. We use our engine picker and roll it in and out with the tire hanging there. That way you can keep the weights on with them.
 
Finaly found the pic.

We built the entire thing. We built the frame, the body, the cage, everything. The only original part left is the windshield frame and hood.

We actually built it twice. The customer brought it back and said he wanted it to be a truck so we cut it back apart and built the truck bed.
 
That thing is bad as they get. Out of curiosity, what's the cost of building a rig like that?
 
60K, give or take. The owner is a life long friend of my pops so he got a smoking deal.

It also goy a stroked BBC with Holley sniper F.I.
 
That's not too bad of an overall price. I think I am going to have to put it higher on my list of things to get going. I would assume at least for me it would be a several year project of trial and error. Finding what works for my style of driving and terrain. What holds up, what doesn't. Lol, evolution of a build.
 
Honestly if I were to do another one, i would push the owner towards a full tube construction and aluminum body.

That one is just to heavy in my opinion.

(We made the entire body out of 1/4 diamond plate.) That's what he wanted tho...
 
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