Short bed to long bed

[sammisox]

Please move this if this isn’t the right tab to post under. 
 

 

Thursday I’m driving 1.5hrs to look at a long bed Comanche. The truck is in great shape and I don’t believe I’ll have much to worry about, but weirdly I’m having a bit of cold feet  because it’s a long bed and I’ve only ever dealt with/seen short beds. I know there’s differences like the driveshaft, gas tank, etc. Is a long bed really that big of a deal? Is it just personal preference? 🙃
I wouldn’t be taking it anywhere where the extra bed length should be an issue. 

[Minuit]

Nah, it's no big deal. I like the way the short bed looks better personally, but the rest of the differences are pretty much all upsides IMO - more range thanks to the bigger gas tank, more room for stuff in the bed, likely a better ride and high speed stability thanks to the extended wheelbase. You may find the new truck to have a slightly bigger turning radius, but I'm not sure how big the difference is. Don't worry about the difference in parts.

 

In a world of MEGA SUPER ULTRA CREW DUTY bulldozers roaming the streets, a LWB Comanche isn't even that long really.

[fiatslug87]

[Pete M]

it's only 6" in front and 6" in back of the rear tire.  you'll never notice the change (until you're loading stuff in the bed and find out it holds 16% more. )

[NHMJXJ]

I've had both.  Unless you're the Stig from Top Gear, you'll never notice the difference. Except perhaps at Home Depot.

 

Beyond that, I think it's more of a preference than anything else. I was in search of a long bed when I found my current truck. 

Couldn't pass it up.   It's everything I wanted except the bed.     

[eaglescout526]

Love my long bed. Glad I’ve never had a short bed haha. Never failed me for loading a lot of crap. I can’t think of any downsides at all to owning one except if you’re going from short to long, you’ll need to be extra mindful of how much length you have now when backing out and parking. Other than that they’re just as fun as a short. 

[sammisox]

Thanks y’all. 
I have just never seen a long bed in real life lol

[ghetdjc320]

It does seem more practical, just not the best look imo. It’s the small size of the MJ cab that makes a long bed look a bit off to me. Resale value may be lower as well depending on the buyer. 

[sammisox]

I was thinking of adding a toolbox to make the bed look smaller lol. But could also chop a little off the back end if it bothered me enough right? 

[Manche757]

I have two short bed trucks. Love it, but i really like the look of the long bed (with turbines!).  Would a corvette look better one foot shorter?

[Pete M]

I'd say that depends on how it's done... 

 

 

 

[sammisox]

27 minutes ago, Manche757 said:

I have two short bed trucks. Love it, but i really like the look of the long bed (with turbines!).  Would a corvette look better one foot shorter?

The one I am going to check out tomorrow actually has turbines which is one of the reasons I’m excited about it. I’ve had a lot of different wheels but never a set of those

[Manche757]

Not totally sure but think the turbines are the top choice of CCers wanting the original look, but then what do I know? If that truck passes the rust test, you will be happy with it.

[eaglescout526]

Turbines seem to be the quintessential look for any XJ or MJ. They stopped making the turbines in 90. Now I have the turbines on the XJ and they don’t look good, but they need white wall tires to look good on an XJ. For an MJ, straight black will look good or even a thing white wall line will help there too. I have the Jeep 5 spoke on my MJ and I like those, I grew up seeing those on every XJ and YJ I saw including the Jurassic park YJs. 

[howeitsdone]

Turbines on a LWB is like PB&J for sure

 

[oldmanche]

I have owned both.  The long bed has a longer wheelbase and is longer past the rear axle.  It can be an issue off-road, but I thought the ride was much nicer.  I also like the look when lifted and 31’s.  If you don’t plan on abusing the truck off road, I would take a long bed.

[Airborne Janitor]

On 8/24/2022 at 3:47 PM, sammisox said:

I was thinking of adding a toolbox to make the bed look smaller lol. But could also chop a little off the back end if it bothered me enough right? 

 

Here's my lifted longbed with a toolbox. I think stock the longbed seems too long, but with a lift and 31+ tires they look better. Also if I'm not mistaken the first year MJ only came in a longbed so its really the OG. 

 

[gogmorgo]

I kinda prefer the ratio of the long bed. It helps balance out the long hood, imo, although after having a shortbed as well for a while I'm getting more used to that look. My shortbed is also a bumper delete truck, and my longbed has over 300,000 miles and the rear springs are badly sagged, so the difference in rear overhang is even more exaggerated. But the way the trucks are optioned means the driving experience is so different between the two that the difference in wheelbase is not something you'd necessarily even notice while driving. The shortbed feels tighter and quicker to turn but I suspect that has more to do with it weighing 20% less (2.5/ax5/2wd vs the 4.0 auto 4x4 longbed) than anything else.

[watchamakalit]

Ive never owned a long bed but have always wanted on. I use my trucks and the ability to haul sheet good with the tailgate up sounds appealing to me.

[gogmorgo]

I mean a 4x8 sheet doesn't exactly fit in the 7' longbed either. It just doesn't hang out the back as far.

[NHMJXJ]

IMO for what looks best ... Lifted long bed w/31"+, stock height short bed w/30". 

 

Wheel is personal preference, but I put MOABs on everything.  Never liked the turbine (sorry, not sorry).

 

Long bed, black wall out.  Short bed, raised white out. 

 

@eaglescout526 White walls are for station wagons    no offense intended.  

[eaglescout526]

21 minutes ago, NHMJXJ said:

eaglescout526 White walls are for station wagons    no offense intended.  

Hahaha.

I think there’s some in the brochures from 86 too.
 

Honestly what’s odd is after having thin white walls on my tires, I kinda don’t like the all black look. 

[Airborne Janitor]

10 minutes ago, saveevryjp1998 said:

This brings up an excellent point I definitely spaced being in construction. Short beds absolutely suck big ones if you have a tool box when comes to hauling sheets. My bed was trashed so I run boards across making a platform of sheets which puts the weight across the top bed rails and then wratchet strap it through the rust  holes on bed sides to get to unit body lol. Otherwise I'd hate the short box for work even more. I love my toolbox though and won't get rid of it for a work truck.

 

Since every MJ is single cab we don't have many options for (extra) secure storage. I was glad to get my tools, recovery kit, and gallon of coolant out of the cab and into a toolbox. 

[jpnjake]

I personally have my short bed with a side box, to me it gives me all the space I need for tools and such, plus I just like the look of it, and as for bed space I have a bedliner in and I use it to pick up and transport riding lawnmowers all the time and even from the side profile 31’s don’t look bad on it with the lift, keep in mind the only side picture I have rn I have a heavy trailer with another MJ on it so it’s a bit squatted