best prerunner to build?

[PRERUNNER]

What is the best prerunner to build street legal for the desert? 97 or newer

[John_Bitting]

Whatever you can afford. People prerun stock vehicles, up to Geiser built full on $300k + prerunners.

[jeff]

Define prerunner. Then tell me your favorite color.

My answer is there is no BEST prerunner. What works for one may not work for another. One personal favorite of mine was the almost bone stock Toyota Land Cruiser that Ivan Stewart used to prerun in. It wasn't fancy but it was good enough to get the job done for Ivan Stewart... using that as a basis a stock land cruiser should be good enough for anybody right? I mean, Ivan Stewart preran in it!

Rent a vehicle and get the insurance. Works well for teams on a budget, it might work well for you! :)

Aloha

[mexracer10]

I think for real pre-running something roomy, preferably 4x4, easy to get in and out of, and most importantly reliable, you want to be able to drive it there and home. But then again what ever cooks your noodle.

[mfs]

i think if u want 4 wheel drive w/ good wheel travel and 3 to 4 seats. a twin traction i beam set up like a bronco/f150 is hard to beat.if u like chevys/dodge then a that cab on a f150 frame.

[PBR]

speaking from my own experience... i have owned many real prerunners and the best one i have ever owned is the bronco i own now... it has 15" of wheel travel front and rear, seats 3 and the best part about it is the 4 wheel drive... i can go anywhere with confidence that i'm not going to get stuck.

[amrein1743]

For a "real" prerunner, don't overlook important aspects like air conditioning, comfortable seats, and a well-sealed cab that doesn't rattle. I've been in some high end preunners that go amazingly fast, but when it comes to prerunning the desert in the middle of summer, I will take A/C over wheel travel.

Chris

[TheWebWheeler]

speaking from my own experience... i have owned many real prerunners and the best one i have ever owned is the bronco i own now... it has 15" of wheel travel front and rear, seats 3 and the best part about it is the 4 wheel drive... i can go anywhere with confidence that i'm not going to get stuck.

There you go!
Run a FORD!
Even the guys that race Chevys will tell you that!http://www.thewebwheeler.com/forums/images/smilies/buttslap.gif

[steveG]

Whatever you can afford

I think that's the key. Whatever you buy or build, make sure you can finish it. There are waaaaaaayyy too many partially completed prerunners out there. Don't get caught up with going super-wide, big coil-over, double-throw-down, super-bling, etc. Look around & you'll see what I mean. I see a lot of trucks with tricked out front ends & stock rear suspension.

[steveG]

Oh and by the way, I've just about got my Bronco to a usable point, so I may soon join PBR in praising the Bronco....

[John_Bitting]

I think that's the key. Whatever you buy or build, make sure you can finish it. There are waaaaaaayyy too many partially completed prerunners out there.

Yeah, what he said.

[klaus]

alumacrafts are nice

[deleted]

alumacrafts are nice

right on Kleezy

[JrSyko]

right on Kleezy

Alumicrafts w/ awnings are even nicer!

[.CAL.Photo.]

Alumicrafts w/ awnings are even nicer!


Schweet!

[Weston]

hey im 15 and am working on what to use what do you guys think a nissan titan a ford ranger or a 2004 chevy silverado i'm swaying towards the chevy

[JD Durfey]

I purchased a 91 Ford F-150 Twin Traction Beam this last summer for $500. I wanted a 92 to 95 model, but for the price I couldn't pass it up. It doesn't even run, and is in rough shape, without any rust, but I don't care. I plan on making it a pre-runner. I plan on 4-linking the rear right away. I have always been attracted to the idea of 4 wheel drive, and after what happened to my teammates the other year I am even more inclined to build a 4X4. My buddy broke down with his pre-runner and Andy McMilan came along and offered to pull him out. Only problem was they had to go up the big hill before El Alamo. The 2X4 badass pre-runner could not get him up the hill, just spun the tires and threw a lot of boulders. A jeep ended up pulling him to the top, and Andy took over from there.

An older Bronco or F150 makes a great all around truck for the desert. Minor Rock-crawling, pre-running, and Chasing the races. Build it with some quick release air bags, and you could pull the race car on a trailer behind or put a dirt bike or two in the rear of the F 150. All this in the comfort of your AC and heat!!!

[Zambo]

Here you go, make me an offer!

http://www.race-dezert.com/cgi-bin/trader/atl.cgi?ct=14&md=second&id=15011

[RojoOjoRacin]

Ride a KTM!!! If your too skeerd then a Bronco will never let you down

[J Prich]

Sorry to bump an old thread here but I saw a lot of responses regarding the popularity and functionality of Bronco's and Blazers as prerunner. What about Scout's? Obviously a lot more rare at this point but wouldn't a well built Scout be effective for the same reasons mentioned for a full size Bronco or Blazer? Or is there something lacking in the Scout?

[LIL ROG]

my vote would be a ford ranger. 97 with i beams or a newer ranger edge. there are so many parts for these trucks and nothing really needs to be custom made. IMO

[tool46n2]

Whatever you can afford. People prerun stock vehicles, up to Geiser built full on $300k + prerunners.

Couldnt agree more. Prerunners can go really cheap, or end up more than some race trucks. Just go with your budget and with what you want.:)

[DBMETALWORX]

Just build something.. Pick something off the wall... And have fun doin it!!!!!!!

[fas_guy]

The good old beamed fords seem to be the cheapest and most readily available to build, theres always somone selling used parts on any of the off-road sites for pretty cheap and if you roll one cabs are pretty cheap at the local junk yard usually, just gotta make sure the alignments on for the road they like to eat up tires :D

[MX808]

This car seems to work for our team. I have a supercrew tt prerunner in my shop that i am building now. I have a bronco too and that thing is an awsome prerunner. Cant go wrong with a bronco.

[jposey66]

If your budget is small, start with something like a Yota or Ranger. Drive it like it is and make changes as you go. They're both pretty tough right out of the box. Save up, and get you a LT front kit of some sort and good shocks. Drive it like that until you can do something with the rear, even something as cheap as 64" Chevy springs. It will always be a work in progress but they all are. I am constantly wanting to make changes to mine and it's not because I'm breaking it. Dive too deep into it, right off the bat, and you might have a project vehicle that never rolls.

If budget isn't an issue, I will have to divert the questions to others, as I have absolutely no experience whatsoever with big budgets!

Posey
Bama

[partybarge_pilot]

Or is there something lacking in the Scout?

Available off the shelf suspension set-ups for one.........

Fiberglass to clear large tires for 2.......

[Sparky]

Or is there something lacking in the Scout?


Available off the shelf suspension set-ups for one.........

Fiberglass to clear large tires for 2.......

Solid axle, leaf spring front for 3.

Wheelbase for 4.

Don't overlook the 90's Jeep Cherokee though. A lot of the Jeepspeed suspension parts are bolt-on. A Rubicon Express short-am kit, some Deaver springs, throw on some Bilsteins and you basically have a replica of our racer.

[Chase 2]

Bro, the best pre-runners are sic Rangers with the California squat, white flared fenders and a bed cage with a couple of spares in the back. Don't forget the select stickers on the back window to show you really know how to represent.

[fas_guy]

Bro, the best pre-runners are sic Rangers with the California squat, white flared fenders and a bed cage with a couple of spares in the back. Don't forget the select stickers on the back window to show you really know how to represent.

Don't forget the TapOut and SRH stickers, or the tinted lights :D, you should probably cut the muffler off to so it sounds like a (race) truck ;)

[5-1600project]

when you guys drive your broncos do they ever get reall tippy?like coming close to flipping?

[atomicjoe23]

I don't think you can beat a Bronco as a pre-runner when it comes down to it. . .too much good there to be surpassed by anything else. . .

. . .just my $.02 and what I will be building as my first street legal truck.

[ErikShallbetter]

when you guys drive your broncos do they ever get reall tippy?like coming close to flipping?


Doesn't matter if it's a bronco or not, if your driving it fast enough you should be coming close to flipping it.

In all honesty, I have had a bronco and an explorer. As far as stability in an SUV I give the nod to the bronco.

[atomicjoe23]

Do
In all honesty, I have had a bronco and an explorer. As far as stability in an SUV I give the nod to the bronco.


Bronco has a wider track width doesn't it?. . .especially with extended beams. . .