1990-91 Mighty Max/D50, if you can find one. Handled well at least to my 20 year old eyes. How I didn't die driving one all day for a couple of years is a minor miracle. Power was adequate - it would do 90 mph in 3rd gear - a trait I used to test often.
I quietly keep my eye out for one as a LoCost starting point...
As the resident Jeep Apologist, Comanches can be made to handle pretty well. AX15 is good as well as the 190hp 4.0HO.
buzzboy said:As the resident Jeep Apologist, Comanches can be made to handle pretty well. AX15 is good as well as the 190hp 4.0HO.
Quoted just to post that picture again. I farkin LOVE that body style cherokee. Mildly curious on handling with that 4.0 which weighs a million tons..
If I were doing this, I would start with the nicest S10 I could find.
B-body spindle swap with 1LE rotors and GTA wheels with the fronts on the rear and rear on the front (B-body spindles put the wheels out further. Cheaper option if you don't want to go 1LE rotors is to just find some B-body 4.75" rotors, or some generic B-body rotors redrilled for the right pattern. Hit the Afco parts bin for some coil springs or some chinese coilovers. The main difference is 10" rotors are easy (F-body). 11" rotors were 1LE (expensive) or B-body (redrill). 4.75" B-body rotors are possible in 11", but I forget the application. Usually 4.75" bolt pattern on the B-body went away in the late 70s, but there is an application that has 11" and 4.75" that doesn't cost a fortune.
The short-spindle S10 suspension really isn't that bad when you think about it in this application. The problem is that the arc of the upper arm causes a camber-out situation during the first few inches of compression which sucks. When you lower it, you get the upper arm closer to level and its less of an issue. The only remaining issue is camber-in during droop which can be helped/solved with weight transfer to the outer wheels. A stiff enough suspension won't move enough to get into that part of the camber curve anyway.
Any of the trucks we're talking about aren't wicked powerful, but some provide a more modify-able platform. Chevy's 4.3L V6 is a small block chevy with two cylinders missing. Performance parts are as common as water, and the block will support a pretty hefty power upgrade.
The Ford 4.0L (please, get the OHV, not the OHC... you'll thank me.) has some similar potential. Not quite as supported as the 4.3L, but 250hp is easy. Cam and heads and you're in the ballpark.
Of course, either one will easily swallow most V8s. 5.0L in a Ranger is cake, so is a 350 in an S10... weight penalty of course. A properly dressed aluminum LS weighs no more than the 4.3L
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