Operation AWOL

[nfpgasmask]

As a sidenote.. it will crawl on the highway too - top speed will be around 65.

Yup, I'll be right there with you in the Trooper. Man, with the 33s and the roof rack back up top, getting up the long hill to work on the hwy is pretty horrible. I can have the skinny pedal pegged in 4th and I am at like 50mph if I am lucky. With 170k on the ticker I am scared to keep it in 3rd and rev it over 4000 RPMs too, so until I get a 3.4L in there, it'll be easy does it. I don't even wanna think about how slow she will be once I am loaded down with camping gear and ammo.

Bart

[ZEUS]

You need gears, my friend!

[nfpgasmask]

You need gears, my friend!

Yeah, I want to upgrade the rear, I just haven't done enough research to even begin to understand what I need to buy. What on this page would help me???

Bart

[ZEUS]

Yeah, I want to upgrade the rear, I just haven't done enough research to even begin to understand what I need to buy. What on this page would help me???

Bart

You need to figure out what gears you have now - if you have 4.56's you may want to step up to the 5.38's: https://www.independent4x.com/mercha...roducts_id=369
.or: https://www.independent4x.com/mercha...roducts_id=225

You will be hard-pressed to find the 5.38's for the front tho. Missed that window... Unless of course you are thinking about the SAS...???????

[nfpgasmask]

You need to figure out what gears you have now - if you have 4.56's you may want to step up to the 5.38's: https://www.independent4x.com/mercha...roducts_id=369
.or: https://www.independent4x.com/mercha...roducts_id=225

You will be hard-pressed to find the 5.38's for the front tho. Missed that window... Unless of course you are thinking about the SAS...???????

Well, wouldn't upgrading the rear still help a lot?

The SAS crossed my mind, but this truck is not intended for a serious rock crawling. My Trooper will be my daily driver and expedition rig. With the 33s I am pushing it, but I don't think a SAS is really necessary until I get over 35s. I am thinking about Joe Darlington's diff drop and some upgraded (beefier) components for the front end.

So much to do, such little time and money.

Bart

[tom4bren]

Man, that looks just like the one I used to drive around Ft. A.P. Hill alla time. It was even in similar condition. IIRC mine was gas tho - they had prolly already run outta spare diesel engines.

Don't know if the story is true but I'd heard that GM took such a bath on the diesel engines that the Gov't bought the CUCV to bail them out & the engines were so bad that part of the contract was for a spare engine with every unit produced.

[pbkid]

ya, my dads diesel took a crap..otherwise he would have kept it...IIRC the gas motor actually gets better mileage and has more power...

[ZEUS]

Man, that looks just like the one I used to drive around Ft. A.P. Hill alla time. It was even in similar condition. IIRC mine was gas tho - they had prolly already run outta spare diesel engines.

Don't know if the story is true but I'd heard that GM took such a bath on the diesel engines that the Gov't bought the CUCV to bail them out & the engines were so bad that part of the contract was for a spare engine with every unit produced.

Really? That's odd. I don't believe it because like Joe says the motors had a great track record. Now the 5.7 gas converted to diesel was a pile of turds!

[ZEUS]

Well, wouldn't upgrading the rear still help a lot?

The SAS crossed my mind, but this truck is not intended for a serious rock crawling. My Trooper will be my daily driver and expedition rig. With the 33s I am pushing it, but I don't think a SAS is really necessary until I get over 35s. I am thinking about Joe Darlington's diff drop and some upgraded (beefier) components for the front end.

So much to do, such little time and money.

Bart

NEVER EVER change the gear ratio one axle at a time! As soon as you put it in 4wd the front and rear axles will turn at different rpms and will break something. But with the extra weight and diameter of those tires you really do need gears. The 2.8 is such a weak motor... as you know. The 3.4 will still be under powered for those meats.