Cut the FAT....80 series on a diet
- Thread starter PKP80
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- #22
Hood is about 60lbs, each front seat is 50lbs, each rear seat is about 40lbs, each door weighs another 60lbs. So collectively about 480lbs...add in a fiberglass hood 20lbs, 2 race seats 30lbs, 4 tube doors 15lbs each = 140 lbs replacing 480lbs.
Real curb weight?
I asked google how much the curb weight of a (stock) 80 is, and came up with numbers from 5,500lbs to 6,500 lbs.
Anyone ever weighed a stock 80 or have a authoritative source?
I asked google how much the curb weight of a (stock) 80 is, and came up with numbers from 5,500lbs to 6,500 lbs.
Anyone ever weighed a stock 80 or have a authoritative source?
According to my registration my 80 was 4750, the LX a little more.
Wrench
One Bashed Up 80
Ok so where do I find a fiberglass hood? What about race seats? Any good ones you recommend?
At the begining of the race season mmy truck was pretty much a a expedition Rig (ARB bumbers Old man emu suspension, Warn Winch, All the seat , etc) Now I have Chromo Moly Roll cage , 3 racing seats, Ditch the ARB Bumpers rear and Front -440 lbs( now it has custom Dom Bumpers on front with auxilary lights ) ,new suspension, King pre-runners and Dobinsons springs, Racing dash board light as posible ,33" tires and MT wheels 1 spare. no tool box , and no fuel , it wheighs:
5.291 Lbs
Need to put it on a diet also !!
Any exacts wheights on the 80 will be helpfull for all of us!
5.291 Lbs
Need to put it on a diet also !!
Any exacts wheights on the 80 will be helpfull for all of us!
- Thread starter
- #27
I am currently working on sourcing a reasonably priced FB hood (I can get them from Japan, but they cost over $1,000 just to purchase). As far as seats are concerned, I think the best in the industry are the Mastercraft 3G suspension seats, but I don't think they are that much lighter than the stock 80 seat. If you really want to kill seat weight, just get a drag car Kilby seat (it's just an aluminum frame, lol) they weigh close to nothing and also have a comfort level close to nothing, lol.
To truly save weight would be to tube the rear end of the truck. This means cutting off the frame just behind the upper link mount. This also equals relocating the gas tank and a Triangulated 4-link to eliminate the panhard since all of that would be getting chopped off. I'd imagine that I could get the weigh down into the low 5,000lb range cutting all that frame out and doing away with the rear bumper and tailgate.
I weighed my 80 with a bullbar and ARB full length roof rack, but otherwise stock, and it came in at 6500lbs.
I went to the scale today; 5700 lbs with tools, spares, and recovery stuff. The 80's armor is all tube, no dual batt's, SC, etc.
You have no idea how much I would love to... I guess we will just have to see where life sends me. I did, however, get a new tow rig...
- Thread starter
- #31
You have no idea how much I would love to... I guess we will just have to see where life sends me. I did, however, get a new tow rig...
If I only had a tow rig and trailer! I would be on an entirely different level of cutting up and modifying the 80. I would have definitely 3 linked the front since I wouldn't have to drive it on the freeway. I thought I would never have a "trailer Queen" but nothing sounds better. Anyone want to let me borrow their trailer?
You helped me on my thread in the 80 section, so I thought i'd help back!
There's many ways to save weight cheaply and easily on a rig like your's without the complications of tube rear or tube doors.
Fibreglass hood you've mentioned, you should be able to get books or a night school on doing it yourself and just make yourself a skin that's fitted on 4 pins (no internal structure), should save 70lbs +
For the doors you'd be amazed how much weight you can strip out by removing the windows, winder mech and motor, locks and internal structure leaving just a outer skin and edge frame with a simple pull rod on the OEM latch. Then just add an alloy inner skin. You can get stock doors down to 15-20lbs easy. Less if you cut the tops off and get down to half doors. It's less work than tube doors, looks cool and costs very little.
Then I'd go round the whole body and frame and cut of every bracket, stiffener, captive bolt etc. that's no longer used (they'll be loads), you can get anything up to 100lbs here depending on your build.
Seats you've mentioned, look into GRP marine seats because they tend to have reasonable padding, but a lightweight construction.
After that you're into major re-work zone, things like removing the stock rocker panels and combining them with a slider instead of having both, removing the chassis beyond the suspension mounts and only having tube overhangs. etc.
There's many ways to save weight cheaply and easily on a rig like your's without the complications of tube rear or tube doors.
Fibreglass hood you've mentioned, you should be able to get books or a night school on doing it yourself and just make yourself a skin that's fitted on 4 pins (no internal structure), should save 70lbs +
For the doors you'd be amazed how much weight you can strip out by removing the windows, winder mech and motor, locks and internal structure leaving just a outer skin and edge frame with a simple pull rod on the OEM latch. Then just add an alloy inner skin. You can get stock doors down to 15-20lbs easy. Less if you cut the tops off and get down to half doors. It's less work than tube doors, looks cool and costs very little.
Then I'd go round the whole body and frame and cut of every bracket, stiffener, captive bolt etc. that's no longer used (they'll be loads), you can get anything up to 100lbs here depending on your build.
Seats you've mentioned, look into GRP marine seats because they tend to have reasonable padding, but a lightweight construction.
After that you're into major re-work zone, things like removing the stock rocker panels and combining them with a slider instead of having both, removing the chassis beyond the suspension mounts and only having tube overhangs. etc.
Sam do you think 500 lbs less is worth all the effort? Your rig is great the way it is. Do you really want to cut the crap out it and take away everything that is great about an 80 for 500 lbs? So now your rig is 5500 instead of 6250 (best case scenario gave you an extra 250). It’s still a heavy pig and will never be a nimble rock crawler. I would just keep it as it is and enjoy all the sheet metal and creature comforts (like 4 doors and windows). You know every other wheeler in a tube/moon buggy is already hella jealous. I think your time and money would be better spent building a mini truck (maybe Formula Toy) then try to cut out all the fat. Anyone know what the Short Bus weighed in at?
- Thread starter
- #34
Worth it when I think in practical terms? No chance, but if I was thinking straight I'd still be sitting on 33's
. Thanks for the kind words. I agree that it is no going to be a great savings, but short of the doors w/ windows, there isn't much comfort and practicality left to the 80 and I just like to tinker, you know what I mean. I never thought I'd say it, but the final destination for the 80 is a trailer queen, or princess since I'm still under 30, lol (with the ability to street drive for the Sunday trips down the coast). The idea of pushing something that is not suppose to go that far, THAT far, is what fascinates me.
Damn mine may be pushing 7,000 pounds then 
Sam you could always hack the top off completely and just have a rag top over your cage, lose the glass if you have any in there now and stop eating.
that would save a good 200lbs 
I say keep her heavy and just flick off jeep owners. A lot more fun and alot less work...
Sam you could always hack the top off completely and just have a rag top over your cage, lose the glass if you have any in there now and stop eating.
that would save a good 200lbs I say keep her heavy and just flick off jeep owners. A lot more fun and alot less work...
- Thread starter
- #36
Damn mine may be pushing 7,000 pounds then
Sam you could always hack the top off completely and just have a rag top over your cage, lose the glass if you have any in there now and stop eating.
I say keep her heavy and just flick off jeep owners. A lot more fun and alot less work...
already have the top cut off, I don't eat much, but I do run the glass, lol.
you probably have seen the thread " help with 3 link on 99 4 runner" in this section, thats the look i was try to explain to ya. I think that would be pretty sweet, especially since you don't have a roof now.
- Thread starter
- #39
I weighed my rig fully loaded. tools, spares, and all.
I think the "what you need to carry" question really stems to whether or not you trailer your rig. If you don't you need to carry most everything birfs, axles, at least one drive shaft, all the tools you'll need to do the work, all fluids, camping items, spare tire, highlift, cooler/s.
If you are trailering your rig depending on the length of the trail you can leave a few of the heavier parts in the tow rig along with some other critical components that you could carry b/c you have the space, but the weight savings would not be too much. On the trail I always prefer to have spares
Wrench
One Bashed Up 80
No I don't trailer my rig. But I hate to carry a ton of stuff while wheeling. Because of the weight. But you say it's not an issue? So carrying spare birfs,axles,driveshafts,tools and grease/fluids/oil would be fine? I was thinking of leaving the stuff back at camp/trailhead but if I break and can't limp back I would need to run back to camp/trailhead to get stuff and run back. I mean I wheel with buggies and I don't see them carrying any spare parts or tools. Are they just so light they rarely bust?
