Hey y'all! I'm in the market for a half-ton and would like to know what's more usefull, a 2wd with a strong V8 or a 4x4 with the V6 base engine? I don't need to haul heavy loads. I do have a buddy who blew a 4.0L Jeep motor in a Cherokee with 33" mud tires and a locked rear. See, I don't want to pick up the 4x4  with a V6 just to take it on the trail and if I get stuck in some clay blow the motor like my friend did. I need a somewhat affordable truck for commuting mostly. Are the Chevy 4.3L's or Ford's 4.9L six tough enough for flogging on 31's? The closest trail to me is on a hill at 400-500 feet tall with prolly up to 30% grades (more?) and likely a lot of clay in the soil.

Should I still hold out, but now for a cheap V8 4x4? (if that even exists)

Thanks for your help.

If you ask me a 4x4 with a 4cyl and a broken front axle is better than a 2 wheel because at least you can easily fix it to be a 4x4. any engen works if you have gears low enough. I know lots of toyotas with 4 bangers and 36s or bigger.  

I believe there's two gears for the K1500's with the 4.3L for the 88-98 models and that's 3.42 or 3.73. There ain't any years GM through in 3.08's in 4x4's with V6's are there? I'd be happy enough running 31x10.5-15 a/t's on it. If any of those gears are to tame for that I'd rather get a 2wd.  

 I forgot to ask; so the front axles will prolly go before the motor (4.3L)?

If not, could buying a cheap 4x4 with the 6 cylinder engine and later when I get  more cash buying a rebuilt 350 (or doin' it myself) save money. I'd like to know if I'd need the V8 though... (30% grade, maybe half a foot at the most of goo on flatter sections of the trail, 4600lbs of truck with driver and 31x10.5-15 a/t tires)

alright,

go out and measure the stock 225/75/16's that come on most v6 4x4's from the factory. you should get about 29.5x9

most 31x10.5's measure about 30 x 9.5

It'll take the extra load of 1" ok. yes all the trucks are 3.42, some z71 got 3.73 (95 and up?)

Motors blow from wear, excessive rpm and poor maintenance. Axles break from shock loads (suddlenly applied forces or torque).

It's up to you what you break first. I flog the *** of my k1500 with a warm 5.0L and 32"  tires, and havent broken anything yet.

From my aircraft course, I also heard very high loads (coarse pitch prop) at wide open throttle at low rpms can be exceptionally damaging. This is why all piston engines (in aircraft) have a manifold pressure gauge in the cockpit. 4x4  driving equivalent, getting stuck in the mud? So am I still unlikely to blow the motor if all tires get sucked into mud, swallowing all four tire's bottom part of the sidewalls or would any motor blow and that's the time to call for help or a winch? In that situation it seems easy to have too much load for an "economical" engine. I reckon you'd have a better idea (from experience?) than me about deep mud.

"very high loads at wide open throttle at low rpms"

At WOT you shouldnt be at low rpms. If you are flooring it without building any rpm, you should take your foot off the pedal, cus yes you are doing damage.

The rule of thumb for mudding is to have at least enough motor to spin your tires in the deep stuff. Now if you have stock tires, you dont need alot of motor. if you have boggers? better buy the v8.

If you are gonna run A/T tires or relatively tame M/T tires at a 31x10.50x15 size, the v6 will spin them no problem. You are gonna be hung up in the slop by suspension and frame parts before you know it. Trust me, my 32" bfg A/Ts on my k1500 spin and throw mud OK, but its the big IFS "mud plow" in the front that is stopping me.

Full size trucks need 33" plus tires to get through the slop. Their weight is their downfall, you might see a stock jeep skim across the top and think "no prob" then you get stuck and say bad words. Trust me.

Good luck. 

Thanks for all that info. I'll keep 33's in mind if I ever wanna go through deep slop. Quick question though; so even airing down 31's to something like 12-20 psi are not enough to float a fullsize truck?

I've heard of tremendous footprint area increase from dropping tire pressures. I think I'd prefer to carry a compressor in the truck anyway.

What motor does your K1500 have quyonmob?

Airing down just aint enough somtimes. I used to run 10 lbs in my 33 swampers all the time. It works great in the rocks and stuff but it seemes to me that in the mud it dosnt matter as much  

Hey quyonmob! I'm curious to why you run 32" tires when you said 33's or bigger are needed for slop. Did you find this out after you bought your 32's or did you buy 32's instead so you wouldn't need much lift and/or are worried about breaking parts? Do you have some lift and if so what kind?  

33" wont fit with out some lift or fender chopping. lift costs $$$ and fender chooping will have to wait until the fenders get rusty.

Plus 33's would suck ass with 3.42 gears and my 5.0L. I kept my tires REALLY skinny for the winter, I run 235/85/16 (32x9x16). I am running 60psi right now (rough ride, sweet mpg and almost no visible tire wear).

I havent really intentionally gone wheeling in this truck, i have had to wheel it PLENTY for my job and personal interests (fur trapping, etc). but I have a chopped up S- truck for trail bashing.

Once I put some coin in the bank I am gonna swap in a 14 bolt SF rear (bolt in swap) with 4.56's and a detroit, give the front some 4.56's, a 4" susp lift and chop the fenders enough to clear 35 or 36" tires. I hate excessive lift (like 9" on a k1500 for 35" tires). I use my truck as a truck and need the ground clearance of taller tires, but i need the bed height low enough to get my 4 wheeler or snowmobile in the back by myself.   

Plus I am afraid of heights.....8)

Since you run 32's with a 5.0L V8 and 3.42's 'cause anything else would suck too much power, I'm guessing 32's on a 4.3L and 3.42's would suck too. Would 31x10.5-15's be okay on a 4.3L and 3.42 geared truck? (or is that too much tire?)

 Does the truck feel any faster with those 235/85R-16's compared to your 32x11.5-15's or are the 235's so heavy there's no difference?

 Your not running 60psi in your 32's, are you? That sounds more like what people'd put in a 235/85R tire. I remember you said you use those tires in winter... It seems summer this year north of the 40th parallel is almost non-existant. Have you seen snow up there already?

40th? i'm closer to the 50th! Might move soon to North of 60 too.

snow? in august? haha, I live near ottawa not Resolute, but the Huskies are really getting anxious for the dog sled season. Plus my igloo is almost entirely melted.

31x10.5 would be fine with a 4.3L and stock gears.

The truck feels slower with the 235/85/16 E's cus they are 12ply with 3 ply sidewalls on steel rims (the combo is damn heavy).

I would never consider running 60psi in a load C 15" tire. I run 30psi in in the 32's on pavement and 15 on logging roads.

I run the 235/85/16 E's at 60psi, which would be considered underinflated by BFG, as they MAX pressure is 85psi. I run tires by the contact patch on the pavement, when you get a square/even pattern, you have hit your ideal street pressure. 

BRRR, its cold, I had better put another moose on the fire.

for what you are going to do a s-10 4x4 would work fine the 4.3 in them are reliable and they make good power and they are cheap  

Let me throw my two cents in here for what they're worth. First off a 2-wheel drive truck is like a girl thats just a friend, you'll always want more and never get it. 4 wheel drive is the way to go man, even with a 6, besides thats what its about, testing the limits, finding them and building your rig to push past them. Besides there's no shame in getting stuck, in my opinion your not trying if you dont, always bring a buddy and a strap cuz it never looks that deep. Also, 3:42's are the most likely gear in those trucks, my cousin has a 91 with a 4.3, 31" Baja Claws, and a rear lockright and he has a blast, and he gets stuck sometimes, but so do I in my K-10 on 37's, it happens. If you can't spin the tires in high, put it in low, I do low range third gear clutch dumps and hold my rpm to around 4800. When you do start to bog, dont floor it, you'll only dig deeper at best and blow your motor at worst, try to saw the wheel back and forth, but when the ride is over admit it and call for the strap. Thats my #1 recomendation though for any mud truck, locker. It'll make you the mud hole superhero. and quite gettin all ahead of yourself on the load versus drag thing, givin me a headache, anyway 4.3's are based on the 350 architecture, same pistons, bore stroke, etc. plenty of hop up parts for them and they're plenty tuff. Hope I helped dude.