Shorter wheel base vs larger tires

[shreddder]

Has anyone tried running a shorter wheel base over running larger tires? It seems to me that shortening the wheel base a bit to increase clearance might be better than runnng larger tires (Chisels, comp claws, etc). Obviously the larger tires provide better clearance, but cant you get the same effect without the roll that usually comes with larger tires and the loss of steering?

 

[JeremyH]

What do you plan to do when you drive up to a vertical climb that is 13" tall and all of the other drivers walk up the wall?

 

[Reflection]

It's a give and take.

Like anything,there's pro's and con's. The last super I build was at a 14" wheelbase and ran 6" tires. It would hang with the bigger supers and kill them on tight technical sections....but suffered on huge steep verticals.

 

[shreddder]

I'm running an AX-10. Unfortunately I don't have a dig (which is why I am contemplating running a short wheel base). In these difficult economic times, I can't buy a new 3 channel radio and the dig right now. The bigger tires work well, but the turning radius and the resulting reverse points kill me.

As for the vertical climb, without a dig, I couldn't do a vertical climb much over 9-10 inches anyway.

I was just trying to think outside the box to find a way that might work best with my circumstances.

 

[JeremyH]

Well, give it a shot and see how it works for you!

 

[shreddder]

I was going to give it a try, but thought I would ask if anyone has tried it before and what their findings were before going through it.

 

[Nabil]

I was going to give it a try, but thought I would ask if anyone has tried it before and what their findings were before going through it.

i have ran an 11 inch wheelbase 2.2 before. it was fun to drive and super manuverable. if you are able to think outside of the box and find other ways through gates its not bad at all

 

[romulus22]

ive witnessed people not make it though the first gate due to a simple climb that a short wheelbase vehicle just couldn't do.

 

[shreddder]

There has to be a happy medium somewhere. Maybe I will some up with some test to determine how short I need to go to get the same clearance as my larger tires and maybe the wheel base adjustments will be moderate, like a half inch or so.

 

[Sydwaiz]

This is like the Jeep CJ guys arguing over narrow track or wide track axles. Each will have it's pros and cons.

 

[shreddder]

Lol...that's funny. I have a CJ7! :ror:

 

[Sydwaiz]

Lol...that's funny. I have a CJ7! :ror:

And I have a narrow track CJ-5!

 

[shreddder]

Mine is a 1981 CJ7 which has the narrower axle. I didn't know (my first jeep) until about a year after I bought it that the 1984 axles were wider. I would have tried to find and buy one of those. But I still enjoy the hell out of it. It doesn't make it to the dirt all that often, but I love driving it around topless...especially on a cool summer night.

 

[Sydwaiz]

Mines a street queen too. '73. Damn intermediate CJ-5... Can't find much for those. Like you said, fun during the summer!

 

[Harvo]

Taller tires also give you more clearance under the axles. Shorter wheelbase won't do that for you.

 

[shreddder]

That's true Harvo....but most people don't run the taller tires though....at least not at the comp we had this last weekend. I'm just trying to get creative since I don't have the budget right now to buy a new radio, dig and all the related accessories. Ideally, I would do that and not even think about shortening the wheel base. but I don't live in the ideal world right now.

I will accept any charity if anyone is feeling giving! lol....jk

 

[papabash]

Taller tires also help you get over gaps and overhangs better. A shorter tire would just dig in under a lot of overhangs that a taller tire will crawl over.

 

[shreddder]

That is another good point Papabash. I'm talking about going down from the Chisels to a 5" tire which seems pretty standard. In this area there seem to be a good chunk of guys running the rock claws which are also 5". So it wouldn't seem that I would be at any different disadvantage.

 

[Reflection]

This is like the Jeep CJ guys arguing over narrow track or wide track axles. Each will have it's pros and cons.

Lol...that's funny. I have a CJ7! :ror:

And I have a narrow track CJ-5!

Mine is a 1981 CJ7 which has the narrower axle. I didn't know (my first jeep) until about a year after I bought it that the 1984 axles were wider. I would have tried to find and buy one of those. But I still enjoy the hell out of it. It doesn't make it to the dirt all that often, but I love driving it around topless...especially on a cool summer night.

Mines a street queen too. '73. Damn intermediate CJ-5... Can't find much for those. Like you said, fun during the summer!

....and when you two wanna quit goofing around,you could build a Toyota.:mrgreen::razz::ror:

 

[JeremyH]

And I have a narrow track CJ-5!

Those are cool go-carts! :ror: