So I am looking into buying a 1987 Chevy. For the sake of the question, take out all factors including model size (1/2, 3/4 or 1 ton) engines and axles. I am curious to see if anyone out there has their takes on which is more beneficial for all around wheelin (mud, snow and trail)? Long bed, or short bed? I am aware of the difference in pinion angles and wheel base. What I am trying to find out is if you have ever been hung up when you know a short bed coulda made it? Or do you wish you had a long bed for having a longer wheel base. I am looking to run 39's so height (top heavy) is an issue. Whats your take?  

Top heavy shouldn't be an issue unless you're running a way taller lift than is needed for those tires.  A guy in the Top Truck Challenge ran a shortbed with 54's.  For wheeling, I'd take the shortbed.  You're just less likely to get caught up on the belly of the truck.  However, if you haul with your truck a lot, longbed is the way to go.  A short bed gets small real quick once you put a toolbox in the back.  

I would go long as longer wheelbase make it more stable at speed with lift and big tires.  

i think if you go wider as you go higher, you should be safe. i have a short bed s10 crew cab and it does everthing i need it to do.  

jimma3788:
i think if you go wider as you go higher, you should be safe. i have a short bed s10 crew cab and it does everthing i need it to do.

A short bed CC is not the same as a short bed std cab in wheelbase by any means. Even a extended cab full size with a short box had a longer wheel base than a standard cab long box (same with CC S10)  

even so, dont you agree that as you lift the vechile higher, you should also go wider. within certain limits of coarse. ther is the point where you should know when to stop.  

jimma3788:
even so, dont you agree that as you lift the vechile higher, you should also go wider. within certain limits of coarse. ther is the point where you should know when to stop.

I do basically agree with the lift width thing but remember too that as you go wider, the track wide to wheelbase ratio changes which can reduce stability at speed. This is why is it is good to start "long" here.  

again, it makes sense the way you put it.  

A large truck in the bush is no fun,1. Weight, all the extra length is unessesary weight,unless your big like me and need a long bed to stretch out in,gonna have a camper.its tight in the places i go and remember.all the front wheels do is turn round a pivot point,the back tire,the longer the w/b the longer the turn.Like my 18 wheeler,every thing i did in a turn was to make the hind most wheel clear,every thing revolves round getting the furthest point round where your gonna go.but on the flipside,having the weight you got spread evenly will make a more balanced vehicle,i think if you spread weight evenly it make for a better all around balanced truck,widen to offset the top heavy ness,or cut the fenders and have a low C of Gravity,better.where do you wheel the most? what is suited to the terrain ya love? do ya got trees in your play ground? is it rocks? build it to suit the terrains ya want.39s sound like mud,or is it,climbing rocks,ya need clearance that tall tires give ya.nothing is perfect,all the goodies in the best truck dont mean a thing if you dont know how to use the tools at hand.happy wheelin!  

You know I am talking about a std cab truck with a long bed which is not that long. Not a CC or extended cab land barge. Std cab long bed have about right wheelbase to handle well when lifted properly as long as you do not put a 1100 to 1300 lb diesel motor in the front of them and make them extremely front heavy. Shorter wheel based models with big lifts and tires can get twitchy at speed. Longer wheelbase calms it down a bit.  

A short bed would be the way to go. With a long bed you have a higher chance of high centering which everyone knows if your goin through deep mud with a long bed there is more to get hung up on because of the length. Long beds also are heavier ya dont want too much weight but you still want the weight which an 87 short bed could supply. Long beds suck in my opinion if ya throw 39s on ur short bed there is even less of a wheel base and less room between the tire and bumper that would be better for climbing some narly hill the rear bumper wouldnt be hangin up short beds are also easier to manover. how long the rig doesnt really mater ya see rock crawlers arent very long width is good ya dont want somethin that is goin to roll over on them 39s.  

i never had a short bed before just a 82 longbed and an 86 sub.and let me tell you...if you want room to haul ther aint nothing better to get your gear to camp...they wheel great and if you know how to drive land yahts then should be able to stick it where you want...my 82 sierra had a 4" lift w/35" mud kings and 6.2 for power and i never got stuck w/it in the mountains of sthrn cal. (except for the one time i didnt have a frt drive shaft cause it was getting lengthened).it would go through mud holes up mountains, snow, pretty much whatever i threw at it...my 86 sub had a 6" lift w/33" and never got it stuck in anything either. w/the trees and obsticles that are in the woods i placed that sub between them that you couldnt fit you arm between the trees and the sub! scared the living schit out of the 5 other people i had in the sub while i was having fun!it was funny averybody screamin "were gonna hit the tree!" never did though and i went to turn it around in a field and whent through t puddle so i thought it was a puddle, and the fn hole swallowed the right side of the sub up tp the mirror but i kept power up and didnt bog engine down and we got out of the wtr hole..again everyone was screamin! he he he!turned it around and went out over a cattle guard and WHAM! my reciever hitch slammed onto the cattle gaurd and damn near ripped off my sub...so i guess if you know how to drive land yauts then why worry?  

VIVA THA LAND YACHTS!!! I LIKE THE CHALLENGE of the biggurns,and the sounds of absolut terrror from the wienniees in the back,ba, iffin they didna want the thrill they shoulda got out and let me have all the fun.ime up to the challenge of the big boys,thats half the fun,but then again i wheel where theres nothin but room,happy wheelin!  

YEAH NAUGHTY, I THINK ANYBODY CAN WHEEL A SMALL JEEP OR SHORTBOX CHEVY OR WHATEVER SMALLER THAN A BIG BOAT!THATS THE REAL FUN AND LISTENING TO CRYING WEINIES AS YOU PUT IT IS ALSO A REAL TREAT...IT ADDS TO THE FUN OF WHEELIN!AND IF YOU CRINKLE THE BODY!?...WHO CARES! IF YOUR WOORIED ABOUT DAMAGE YOU SHOULDNT BE THERE! RIGHT?  

The biggest problem with the big land yachts is when you get them stuck. There are a lot harder to extract. Last time I got stuck several years ago, it took a back hoe to pull me out. Many years before that in 70's I buried a 3/4 GMC in a creek that looked dry but it turned out to be but a dry crust that would hold ou up on foot on top of 3 feet of silt and muck. Truck broke thru it and it was a awful mess. I called a wrecker and he could not get it out and told me I needed to call a serious MD truck wrecker. He did not charge me for attempt. I got neighbor to come over with his old Massey Harris 44  with a loader on it that weighed about 9K and after a couple of attempts, it got it out pulling a wheelie and digging big ruts do it. Even then I had to help with truck power too. (I had this custom made rear bumper that the hitch plate was 3/4 of a inch thick on a massive C channel custom bent bumper frame that weighed about 175 pounds and it survived this on slot without damage) The moral of this is that big trucks have more than clearance issues and a full sized truck with a short box is not going to weigh that much less to make much difference if you get stuck in deep mud. If you are worried about getting stuck in deep mud, you need a smaller lighter vehicle than a full size P/U.