Your ideal Pinelands off-road rig?

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Badfish740

Explorer
Feb 19, 2005
589
44
Copperhead Road
RednekF350 said:
Thanks to yuppies and women, you now have to special order just about any truck with a manual.
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Tell me about it...When it comes to Chevy trucks it's tough to find anything newer than say '88 with a manual and 4wd. The SM465 is an awesome transmission, I don't know why they didn't offer more of them. Even the Cheyenne or W/T (Work Truck) line were mostly automatics, or at least it seems that way when I look at Truck Trader. If car companies want people to drive more automatics fine-put them in Honda Civics and Chevy Cavaliers, but at least let us have manuals in our trucks!

Later,

Matthew
 
wis bang

wis bang

Explorer
Jun 24, 2004
235
2
East Windsor
stizkidz said:
Gov lock is just a fancy way of saying "posi rear". Most people will tell you they are junk and refer to them as "gov bombs". I have not had any problems yet, but when it does blow, I will replace it with a Detroit. The govlock in my 10 bolt held up just fine, care to buy it?
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Torsen makes a better posi unit. it's all gears & no clutch placks like the guv bombs and it has street maners unlike the real lockers.
 
R

Roostriz

Scout
Feb 16, 2005
40
0
44
Egg Harbor
Scott, believe it or not dads truck is a manual. I tuned it up for him, changed all the filters. It never seemed to make much of a difference. He probably does get around 13 mpg.
I hear you guys on the manual tranny's. I was reading in one of the 4x4 mags that one of the manual transmission manufacturers said less than 10% of automobiles in the U.S. came with manuals last year and its supposed to drop to 6% next year or the year after. Don't you wish you could order options straight up like you could before all the packages.
Boy how do I get off topic so easily! So anyway about that ideal trail rig......
 
stizkidz

stizkidz

Piney
May 10, 2003
1,044
8
Tuckerton
I'm another example of a (recent) manual guy too. My first 4 vehicles were autos and although I have never had any tranny issues, many of my friends have killed their autos. My last car was a manual and although my K5 was an auto, I had it converted to manual. Just look at the benefits of manuals: better gas mileage, less robbed power, less maintenance, more gears/better ratios, more vehicle control, more fun to drive, last longer than automatics. Granted, if you have a shop do it, replacing a clutch can be between $300-400, but if you do it yourself it shouldn't be much more than $100 and clutch's generally last upwards of 100k miles, while alot of 4x4 trannys are ready to bust at this many miles and cost between $400-1000+ to replace.

Roostriz - I know about the open carrier issue but it should not be a problem finding an open carrier in the yards cheap. I only paid $350 for the rears as they sit now. The only thing about my rig that needs upgrading are the tires. The MT/R's need to be swapped out for some Super Swampers...
 
RednekF350

RednekF350

Piney
Feb 20, 2004
5,073
3,366
Pestletown, N.J.
Roostriz said:
Scott, believe it or not dads truck is a manual. I tuned it up for him, changed all the filters. It never seemed to make much of a difference. He probably does get around 13 mpg.

Is it injected or carbed? My 87 was injected and was a little more efficient.
I fear the day when a manual trans in a truck may not be available.
Thank God Ford and Dodge are still holding on to solid axles in the front ends and offering ZF manual trannys on their Heavy Duty trucks.
Chevy was the first to cave in to the mainstream (former car drivers who wanted to look tough) market in 1988 when they went to independent front suspension.
Their front axles are as thick as a no. 2 pencil and have 4 bogus cv joints with boots that rip in real off road applications.
My 97 F-350 has simple, thick cast iron u-joints at the end of each axle and their greasable.
Chevy continues to cater to the mainstream which is why you see very few heavy-highway contractors or fleets with them.
Their commercials would lead you to believe that every cowboy or roughneck drives a Chevy. Go to Cowtown on a Saturday night and count the Chevies. Both of them.
To really seal their fate they came out with the Isuzu Dura-Crap diesel in their HD series which has a cast iron block with aluminum heads. Not a good combination for a diesel with the heat and compression. They are warping heads .
Sorry way off topic.
My ultimate off road vehicle for my hunting and woods riding in the pines is in my driveway. 97 F-350, solid tube Dana 60, 4.10 axles, limited slip Ford 10.25' rear axle and 5 speed with creeper. Bone stock.
Scott
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C

crazyoz

New Member
Feb 21, 2005
22
0
42
Wall NJ
I drive a 87 K-5 350 fuel injected. 33" Cooper Discoverer LTs. After market super wench locking hubs. I think with the setup I have now the truck it too heavy for some of that piney sugar sand. Truck has enough power for me. I need to put on my 4" suspension lift (sitting in the garage since July)and get some wider tires. But I must say I dont think its a bad all purpose tire. Those super swampers ware out way too fast on the road.
 
PBJ1971

PBJ1971

Scout
Oct 19, 2004
44
0
53
Belleplain, NJ
RednekF350 said:
I am a hard-core manual transmission man.
Thanks to yuppies and women, you now have to special order just about any truck with a manual.
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LOL, hey now! I love a real truck, not the wussy SUV "mine is bigger than yours" things that 'other women' seem enamored with. I miss my Dodge Ram 1500 :(

Not like it's made or can be done, but my dream truck is either a Dodge Ram Club Cab Cummings Turbo Diesel V-10 in black (yes, in stick shift if possible) or one of the Ford F350's (?) in ugly 'school bus yellow' that Conrail used for work trucks...ah, just a dream :)

Besides, my insurance agent tells me most companies tend to cut you a small break on manual vs. auto because drivers have to be more 'aware' of their driving habits and surroundings when handling a manual.

Heather in SJ
 
RednekF350

RednekF350

Piney
Feb 20, 2004
5,073
3,366
Pestletown, N.J.
Sorry to nitpick Heather but I am a loon when it comes to trucks. It's "Cummins" and they are only made as an inline 6 for Dodge trucks.
Dodge's V-10 is gone now and that was a gas job.
But as you said, that can be your "dream" truck.
Dodge uses the same manual in their heavy duties as the Ford Super Duties, which is a German made ZF 6 speed with a creeper.
That's what I have in my 02 Diesel and its a great tranny .
The only oddity is that reverse is all the way to the left (to your knee) and up instead of all the way to the right and down like every other truck I have ever owned. It took a while to get used to.
The gates are tight and deep and the ratios are well matched to the low r's of the diesel.
Scott
 
N

NewSchoolPiney

Explorer
Jun 16, 2003
138
0
Boston, MA
www.pinemind.com
Well, I had to put my vote in because I'm feeling outnumbered by the all American-made off road rig suggestions. For a Pine Barrens off road rig, my vote is for either the 1st generation 4Runner or any of the smaller Toyota trucks from 1984 until present (Tacoma). When we're talking Pine Barrens, most of the Ford's, Chevy's and Dodge's (at least the ones being discussed here) can't fit down the trails without a) ruining the exterior b) destroying the environment. There's nothing that angers me more than when I go down trails and people with their obnoxious 5000 hp truck with 50" tires, getting 4 mpg tear up trails for fun.

Also, when it comes to reliability, a Japanese made truck can't be beat. I've put my 4Runner through the ringer and it comes back for more every time.

There's my biased two-cents. But I've been in all makes and models of trucks in the Pine Barrens, so it's not too biased ;).

Peace,

Justin
 
MuckSavage

MuckSavage

Explorer
Apr 1, 2005
619
241
56
Turnersville
I'm trying to hold out for the Gladiator. Not for woods use though. For that, my CJ7...258, T-5, Dana 300, 3:73, Lock-Rite, 33" All-Terrains, 9k Superwinch does quite well. The lockers provide optimum traction, that with the winch,and mildly aggresive tires, It makes for the ultimate low-impact vehicle (something we all have to keep in mind) However, if it fit my budget, give me a Rubicon, I'll put a winch on it, crank the A/C & have at it!!!!!
 
D

DR_Rider_N2brk

New Member
Dec 21, 2004
18
0
Cherry Hill, NJ
I'm a little late on this one, but I can't help but toss a monkey wrench into the works.

I used to mess around with the 4x4's in the Pines, but I got sick of cleaning them! Especially the water stains on the rubber and frame!

I don't play out there in the 4x4 much anymore. I ride a dual sport motorcycle! I am going down trails that are no wider then my handlebars now, and the Pines is new again :)

If I am forced to vote for my ideal 4x4, I'd have to say a Samurai or Sidekick. They are unstoppable, small, and who cares if you ugly them up! I've seen and done things in a Samurai that just seemed impossible! The vehicle is so light that it just goes over everything. My Dakota v8 feels like a giant out there, haha. It soaks up the bumps like a caddy, but that's no fun!

So, my vote for the "ideal Pinelands off-road rig" is my 1991 Suzuki DR350s. Street legal, and loaded with off-road surprises (pumper carb, large plastic tank, 49mm RM250 forks, on and on and on :) It goes through anything and begs for more. I don't even wash it!

Wal
 
Ben Ruset

Ben Ruset

Administrator
Site Administrator
Oct 12, 2004
7,619
1,878
Monmouth County
www.benruset.com
DR_Rider_N2brk said:
I don't play out there in the 4x4 much anymore. I ride a dual sport motorcycle! I am going down trails that are no wider then my handlebars now, and the Pines is new again :)
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And, "thanks" to the DEP, :rolleyes: they can take it from you and give you a $1000 fine for even bringing it on state land.

Yes, even if it's registered and insured...
 
D

DR_Rider_N2brk

New Member
Dec 21, 2004
18
0
Cherry Hill, NJ
I think you are confused. My bike is street-legal with a street-legal title and a licence plate, insurance, and inspection sticker. I am legit on the trails and allowed in just like any other legal motor vehicle.

The off-road only bikes are the ones that are not allowed. (though there's lots of them). Off-road only titled dirtbikes and quads, etc. are not allowed and can be fined and towed.

Wal
 
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