Hey, I wanna get into wheelin' but I'm not sure what kinda truck to get. I've driven a 2wd 94 dakota with a 318 and it was alright. I know about IFS and stuff but I just wanna get some opinions. I'm tryin' to sell my car right now (95 celica gt) to get a truck and my budget would be about $4,000. I like K5s but I've heard bad things about their axles. I also have looked at Wranglers and Cherokees. So yeah, any help would be appreciated.    

No body? C'mon someone has got to have an opinion! lol  

The choice all depends on how you want to build the truck and what you want to use it for.  You can't go wrong chosing a Wrangler or Cherokee.  I like the K5's also; there is nothing bad about the axles used in the K5's, it all depends on how big you want to build it.  Comments on 1/2 ton axles being bad would be coming from guys using bigger than 35" tires.  Parts for Chevy/GMC trucks 73-87 (up through 91 Blazers, Suburbans, and Crew cabs) are very interchangable.  You can easily bolt in a D60 front and a 10.5 14 bolt FF from an 80's and older 3/4 ton with out moving spring perches or springs.

A K5 would be an excellent choice.

I have several Chevys, but I am now also looking for a 93-94 Grand Cherokee with the 4.0L and Manual trans.

Once you choose a truck, post again on here and let us know.  Good luck.  

Sounds good to me. I don't plan on going HUGE but I want to give it alil stature if you know what I mean lol. I'd want it to be kind of an all around truck, alil mud, alil trails, etc etc. Are the K5's roomy on the inside? I recently had a son and I need room for him and his carseat as the truck will double as a daily driver as well. Thanks for the help!  

k5's have lots of room and are stout, the cherokee is a little smaller but you have 4 doors which is super nice w/ a new family, both would get close to same mileage, $4k will get a decent cherokee or grand cherokee  

Cool so all I gotta do is make up my mind....thats the hardest part! lol Soon as my car sells I'll be buying a truck, which I have narrowed down to my above choices. Wranglers are cool but look too little,same as the Toyota trucks. Everything around here
is usually overpriced or beat to hell. But I'll find something or die trying. Thanks for the help, greatly appreciated.  

Looking back at my post yesterday, I hope I didn't confuse you on axles.  A GM D60 was only used in a 1 ton and will bolt right to 1/2 ton springs (with the bigger u-bolts and spring plates) and the 3/4 ton and 1/2 ton rear had the same spring perch spacing.

To see a awsome K5 try to find the pre mudder Blazer on this site.  Also coloradok5.com is a good site to check out.  Another site to give you good ideas on K5's is offroaddesign.com

To see what some of what is available for Grand Cherokee's look on icelandoffroad.com and kevensoffroad.com and teraflex.biz

There is lots of stuff available for the Cherokee (XJ).  The thing I like about the 93-98 Grand Cherokee (ZJ) is the 4 link coil spring front and rear.

To help in your search, try craigslist.org also.
Good luck.  

I've been looking on craigslist but all I can find are the newer IFS trucks and old beat to crap junkers around here. I like some newer trucks as well I just wish they had solid axles.  

Try an area farther from you on craigslist.  You can also try autotrader.com or your local paper, auto shoppers that you find at a grocery store.

Solid axle K5 Blazers are from 1969 - 91

Cherokee (XJ) from 1984 - 2001
My preference on XJ would be 1991-2001

For a ZJ, 93-98 Grand Cherokee, I posted my choice earlier on this but I am having a hard time finding a 93 or 94 with the 5 speed manual trans. or even just finding a ZJ with the 4.0L, as most I have been finding have the 5.2 V-8.

Keep looking and good luck.  

I've searched all those, I can find nice condition XJs but hardly any K5s and most of the ones I find are beat up, and the few okay ones are $6,000-$7,000. I found one for $2,500 but it has 145,000 miles and I'm not so sure about buying a 1990 vehicle. The Cherokees are nice but I think I'd miss the big v8. I think a fullsize would be alil too cumbersome offroad but I may be wrong? Grand Cherokees are alil too bubbly lookin' for me. There's just so many choices! lol  

Grand Cherokee bubbly looking? LOL

A 1990 Blazer with 145,000 miles for $2500 isn't too bad, as long as it is straight and clean.  My 89 Suburban just turned 140,000 miles today and the engine is still original.  I would not be affraid of those miles, it all depends on how they were put on and how the vehical was maintained.  A Blazer is not too big for off road.  

Cool, so I'm gonna try and get the K5 if it isn't sold already. It looks almost new and seems alright. Looks like he only took it down to the beach (not on the beach but to the beach) and around town. I was thinking more in the range of those huge ass 3500 diesel rams and stuff. Those are gigantic. lol Yeah, the Cherokees are squared off and angular, the grand Cherokees just like alil more bloated n bigger to me, but thats just my opinion.  

OKAY so I'm back and I think I'm going to end up with a 97 Tahoe, I know it has IFS but I need the room for me n  the soon to be wife and baby so I can live. Plus it has a 350 and its Chevy! lol I test drove a 1990 Jepp and it was awesome but no room and it didn't have power steering, which would suck for everyday driving. Are Tahoes decent?  

they are good trucks. they have the selectable 4wheel drive and are very comfy and spify on the inside, the extra set of doors helps when more than two doors are needed. you could aslo get the blazer, i have had good experiences with both blazers and tahoes. good luck on your purchase.