New Build Idea???

so i have this friend that does a lot of real heavy stuff down in tellico, and i have been looking to build a offroad-only xj for a while. he kinda likes those really lightweight(2000lb-ish) rigs, and gave me this idea:
get a 2 door with a 4-banger, cut off the back, tube it, and run 36 or 38's. make it really light weight.
is this plausable? could i get it down to 2100lbs or so?
anybody done this before? ANY brainstorm ideas welcome.

i was thinking if i could do this, i could take the chopped back end and turn it into a camper tent/trailer to haul my dam lawnmower. if i do it, i prolly won't start till this winter, so i would just like to see if this is feasable, and get some build ideas for now.
ANY thoughts or ideas welcome. :repair: :exclamati

I like the 2dr idea but, I would stay with the stright 6. Just hack more metal off! With 36/38's what kind of axles does he have in mind?

i was thinking built hp30 front & 8.8 or 44 rear, whichever is lighter. this would theoretically work if the rig was real light, right?

your trying to build a strictly trail rig and your considering keeping the 30? not good, even light weight i doubt it would hold up under heavy abuse. anyways by the time you built it to do a decent job of holding up you could build a 44. the ring and pinion will be your weak point, among others, on the 30 if you build it strong

for lightweight strength of 36-38s I would definitely go Toyota for the axles.

anything is possible, but 2100 is definitely VERY ambitious.

also, if anyone knows the weight of motor, trans, suggested axles, etc. that would help, too.
ps. i was kinda hoping it not being yota' because i don't like birfeilds, and yota's are his thing(i would never hear the end of it, lol), but if it works the best, i might not have much of an option.
i do have some ideas for the tube part that should shave weight(like using certain 1-2" tubing combinations to use the least footage/weight possible)

xuv-this said:

also, if anyone knows the weight of motor, trans, suggested axles, etc. that would help, too.
ps. i was kinda hoping it not being yota' because i don't like birfeilds, and yota's are his thing(i would never hear the end of it, lol), but if it works the best, i might not have much of an option.
i do have some ideas for the tube part that should shave weight(like using certain 1-2" tubing combinations to use the least footage/weight possible)

Click to expand...

Toyota aftermarket is such that you can have about D60 strength in axles that weigh about the same as a D30/D35 combo with about the same clearance. for lightweight strength it sure seems the way to go.

I put an i6 in my buggy, its a heavy devil! I'd go with yota axles, a 4 popper, 5 speed, 4:1 case, LOW gears in both ends, aluminum wheels, leave most of the roof structure in place and add a cage. Tie the cage into the roof structure, dump the hatch, doors, stereo, heater, etc. Even all this you'd be lucky to get to 2600 lbs. But it'd be cool. I had a similar xj last season, it wheeled great! But they are so disposable with all that bodywork :lecture: Good project idea!

The sheet metal itself weighs next to nothing,this whole section was less than 50lbs.Now the fiberglass hatch is fricken heavy!

saw this rig today......should be pretty lightweight...........Id say the 2100 would be very tough

ok: i was thinking myself that 2100 might be a little too hard to get to. anybody know how those real light rigs get to be so light? like runnin' gear and chassis for example-? somehow people do it. i know i could get the thing to weigh 2500ish with light axles. my rear chassis idea is kinda hard to describe here. but the pics are great. thanks and keep the ideas rollin'!!!