BrettM said:
not only do you contribute nothing, you can't even count
exageration? (sp?)
my contribution would be this -
Switch the front suspention over to a double wishbone style with crossed lowers. This will allow for the minimal amount of wheel scrub (camber change) with articulation and allow much better center clearance and handling at high speeds.
i would also take a look at this thread here:
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=25592
loose the bed (sell it for cash) and make something out of fiberglass to look nice and serve no function other than be there, colect stickers, and be light.
Longer - thinner(thickness of the metal) - flatter leaf springs with long shackles for better articulation in the rear. The toyota guys really like the so called "63 inch chevys" for this - and with as little weight in the back as you will have, maybe remove a leaf or two.
Id also look into some frame strengthening in the form of a beefy rear bumper (also a good place to mount thoes new shackles)
a long travel rear driveline would be a good addition
sleve the frame rails completely and have your cage and seat mount brackets welded to that.
for more weight savings - look into plexiglass windows (while they arent street legal in CA - i doubt anyone would notice - just dont let regestration lapse on the vehicle.
maybe move the batteries and anything that you can to the back of the truck to more evenly distribute the weight and get more weight over the powered axle. Also mount your spare tire above the rear axle.
i do like the above mentioned D44 hubs idea - maybe just go all out and get some Krane D44 knuckles for the front end (if you decide to keep a straight front axle)
make some 1/2 doors (4 door cherokee's of the 84-96 front door are the same IIRC) to save weight while out, but retain full doors to drive to work when it rains.
loose the front skid if you have one that has to be good for 35 lbs
If i were to chose axles for my jeep again - I would go with a Toy 8" with a factory e-locker in the rear, because they are one of the lightest strongest setups and have a drop out carrier. They also have more clearance than my Ford 9.
I would run aluminum wheels instead of steel and look into the lightest tire that i could find (in the size and type that i wanted)
if you have a bench seat, you could convert to bucket seats (dont know how that effects weight) and that would help to hold you in place while flying down the trail - though a 4-5 point harness attached to the cage would do nicely (dont think i have ever seen a harness that uses a bench seat)
make it what you want it really...
that is just the way that i would go...
(that better?
)