That's right - I'm actually going to build something. :stan:
My XJ has been doing parts-hauling duty for some time now that I sold my big trailer. The little utility trailer has made transporting stuff with the XJ cheaper and easier, but I can't move whole vehicles with the XJ and it sways a lot under heavy load now that its lifted so much. I'm also getting tired of being paranoid about getting dirt and grease on other vehicles when using them to transport with the trailer. The trailer also has a lot of cracked welds that just keep cracking when repaired. It was meant to carry a single small JetSki and I sometimes put 1000lbs of axles on it. :tonka:
So, I've come up with something that I think is a better overall solution that I should be able to build for what I can sell the XJ for (including the price of the vehicle).
I'm going to start with this. Its functional the way it is, but has stock (3.08 or 3.42) gearing on 33's. The truck came from New Mexico originally and its very clean for its age. It was owned by ChevotaSS for a while, but all the things Nick did to it have since been fixed :tonka: :stan:. The current owner is a GM mechanic that does nice work.
Its currently lifted 4" and will stay there. There is no obvious hackish-ness in the lift, other than blocks in the rear which are merely less desireable. They aren't stacked up or anything. The 14" wide Mickey's will come off and be sold in favor of polished H2's and some 33's or 285's. The axles are fine, but will also go (probably quickly to Chevy guys on GotMud).
Thanks to some 1-stop shopping with LT1YJ, it will receive:
Awesome mileage isn't expected, but it should do better than the 350 that's pushing it around now and it should be able to pull my Ram around. (If I have something that can pull the Ram, I can buy aggressive tires and beadlocks for the Ram and take it somewhere.) Nick reported 11mpg at 65mph on a trip to Florida not towing anything, so that's the number to beat.
The nice part is that most things that I throw on the little trailer will actually fit inside the Suburban and I don't have to worry about rain or leaving things on a trailer in an unsecured manner, like in a parking lot when I stop for food, etc. I also won't be as worried about it getting dirty inside or out.
I expect to have the vehicle next week and the 14b will probably be swapped in fairly quickly (since its basically a bolt-in).
My XJ has been doing parts-hauling duty for some time now that I sold my big trailer. The little utility trailer has made transporting stuff with the XJ cheaper and easier, but I can't move whole vehicles with the XJ and it sways a lot under heavy load now that its lifted so much. I'm also getting tired of being paranoid about getting dirt and grease on other vehicles when using them to transport with the trailer. The trailer also has a lot of cracked welds that just keep cracking when repaired. It was meant to carry a single small JetSki and I sometimes put 1000lbs of axles on it. :tonka:
So, I've come up with something that I think is a better overall solution that I should be able to build for what I can sell the XJ for (including the price of the vehicle).
I'm going to start with this. Its functional the way it is, but has stock (3.08 or 3.42) gearing on 33's. The truck came from New Mexico originally and its very clean for its age. It was owned by ChevotaSS for a while, but all the things Nick did to it have since been fixed :tonka: :stan:. The current owner is a GM mechanic that does nice work.
Its currently lifted 4" and will stay there. There is no obvious hackish-ness in the lift, other than blocks in the rear which are merely less desireable. They aren't stacked up or anything. The 14" wide Mickey's will come off and be sold in favor of polished H2's and some 33's or 285's. The axles are fine, but will also go (probably quickly to Chevy guys on GotMud).
Thanks to some 1-stop shopping with LT1YJ, it will receive:
- 98 Vortec 454.
- 99 4L80E, probably done by KillerB.
- 87 D60 front with Ford outers (dual-piston brakes), 4.10's.
- 14b SRW rear from a K30 with a gov-lok, 4.10's, maybe discs. There is a chance it may receive a newer AAM 1050 rear that already has discs and a parking brake, but that would be less of a bolt-in since that axle is not from the same generation as the vehicle.
- Undecided on the transfer case.
- Possibly a new hitch setup or a new rear bumper that includes one.
- A real roof rack.
Awesome mileage isn't expected, but it should do better than the 350 that's pushing it around now and it should be able to pull my Ram around. (If I have something that can pull the Ram, I can buy aggressive tires and beadlocks for the Ram and take it somewhere.) Nick reported 11mpg at 65mph on a trip to Florida not towing anything, so that's the number to beat.
The nice part is that most things that I throw on the little trailer will actually fit inside the Suburban and I don't have to worry about rain or leaving things on a trailer in an unsecured manner, like in a parking lot when I stop for food, etc. I also won't be as worried about it getting dirty inside or out.
I expect to have the vehicle next week and the 14b will probably be swapped in fairly quickly (since its basically a bolt-in).