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Light vs. Heavy weight wheeling rigs

Not what I was getting at.

Obviously when you get into buggy/rock bouncer level those guys are as hard or harder on parts than anyone.

As far as a full bodied jeep, I think trails like Fordyce and Johnson Valley will be more stressful on the axles than east coast wet slick shit. Especially since, as I mentioned you're often carrying 3 days worth of parts, tools, food, camping gear and beer vs the east coast parks that you can just go hit a trail for a few hours or a day.

Also, I hope that's a joke for a hard trail obstacle in the Pic. :laughing:

I like all wheeling, all terrain so don't get your panties in a wad so quick :flipoff2:
 
So you took stock Ford alcoa's, machined opened up the holes and turned them into slots to shave weight?

:smokin:
Yup!
How tall are those? I’m wanting to go away from the 35 Kevlars on my sami
They are right at 35" aired up on a 7" rim.
Build link?

Also, how close are the UTV tires mounted vs advertised?
Hieght is really close. Width is narrow.

No, what rig are they going on.
Samurai, kinda.

Where thee heck did you find a 10.50 x 15 version of them?
Not listed this year so I had to go 12.50x15..
The UTV tire version.
 
Heavy vs lightweight....I think if all things are equal lighter does better but it’s never equal.

I have seen bigger, heavier rigs, out do lighter rigs because of better drivers, better suspension geometry, better weight placement (which I think is just as important on where you put it compared to what the overall weight is)

I think weight also depends on what your doing. Sometimes weight helps, sometimes it hurts.

I also believe people throw numbers out there on rig weight but people who have never actually weighed them always underestimate how fast the weight adds up.

My rig is heavy, I have added bigger tires and some other things so I need to reweigh it but I was around 6500 lbs. I have heavy factory heated seats, lots of sound dampening crap. It all adds up....and 1 ton axles are not light but they have strength.
If you want light and strength, get out your checkbook. Brake kits to save 100 lbs can cost 1000 bucks and that’s for a still, very heavy D60 if you want spidertrax axles your in the 10,000+ range....so you normally pick strong and heavy, or lighter and weaker....
I agree^^... one of the reasons why I posed the question in the first place. My 'light' rig (yes, I've had it on a scale) of 3500-ish pound got around better once I build a spare tire carrier that replaced the tailgate and shifted that weigh back. I also have tried to push what tools and stuff I could back there as well to better balance the truck. Whether you are light or heavy, weight placement helps more than some would think.
Didn't want to bring that up, but nothing is funnier than watching west coasters making fun of east coasters. Then the very few who come here and try to crawl shit end up as trail tampons with their 100:1 crawl ratios and "If you have the right line you don't need to hit the gas pedal" driving style. :grinpimp:
I had to laugh as I've thought this before. I will say that myself and most of my wheeling buddies cut our teeth in muddy ditches made of glacial clay, or abandoned mining operations, on top of farm fields and creek crossings. With the 'driving style' most of us have learned over the years, getting on dry rock with good tractions seems to lead to broken parts or rollovers:laughing:. That being said, one of the things that make wheeling out here more challenging is also what saves 'some' drivetrain components, while sacrificing others. I think what really tests drivelines, in my experience, is not rock with traction or dirt that slips, but the combination of the 2. When you've got to lean on the throttle hard to get partway through an obstacle, then hit good traction, that seems to test the axles/drivelines/springs more than anything I've ran across. I think there's a reason why out west there's TJ's and 'Yotas running ton axles with stock engines, and out here there are plenty of 1/2-3/4 trucks-turned wheelers with big-block power and stock, welded axles holding up just fine. West-coaster's 300:1 crawl ratio doesn't do much on a greasy rutted hillside, and 500hp with a welded, stock-geared 44 probably won't go far in MOAB. The weight doesn't seem to hurt you as bad when there's limited traction and can be a benefit depending on the circumstance. I will say that the guys wheeling on the slickrock probably don't pop as many engines as those of us out here, and probably don't feel the need to upgrade power as much unless they are using it for their daily.

I do think a good driver with a little time to learn can make either setup work wherever they go, they just may not make it look as easy as a rig built for the terrain.
 
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