Project: Doitall Dodge

[lstzephyr]

Good stuff. I did that to my truck a few months ago as well. Its not earth shattering but makes a good difference. Its cool how quick the power comes in with the new settings eh?

Might want to look for a 366 spring. Its like 15 dollars or something retarded cheap. Supposed to make the truck rev out a bit more. I've got one ready to go in my truck next week.

[Metcalf]

The governor spring is on my list, not so much for the extra RPM, but to help with the gradual de-fueling of the motor as it approaches the governor speed.

It is nice to have a little more pep in the truck.

[flexiheep]

I like the filter holder, I did mine and just hung a piece of nylon webbing in that area that the filter rests on. I still need to put in my 366 spring, I have had it on the bench for almost 2 years now :Wow1:. I seem to have one of the weak pumps, mine starts to defuel about 2100 rpm, where others get 2500 or more before defuel. I really need to finish working with my pump, the 366 spring, I want to advance the timing, and lower the idle (I screwed in the fuel screw, and it raised the idle to about 900).

I have to say I really like the look of the truck with the michelins and the fender work (calling it trimming seems so inadequate). I wanted to do a little trimming and run the 9.00/16 size for a couple years.

[Metcalf]

I hope this summer I can get the body straitened out enough to put some paint on it. It doesn't need to be perfect, but decent and one color would be nice! I think I will be able to get the fender mods covered up pretty good :) Then people will have a really hard time figuring out what is going on.

I really like the fender mods and michelins too. I am going to be pretty sad when they finally wear out. I will get another year out of them but then they are going to be pretty worn out. I just hit the wear bars on two of them. I need to get a grooving iron and cut the bars out.
I don't know what I will replace them with? I would love to find another set and run them on some 9" wide wheels. These Michelins are getting pretty rare it seems. Its a bummer, they are a GREAT tire for these big heavy trucks. If I can't find another set I will have to go to something more normal. I think I could run 40s, but some 37s might be a better option? I wish they made more 38-39" radial tires that where about 13" wide. I think the 14.5s would be a little too wide?

I hope to build a simple front bumper this week, we will see :)

[flexiheep]

get anywhere on the bumpers?

[Metcalf]

I started on a simple front bumper the other day. I will have some pics up soon. Its just a free scrap bumper with stuff from work. Its basically just a 2x4 box tubing front bumper, but I ended up cutting through 3-sides every 3" and bowing the material so it follows the large radius at the lower edge of the grill. It ended up pretty neat so far, I have no idea how I got it so close in radius. I was literally standing on the tubing with it supported between and old wheel and a railroad tie trying to weld up the cuts once the radius looked close!

I'm designing this bumper to use a separate winch mount I can add in the future.

The bumper is tucked WAY up in front!

I'll try and get a pic or two tonight.....I have a LOT of grinding ahead of me!

[Metcalf]

Here are the first rough pictures of the front bumper. Its just 2x4 box that is 'bent' to roll around the lower edge of the grill shell. I was able to grind the top surface of the bumper pretty smooth last night....2 more sides to go. Then I need to trim the ends and cap them. I am going to try and angle cut the ends a bit to give it a little better fit on the truck. I will be using the old bumper brackets and cutting them down and plating them. There will be a 3/8" spacer under those brackets to allow me to have a bolt in winch mount in the future. Its been annoying me lately to have no from bumper so I thought I would throw something together out of free scrap material from my work. I think I will add two front recovery points into the winch mount...or maybe build them separate for now and into the winch mount later.

By tucking the bumper up so high I think I can install the winch below the bumper and back against the first frame cross member.

Its surprising how much I like this truck. Its just so bone simple and reliable, I'm really happy that I didn't get too crazy with the suspension. Its basically at a level stock height right now, it still daily drives great and does anything else I ask it to.

[Scott39]

Here are the first rough pictures of the front bumper. Its just 2x4 box that is 'bent' to roll around the lower edge of the grill shell. I was able to grind the top surface of the bumper pretty smooth last night....2 more sides to go. Then I need to trim the ends and cap them. I am going to try and angle cut the ends a bit to give it a little better fit on the truck. I will be using the old bumper brackets and cutting them down and plating them. There will be a 3/8" spacer under those brackets to allow me to have a bolt in winch mount in the future. Its been annoying me lately to have no from bumper so I thought I would throw something together out of free scrap material from my work. I think I will add two front recovery points into the winch mount...or maybe build them separate for now and into the winch mount later.

By tucking the bumper up so high I think I can install the winch below the bumper and back against the first frame cross member.

Its surprising how much I like this truck. Its just so bone simple and reliable, I'm really happy that I didn't get too crazy with the suspension. Its basically at a level stock height right now, it still daily drives great and does anything else I ask it to.

I can't wait to see the bumper done, I'm still getting ideas for my home made front and rear bumper's for my 95' Dodge, These trucks are simple, and reliable for sure, (my front suspension is not as simple as yours, but not bad),
thats my I love my truck also. I got 23 mpg the other day driving in the mtn's, just incredible.

[flexiheep]

Good job following the curve on the front, some day I might actually build my bumpers, had the design in my head for 7 years or so.....

[Metcalf]

It was nice after work so I worked on the bumper some more. I got it ground down, welded to the old bumper brackets, and trimmed the ends down. Sorry I didn't get some better pictures, but it was getting late. The ends are double tapered and look pretty cool in person. They follow the edge angles of the grill pretty well. The ends will be capped with some plate, I just need to make a template and cut them out. The stock bumper brackets are also going to be cut down. I ran out of daylight today. I will just cut them down with the torch at work, that will take like 5 minutes. I also added the 3/8" spacers between the frame and bumper brackets before I welded it up. This way I have room to slide the future winch mount and/or shackle mounts in-between the frame and bumper bracket.

I also stopped by the hardware store and picked up some replacement screws for the AFC housing on the fuel injection pump. The stock flathead bolts where a pain the the but. I got some nice stainless metric button head replacements. I swapped them in the parking lot :)

[hhand]

Cool dude like how it's coming along keep up the good work

:smiley_drive:

[Metcalf]

I finished up the front bumper for now. Its deceptively simple. In most pictures it looks just like a 2x4 box tubing bumper. In real life the bumper has double taper cut and capped ends along with a large radius to follow the lower edge of the grill shell. I'm pretty happy with it for the $10 I have in it...primer and paint cost. I threw on some black satin paint for now, but I might change it after I paint the rest of the truck.

I need to fab up some tow tabs that will go between the bumper mounts and the frame. I am also trying to figure out what I want to do for a winch mount......

It does feel good to be building stuff for the truck again.....

[DT75FLH]

Earlier in your thread you were commenting on your tires.

I found a website that is selling the 38" xml.

have you checked wartires.com?

just a fyi

[Metcalf]

Thank you for that link. They look to be a little low in stock, but they list 90% tires in stock. Price isn't bad, shipping is a little steep however. I do like these tires, but they do wear faster than I thought they would. If I was to install another set I would think about using a wider (9-10") wheel.

[mopowa]

I like it! Simple and effective!

It will look REAL mean once you get a winch mounted up in there as well:sombrero:

Keep up the awesome work! Can't wait to see it once you finish up the body work. Hehe, good luck with that by the way :D

[Metcalf]

yeah, the body work is a long road ahead. I've done some of it in the past, but I am no expert. I'm pretty sure I am just going to paint the truck in something like a 'pepsi' blue. The factory color was pretty close to this. By staying with the same kinda of blue for the main color I don't have to worry about painting the interior of the cab, firewall, or underside of the hood. This makes this a little easier for me. Its not like I don't have enough to do on the body as is.....

I'm still playing around with ideas for the winch mount. I really want to tuck the winch back and up out of the way. I think the best way to do this may be to remake the front cross member on the frame. It wouldn't be easy though. I think most of the front sheet metal would have to come off the truck to cut the rivets on the factory part, then replace it with a welded unit that could be bolted in its place. If someone close to southwest Colorado has a parts truck or a bare frame sitting around I would love to come measure it. If I can get an accurate model of the front frame section modeled I should be able to have all the parts cut on an CNC plasma/waterjet/laser. Then the parts could be assembled and welded ahead of time. That way the install would only take a few hours instead of a week or two. Just thinking out loud. I'm pretty sure if the winch was mounted in this location it could fit behind a stock bumper also. I don't know why, but I really like the hidden winch concept. I think there is room for just about any winch that doesn't have an permanently attached solenoid package. I'm planning on using something affordable like the Smittybilt 10K comp winch that comes with synthetic line and an aluminum hawse. Its not the ultimate, but for my uses I think it will be just fine.

Mopowa,

Go finish putting together your truck so I have some more inspiration!

[mopowa]

I'm giving myself a deadline of July 1st. Should give me plenty of time to get all the parts ordered, search around some junk yards for parts, find a hoist and get everything back in driving order:coffeedrink:
When it happens, it will all happen at once....sooo in the mean time, lets see yea use some of the inspiration i've given you so far and get to work on your body and paint! Blue should look real sharp on your truck!

Your idea for the "hidden" winch sounds very complicated... I LIKE IT!!! If it turns out well, I may just copy it:D

Cheers

[mopowa]

I just remembered that the previous owner of your truck bedlined the entire body didn't they?:Wow1: ....I can see why you've been putting it off for so long! I bet a media blaster would take that right off.

[ntsqd]

Quality paint stripper. Works on powder coat too.

[Metcalf]

I've got some good free time coming up over the holiday with the S.O. going on vacation to see her sister. I don't know a lot about body work...so I am going to learn as I go for the most part. I'm going to start on the drivers fender....I think its the worst panel on the truck.

Yup, the previous owner tried to bedliner on the truck. It didn't stick that well, but what did stick is a pain to get off. A wire brush on the grinder seems to work the best so far.

The winch mount shouldn't be too bad once I get the measurements. It will not be a simple bolt-on though. You will have to remove the front cross member on the frame and replace it. I think this means you have to cut out about 8 heavy rivets. The new cross
member would just slide in and be bolted in the same 8 places....most likely with a few more like the 6 bumper mount holes.

First thing up this weekend is a valve adjustment.

[Metcalf]

I tried some aircraft paint remover. It worked ok, but not as well as I thought it would. I don't need to take the entire truck down to metal. I probably should, but I don't want to :)

[lstzephyr]

With aircraft stripper you really have to scrape the hell out of it. Grab a big putty knife and do alternating bits at a time. Soak one side while scraping the other. Don't let it soak too long or it will start congealing into a melted paint goo. The stuff is nasty, and makes a mess of everything but it makes it alot easier to come back with the grinder to knock off the extra.

This tank was bedlinered camo, and it still took a couple hours to get all the paint off with aircraft stripper.
Before

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x183/lstzephyr/IMGP3427.jpg

After

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x183/lstzephyr/IMGP3512.jpg

[ntsqd]

"Tal-Strip", if still available in the original formula, is reported to remove catalyzed Imron nearly immediately. Would be my first choice. Still gonna make a mell of a hess.

I'd think that media blasting would be laughed at by the liner. My old roommate's Ex owned a Line-X operation in Nor-Ca. One of his biggest set of customers were the local nut packing houses. They would have him spray the concrete driveways and ramps around the buildings where the forklifts ran. Without the spraying the forklifts would grind the nut shells into the concrete and they'd have to tear out the concrete every 2-3 years and replace it. They would get ruts too deep for the forklifts to be able to steer out of.
With the spraying they could get 6 months to a year out of each spraying, and 5+ years out of the concrete. Cut that part of their operating expenses to a 1/3 of what it had been.

[BlueBomber]

Looking good!

[Metcalf]

Valve adjustment is done! All where loose. I used the alternator bolt (22mm) to turn the motor, This worked WAY better than I thought it would. I'm really glad I didn't buy the special tool for that! I used the 'up-down' single cylinder method. Watch for either the intake or exhaust valve to be all the way in, then adjust the other valve. This way you only have to take one valve cover off at a time. This worked a lot better for me in the driveway than having to remove them all. The only hard one to do this way is the number 6 intake valve since its hidden behind the 5 cover and your reaching a long ways. It took me under an hour to do all the valves. This is also a good way to do it I think if you are someplace where the wind might pick up. It limits the amount of the valve train that is exposed to dirt/dust.

I left the decorative cover off the top of the motor. I like the look of the raw valve covers. I think it was also the source of an under hood rattle. The rear mounting bolt hardware was not original.

The truck runs a LOT better. It has a nice smooth idle, starts right up, and seems to be much smoother at all RPMs. I also think it brought the temps down a bit. The turbo seems to spool a little better ( I can't wait for something better! ) Its is also a lot quieter. I hope the mileage goes up too :) I'll update.

If you have a 12V dodge 1st or 2nd gen don't hesitate to do the valves yourself. I did, and I regret it. Its very easy....no really. The only real special tool you need is a 22mm socket for the alternator bolt. Rolling the motor over is EASY...pure one hand thing. If you live somewhere close to Durango I would be more than happy to come over and help you do it the first time.

[dragogt]

Finally finished reading this, seriously good looking truck..

Also if you want to play w/ that cummins a little bit www.freewebs.com/nevrenufhp has a couple good write ups...

[Metcalf]

Thank you.

I hope it will look a lot better when I get some paint over new bodywork. I'm pretty sure I am going to do a medium 'pepsi' blue metallic. The truck was originally close to this color. I will then be painting the bumpers and wheels a medium to light gray/silver as an accent color. I may also have some HD chip resistant 3M vinyl rockers made for the truck with some 'sponsor' type monochrome decals in a matching color. I think that will make the truck look pretty good without going over the top.

I could definitely work on this truck forever and still never run out of little things to change, make better, or modify.....

[dragogt]

Sounds like you have it pretty well thought out..

[Metcalf]

I think about this stuff way too much......

[lstzephyr]

I was amazed how much of a difference the valves made as well. Now throw a 366 spring at your pump and its almost like driving a modern vehicle instead of a tractor.

I left off the decorative cover too, those six covers look cool in my opinion.

[Metcalf]

I was just looking at ordering one. I might call the nearest cummins place too. I think there is one down in Farmington. I need to do some low pressure piston pump shopping too :)

I also made sure the fuel pin wasn't sticking and rode up and down on the fuel cone. I had to use some penetrating lube to get it to work right. I also removed the white spacer from under the fuel cone. This gave me a little more travel before the fuel pin bottoms out in the AFC. I need to check the marks on the cone tomorrow to see how close to full travel I got it.

While I am in there I will back out the hi-idle screw till just before the throttle bottoms out internally.

I'm pretty sure I am going to order a Glowshift 3 in 1 gauge soon too. It will read boost, EGT, and fuel pressure (I hope). I don't know if the resolution on the digital pressure gauge will be low enough for the diaphragm fuel pump...but I should be ok when I get the low pressure piston pump. I think I am going to try and make a fiberglass gauge pod for the A-pillar with the gauge tucked really close to the dash.

I also need to get rid of this dang big exhaust housing on the turbo. Its killing me since I live at 7000ft. I'm leaning toward replacing the factory turbo with the 2004.5-2007 Dodge he351cw turbo. Those are suppose to be REALLY nice on a 1st gen VE Cummins.

body and paint first though....I need to get that done this summer!

[Metcalf]

Tis the season......for bodywork!

I got most all the bed-liner, paint, and old body filler off the drivers side fender. I think this fender will be the hardest, so I started on it. I found that a twisted wire brush on the grinder works the best for taking stuff off metal. It doesn't heat the metal up nearly as much as a fine wire brush I tried first. The twisted brush strips everything off in a hurry. What doesn't come off is REALLY stuck on the metal. Depending on how the body comes out after the hammer/dolly work, grinding, welding, and shrinking I might have a bare metal fender. I hope I don't have to do this on the entire truck...but if I have to I have to.

I have a set of affordable hammers and dollies coming in the mail, they should be here tomorrow afternoon. Depending on how it goes I may also order a uni-spotter. These really help for pulling stuff out that you can't get to the back side. Low stuff isn't as big a deal as high stuff IMOO. I'm not afraid to use a little body filler if I have to. This is work truck after all.

This should be an interesting part of the build.......

I two existing problems and then all the fender modifications to deal with. You can see a large dent in the upper left of the fender. This was hidden under some old body filler. The second is a flattening of the fender lip at about 10 o-clock in the wheel well opening. This was also under some body filler. In addition there was a small dent in the forward edge of the fender near the grill shell, I already pounded on this and most of it came out. That was all the existing character before I cut the fender apart for the sectioning modification. All that still need to be finish welded, ground down, and flattened. That will be the most interesting part.

Here is the fender I stated with.....well see how it turns out.

[Metcalf]

Oh yeah.....

Last night I also turned out the high idle screw. I knocked off the tamper-proof collar with a screwdriver. Then loosened up the double nut. I backed the screw out and checked to see if the pump was binding/stopping internally. My pump didn't bind, all all suppose to be a bit different however so always check. I then used a section of steel tube to mash the throttle pedal down to the mat. I then checked to see if I could use my new found throttle travel. My linkage bottomed out, even with the throttle ball relocation, before the throttle arm on the pump did. I did however gain a decent amount to travel. I have adjusted the throttle to the maximum travel I can get stock. I would need to shorten the throttle cable at the pedal in the cab to get more travel. I will make something to do this down the road.

I tested it on the way to work this morning....

OH BOY did it make a difference! My engine doesn't seem to defuel as rapidly now and can turn a fair bit more RPMs. It still does flatten out when the governer hits. I will be adding the 3200rpm spring soon, this was a good improvement by itself however. It really closed up the gap between 2nd-3rd-4th.

Highly recommended for manual transmission 1st gen dodge truck. Its free other than you need 2-10mm wrenches, flathead screwdriver, and a small hammer. It took me about 15 minutes at most.

[lstzephyr]

The sheet metal on these trucks is pretty thick so I'd recommend having a torch around to anneal it. I ran out of interest and violence before I ran out of dents.:elkgrin: Looking good.

Have you thought about bumping the pump timing an 1/8th inch? I'm considering doing that but I haven't decided.

[Metcalf]

I just ordered a set of metric S-wrenches the other day just in case I want to bump the timing. Living over 7000ft I need all the low end help I can get so I may do this later when I get a super quick spooling turbo instead of my stock lag-o-matic

There is also a dynamic timing spacer from M&H now that is suppose to allow a broader dynamic timing window. Basically adds high end timing without loosing the low end timing.

These trucks are so much fun to play with.

I spent the evening sanding down the high spots on the butt-welds from the fender stretch. I have a few pinholes where I missed welding that I need to fill tomorrow. I ran out of daylight. Its probably good I don't have a place to work inside at home anymore. I would never sleep (j/k I would LOVE to have a shop!)

When I make some progress I will post up some more pics....

[Metcalf]

Take that front fender!

Step 1.5. Remove fender from the truck. This is hard when you don't have anyone to help hold the hood! I tried removing the dents from the fender on the truck, but it was about 10X easier with it off. I could also work in the shade on the back deck instead of in the sun!

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0092.jpg

I was able to get most of the dents pushed around enough that I felt comfortable using some filler on the low spots. I had a big dent hidden under some old filler on the body line. This took a decent amount of hammer and dolly work with some creative metal shrinking using a wire brush and a wet rag. It didn't come out perfect, but I was pretty happy. When using a hammer and dolly go slow and check your progress with a light coat of paint or blue spray die. I left a lot of cut/weld lines from the fender a touch low since the metal was all moved around from the welding. I think this will work better. I don't think the filler is more than 1/16-1/8" in the worst places. I thought that was pretty good for how many pieces this fender had been cut up into. This fender has two hand made sectioning panels and like 7 seams!

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0093.jpg

Here you can see the fender after the hammer and dolly session on the back deck. When I cut this fender I made a mistake in the lower front edge where I bobbed the fender. I didn't leave myself the material I needed to make a flange on the bottom. I had to do it the hard way instead. I cut a new flange out of some 22 gauge with the sheetmetal snips.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0091.jpg

I then tack welded it on in a few spots. I needed a third hand to hold this in position! Once I got it tacked by pushing the edges together with a hammer, I sanded the edges down till they where flush. I then slowly welded up the inside and outside. I also used a copper backer to weld up a few holes in the fender that where left over from the modifications.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0094.jpg

Here is the finished flange. Once I welded it up I carefully sanded it down with a flapper disc. I then primed the inside heavily along with all the seams after a stiff wire brushing. Hopefully this holds off the rust since I won't be painting the backside of the fender.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0095.jpg

After some 35 grit to take off the old paint and primer in the low areas I started skim coating the low areas with body filler. This went pretty well. I like to use about 3 thin coats of filler instead of one coat. I hand sanded all the filler with some 36 grit on a long board. My shoulders are going to be SORE tomorrow!

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0096.jpg

The fender is almost ready for primer! This is after 3-4 applications of body filler and sanding in between each one. I like using skim coats instead of heavy coats. The fender was leveled with 36 grit and then brought down with 80 grit. I will have a few touch ups to do with some glaze after the primer goes on, but this fender turned out pretty sweet. Unless you know what your looking at you can't tell it has been sectioned. From 3' away you really can't tell. Doing the fenders this way is a LOT of work for sure! I think it will be worth it in the end though. It will be one of my ultimate stealth modifications. I'm not going for a glass smooth show quality paint job, but it will be nice to have a 99% smooth truck that is all one color!

I really like that I can run anything up to a 40" tire with no lift :)

I need to pick up some 120-150 grit for my sander tomorrow. I will then sand down the entire fender to get ready for primer. I need to spray about 3-5 coats on it and work my way up to some 320 grit. I'm sure I will have to glaze a few low spots before I spray the sealer coat.

Next up on the list is the other front fender. It's not as bad as this one. I might be able to get away with leaving it on the truck. The hood should be pretty simple it just needs to be sanded down with some 320 for primer/sealer. Its the only straight panel on the truck! I also need to take off the cowl vent and have the sand blasted! there is no way I want to hand sand all those grill slats! That will take care of the front clip, then its onto the doors.....

Speaking of doors. I need some new mirrors. These 3-point things kinda suck. I think I am just going to have to bite the bullet and order up some 1992 factory style replacements. These doors don't have those holes though so I need to make a template, weld up the old holes, and make a mount for the factory style mirrors....

[Metcalf]

Well, I couldn't do anymore body stuff......

So I found and fixed the most annoying squeak coming out of the rear of the truck. I did a driving diagnosis and determined that it was the rear U-joint. I first tried greasing it again but that didn't help. I was pretty sure it was the joint so I pulled the driveshaft from the diff.

Yup, it was the U-joint. It was hammered! Even 1410 joints have there limits. No grease being one of them. Two of grease passages to the bearings cups where rusted shut and no grease had gotten to those caps in the long time!

I also grabbed an extra U-joint at the parts house. Its nice insurance to know that a single u-joint fits front or rear on the truck.

I replaced the joint.....no more noise....ah.....silence! Oh wait...its a 12V Cummins with big old military tires :drool:

[tiresmokindad]

Nice job. I follow your instruction, I remove the paint and weld it properly. I think the result is effective. Thanks for your help.

[Metcalf]

Houston.....we have primer!

Well it feels good to get a body panel in a solid color, even if its just primer. The fender turned out pretty darn good for being cut up into a bunch of pieces. Its NOT perfect, but this isn't suppose to be a show truck. I'll be happy if it looks straight and shinny from 10 feet away :)

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAGE_097.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAGE_098.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAGE_099.jpg

I took it down to 180 grit on a random orbit sander and sprayed 3-4 coats of high build primer after a good cleaning. Don't mind the over spray on the grill shell, its junk anyways. There are a few ripples in the lower fender edge where the sections are, but overall I think it looks ok. I missed two small dents that will need some glaze.

Next up is the other fender
Then hood
Then cowl
Then tailgate
Then bed
Then doors
Then cab ( with a windshield removal just before primer )
Then sealer over the entire thing and a scuff
Then its time for COLOR!

I'm still trying to decide if its worth installing another fuel door for a Ramcharger tank. I figure this would be the right time.....

I also need to figure out something for mirrors. Replacement OE style mirrors are about $75 each. I'm really not liking the 3-point mirrors I have now....

[Metcalf]

I got the passenger side fender stripped, seams ground, adjusted with the hammer/dolly, cleaned up a bit with a sanding disk, and checkered with 36 grit to get ready for filler. I have a bit of touch up welding to do before the filler tomorrow...I ran out of daylight.

[a.mus.ed]

I know my opinion will change once I see the final product, but I gotta say I'm kinda sad to see the "experienced" look go. Regardless of how it looks, I love this truck. Keep it coming!

[Metcalf]

Thank you. Having a one color mostly straight vehicle is new or me too. All my stuff is....errrr....experienced :)

It should look pretty decent when its done. In no means is it going to look perfect. I'm sure it will get beat up again in the following years. This isn't suppose to be a show queen. One of the main reasons for the body work is to keep rust from coming in to the sections, they needed to be prepped primed and painted better. There was surface rust after a year. I want this truck to last a long time.....

[mopowa]

Looks like your doing a really good job!
Can't wait to see this beast in paint!:Wow1:

[Metcalf]

Thanks Mopowa.

The passenger side front fender is now almost done in the pound the metal into submission and fill in the low spots with filler stage. Why did I cut these fenders all up to begin with? :)

I should have that fender in primer this weekend along with the hood.

I'm gonna have monster shoulders from all the long board sanding!

[redthies]

I know it is all about the body work these days, but I am potentially back shopping for a 1 or 2 gen Cummins. I gotta ask... What is the turning radius like in gen 1 trucks? I assume similar to my dana 60 frontend 92 F350. The 2 gen trucks turn much sharper due to coils, correct? I will be towing a 31' trailer and want the turning ability so as to not have to do 16 point turns!

[Metcalf]

MIne isn't the best right now because of the leveling springs. My truck turns farther one way than the other. On the tight side however, it turns VERY tight. The spring centers are only 32" approximately so the tire has LOTS of room to move around. I am VERY close to binding the yokes in the knuckles on the when turning to the left. That is generally about 38-40 degrees on stock spicer axles. My TALL tires come very close to the springs when turning left, but just miss.

Turning right the right side tire contacts the pitman arm TRE with my 39s. It also doesn't turn as tight turning to the right.

My overall plan is to move the steering box to the 2wd position on the frame, install a longer WJ jeep pitman arm, and run crossover steering to a passenger side steering arm on the D60 knuckle. I will tune the length of the arm to allow me to have full travel right and left so the tires just barely contact the springs. This should be about 40 degrees of steering. I don't think I can get much more than that.

My truck is also a regular cab longbox so its pretty short in general.

On the 2nd and 3rd gen dodge trucks larger tires will contact the control arms much more. The control arms are wider than the old style leaf springs I believe. The 2nd, and more so the 3rd gen, run REALLY high backspacing rims to bring scrub radius WAY down. This helps cram more steering angle into the available space.

My truck turns ok now...and has the potential to be really good even with larger tires.

[redthies]

Good to know. Mine (94 gasser stick) will rub at full lock with 285s. I will run 35s on the diesel. I will also be painting the gasser soon so i can get top $ for it if the diesel shows up. A nice coat of "Massey Ferguson" red will be going on. It is so much cheaper to buy industrial paint than automotive here. Automotive paint is about 2-300 per gallon with reducer and industrial is $50 with reducer at $10... An old work truck doesn't need show paint...:sombrero:

[redthies]

How is the body work coming?

[aires35]

I am from Houston, yes that is primer. Reading about your Dodge has kept me up waaaayyy past bedtime. That has got to be one of the coolest trucks ever! Great job!!! Keep posting, very interested in where you take this.

[Metcalf]

Thanks guys, I will post some more soon. Been busy, but the body work is going slow. I'm making a trip to Idaho for the 4th weekend for 'testing' :) The bed area of the truck has been redone also....

[Metcalf]

The truck made another 1500 mile trip over the 4th of July weekend. Average mileage for the trip was 18.X mpg. 75mph on the interstate tends to eat away at mileage a lot. I also filled up with B100 in Moab both ways. The truck ran GREAT on B100. I have been running it around all week on bio also.

We slept in the back on the way up. I ended stipping the old sleeping platform out of the truck. I wrapped a 4x8 sheet of plywood with carpet and laying it on the floor of the bed. This worked great to make the floor nice, flat, and skid resistant for the dogs. I then threw an old futon matress on the carpet to sleep on. This worked much better for us. the back of the truck is much more spacious now, and you can sit all the way up in the back of the truck now while in bed. the matress is easy enough to roll up out of the way if you have to haul something. There is still more than enough room for gear storage and a regular sized spare tire.

I have a pic or two to post later.

[wrigh003]

Very interesting- I have spent more time than I should have this weekend starting at the beginning and following through til now. Glad to be able to see how the sectioned fenders are turning out- they really look great. I think especially once you get it all one color, there will be a lot of folks looking at it and going "hm. Those are real big tires- he must have done a huge lif- oh wait, it's not really that tall - what the..."

Nice work/ looking good/ keep at it. :)

[Metcalf]

Thank you for the encouragement and compliments....

I finally got the passenger side fender filled, sanded, and primed this evening. It turned out pretty good, perfect....no...but pretty good for this old truck. It defenetly doesn't look like the fender was sectioned.

I do indeed get people that look at the truck and do a double take, it looks very different in person. The proportions are WAY off to the eye, the truck looks huge until you get up close. Then people just scratch there head.

I will get some pics of the fender tomorrow in the light. I am going to try and get the cowl and the hood sanded and primed this week. There is no body work to be done on those. Then its onto the doors, bedsides, or tailgate.

I did snap a few pictures today....

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0101.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0102.jpg

I had about an hour in the machine shop after work on Friday helping a coworker after work so I decided to turn up a shift lever for the 4wd lever. It was a free project and only took a bit. I made the shifter out of some aluminum round stock and gave it a nice brushed finish. I wanted the shifter to be long enough to reach from the drivers seat without having to bend over much at all. I can go between 2HI and 4Hi not without having to move at all. I couldn't find the right tap to make it thread onto the stock lever, I think it was metric, so I used 8 seperate 1/4-20 set screws to hold it on. Its on there TIGHT now! I also stamped in the shift pattern on the top for the s.o. just in case she has to drive the truck in this winter.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0100.jpg

Here is a shot of the new super simple rear setup. The sleeping platform was nice, but this is so much more useful for us. It allows us to just roll up the futon mattress when hauling stuff in the bed. The floor is nice and flat. Stuff doesn't slide around that much with the carpet on the floor either. The compact spare tire is mounted up against on of the sides out of the way. All the dirty stuff like the jack, tire iron, oil, etc all go in the rubber bin. This setup is super simple and works great....at least for us. With the futon mattress on the carpet floor it is really comfortable to sleep in and you have massive headroom, enough to sit upright in the morning without hitting your head! There is still plenty of storage space since the futon is only about 6' long and the bed is 8' long.

Hopefully more this week....

[redthies]

You must have a very tollerant lady! While mine has camped in the back of the pick-up a few times, she has now decided that the comforts of home should be dragged along behind the truck! :sombrero: It takes a bit more effort, but it is nice to have the basecamp along...

[Metcalf]

Yes I do! When we make the move to full time international exploration travel we will look at having something with more creature comforts.Every time she threatens to make me take more stuff, I threaten to make her go camping out of my 1942 Willys MB :)

[Rambow]

I have been following this for the last couple months since I found it on DTR. Got to say GOOD JOB that thing is a beast. love the fender work. I have been wanting to run 37-39'' tires(4'' lift)on my 93 1st gen when mine wear out(35's), have searched on clean fender trim jobs and yours turned out killer. Looks like lots of work but worth it, keeping COG down and plenty of room to run large tires.Very stock looking.
Sorry I got a handfull of Questions for you. 1. what are you doing with your inner fender wells front/rear? 2. Are you going to change your r/p gears from 3.55 to ? Is it that drivable w/ 39's 5spd.? 3. What tires are you plannin on runnin when those michelins wear out? dang they are hard to find!!
Keep the pics coming! its gonna look great painted.(I did like the multicolor armagedon look). Keep up the good work and sorry for many ?? Over and out.

[Metcalf]

1- I welded up the inner fender around the air box, it turned out ok. I have yet to patch the rest of them up. It is a pretty big pain in the rear. In the rear I added some supports to keep the outer panel more rigid. If I was going to do it again I think I might do something like MoPowa's build on DTR. He just redid the front and back of the fender instead of moving everything like I did.

2- I didn't think that the 3.55s would work that well, but they work just fine. Is it perfect, no, but its better than stock I think. The biggest problem is the limited RPMs of the stock governor spring, a 3200 spring would fix a lot of the gap between gears. With my current setup you have to start in 1st like a normal car/truck. 5th gear is only for 65+mph. The new taller gearing works great for the interstate also. I can roar down the road at 75+ very easy now....not that I really want to go that fast, but I can. In an ideal world I think 3.73 gears could be better, and 4.10s would work fine too. I think 3.73s would allow the use of 5th gear more...but 1st gear would become shorter...but I might be able to start in 2nd then? The best answer might be something like a G56 six-speed, early model, with its deeper 2nd gear and shorter overall gear spacing.

I will most likely be installing a 2003ish GM 14-bolt rear with disc brakes at some time in the future. These only come with 3.73s and 4.10s. The 3.73s would probably work the best, but 4.10s lend themselves to easier junkyard gear swaps for the front. Finding a set of standard rotation D60 4.10 gears is EASY in just about any junkyard. TONS of 70's ford trucks ran these.

I think with the stock 5-speed transmission 3.73s might be the sweet spot if you installed the 3200 spring and ran 38-39" tall tires. However, if I already had the 4.10s I would just keep those, install the 3200 spring, and put up with the mileage loss on the interstate.

My truck currently gets 18mpg driving at 70+ all day long in less than ideal weather, wind, and up and down hills. I am pretty happy with that for a 7000lb brick.

3- Tires. While the Michelin's are good tires, they are very hard to find, very heavy, very tough, and wear kinda fast on the highway. I do like them, but they are not easy to find at all. I totally lucked into my set. My set was used and still lasted me about 2 years now. They are about done though. They are down the the wear bars. I will be replacing them before the winter I think....

I have been looking around for tires lately....

The best option I can find so far is the Pitbull Maddog Radial. They offer it in a 38.5x13.5 in just about any rim size you could want. I'm torn between 16, 16.5, and 17s. I am leaning toward doing a set of recentered 12-bolt H1 wheels, but I don't want to invest a bunch of money in wheels that I won't be able to find tires for in the future. I'm thinking a set of nice heavy duty 17" steel wheels might be the way to go?

[Rambow]

Hey thanks for the answers.. Yes mopawas bild is very clean also.His is my
2nd fave. I would probobly do something like his when i do mine just for simplicity reasons. unless I have a bunch of time to do it like yours. Iv checked out those exact same pitbull radials.Read a few reviews and its what Im leaning toward also.10ply,Actual 38.5''ride heighth,and very skinny for a 13.5'' tire, about the same or less as a 12.5'' tire. I hate wide tires.Could probably get away with runnin them on my 8'' wide wheels.
When I do this I guess Ill have to live w/3.55's for a while.you say it works pretty good tho.actually makes it a 5spd. When you finish your front inner fenders post up the pics(im sure you will anyways) im curious how they turn out. Mopowas turned out very clean,I think he used a little fibergass to fill in the gaps.

[mopowa]

Hey 2nd place is ok in my books! Haha

Yup, sure did end up using fiberglass, I was sick of messing around with the inner fenders and didn't want to spend the hours re-welding material to bolt to the lip like the stock inner would. It was actually my dads idea to fiberglass the inners, says thats what he did for his mudding trucks back in the day, and he never had a problem with strength. Only issue really is if I ever need to take off the fender...will be a bit of a PITA. Otherwise it was quick easy and looks REALLY good. Fiberglass is so easy to do, but horribly messy!

Can't wait for some pics of the body metcalf...i've been waiting patiently ;):sombrero:

[Bogie]

Great project Metcalf, just a note check out Ramcharger Central (www.ramchargercentral.com) we have a great bunch of guys and a number of diesel guys in the Co area.

I will be following your build along, and will probably section my front fenders using yours as a guideline, pics of my 84

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4ZRukhDAZao/TDUlbHyrr4I/AAAAAAAABfY/N1O1A-mj5DY/s912/IMG_2866-1.jpg

[teleturns]

Metcalf

I love the build up of your Cummins. You have me convinced to put the 37x12.5 Goodyear Hummer tires on my W250. I would love to see your truck sometime. I have a lot of family in the Durango and I am in the area all the time. In fact I will be there the next two weekends. Keep up the good work!

[Metcalf]

Its just an old beater :) It does just about anything I ask it though...
I'll be around all weekend. I like talking truck. I think we are tubing the river today if the weather is nice. Shoot me a PM with some contact info. We could meet in town just about any evening for a frosty beverage or something.

[Rambow]

Im wondering how many rpm's you pull at 35mph in 3rd gear? If you have a tach? hows the body work comin along? ddaaannngg (joe dirt) You have the the sweetest dodge ever! I really want to copy the fender mod...I have to buy new tires before winter, so I keep askin myself-Is it time for 38's...
cant wait to see your rig one color, Ill buy you a beer or 10 if I ever get to colorado..

[Metcalf]

Thanks. The body work is going SLOW we got some early monsoons here in durango so working outside hasn't been the easiest....DANG i need a shop!

I would suggest modding the fenders like the mopowa build on DTR. I think it would be much easier to do the body work on this variation of stretching the fenders than mine. He was able to run 38s with only leveling springs in front I believe.

The math says that the rpm at 35 in 3rd would be just shy of 2000rpm. I tend to use 3rd for 35 if I am trying to accelerate, but I can still use 4th if on a mostly level road just rolling with traffic.

This truck is very Joe Dirt :)

[Metcalf]

My buddy was giving me a hard time for not updating.....

The truck is SLOWLY getting painted. So far the front clip and bed are painted. I am having to do it in sections since I am working outside. Its far from perfect and there are still lots of little dinks that I just primed and painted over. I would have spent a 1000 hours trying to get the bed all the way back straight. You can't really tell the fenders where sectioned however, most of those mods covered up nicely. All I have left to paint is the cab and doors. The inside of the bed needs some bedliner sprayed in too. I just painted the bed to the rails, not the inside.

I'll get some pics up when its all one color and the shell is back on.....

I need some new tires soon also.....post up your ideas on that one! I need some input.

[mopowa]

Glad to hear your still hashing away at it! It's a dreadfully slow and painfull process, especially when you having the weather to deal with!

As far as tires go, I really like my Toyo M/T's, they are real nice and are quiet on the highway with tons of grip in the bush....though not so good in wet road conditions, though I do run more than the suggested tire pressure:coffeedrink: which may have some to do with that. Look around for a used set, you may get lucky as they are a fairly expensive tire!

Looking forwards to seeing some progress pictures!:sombrero:

[angusdevil]

Easy, Toyo M/T's!! Check out the PHX craigslist as they show up quite a bit out here.

[Rambow]

pitbull radial maddogs-38x13.5x16, Iv read some good reviews about these specific tires. 10ply, true 38.5 inches tall,skinney for 13.5" and fairly cheap for a larger tire, about $350 ? apiece. Im leenin towards these for my next tire purchase. X2 on the toyos m/t if ya can get a good used set for cheap.

[huntinguy]

Any updates? I've been lurking on this forum for a while and I finally joined. Love your truck.:26_7_2: I have an 89 Cummins and I just put a four inch lift on it tonight.:wings:

[Metcalf]

Sorry, no updates yet. Paint is still in progress, might be done this weekend....hopefully the cab at least. The front clip and bed are painted, and I can do the doors inside if I need to.

I need to order two new mirrors for the doors. I need to get some good factory style replacements. I have some generic 3 points and they are driving me NUTS. They are total junk.

I also need to order a full seal set for the doors and windows....I will most likely pull all this stuff to paint and its pretty far gone....circa 1992 or older :)

[huntinguy]

I just posted my thread, check it out.http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50243

[stjjames]

Eager for updates.

[Metcalf]

Sorry guys, no pics yet. The truck is mostly painted. All I have left is the doors and cowl piece. I need to order replacement seals and felt for the doors. I also need to replace the front grill shell, inserts, etc. Overall the truck already looks about 100% better. Its FAR from perfect, but its one color, cheap to repair, and simple.

I think I am going to need some new tires soon. I'm struggling with what to install. Nothing really fits what I want. I would love to just find another set of the Michelin's and install them on some 9" wide wheels for better wear.

The inside of the bed is going towards version 3.0 now. I need to mount a full size spare, some spare fuel cans, and some other misc stuff.

The interior will be my winter project I think. It needs a color change and some new seats for sure!

It still gets driven every day to work....what a fun daily driver :)

[mor4wd]

You always have the option of regrooving the tires you have now. It would make them lighter, more flexible, and you can choose your tread pattern.

[huntinguy]

Love your truck man. I don't think You've seen mine. Not planning on going as big with the tires but it works for me.
http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy194/huntinguy_01/truck223.jpg
http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy194/huntinguy_01/truck228.jpg

[Metcalf]

Cool truck.

Does anyone have any links to companies that re-groove tires? I can't imagine that there is THAT much rubber on them? They are down to about 37" tall on the truck now....

I had an hour of extra time in the shop at work so I knocked this up out of some scrap. Its a NATO fuel can mount that holds 4 cans. It fits ahead of the passenger rear wheel well in the bed. I wanted to fit 5 cans but could only get 4 in that space with the camper shell lip. It isn't anything fancy, but it works. I will be using a small ratchet strap to hold them down once its bolted to the floor. With the lids/caps facing outwards you can git them under the bed rail gaining another inch or two of room in the middle of the bed. This only overlaps my sleeping/cargo area by about 1-2"

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0123.jpg

I will be mounting a full size spare tire on the other side of the bed when I finally decide on my new tires.

[Metcalf]

Opps! ARRRRGGGGGG....what what that pop?....oh...that was the steering box bracket AGAIN!

Well, Those big old tires are hard on things! I ripped an ear off the steering box again. I was on pavement trying to get out of a TIGHT parallel parking space and POP. I think I had one of the front tires against the curb.

Sooooo. Its time for a more permanent solution, but first I will have to weld it back together again till I can get parts.

I called the local dodge dealer and got another bracket coming. Even though I don't think I will use this in the long run. I think it will be good to have around. For those with 1st Gen Dodge trucks I suggest you buy two, replace the one you have now with a new one, and keep a spare IN THE TRUCK. The part number is 52037876 from Dodge ( Its was $19 here local ).

I think for most people exotic solutions are out of the question. Changing the steering system to another style and/or hydraulic assisted might be the best solution, but most people just don't want to go that far.

There is a factory brace that was available.

http://www.dodgeconnection.com/catalog/item/2901766/4541374.htm

http://www.dodgeconnection.com/i//12-08-06-_2.jpg

The 1970s solution, before Dodge tried to get cheap and use 2wd parts on all trucks, was a cast iron bracket and vertical rotation steering box and arm. These are much more beefy if you can find them.....

So what should I do for the DoItAll?

I think I need to break down and convert to hydraulic assist crossover steering.....

Anyone have any other ideas?

[Bogie]

The best solution is crossover with hydro assist but that can be added later, Check out This (http://ramchargercentral.com/fabricationboard/cross-over-steering-frame-supports/) frame boxing kit.

[Metcalf]

Thanks, that is my general thought, but I think it's going to be rather challenging with my no/low lift ( and kinda thick springs ). We are going to find out soon I think.....

[Bogie]

That's whats holding me up my springs are too thick and the tie rod hits the spring pack before reaching the steering arm, I am using Heims and could space it up but I don't want to put that much leverage in the bolts.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4ZRukhDAZao/SoPW3MXtPHI/AAAAAAAAAbM/aup8uGwRA-c/s800/0811090850.jpg

[Metcalf]

A raised steering arm? It will create more leverage, but spread out over a larger area. Off Road Unlimited has a nice 'raised' cast steering arm? I'm gonna need to do some more measuring. My springs are not as thick as yours, but I don't want to go too tall and loose compression travel, or go too short not being able to run slightly taller springs in the future.

[Bogie]

Hopefully I will be swapping out these springs this spring, just unsure if I will be going with Alcans or Skyjacker 8" lift springs. I'm tired of the jarring ride with no weight on the truck (gasser)

A 6" lift spring will keep the truck where it is so a 8" would level it out if it ends up bigger I'll take the body lift out.

[Scott39]

I would take out 4-5 of those leaf springs, especially if you have a jarring ride.

[highcountry]

Just got pointed to this thread from pirate, spent some time sorting through the thread, and joined so I can follow. I have a '91 W250 cummins, and a need for a good camping rig, so this this thread was right up my alley. I really like what you have done with this truck!

I am looking forward to seeing what you do with the interior of the cab. One of the things that has stopped me from putting money into the dodge to outfit it is that awful bench seat.

Did you ever swap to the 12cm exhaust housing? Sorry if you answered that, I moved through the thread pretty quickly, and may have missed it. If not, you definitely should! I live near you, and I can tell you that at altitude that swap makes a HUGE difference. Especially with a manual transmission because you have to rebuild boost after each shift. Add a 12 cm housing and a 3k governor spring and you will have a whole new truck.

[Metcalf]

Hi, welcome to the board.

Just got pointed to this thread from pirate, spent some time sorting through the thread, and joined so I can follow. I have a '91 W250 cummins, and a need for a good camping rig, so this this thread was right up my alley. I really like what you have done with this truck!

Thanks. Its nothing fancy really, but it works for what I need it. Its reliable, simple, and very affordable. I still don't think I have 5K in this truck.

I am looking forward to seeing what you do with the interior of the cab. One of the things that has stopped me from putting money into the dodge to outfit it is that awful bench seat.

yeah, the bench isn't that nice. Mine has a nice butt sized hole in the seat. Its almost like a bucket seat on that side.....I kid!

I will most likely replace the bench with some affordable suspension seats with a large flat center console box that someone could sit on for a quick trip in town or in a pinch. I am still tossing around the idea of the 'rocking' passenger seat for sleeping on long trips. I think I almost have that one figured out.

Other than the seats I am pretty happy with the interior. I like my vinyl floor, crank windows, and manual locks. Its all just so simple.

I would also like to invest in a slightly better stereo system. It doesn't really bother me...but it would be nice on longer trips.


Did you ever swap to the 12cm exhaust housing? Sorry if you answered that, I moved through the thread pretty quickly, and may have missed it. If not, you definitely should! I live near you, and I can tell you that at altitude that swap makes a HUGE difference. Especially with a manual transmission because you have to rebuild boost after each shift. Add a 12 cm housing and a 3k governor spring and you will have a whole new truck.

Doing something to the turbo is on my list for sure. I have thought about getting a he351cw a lot. Finding an affordable ( ie i'm cheap ) one is another matter. The 12cm housing would most likely be the best gain for the money. I have also considered messing with the 351vgt turbo. I think that could be fun.

I get a little bit of hot and cold performance out of my truck? I know I have a start up cold weather leak in the fuel pump, but I haven't found a way to fix it without pulling the pump. I drive it every day, so taking it down that much isn't really an option. I think I might just break down and get a rebuilt pump installed....or have mine professionally rebuilt.

The 3200 spring in on my list for sure.

Currently I am working on a new steering solution. I had two failures in that department this year and that just isn't acceptable.

If your ever in the Durango area PM me. I like talking truck.

later

[highcountry]

Yeah, that is why my truck is still around, its paid for, reliable, and it will do whatever you need it to--whether that is Imogene Pass, or pulling a flatbed trailer full of hay. Mine is on 4" superlift springs, with 35s, and an automatic tranny.

Do you have specific seats in mind? If I could find some decently priced suspension seats, that would be a no brainer. With decent seats and a center console, the regular cab would be quite livable, literally. There is plenty of space, it just isn't used very efficiently.

On your cold performance issue, before you blame the IP, check the soft line from the frame rail to the lift pump on the side of the block. I had the same problem (hard starting in the cold), and found that this line (at the ripe old age of about 17 years at the time) had hardend and was letting a little air in. Even a tiny amount of air in the fuel will reek havoc on these trucks because the IP counts on the hydraulic pressure of the fuel to open the injector and maintain timing. Also check the hard line from the tank to the frame rail for the same thing. I temporarily installed a piece of clear tube from the frame rail to the lift pump so I could see if it was drawing air from further back in the fuel system, just to make sure once I discovered that this was a problem. The lift pumps in these trucks is also suspect, so if yours isn't a known good unit, they are cheap, spend the money to replace that before evaluating whether your IP has a problem. Just a couple quick tricks to hopefully save you or someone else a bundle of cash!

Brakes and steering have been trouble points for me on this truck also. I think that I am going to do a crossover install this spring. With the lift springs, I will be able to run a straight link from a dropped pitman over to a high steer arm on the passenger side. One of the few benefits of running a lift! I am hoping that solves my steering woes. I have cracked those mounting plates the same as you have, and the steering just isn't very responsive.

Anyway, I will post all that to add to the content of the thread. I live over near Montrose, so I will definitely shoot you a PM too.

[Metcalf]

Do you have specific seats in mind? If I could find some decently priced suspension seats, that would be a no brainer. With decent seats and a center console, the regular cab would be quite livable, literally. There is plenty of space, it just isn't used very efficiently.

http://www.actionimport.com/Catalog_EMPI/Race-Trim_Seats.htm

http://www.jeepswag.com/empi/buy2/


On your cold performance issue, before you blame the IP, check the soft line from the frame rail to the lift pump on the side of the block. I had the same problem (hard starting in the cold), and found that this line (at the ripe old age of about 17 years at the time) had hardend and was letting a little air in. Even a tiny amount of air in the fuel will reek havoc on these trucks because the IP counts on the hydraulic pressure of the fuel to open the injector and maintain timing. Also check the hard line from the tank to the frame rail for the same thing. I temporarily installed a piece of clear tube from the frame rail to the lift pump so I could see if it was drawing air from further back in the fuel system, just to make sure once I discovered that this was a problem. The lift pumps in these trucks is also suspect, so if yours isn't a known good unit, they are cheap, spend the money to replace that before evaluating whether your IP has a problem. Just a couple quick tricks to hopefully save you or someone else a bundle of cash!

I will work through those tips.

A low pressure piston lift pump is high on my list.

I know I have a drip drip leak when the truck is cold on the back of the IP. I think its the small two bolt 'timing' cover?

Brakes and steering have been trouble points for me on this truck also. I think that I am going to do a crossover install this spring. With the lift springs, I will be able to run a straight link from a dropped pitman over to a high steer arm on the passenger side. One of the few benefits of running a lift! I am hoping that solves my steering woes. I have cracked those mounting plates the same as you have, and the steering just isn't very responsive.

I will most likely go crossover. With my leveling springs is possible, but I don't know if I can squeak a straight drag link.

I have another idea on the factory style mount......I should have something in the next few weeks.

For my super huge clown tires I think I am going to have to do hydro assist.

[teleturns]

Let me know if you need to take a look at my crossover steering. With my 4" springs I think a straight drag link would be tight. The crossmember under the engine comes into play. I have a bent drag link on my truck and a dropped pitman arm.

If you dont have a 3200 spring in your truck you really need one. That is the best mod out there. It was the first mod I did.

I just put a M2 fuel pin in my truck today and I was expecting more, but it does fuel better at full throttle.

[highcountry]

I know I have a drip drip leak when the truck is cold on the back of the IP. I think its the small two bolt 'timing' cover?

Oh right, that leak, I forgot about that one. That was the first time I had my pump out... Sorry man, that is a PITA. Since you are going to have the pump out, order up a governor spring, they are only a few bucks, and it is much easier to swap with the pump out.

Thanks for the links on those seats, like I said the interior is the biggest gripe I have about my truck, so that is definitely food for thought!

[lstzephyr]

Let me know if you need to take a look at my crossover steering. With my 4" springs I think a straight drag link would be tight. The crossmember under the engine comes into play. I have a bent drag link on my truck and a dropped pitman arm.

If you dont have a 3200 spring in your truck you really need one. That is the best mod out there. I just put a M2 fuel pin in my truck today and I was expecting more, but it does fuel better at full throttle.

i would definetly like to see your setup on your steering. +1 on the fuel pin as well, for 5 dollars or whatever I spent on it, it made a big difference! Only took a couple hours to install as well, and I was being really careful.

On the seats, one thing that made me want to stay with the bench was the ability to seat three. I think using a 2nd gen bench and replacing the drivers seat with a suspension seat would be perfect. Then it would still have seating for three, a console, and a decent driver's seat. Thanks for the link!

[teleturns]

Here are some pics of my crossover steering kit from Sky. I have 4" Skyjacker Springs. Attempting to run a straight draglink with less than 4" springs would be difficult. My draglink has a significant bend in it to clear the crossmember. If I ran a tape measure (simulating a straight bar) from my pitman arm to my steering arm it would be real close to the crossmember. Maybe the crossmember could be modified to make it work. I could be wrong though...these trucks don't flex too much. I hope this helps.

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h61/taunm/DSCN1606.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h61/taunm/DSCN1605.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h61/taunm/DSCN1604.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h61/taunm/DSCN1603.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h61/taunm/DSCN1602.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h61/taunm/DSCN1601.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h61/taunm/DSCN1600.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h61/taunm/DSCN1599.jpg

Maybe too many pics.... :coffeedrink:

[alexrex20]

any (pic) updates, metcalf?

[Metcalf]

Super secret dirty spy pic....

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/IMAGE_127.jpg

[Metcalf]

Teleturns,

Few questions on your crossover.

How tall are your springpacks?
How much room currently from the top of the drivers springpack to the pitman arm TRE?

A bolt on solution could be nice....
Thanks.

[teleturns]

Teleturns,

Few questions on your crossover.

How tall are your springpacks?
How much room currently from the top of the drivers springpack to the pitman arm TRE?

A bolt on solution could be nice....
Thanks.

The springs are 4" skyjackers. I can't measure my truck right now. I am up in your neck of the woods for the weekend. I'll get it when I get home on Monday.

[teleturns]

Hey Brennan
From the bottom of the TRE attached to the pitman arm it is 4" to the spring.

[Metcalf]

Teleturn,

What is the length of the drag-link ( TRE center to TRE center )?


In other news...

I ordered my WJ pitman arm today.

Looking for a 1.5" per foot reamer now....

Starting to build my steering arm after work tonight....

[alexrex20]

Super secret dirty spy pic....

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/IMAGE_127.jpg

you traded your truck for an Altima Coupe?!

;)

[teleturns]

Teleturn,

What is the length of the drag-link ( TRE center to TRE center )?


The drag link is 41.5" from center to center

[Metcalf]

I spent a little time in the machine shop after work. The arm isn't done yet, but I only have about 3 hours in it. I need to order a tapered reamer to do the TRE hole. I also need to put the 60 taper on the 4 mounting holes. I decided to make a 'springless' design also. I still have a little work to do on the adjuster for the kingpin adjuster.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0131.jpg

First I found a nice big chunk of cold finish steel in the scrap bin. I cut it to length in the bandsaw. Then I set it in the mill and started to square it up. I had to reduce the with by about 0.300. That took a little bit, but not too long with the fly cutter.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0133.jpg

Then I laid it on its side and fly cut the face.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0135.jpg

I cleaned up the other edge and used the DRO to find a quick center of the arm. I then centered and drilled the two main holes. One for the TRE, one for the 'springless' adjuster.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0136.jpg

I then centered and drilled the 4 mounting holes. The DRO makes stuff like this pretty easy. I then tapped the 'springless' mounting hole before I pulled it out of the vise. I love big tap handles.....

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0138.jpg

Next I rough cut off some extra material to make the arm look a little bit better and be a little bit lighter.....

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0140.jpg

I then finished the 'step' on the arm once I spent a little time on the sander rounding the profile a bit. I brought the thickness of the arm down to 1.00" thick where the TRE mounts. The arm is 1.5" tall to clear my taller spring pack...and any future spring pack.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0141.jpg

I did a 45 degree taper on the step to help with the stress riser at the thickness change. Plus, it looks better.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0142.jpg

That is about as far as I got tonight. I started making the 'springless' adjuster. I need to mill some flats on the 'stud' I made so you can adjust the tension. I also need to make a nice little 2" washer to fit over the nylon bushing in the knuckle.

I will probably order my reamer tomorrow....

More to come.....

[alexrex20]

you may as well fabricate an entire Dodge CTD from scratch. :D

[teleturns]

The steering arm looks great. If I had access to a mill I would be able to make so many more parts.

Couple questions.....

Are you going to do high steer or just cross over? I am guessing cross over because there is only one TRE hole on the arm.

If you are doing crossover and it is springless on the passenger side kingpin will there be any issues having the spring on the drivers side?

Just a thought. I have rebuilt many kingpins due to death wobble and I know it only takes a slight modification for it all to go wrong.

I am really interrested in the springless adjuster......I would like to go that route on my truck

[liftedlimo]

When I did my crossover steering a few years ago, my crossmember only required about an inch to be ground off the front part. I have never had a problem with it as of yet *knock on wood*.

I am using 6" springs and relocated shackle mounts, so about 8" lift.

[Metcalf]

I am just doing crossover, not hi-steer. I just don't think I have the room for it without much lift.

Springless on one side shouldn't matter. I will most likely build another top cap for the other side when I get a chance.

The drag link is going to have to be bent a lot to clear the crossmember, springs, etc....I only have about 2" of 'lift' in front, maybe less.

Having a lot of tools at work saves me a lot of money. So far my arm cost me nothing. I will have a bit in a tapered reamer but I will be able to use that over and over for other projects too. The WJ pitman arm was only $22 shipped, new. I need to open up the taper in that one also....so bonus on buying the tool again.

I think I am going to single point the adapters for the TREs in the drag link. I am going to make a double adjuster on one side also so I can change the length without having to take the bar off ( since its going to have to be bent )

[Metcalf]

Boy, did I get my butt kicked today.........

The Dodge froze up on the way to work this morning when it was -15
degrees out. There was water in the fuel filter/ water
separator that froze up. The fuel was still good, but it couldn't get
through the filter because of the frozen water in the pleats I guess.

I roll the truck to a stop, then I have to starter the truck up off
the road ( a vote for manual transmissions and big batteries ). I took
off the frozen fuel filter once I figured it out. Prime the new filter
with the manual lever on the fuel pump. Still won't start. Check for
fuel...yup....its flowing to the injector pump. The injector lines are
full of air and are basically not working. I crack the heads of the
injectors and try and blow the air out. I get the truck started, but
as soon as I pull out in the road it does it again. Dead engine. I get
the truck mostly off the road again. Crack the injector lines again,
double check everything else. It starts up, runs for a minute and
dies. Try again. It runs again. I jump in trying to get it to work.
Nope, stalls again, right in the middle of the road. The battery is
toast. I try to stater it up off the road....nope. Battery was low
enough that the blinkers where not working.....

There is me standing behind my truck directing traffic around the
truck. I made a call to a guy at work to come help. He shows up
shortly after the cop did :) The cop was nice enough, he helped with
traffic. I thought I had my tow strap in the back....nope....its in
the Willys. The guy from work didn't have a chain or strap. I found
two 1" webbing tie downs in the back of the dodge. I rig those
together and see if we can move the truck off the road. After about
2-3 tries that worked.....:Wow1:

The truck is now off the road in a little parking lot. I get some
jumpers on the battery and recheck the fuel system again. I crack all
the injectors again. Once the battery is charged enough to turn the
truck over. The friend informing me that I still have bubbles coming
out the injectors.......

FINALLY all the air works its way out. I am able to start the truck
and it runs at least enough to pull it into a parking space. I let it
run for 10-15 minutes or so. Still no stalling. Then I hold it at 2000rpm or so, again no stalling.

I don't trust it though, no tow strap and a busy part of town between
me and work. So I have my buddy from work run me over to the high
school so I can borrow the Jetta from the misses. Then its off to the parts house forsome fuel treatment ( and a spare fuel pump ) Then back over to where the dodge is parked.

It starts back up right away and idles just fine....throttles just
fine, etc. I drove it around the parking lot a bit. Seems fine. I have
both vehicles though. So I let the truck come up to temp after adding
a half bottle of 911 treatment and a half bottle of regular treatment.
It doesn't miss a beat. I aired up some low tires with the 12V
compressor while I waited.

Then I drove the Jetta home, let the dogs out since they where inside
since it was -15F. I took a shower because I smelled like diesel. That
freaking hurt. I guess I didn't notice that I had a little bit of
frost bite on my back where my jackets where ridding up when I was
working on the truck. I got a nice little white and red splotch on my
back. The warm water in the shower really made it hurt.

Then back to town with the tow strap for the Dodge just in case....of
course that was after kicking it out of the 2 feet of snow in the back
of the Willys.

I didn't get to work till like 1:30 so I just took the entire day.

Truck started back up when I tried it again. I killed the afternoon napping on the couch and phoned a friend to relay the story ( and plan a Rubicon trip in early august! ). Then I finally drove back in and had the misses follow me home when she had a break in parent teacher conferences. I flogged the truck on the way home......it didn't miss a beat. Ran just like it always does.

Anyways......

Lessons learned....

-Keep a dedicated tow strap in every vehicle 100% of the time.
-Don't think anyone is going to stop and help. A 150 cars must have driven buy. ONE stopped for a sec....but couldn't help at all.
-Keep a dedicated LONG HEAVY pair of jumper cables in every vehicle 100% of the time.
-Keep a spare fuel filter if you drive a Diesel. That was worth its weight in gold. I would have been up a creek without it.
-Keep a bottle of 911 fuel treatment in a diesel.
-Keep a bottle of regular anti-gel AND USE IT at the the pump. I had slacked off this year on that.
-Keep tools in the truck ( REALLY glad I have tools in the truck ). You need a filter wrench, a 17mm end wrench, and a 10mm end wrench if you have to go through this like I did.
-Keep a heavy spare coat, boots, and maybe some overalls in the truck. I never really felt cold...but the frostbite sucks, OUCH!

If this would have been in a remote area. I would have most likely been in a much worse situation. It would have been fire starting time. The dead battery would have been hard to deal with. I still like the idea of a BIG solar panel on the top of the camper shell. Even if it took a day to charge the battery, that would be worth something. A small generator could also work, and might not be a bad idea for cold weather. It could be used to warm the engine with the block heater....charge a battery....etc.

-I will probably add a bottle of kerosene also. That works well for thinning fuel or topping a filter off. It also keeps forever.

-Note: I did fill up with 18 gallons of fuel the day before at a non-regular station. It was WAY cold this morning...and I had already burned 3-4gallons out of the tank, but that was the only thing out of the ordinary other than the -15F temps.

Oh....I ordered my reamer yesterday so the steering project should move into gear next week.

Stay warm, Stay safe!

[jdholder]

So glad this happened where you could get help!! Lessons learned and I hope the frostbite wasn't too bad.

I don't live in cold weather, but when I had a diesel and was heading to the mountains (cold, but not -15) I would ALWAYS use HEAT or 911 or Stanadyne additive to keep the fuel from gelling. Once it's gelled up, it's TOUGH to get it going - as you know!

[teleturns]

Sounds like a hell of a day! I forgot to plug my diesel in, so I didn't even bother trying to start it this morning. I opted for the motorcycle and it was -7 outside. Let's just say I had an ice cream headache the whole way to work.

Hopefully I'll be moving to the Durango area soon. Once I'm there, you can give me a call anytime if you need help.

Oh by the way I got my tires on the truck. They look sweet and ride like crap. Exactly what I was going for. I'll post pics soon....

[Metcalf]

Uh oh....another expo guy thats a dodge head in Durango...watch out.
Let me know when you get to town or if you need any help moving or looking for a place.

[teleturns]

Uh oh....another expo guy thats a dodge head in Durango...watch out.
Let me know when you get to town or if you need any help moving or looking for a place.

Thanks for the offer...waiting to find out if I got the job....
I'll keep you updated

[lstzephyr]

Dude that sucks! Glad you got it worked out. I've been there too. Tools in the truck is a must!

I was actually in durango a couple days ago too. Its beautiful up there, I was doing some snowboarding.

[Metcalf]

I'm still waiting for my tie-rod reamer. It is suppose to ship today....

Yesterday I had an hour or two in the work shop.....

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/IMAG0145.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/IMAG0147.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/IMAG0146.jpg

I made an adjustment stud for my steering arm. A standard 1/4" wrench fits the top hex. This will let me tune the pre-load for the kingpin cup. Its pretty neat what you can make even on a manual lathe with a little ingenuity.

I didn't get a pic, but I also machined the 'clocking' keyway splines on the WJ pitman arm. This will let me run the arm in any spline position on the dodge steering box.

Once my reamer and TRE's comes in I should be able to wrap the steering up. I still need to make the drag link and adjuster but that should be pretty easy on the lathe....

[PapeCAT]

Hey Metcalf nice work on the dodge. What rigs are you guys wheeling in the Con this summer? I have a trail rig started and hoping to be wheeling the Con by then as well.

I have a cast iron mount and reverse rotation box if you're interested. Looks like you're well on your way with xover steering though very nice.

http://ramchargercentral.com/rcs-tds-durangos-etc/1974-pop-top-ram-charger-se-trail-rig-build/

[Metcalf]

I'm taking my '42 willys. Its getting some new upgrades soon. 'new' SM420, open knuckle D30 front, home-made full float conversion, and 4-wheel discs.

I finished the steering arm and pitman arm last night. I have some pics I will upload and post later. I also ordered a new steering shaft yesterday. All I have left to do is make the drag-link.....

[Metcalf]

Yesterday after work I finished off the Dana 60 steering arm for the passenger side and the WJ pitman arm modifications.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0155.jpg

I added the cone taper to the mounting bolt holes. This allows the tapered nuts holding the arm to the knuckle to remain under constant compressive force while centering the downward force coming from the four mounting studs.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0153.jpg

Then I used the tapered reamer to modify the WJ pitman arm and my crossover steering arm to accept a 1-ton TRE.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0156.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0157.jpg

Here is the completed steering arm with a TRE in it. I think it turned out pretty darn good for a few hours after work....

I am going to add a recessed grease zerk next to the adjusting nut I think. I need to locate some 1/2-20 stud ( or something to make them out of ) to attach the arm to the knuckle. I need a 2" OD thick 'fender' washer for the 'springless' preload also. After that she is ready to go on!

My steering shaft should be here in a few days.

I hope I can make most of the drag-link tomorrow night after work.

I did some rough mockup, and I think I might be able to get away with having only a single small bend in the drag link. I won't know till I try connecting point A to point B ( while getting everything moving around in the steering and suspension. I added a little steering angle to the system, so I should be able to get the tires to hit the springs if I want. I think that would be about 35-38 degrees of steering. Boy will it be nice to have a centered steering wheel and be able to turn sharp BOTH ways!

[Bogie]

Metclaf your arm looks good, if you don't come across studs for mounting I bought mine from Blue Torch Fab (http://www.bluetorchfab.com/store/) along with my arm seeing that you have access to machine services you can probably source them cheaper from a local supplier but there a option

[chilliwak]

Nice work Metcalf. Tell us when you are going into production.:victory:

[Metcalf]

I started on the threading for the drag link adjuster....

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0158.jpg

Left hand internal single point threading......

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0159.jpg

It worked! This is the start of my compact adjuster. The inside is left hand thread and the outside will be right hand. This will allow me to center the wheel with the bent drag link....

Getting close now....

[Scott39]

I started on the threading for the drag link adjuster....

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0158.jpg

Left hand internal single point threading......

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0159.jpg

It worked! This is the start of my compact adjuster. The inside is left hand thread and the outside will be right hand. This will allow me to center the wheel with the bent drag link....

Getting close now....
Nothing is better than having a machine shop to build your own custom parts.
Keep up the great work, COOL rig!

[bftank]

is the steering arm going to be beveled where the tierod connects to it for proper geometry? it looks as if the hole for the steering arm is drilled on the same plane as the 4 knuckle attachment points. or am i seeing things?

[Metcalf]

The arm is not beveled. With my dodge, since it sits very close to stock, my drag link will actually be sloping down from the arm, not up. The drag link has to be bent to go under the engine cross member. My truck is only maybe 1-2" over stock height. Even with the stock GM TRE joints, I have MORE than enough angular travel on the joint for this old truck.

Since my springs are pretty thick I had to make the arm taller/thicker than normal to clear the springs. The drag link then has to go back down a touch to clear the cross member.

Today I finally finished my adjuster contraption.....

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0160.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0161.jpg

Basically it allows me to center the steering wheel with a bent drag link without having to remove one of the joints from an arm. I cut two slots in the 1st piece past the TRE. Then I cut a one slot on the 2nd piece. Finally I made a 1/4-20 grade 8 pinch bolt system and welded it on. There are flats milled on the 1st piece that let you adjust the length with a 1" wrench or a crescent wrench. Once the pinch bolt is clamped down, all the threads compress to an interference fit, and you can't move a thing. Since the TRE is LH threaded and the sleeve is RH threaded.....the entire thing gets longer or shorter when you turn the 1st piece.

[Metcalf]

I received my Borgeson steering shaft the other day. I went with the rag joint version with the parts to rebuild the rag joint. The steering arm still needs a grease zerk hole, but is done other than that. The adjuster is done and ready to be welded to the drag-link once the final mock up length is determined. Pitman arm is ready to bolt on the steering box. I got the studs in for the steering arm last week.

I think the only thing I need to do is pick up a new 2wd version of the steering pressure line.....

Hopefully all this stuff will go on in the next week! It should be DANG nice to have the steering buttoned up.....

More to come.

With diesel fuel at about $4 a gallon I need to start looking into a year round biodiesel, SVO, or WVO fuel system. I'm trying to come up with a very simple way to run biodiesel year round.....

[Metcalf]

Well, all the parts I made worked as planned for the Dodge steering. The steering arm is great. It cleared the spring, goes full swing, and the adjuster worked well. Everything clears really well for the low lift height. It steers lock to lock with just a little left over at the box. I think I can get a few more degrees before the tires touch the springs ( by adjusting the stops in ). The new steering shaft went in well. The pitman arm worked with the spline mods.

The hardest part was getting the old pitman arm off the steering box.

I got it all put together in about 4-5 hours after work. When I pulled it out of the shop I found that the steering was leaking badly. Come to find out that I had cracked the top cap somehow when I was getting the pitman arm off. OPPS!!!!

So, parked it in the work parking lot, got a ride home.....

I ordered a reman box from rock auto. I may just steal the top cap off it for now. Ordered a gasket set for the box to be able to do that just in case. I should have probably just ordered another box to begin with. That would have made everything go about twice as fast. Live and learn.

What little I did feel of the dodge steering was GREAT. No slop, turns MUCH tighter ( with more available ). Shortened up the steering ratio by about 1/2 a turn at the wheel. The drag link is pretty tight with my taller springs and almost no lift. I had to put a little bend in it to get 3-4" of compression travel out of it. It fit dead straight ( and turned both directions ) but there was zero compression travel. I couldn't drop the pitman arm anymore or else the spring would hit the TRE on that side ( the longer jeep WJ pitman arm worked great with the 'universal' spline mod ) I didn't have to trim the engine crossmember at all!

Overall, I'm PISSED that the steering box top cap broke.....100% my fault for sure.....parts are already on the way to fix it.

I will get some pics soon, I was in too much of a rush with the broken cap and such.

[Bogie]

If your going to have a spare box and gaskets I say rebuild it and drill the box for hydro assist even if you don't do it for some time having the box drilled is the key.

[Metcalf]

That is a good idea....

I think i am going to measure the top cap up and make one out of billet steel or something too....stupid top cap totally ruined my day!

[dd76522]

my .02, i drilled and tapped my top cap and used a billet end cap from diy4x and haven't had a single problem and i've beaten on the box pretty hard in two trucks, pretty easy to do with the box in the truck too

[Metcalf]

Here are a couple quick pics of the steering system. Boy things are tight in there! Don't worry, there is 3-4" of up travel at all positions before the steering arm rubs the cross-member. I'm totally bummed I can't drive it!

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAGE_163.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAGE_164.jpg

[Metcalf]

Not much activity with this thread from people anymore.....

[trasko]

Not much activity with this thread from people anymore.....

I just looked back and you're right. I've been "watching" this thread for a month or so now so I'm always keeping abreast. I love what you've done w/ the truck and the skills you have in the shop. I don't have much to add other than that. :sombrero:

[huntsonora]

Not much activity with this thread from people anymore.....

We're all still here!

[RPhil]

Not much activity with this thread from people anymore.....

I regularly check up for more updates and pictures. This is one of my favorite builds.

Although I'm not actively contributing to the discussion, I thoroughly enjoy reading about everything you do to your truck. Good work :victory:

[rockbronc]

I too am following this build. Every time I see a new post, I check it out. Great work btw!!

[JeepN95YJ]

Not much activity with this thread from people anymore.....

I keep waiting to see completed exterior shots of the new paint and continue to be disappointed.:ylsmoke:

[mopowa]

Ditto!

Hurry up and get some pics up already!:sombrero:

[Metcalf]

Its not one color yet, but it is warm enough to paint now though....
I did post a teaser picture :)

[JeepN95YJ]

Its not one color yet, but it is warm enough to paint now though....
I did post a teaser picture :)


LOL! Yes you did....from about a 1000 feet away..

[Metcalf]

Something about 'good from far, and far from good' comes to mind about the paint and body work.....

[BCHauler]

No more teasing! I get enough of that in my marriage. We want some visuals.

[Metcalf]

I re-finished the steering up this weekend. I ended up using the entire re-built box. After I swapped the top cap to get it home I found that it leaked a lot. If your swapping the top cap you pretty much have to have the box off the truck in order to get the o-ring under it into position.....

I was expecting the box swap to take me most of the weekend by myself at home. Surprisingly it only took me about 2-3 hours. Here are a few notes....

-If you going to do a crossover conversion just buy a pitman arm puller! I was expecting the shop where I work to have one...they didn't. I ended up cracking the top cap on my existing box getting the pitman arm off.

-The existing 4wd pressure hose will work with the 2wd box position. No need for the added cost of a new line if yours is in good condition.

-Watch the return line. Mine was frozen at the fitting to the box. The line turned with the fitting and crushed the line. I was able to make a replacement fitting at work.

-The WJ pitman arm is just about the perfect length and drop for a system with little to no lift. I have about 3" of up travel before the arm hits. That is pretty good for these old dodge trucks. The arm is also long enough that I didn't have to cut or trim the engine cross member at all. The longer arm provides a bit more 'throw' than stock. This makes it possible to hit the steering stops turning both left and right no problem. The WJ pitman arm is also only like $25 delivered but you have to remove the 'keys' in the splines AND make the taper deeper for the TRE.

-The custom steering arm I made turned out just right I guess. The 1.5" height is JUST enough to clear my taller spring packs. I didn't need to cut the position for the TRE as I thought. The drag link slopes down under the cross member. All my dimensions for the steering arm worked REALLY well. The arm just dropped on the knuckle no problem. The shorter 6" length of the arm helped reduce the steering ratio a little and provided for full lock to lock steering with the WJ pitman arm. I probably went from 4 turns lock to lock down to 3.5 turns lock to lock. Even with the big tires I still have about 1-1.5" till the tires hit the springs. I have enough throw in the steering system that I will be able to have even tighter turning. I need to look at the axle shaft ears to see how close I am to binding them. The spring less adjustment also worked well.

-The drag link is super beefy out of 1.25" solid material. I did have to put one small bend in it to get enough up travel on the passenger side. The arm did just BARELY clear straight! Talk about close though! The adjuster on the arm worked sweet. It allows you to very easily center the steering wheel with the bent drag link.


The new steering, now that it is functioning well, completely changed how this truck drives. You can now drive the truck in a completely relaxed way with one hand on the wheel. The steering is responsive without being overly twitchy. There is VERY little free play in the wheel. I had to re-adjust the steering box top cap when I re-installed it....I think I got it very close to how it is suppose to be. The wheel is tight without being sticky off center.

The truck turns TIGHT left and right equally. The steering goes all the way to the stop. There seems to be plenty of force available to turn the big tires.

The steering was previously unable to turn all the way right because of the slight front lift of the leveling springs. The tire also hit the stock pitman arm turning right when close to full travel. Now, with the box in the 2WD position on the frame everything clears no problem. Being able to turn both ways TIGHT makes all the difference for parking and maneuvering the truck around downtown.

With all the problems that I had with the stock steering box bracket ripping off the frame, bad alignment, and crappy steering feel of the stock system this is the probably the number one modification to the 1st gen dodge platform I would recommend! Sadly, I had to do a LOT of measuring and made a decent amount of custom parts to get the crossover steering system to fit with the limited lift and thicker leaf pack. I don't know if the parts to exactly duplicate this system are available in the aftermarket? Here is a list of what you need....

-WJ pitman arm. removed alignment keys, deeper taper for TRE.
-1.5" tall pitman arm. 6" center to center
-4- 1/2-20 3.5" studs with 60 degree tapered nuts
-slightly bent drag link, 1.25" dia, with adjuster on one end.
-2 GM Tie rod ends. I used LH thread on both ends with the adjuster.

Its tight, but this fit with a THICK spring pack that gives only about 1-2" of lift with about 3" of uptravel available.

I'll see if I can get some pictures when the weather clears up...it snowed a little last night! Stupid high mountain spring!

[Metcalf]

Here are a few pics of the finished crossover conversion before I paint it...

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/P1010194-1.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/P1010195.jpg

[Metcalf]

Here was the quick blueprint I used for when I started to machine the arm. Its not super complete for hole tapers and such, but the arm just dropped right on the knuckle when I installed it.....

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/d60arm.jpg

Also, remember that this arm has the 'springless' adjuster, not the pocket for the factory spring. The arm I built was 1.5" tall with .50" of material removed under the TRE hole. This was just enough in order to the the TRE bolt tight enough to get the cotter-key through the castle nut.

Yes, this arm is overkill.....

[KaiserM715]

One of my favorite builds here. I always look forward to updates!

[Metcalf]

Thanks, I am trying to keep it going. My old '42 willys is getting total rehash so if you need build fix you might check that one out too :)

The DoItAll will probably never be 'done', if you run out of ideas to improve it it's for sale right......

[Steinbruchsoldat]

Wow, this is some serious arm... :Wow1:

[Metcalf]

I didn't want to worry about it....ever.....

[Metcalf]

I have a lead on a replacement set of tires by San Bernardino, Ca. Is anyone in that area watching this thread, love the build, and want to help me? I need someone to pick up the tires and help with the shipping back to Colorado. I can pay for the help....

Thank you.

[huntsonora]

I love this truck and build!

[Metcalf]

Thank you. I will try and keep some new stuff coming to keep everyone entertained......

Its warm enough to paint again so I can finish up the doors and cowl. I do have to say that the amount of solid color is a little overwhelming. I might have to break it up some black rockers, hood blister, or something.

[enafzige]

I have a lead on a replacement set of tires by San Bernardino, Ca. Is anyone in that area watching this thread, love the build, and want to help me? I need someone to pick up the tires and help with the shipping back to Colorado. I can pay for the help....



I just saw this thread today for the first!! I skimmed through the 40 pages quickly, so forgive me if I missed it.

Are you looking for another set of 325/85/16 Michelin XMLs? If so, there's a guy near Atlanta that has a few sets right now for $795.

Great build!!! --Eric

[mor4wd]

PM me if you want some help getting the tires. You might remember that I sold you that last set?

[Metcalf]

Hi Aaron! have you been watching the thread the whole time?
I might have found a set cheaper and closer.
I'll keep it in mind, thanks for the offer.

[Metcalf]

I had a few minutes in the shop the other day....

I made a new PTO cover with a raised angled fill port for the transmission. I have had really good luck ( knock on wood ) with the Getrag 5-spd since I started overfilling it a little bit. Its always been a pain to overfill since there is really no port to do so. I had been pulling the top most bolt on the PTO cover and using a small hose and pump to inject the fluid. Generally this has always been a pain in the rear. The Getrag uses thin motor oil weight fluids so just pouring it in from a quart container is an option.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAGE_166.jpg

I traced the PTO cover from my SM420 that is going into my Willys as a pattern onto some scrap 3/8" aluminum. Then I cut it out on the band saw and rounded the corners with a belt sander.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAGE_167.jpg

I then drilled the 6 mounting holes and test fit it on the SM420 to make sure everything lined up correctly. I added a large fill port towards the top with a 45 degree fitting and plug. The idea is that I can use a funnel or pour quart sized containers right in the top. For a level, if you pull the left top side mounting bolt ( when looking at the cover on the truck) that seems to be just about the 4.5-5 quart level on my truck.

Just a simple improvement.....

I'll get it on the truck soon. I need to pick up another PTO cover gasket.

[bftank]

when i had my nv5600 i just pulled the shifter to fill it. don't know how that would work with the getrag though. i always like the idea of having a sight tube to see what the oil level was at like on the atlas transfercases.

[Metcalf]

I had thought about adding a sight tube. I even bought some fittings and stuff at the store one day that are still in a bag in the truck. The only thing I don't like about the sight tube is that it adds a failure point to the transmission.

It would be just my luck that a stick would bounce up in there and rip the tube off the transmission. All the oil would dribble out without me noticing. Then the transmission frys when I get back on the highway....

I decided to just keep it really simple.

I have read about pulling the shifter out. I never tried doing it that way.

I want to make a little screw on funnel for the fill port out of some pipe fittings. Then I can fill with one hand really easy. Pulling the upper left bolt is about perfect for the level of the fluid. Simple Simple.

[Metcalf]

100,000 views! Holy cow. I upgraded my photobucket to pro to keep the pictures live all the time.

[Cards81fan]

100,000 views! Holy cow. I upgraded my photobucket to pro to keep the pictures live all the time.

Yessir! This is absolutely my favorite build on ExPo. Can't really articulate why, aside from the fact I just love a old truck, and I like Diesel. So this one really fits the bill!

:26_7_2:

[Metcalf]

Thank you very much, I hope I inspire some people to build some stuff. I don't have a lot of money in this project, but do have a decent amount of time. I hope the people reading this thread realize that you don't need to have a super fancy expensive vehicle to get out in the back country. I maybe have 5K in this truck on the outside. I realize that a lot of people don't have all the tools I have available, but I hope it inspires some people to build rather than buy things. I miss the off-road world of 15-20 years ago when you didn't have the super fancy bolt on catalogs available and everyone had to build there own junk.....:victory:

[Metcalf]

I have a sneaking suspicion that my fuel pump is dying or dead.....

The truck always runs, but I just can't say it has ever run really strong. Lately I have convinced myself that the stock diaphram style fuel pump is giving up the ghost and/or has been for some time.

I don't really have a way to test this, I don't have any gauges in the truck which I think isn't really the smartest thing. Now...I don't like the idea of having a pillar full of glowing rings saying 'my truck is modded, race me' so I would like to keep extra stuff to a minimum.

Any opinions on this gauge from glowshift?

http://www.glowshiftdirect.com/3in1-Combination-Gauge-Boost-and-Exhaust-Temperature-and-Pressure-Gauge.aspx

http://www.glowshiftdirect.com/images/products/display/3-in-1-PSI-large-web.jpg

I read a lot of reviews and they decent, though not perfect. The price seems right at $170. I really like the idea of having 3 gauges in one. Boost pressure, EGT, and fuel pressure are the big things I want to watch. All three of those would tell me something. Currently it would tell me if I am sucking my fuel pump down to 0 psi.

I'm not sure where I would mount it? I don't want to drill holes in the dash pad. I could mount it low below the radio or headlight switch, both not really ideal for keeping an eye on things. Sadly, I think a single gauge pillar mount might be the best. I just need to tuck it low and tight so everyone doesn't think I am a bomber diesel guy. This gauge above is 2 3/8" or 60mm in dia. It comes with a pod, maybe I can mount that low enough to the A-pillar trim piece.

I have always wanted to try some fiberglass, maybe I can make a mount?

I'm still not totally convinced on using that gauge.....

I did order.....

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
ITEM# DESCRIPTION QTY TOTAL
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
BF-LONG-TAPPED BANJO BOLT - TAPPED ('98.5-'09, 5.9L & 1 $7.00
Ship Via: RESIDENTIAL GROUND SERVICE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
BF-3963983 BANJO BOLT GASKET - INDIVIDUAL CUMMINS 2 $3.00
Ship Via: RESIDENTIAL GROUND SERVICE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
KIT-NPTTAP 1/8 NPT TAP KIT 1 $7.50
Ship Via: RESIDENTIAL GROUND SERVICE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

From Genos Garage. Glowshift offers a banjo bolt that looks like it would work for the fuel pressure gauge on the Cummins, but the Geno one has four flow ports instead of two. They are also larger diameter on the Genos.

I have read that in order to keep the pressure gauge reading consistent you need to install a pressure snubber between the fuel source and fuel pressure sender, line, gauge, or isolator depending on what system you have.

I found this at McMaster.....

http://www.mcmaster.com/param/images/pressure/3820kp1l.gif

3820K11 is the part number for a brass 1/8 npt female to 1/8" male pressure snubber with a .004 orifice.

So......need to order gauge(s) soon.......

I didn't take any pics, but I had an hour after work so I finally started building some front recovery points for the dodge. I planned for this when I built the front bumper by allowing space for a 5/16-3/8" plate to fit between the frame and bumper mounts.

I found some 5/16x4" bar scraps so I cut off two pieces. I then transfered the 3-bolt mounting pattern over and drilled them out. I drilled a 1.5" hole in the front corner of the plate that will allow me to weld in a small section of tube that is 1.5" OD, 1" ID, and 1" long. This will let me use up to a 7/8" shackle and down to a 5/8" without issue. The tube section gets welded into the bracket and forms an extremely strong unit without having to build them out of ultra thick plate.

I'll snap a pick when I weld it up. Hopefully I can install them this weekend with the PTO cover fill plate thingy....

[SChandler]

You could use one of the 2nd Gen Dodge steering column gauge mounts. From what I've read they are supposed to fit on the later 1st gen columns just fine. I think they are typically intended for 2 1/16" gauges, so a little sanding will be in order to make the Glow Shift gauge fit, but based on the stuff you've done so far, I'd say that's within your realm of capability. :sombrero:

[Metcalf]

SHHHHHHH, that is where the Isspro tach is going to go.....

[SChandler]

Should have finished reading your post before I wrote mine. I used the tapped banjo bolt from Geno's for my fuel pressure gauge sender. However, I went to Napa and put 30" of grease gun hose in between the tapped banjo bolt and the fuel pressure sender. I haven't had any problems with the gauge or needed a snubber to keep the sender alive. Plus, you don't want to mount the sender to the side of the motor. The vibrations will kill the senders (at least, that's what I was told). I replaced the bleeder screw above the fuel filter with the tapped banjo. It's a good place for the sender as it's after the fuel filter. With the sender after the filter, you can tell when the filter is getting plugged, because your pressure readings will be lower.

[SChandler]

SHHHHHHH, that is where the Isspro tach is going to go.....

Oops, didn't mean to give away all your secrets. Good choice on the Isspro, that's the tach (and boost and pyrometer that I have). It should plug into the factory harness without too much trouble.

[Metcalf]

I ordered up the pressure snubber this morning from McMaster.

I also got a $10 0-15psi pressure gauge, part number 3846k24. Finally I ordered a $12 36" long grease gun hose, part number 2044k44.

This should let me rig up a way to test the pressure on my pump. I can just run the line up to the mirror arm or something. Nothing a little duct tape won't help me figure out. I just wanted a cheap way to test pressure for right now. I am still going to order the glowshift 3 in 1 but I would rather put that $170 towards a low pressure piston lift pump conversion......

The little 'test' gauge will be handy for testing in the future, it will just go in the tool box/bag. I could also test boost pressure I guess, I am betting I am not making much at all. Rarely do I get a kick in the back as the motor comes alive. I've always been happy this motor starts, drives, and gets decent mileage.....but lately I have been thinking its fairly down on power overall. Its got 300,000+ miles on it now so I think its time to look at a few things.....fuel pressue and boost will tell me a lot. I live at 7000ft, but I think this truck is just a little too doggy. Time to find some more power.....

[teleturns]

This should let me rig up a way to test the pressure on my pump. I can just run the line up to the mirror arm or something. Nothing a little duct tape won't help me figure out. I just wanted a cheap way to test pressure for right now. I am still going to order the glowshift 3 in 1 but I would rather put that $170 towards a low pressure piston lift pump conversion......


Don't waste your money on the glowshift 3 in 1 gauge. My buddy has it and it is junk. The connection on the back doesn't fit right, it is impossible to read when it is sunny, and the EGT bottoms out at 400*F. I have some of the glow shift manual gauges and they work great. I would recommend going with seperate guages.

I just did the low pressure piston pump conversion. Didn't notice any difference. Now I need a guage to check the PSI. Hopefully we can meet up saturday and you can check it out.....

[Metcalf]

Thanks for the heads up on the glowshift. I heard the new version goes down lower than 400F. I'm still on the fence about one. It would be nice to have all that information in one place.

How about Autometer? I have close family that works for them, I think I could swing a discount.

Should I get something else? I just have a hard time dumping 100s into gauges.

The isspro tach is about the only one that will work with the dodge ECM unless you do a crank sensor or something right?

I think I need at least....

Fuel pressure
EGT
Boost

At least with the parts I ordered I can check fuel pressure.

I don't have much going Saturday, give me a call when you get in town.

[teleturns]

I have the isspro tach above the steering column with the 2nd gen mount from geno's. Make sure when you buy the tach you get the isspro harness too. It has a special resistor in line to assist with the 5 volt signal from the ECM. We tried everything to make our own harness and it would not work.

The deuche bag guys with their flat bills and their diesels with stupid stacks are a dime a dozen in the 4 corners area, so I understand about the racing thing. I have dark tent and I keep my gauges on the night red, so they are not flashy.

But after looking at the newer 3 in 1 glowshift I am starting to like it. I didn't realize it had fuel pressure. My buddies has boost, egt, and aux temp. DANG maybe if I would read the posts and not act like Mr. Knowitall!

I want one of those 3 in 1 gauges....I'll sell you my gauges real cheap!!!

I'll give you a call Saturday when I get into town

[DT75FLH]

Thanks for the heads up on the glowshift. I heard the new version goes down lower than 400F. I'm still on the fence about one. It would be nice to have all that information in one place.

How about Autometer? I have close family that works for them, I think I could swing a discount.

Should I get something else? I just have a hard time dumping 100s into gauges.

The isspro tach is about the only one that will work with the dodge ECM unless you do a crank sensor or something right?

I think I need at least....

Fuel pressure
EGT

my last dodge i ran autometeres from genos garage....I ordered the usual boost/tranny/egt and they would throw in the triple gauge pod for the a piller.

i would run them again no problems..
Boost

At least with the parts I ordered I can check fuel pressure.

I don't have much going Saturday, give me a call when you get in town.

Im going to second the glowshift gauges....

my lasted about 3 months... never again.

the tranny temp gauge lasted 6 and I triple checked the wiring. plus it was not accurate...

and yes I have put gauges in 3 different diesel trucks with no issues..including egt

[SChandler]

I really like my Isspro gauges, I have the tach, boost, and EGT. I have a Westach fuel pressure gauge that I'm not as fond of. It performs fine, but looks cheap. I got it instead of an Isspro because Isspro did not make an electric fuel pressure gauge at the time. Now they make one and it is difficult for me not to break out the credit card and order one up. My dad and I put one of the Isspro electric fuel pressure gauges in his 24v truck and it works well. Isspro manufactures in Portland, so I like that I'm supporting a local vendor. I've heard good things about the Autometer gauges, I don't think you can go wrong there.

[Metcalf]

How about this for a gauge set.....

http://autometer.com/img/products/2660_d.jpg

0-30psi electric fuel gauge, autometer Z-series, 2 1/16"

http://autometer.com/img/products/2654_d.jpg

1600 degree pyrometer/egt, with prope, autometer Z-series, 2 1/16"

http://autometer.com/img/products/2617_d.jpg

0-60psi, mechanical boost gauge, autometer z-series, 2 1/16"


They make a 0-15psi fuel gauge, but I figure it would be nice to have the ability to check for +20psi for injector pump front seal safety. I plan on running the low pressure piston pump soon, plus I have been looking at using the low pressure spring in the 2nd gen larger piston dia version. That is suppose to give tons of volume with safe rotary pump pressures.

I wish they made an electric boost gauge in this series, but running the line shouldn't be too big of a deal. I think having a boost gauge capable of handling future upgrades is good. I would like something with enough range to watch for the danger zone for head gaskets around 40psi in the future.

I will have to come up with something for mounting. I guess it might be time to try and make a pillar mount with some fiberglass. I just can't think of many other areas to mount the gauges that are basically in the line of sight and that doesn't require cutting the top of the dash up....

MMMMMmmmmm

[SChandler]

The Autometer's should treat you right. They should also match visually with the Isspro tach, so that's nice. I bought the 60 psi boost gauge for the same reason. I ran all of the wires and tubing (for the boost gauge) through one of the existing rubber plugs through the firewall. The one under the dash, kind of behind the e-brake pedal, with the big bundle of wires coming through it. It's easy to get to from the engine compartment side.

Here's what I did for gauges:

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee261/dieselsam250/Picture003.jpg

It's a 2nd gen Dodge dash mount that I hacked the bracket off of. I then JB Welded a couple of sheetmetal scraps (that I bent into an L shape) to the gauge pod and used some stick on Velcro strips to hold it to the dash. It works ok, but the adhesive on the back of the Velcro melted some and the gauge holder has slid down the dash towards the windshield. At the time I only had 3 gauges so it worked ok. Now I have 4 and I need to do something else. I bought one of those cheap sheetmetal holders and I plan to bend up some sheetmetal to box it in some and use some double sided tape or cover the whole bottom with Velcro to hold it to the dash.

[Metcalf]

I installed the 'high-fill' PTO cover this evening after work. It ended up working sweet. I only got to take one pic and the camera died, I will get some more pics tomorrow after I pressure wash the transmission! HOLY cow did I forget that there is 300,000+ miles of road grim mixed with some oil leaks! I may need to move up the rebuild/reseal of the trans and t-case.

The new PTO cover worked great. I ended up making a gasket out of the back of an engineers tablet. I don't know how many times that stuff has saved my bacon. I just punched the holes with a .45apc case with a file sharpened lip. The outside was easy to cut with scissors. The inside I did holes in the corners and then connected the holes with an exacto knife. The gasket was free, didn't leak a drop.

As a note, the bolts on my 4-92 W250 dodge are NOT inch, they are metric. I found this way ODD for a PTO cover. Anyways, the correct bolts are M10, 1.5 pitch, 17mm head.

I also made a small plastic funnel to make the fill port even larger. Its angled an additional 45 degrees to make the top almost level. Pic later.

Once it was all together I was able to fill the tranny using quart bottles of oil. The getrag uses 5w-30 synthetic. With the upper left bolt pulled I got 4.75 quarts in before the oil weeped out the open bolt hole. This worked about prefect. I will probably make a small wire dipstick to check the level or something. I think I could also pull the fill plug and check it with my pinky too. I think the bottom of the fill plug is just about the correct 'overfill' level.

I also readjusted the valves last night. In my quest to diagnose my maybe imagined low power condition, I didn't want it being a factor. I found a few that where a little on the loose side...slightly...so I redid them. The truck runs better now I think.....its all so subjective.

My McMaster and Geno stuff should be here this week. It will be time to test fuel pressure and boost pressure then.

[DT75FLH]

How about this for a gauge set.....

http://autometer.com/img/products/2660_d.jpg

0-30psi electric fuel gauge, autometer Z-series, 2 1/16"

http://autometer.com/img/products/2654_d.jpg

1600 degree pyrometer/egt, with prope, autometer Z-series, 2 1/16"

http://autometer.com/img/products/2617_d.jpg

0-60psi, mechanical boost gauge, autometer z-series, 2 1/16"


They make a 0-15psi fuel gauge, but I figure it would be nice to have the ability to check for +20psi for injector pump front seal safety. I plan on running the low pressure piston pump soon, plus I have been looking at using the low pressure spring in the 2nd gen larger piston dia version. That is suppose to give tons of volume with safe rotary pump pressures.

I wish they made an electric boost gauge in this series, but running the line shouldn't be too big of a deal. I think having a boost gauge capable of handling future upgrades is good. I would like something with enough range to watch for the danger zone for head gaskets around 40psi in the future.

I will have to come up with something for mounting. I guess it might be time to try and make a pillar mount with some fiberglass. I just can't think of many other areas to mount the gauges that are basically in the line of sight and that doesn't require cutting the top of the dash up....

MMMMMmmmmm

I like the autometer gauges.

my last dodge I put on the typical tranny,egt,boost (auto meters had zero issues)..and ordering them through genos garage they threw in the 3 pod a piller mount for free.

[Metcalf]

MMMMMMMmmmmmm.....

This should be coming in the mail soon!

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/he351.jpg

[teleturns]

I guess my turbo whistle got you jonesin'.....

Is that the he351cw? Hopefully I'll pick one of those up soon.

[Metcalf]

Maybe:sombrero:

Yup, early 2007 vintage HE351CW with low miles. I had been looking for about a year for a decent deal on one. It should make a HUGE difference overall. Its basically 15year newer technology than my factory turbo. It supports a 325hp factory application and can support much more while still keeping EGTs in check. It will make 40psi :Wow1:

The factory LARGE 18.5 or 21cm housing on 1st gen dodge trucks is just a total dog. My truck barely starts to make boost before the governer spring starts to cut fuel. This is very counterproductive. The newer turbo, with its 9cm exhaust housing, should spool up almost instantly in comparison.

I'm still waiting on the McMaster order, my Geno stuff was waiting for me today when I got home from work. I'm still interested to see what I am pulling for fuel pressure and boost pressure.

Tonight after work I made a few things in the shop.....

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0172.jpg

I almost finished up the front tow points I have been working on. I made some better fitting shackle pin bushings. Then I cobbled up this little jig so I could weld everything together square and centered. It worked pretty well. One of the welds looked crappy so I will probably grind it off and redo it. I am going to need to trim my bumper mounts a bit. When I install it I will probably weld the tow point brackets to the bumper brackets to make everything stronger.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0173.jpg

I also snapped a pic of the new easy overfill PTO cover. Please excuse the 300,000+ miles of road grime! I really need to pull the trans/tcase and reseal everything....

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0171.jpg

Making the cardboard gasket for the PTO cover a few days ago. I filed the edge of the case to make it into a round punch. No leaks on the gasket at all :)

[teleturns]

Where did you find the turbo? And if you don't mind...how much did you give for it?

If you see another one for sale let me know....I've been looking

[RPhil]

Thanks for the updates. I am anxious to see the results post turbo install.

Keep up with the pics of your custom work in the shop! That is my favorite part. :smiley_drive:

[teleturns]

Are you going to bore the wastegate out? I have heard it is restrictive due to the fact it came from an emissions motor. You can easily make it larger....

[Metcalf]

Tele,

I picked it up for $309 off one of the diesel boards. I couldn't do an exhaust housing and compressor wheel upgrade for anything near that. Its also 15 year newer technology or so.....

I don't know if I will bore the exhaust gate out yet. Most people that are running them on 1st gens basically just bolt the exhaust gate shut for the most part. They seem to cool down the EGTs much better at higher pressures. I might use a spring to open the gate with drive pressure at 40psi or so.

Rphil,

I will keep posting all the stuff I build if people keep posting up questions and such :)

I have a LOOOOONNNNNGGGGG list of things I will be doing to the truck.....

HE351 turbo, 4" exhaust, injectors, low pressure fuel pump, etc
2003 GM 14-bolt with disc brake swap with 3.73s
3.73 D70 gears in front using the old powr-lok rear diff
6-speed trans someday...looking for a deal!
ARB lockers maybe, but that would double the value of the truck!
Winch install in a replacement front cross member
Rear bumper
Ramcharger 2nd tank
new seats in the cab
hybrid soft/hard camper 'shell' with roll up sides
Finish up the bad paint job....
New crossmember for the transmission/t-case
Fix all the little leaks, maybe an IP rebuild
A decent stereo system
Fix the cruise control
Paint all the interior trim back to dark grey
Make some door panels, headliner, etc
Build a full size spare tire mount in the bed
Tie down rails in the bed
Bedliner the bed
etc
etc
etc

The list is endless.....

stay tuned, but its probably going to be like one of those long drawn out TV shows over a many year season :coffeedrink:

[Metcalf]

I did a little work today....

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0178.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0180.jpg

I installed the Geno's banjo bolt. This was a nice piece, its has 4 large fuel ports.....

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0181.jpg

Then I built a super high tech gauge mount. This is the little 0-15psi pressure gauge I am using to test the fuel pressure....and boost pressure later. The 4-5 psi shown is the idle fuel pressure. I think the .004 pressure snubber is a little small. There is ZERO gauge bounce with the fuel pump, but I am a little worried the pressure response is a little slow.

Next I finished up the front tow points....

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0183.jpg

I welded in the sleeves for the shackles....

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0185.jpg

3/4" shackle test fit.....

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0186.jpg

I did a little measuring on the bumper brackets and marked out the area that needed to be removed.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0187.jpg

Cut out the bracket with the gas-axe and ground it smooth.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0188.jpg

Here is the new tow point installed. The tow point only extends a few inches ahead of the frame and is rounded on the leading edge to help is slide over things if I was to hit it. I will be welded the tow point brackets onto the bumper brackets to make one unit.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0190.jpg

Here is what the front bumper looks like with the shackles installed. Now all I need it a new front crossmember that doubles as a winch mount.

[Metcalf]

The results of the fuel pressure test where interesting.....

The truck idles with 4-5psi of fuel pressure. If I really romp on it the fuel pressure will drop to between 3.5-4psi. So, I just don't know. The pump isn't starving for fuel and going down to zero psi or anything.

So, once I was home I pulled the pressure gauge sending line off the fuel pressure banjo bolt and swapped it over to the intake manifold. I plugged off the fuel pressure port and went for another drive.

To my surprise the truck is building boost. I can do 14-15psi or so? I don't really know if this is normal or not. The truck doesn't really smoke at all. The only real mod is that I rotated the fuel pin to a deeper position. I did a little test loop that included a 1500ft rise from 6500ft to 8000ft heading out of town. The truck seems to get up to 12-14psi on the highway. I never saw the gauge peg or anything. These pressures where at the port in the intake manifold...or basically the head itself.

I'm guessing that my truck is basically a dog. I live at about 7000ft and have a basically bone stock truck pushing heavy 38" tires with 3.54 gears......

I think the large factory exhaust housing is hurting me a lot? It is either a 18.5 or 21cm housing. Its just WAY too laggy. The truck basically builds boost late because of the big housing. To make it all worse the stock governor spring starts to defuel the truck right when the truck starts to build boost. You can see this pretty easily on the pressure gauge when you listen to the motor while driving it.

The HE351 is on the way! That should fix the laggy turbo problem!

[lstzephyr]

My truck builds right around 14-15psi on the highway here as well. It has the fuel pin spun around, and a 366 governor spring. It only really seems to pick up speed at higher rpm, so I would say install the governor spring.

My turbo doesn't seem laggy at all really. My truck does smoke pretty bad whenever I'm full throttle. I've been meaning to turn down the smoke screw but I don't use full throttle very often so I have just left it.

[Metcalf]

At least I am not that far off then. I need to order up a spring tomorrow!
I'm gonna get a low pressure piston pump coming too....

I think with the newer turbo I will build boost MUCH lower, hopefully just off idle :)

[SChandler]

IIRC, the Cummins spec for boost is 16-19 psi on new trucks for the 89-93 Dodges. I know that when I got my 92, bone stock 16psi was all the turbo would push. I suspect that at 7000ft and 14-15psi, you are within spec. My 92 was built Feb. 92 and had the 21cm housing on it. They switched back to the 18.5 late in the 92 model year due to complaints about the motor being doggy. I found on mine that adding some turns to the fuel screw really made a difference. Note, I'm not talking about the smoke screw, but the full fuel screw on the back of the pump. The one you have to take the collar off of to get more than 1/2 to 3/4 turns out of. I went +2 turns or so on that and made 25psi and had a much more responsive truck. I eventually switched to a 16cm housing, full 4" exhaust, BHAF, and a DDP fuel pin and know I see 30-32psi max boost.

[Metcalf]

I'm guessing I have the 21cm. My truck was built in 4-92.

The 14psi or so reading is at the intake manifold, so 1-3psi for the intercooler loss? I think I am at a normal level for a mostly stock truck at 7000-8000ft....

I might play with the pump more after I get some real gauges. I need to call up autometer and get some coming...

[SChandler]

My boost gauge is run to the tapped port in the intake manifold as well. I assume that the spec for the original motors was at sea level (or whatever level Indiana is at, since that's where the Cummins plant is at). At 7000ft, you're going to show slightly lower levels of boost since there is less air to compress. Real gauges are nice, no more guessing at what's going on is :wings:.

Edit: You can verify which size turbine housing you have if you crawl under the truck, behind the passenger front tire and shine a light up on the back of the housing. The size is stamped on the back of it in small numbers. A mirror up top might be easier to use to see the number.

[lstzephyr]

My boost gauge is tapped into the manifold as well. I'm at about 2k ft here. I had the truck in Mexico a couple days ago and was probably at about 3k there and I couldn't tell a difference in boost. So I would say your truck probably is making more boost than mine because of the altitude difference.

I cranked the full fuel screw in about 3/4-1 turn, but I didn't remove the collar. I am surprised you got that much boost(30ish) by 2 full turns. Maybe I need to break that collar off and turn that in a bit more. I still intend to bump the timing sometime too. My truck does have some sort of aftermarket exhaust too, I think it is 4in, at least 3.5in. Its all the way from the turbo back.

[SChandler]

My boost gauge is tapped into the manifold as well. I'm at about 2k ft here. I had the truck in Mexico a couple days ago and was probably at about 3k there and I couldn't tell a difference in boost. So I would say your truck probably is making more boost than mine because of the altitude difference.

I cranked the full fuel screw in about 3/4-1 turn, but I didn't remove the collar. I am surprised you got that much boost(30ish) by 2 full turns. Maybe I need to break that collar off and turn that in a bit more. I still intend to bump the timing sometime too. My truck does have some sort of aftermarket exhaust too, I think it is 4in, at least 3.5in. Its all the way from the turbo back.

It might have been more like 3 turns, I don't remember off hand, I'd have to look at my notes on it. I turned it up higher, but had problems with tearing the tips off of the shutdown solenoid. I know I turned it down from there, so I think I'm at +2-2.5 turns from stock.

The truck didn't hit 30+psi until I got all of the mods on there: tweaked pump settings, DDP fuel pin, exhaust, BHAF, 3200rpm gov. spring, and a 16cm turbine housing. Turning the fuel screw certainly made the biggest difference. The real fun begins after you pull the collar off of it. Just be careful of runaway. Keep a board handy to choke the air to the turbo with if you start playing a lot with the fuel screw.

The only things I haven't done to the engine that I'd still like to do are the low pressure lift pump and the injection pump timing bump. Eventually, I'll get around to those two things, time and money pending.

[teleturns]

So it looks like I just purchased a he351ce for $320 shipped. The guy lives up in Fruita, so it should be here soon. He said it was from an 04.5 with 30,000 miles. They upgraded to a aftermarket turbo. It comes with the waste gate solenoid and the cast exhaust elbow. It is missing the clamp to go from the elbow to the exhaust, so I'll need to figure that out.

If you know anyone who wants the 60mm upgrade and the 16cm exhaust housing I'll make them a deal. They only have 5000 miles or so.

When my truck was stock there was no way I could pass 15 psi.

At the intake manifold my truck currently will make 25-27 psi. My buddy who has the Bosch 190's and an auto tranny can hit 30-32 psi.

I am sure I could increase my psi with some turns of the fuel screw, but I don't want the related temperatures.

Next time I am in your area I may want to try your fuel gauge on my new low pressure piston pump

[Metcalf]

Tele,

You can borrow it any time. I would request that you order the Geno's banjo bolt though, that way I don't have to take mine off and install new gasket washer things with the bolt. The taped banjo bolt is only like $10. You can just install a pipe plug in it normally without the gauge.

You can get the exhaust clamp here for $44 ( factory part only )

http://www.dieselautopower.com/he351_v_band_clamp_turbo_cummins_p/he351%20clamp.htm

[teleturns]

Are you going to buy the he351 adapter flange?

http://www.dieselautopower.com/product_p/he351adapterflange.htm

Actually I bet you'll make it...

[Metcalf]

Yup, I was just going to make it....

I think I am going to use the Diamond Eye exhaust so I will have to cut off the factory 3" flange and weld on the new one anyways....

I thought I read that you can use the flange off the downpipe also, it is suppose to be the same size as the one at the exhaust housing. The factory 3rd gen uses a cast elbow, but the downpipe is steel. You can then weld the steel downpipe flange to a 4" exhaust. I don't know how easy it would be to find one though?

[Metcalf]

This showed up in the mail today....

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0005.jpg

Time for a little high altitude performance!

Do do list for this project....

-buy a 4" Diamond Eye exhaust system
-Make a HE351 sized exhaust flange and weld it to the new 4" downpipe
-Make a new pipe to go from the compressor outlet to intercooler
-Buy a new v-band clamp for the exhaust housing
-Buy some new gaskets for the turbo orifices
-Modify the intake system for the new turbo compressor inlet.
-Make a plug to replace the electric solenoid in the compressor housing
-Install some real gauges ( fuel pres, boost, egt )
-Re-torque the head bolts.

I am probably forgetting some stuff....

[lstzephyr]

Sweet! I'm thinking I may need to hop up my truck a little more now too. Although I will probably just turn the full power screw a little. I'm trying to get together a shackle flip right now.

Oh yeah, did you finish painting that truck yet?! Come on dude, show some overall pics of the thing. I painted my truck in a couple days, don't make me come up there and paint yours!

[Metcalf]

We all can't live in areas where you can paint outside all year no matter what day because it never rails or changes temperature.... :) AND I had to try and cover up all my fender cutting with some filler! :)

I'm really close. I all I have left is the doors and cowl. I ordered up a small sandblaster today to strip the cowl and doors. I need to get some replacement rubber coming too. All the weather stripping in the doors and windows is pretty rotten.

So many projects...so little time.

I did find a piece of scrap today that will work for the downpipe flange. It was some super heavy wall 4" pipe, it is going to work perfect.

I am headed to EJS on Thursday after work.

[lstzephyr]

What?!! You have seasons up there? What is that nonsense about? It actually rained here a couple weeks ago. I went out and stood in it, then went for a ride on the bike, then drove the truck around offroad. I guess you could say I miss the rain a bit.:sombrero:

The weatherstripping is falling off my truck as well. I really need new hinges though, so its hard to tell. The biggest problem with these trucks is that whole dodge bit falling off!

Please take a picture of the stock and new turbos side by side, I would like to see the size difference.

[Metcalf]

I'll get a picture of the new(er) turbo and the old turbo when I do the install.

I'm pretty surprised how well this truck has held up overall. Its got 300K on it o so. Rust is minimal in the southwest, but I think you end up doing all the rubber and paint more since the sun bakes everything. My doors are from an '85 crew cab that was an air force truck then fire service then sat out in the New Mexico sun for who knows how long. All in all not that bad.....

I will say that dodge bodies are not the best. I think the metal on my old '78 Ford pickup is a thicker for sure.

The powertrain and drivetrain is great though! Everything is re-buildable, uses real bearings, and real seals.

Its basically like owning a late 1970s truck with a diesel.....

[SChandler]

You have a source for the weatherstripping, Metcalf? I need to do the window seals on my truck.

[Metcalf]

JC whitney has one of the best reviewed kits, also a great price.

Current part number is "1JA 267697"

Here is a hot link, though they don't always work.

http://www.jcwhitney.com/complete-door-weatherstrip-kits-for-cars-trucks-and-suvs/p2008622.jcwx?skuId=324691&filterid=j1&_requestid=4307931

The kit is $170 at the time of this post. This is what I will be ordering for when I re-install my doors after paint.

[SChandler]

Thanks for the link. While looking for some info on the subject, I found this on the DTR: http://www.dieseltruckresource.com/dev/fix-your-leaking-whistling-door-t152939.html. BC does a good job of writing up his installs. Don't know if you've seen that link, but I thought it might help.

[Metcalf]

AAR from my weekend in Moab fro EJS....

-The new steering is SOOOOO much better. Driving on the highway, even bucking 50mph gusts, is a one handed deal. I also got it truck twisted up pretty good a few times, no rubbing or contact at all.

-The Michelins are about done. They are getting pretty noisy and bouncy on the highway at 60+mph. I need to replace them with something more 'modern'. Currently I am leaning toward the 38.5x13.5x16 Pitbull Maddog Radial.

-I got 18.8mpg average round trip. The weather was FAR from perfect and I drove about 65mph the entire way. I didn't flog the truck, but I didn't baby it either. I am always happy about mileage for the most part.....

-The truck works as is, but I think some 3.73 gears would be a bit better. The highway gear is just a bit tall for 65mph. 55 works great in 4th, 70 works great in 5th, but 65 is kinda stuck inbetween gears.

-I still like the ultra-simple rear camping setup. It was really nice to be able to pull off the road and have a 'bed' set up in like 2 minutes. Finding a flat parking area was the biggest problem. I am getting picky in my old age.

-The rough riding springs and shocks are annoying me. I think a lot of it was the tires, but the springs need to get gone. I think a trip to alcan won't be too far off in the grand plan.

My dream vehicle would be something about 3/4 the size of my existing truck but keeping the 1-ton diesel drivetrain. If I ever get REALLY tired of the body I could swap the guts into something like this....

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Moab%20EJS%202011/IMAG0010.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Moab%20EJS%202011/IMAG0009.jpg

yup, thats a 6cyl Cummins....

[Scott39]

AAR from my weekend in Moab fro EJS....
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Moab%20EJS%202011/IMAG0009.jpg

yup, thats a 6cyl Cummins....

What kind of valve cover is that?

[Metcalf]

I think its a 24V cover that was blasted....

[Metcalf]

Nothing fancy or exotic, but this was a good $37 invested....

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0016.jpg

This is a really neat basic little receiver. It is only an AM/FM radio with the ability to play MP3 files through an SD card or USB stick ( as shown ). It doesn't have a cd player in it at all. I ordered up a 16 gig SD card but it hasn't shown up yet. I just dropped some songs on an old USB stick and plugged it in. It worked perfect. This is so nice and simple! The old alpine deck was done, it wouldn't play anything anymore. I ordered this little receiver off amazon.com for $37 delivered.

You will have to excuse the rough install. I had to use some of the old install kit that was in the truck....

This is just so simple. No skipping, No fuss, I don't have to carry CDs in the cab anymore. I usually listen to the radio, but on long lonely stretches of road it seems the only stations are country. That just isn't my thing.

I'm going to add a little more to the stereo system in the next few months. It won't be super fancy, but it should make a pretty big difference.

Just something fun....

[pulltilbroke]

That should work.

I did the same thing a while back but I went with a little higher end setup. I went with a Sony that was Ipod ready and got a 60gb Ipod, Heck the radio even has a remote. I remember saying years ago when car stereos first started coming with remotes "Why do you need a remote the radio is less than 18" from your hand" Now i'm lost without it. The cool thing about this setup is I can control the Ipod through the remote.

It sure is nice not having a crapload of CDs floating around the truck, All my music fits in the ashtray now.

http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh449/pulltilbroke/The%20Dodge/Dodgepics001-8.jpg

[Metcalf]

I need a new ashtray..

A 16 gig SD card was less than $20 shipped. That will give me more than enough music I hope.

So for $60 or so I have a 16-gig 'truck-pod' stereo system :) I guess I could plug my phone in also, that has a 32 gig card in it...

I ordered a set of 'affordable' 6.5" front separates. I am going to try and make some kick panel pods for them I think. I am looking for an affordable 4-channel amp? I can run the 6.5s off two channels and bridge the rear channels for a compact sub under the seat or tucked behind the seat.

Where was all this affordable stereo gear when I was in high school? It's amazing the quality of even the cheap gear these days. It might not be the fancy stuff, but generally it all seems to work pretty well....

[trasko]

I need a new ashtray..

A 16 gig SD card was less than $20 shipped. That will give me more than enough music I hope.

So for $60 or so I have a 16-gig 'truck-pod' stereo system :) I guess I could plug my phone in also, that has a 32 gig card in it...

I ordered a set of 'affordable' 6.5" front separates. I am going to try and make some kick panel pods for them I think. I am looking for an affordable 4-channel amp? I can run the 6.5s off two channels and bridge the rear channels for a compact sub under the seat or tucked behind the seat.

Where was all this affordable stereo gear when I was in high school? It's amazing the quality of even the cheap gear these days. It might not be the fancy stuff, but generally it all seems to work pretty well....

I got this amp and hooked it up exactly how you're describing in my F250:

Alpine MRP-F300 4 channel

There are others in this class of amps but this was the best I could find given my specific size requirements. I mounted it to some plywood and it's wedged between the rear bench and the side of the truck behind the driver's seat. Sounds like it'd overheat but it's been fine... For now I've just run a straight-up headphone jack to the ipod or whatever player and I've left wires dangling out of the dash where the receiver used to be. I call it my "passive anti-theft system."

[lstzephyr]

That is a cool little head unit! Can you post/pm a link for that deck on amazon? I need to get a new deck for my truck. I have an old pioneer that has some issues. It has had a cd jammed in it for years, and I have been using a fm transmitter for my ipod. That needs to change!

A good stereo is essential for my traveling style. I can't even remember how many times I have been driving around on interstates at 3 am with the radio blasting to keep me awake. I have a decent stereo in my truck besides the head unit, some old subs and a decent amp. Its like cruising around in a club, locked in an old farm truck.:elkgrin:

I hope you enjoy your new stereo setup as much as I enjoy mine!

[Metcalf]

Just remember....its a $37 head unit.

Amazon.com: Dual XR4110 AM/FM USB/SD/3.5-mm Mechless Receiver (Gray): Automotive

I would say the only con so far for me would be that the amplifier in the deck is a little weaker than the last deck, but with far less distortion. I will be adding a small amp most likely. I don't have any alternator whine at all and the receiver seems to pick up a lot of stations....

[sapper]

If your still planning on using that 351 VGT turbo, have you considered getting a manifold from a late 3rd gen or early 4th gen with a 6.7L? I know of 6.7L users that have swapped on 2nd gen manifolds so why couldn't you do the same in reverse and save a bunch of time and effort. You may even find someone willing to purchase or trade for yours.

Also I know the fleece performance makes a stand alone controller for that turbo.

[Metcalf]

I picked up the HE351CW ( non-vgt, 04.5-07 5.9 turbo ).

From what I understand you can't swap the 3rd gen manifold on the older trucks because the turbo would be in the firewall.

The he351cw basically just bolts to the 1st-2nd gen manifold. The 2nd gen manifold is suppose to provide more even cylinder pressures or something over the 3rd gen style.

[Metcalf]

Time for tires....or 'how to double the value of the truck'

The current plan is to get a set of 38.5x13.5x16 Pitbull Maddog Radials....

http://image.4wheeloffroad.com/f/31575306+w750+st0/131_1001_02_z+pit_bull_muddog_mt_tires+large_tread s.jpg

You have a few days to talk me into something else. I have a trip to Idaho for the 4th and need something on before then.

In other news. I have both cars for about 10 days next week so I will hopefully be able to paint the doors!

I also got in some new 'affordable' 6.5" separates for the new stereo project. I'm thinking about building kick panel pods.....

[sojourner]

I vote for 11.00 x16 XLs

Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

[Metcalf]

Where?

[sojourner]

Where?

Well, that's the tough part but here's some on CL

http://orlando.craigslist.org/pts/2353116373.html

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/pts/2388395628.html

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/pts/2392049652.html

There's almost always some on a nationwide CL search.

Then you can check with:

http://militarytires.com/

http://www.easternsurplus.net/tires.html

http://www.bergtires.com/

http://www.militaryoffroadtires.net/

[Metcalf]

After running the 325s for a few years and wearing them out....

A few notes....

-They are HEAVY. Changing one or even lifting one into the back of the truck takes planning and assistance.

-I don't think they like USA highway speeds. My truck is no speed demon, but at 65+ you can pretty much watch the tread melt off I think. Maybe I am just imagining, but they did seen to wear FAST on the highway. While this isn't what they where built for, I would have expected better from such a 'light' vehicle like mine. They are rated for 5000lbs per tire.

-In two years I never had a puncture. No nails, screws, sticks, or rocks made so much as a dent in these tires. This was with 7000lbs or truck. It was nice not having to worry about that.

-I ran them in the single digits in the snow. They didn't seem to care. No bead problems. I ran them in the low teens to high single digits on the rocks and in the sand at moab. Again, they didn't seem to care. No bead problems. This was with 8" rims and a 7000lb truck.

-They didn't wear even. This was probably my fault for balancing them with golf balls and running them on narrow rims. I did get 3 seasons out of a used set of tires though.

Still going Pitbull Maddog Radials in a week or so.

[lstzephyr]

I will be very interested to see how you like them. At some point I will be stepping up from my 32s, if for no other reason than gearing.

I'm surprised your old tires wore out as quickly as they did. I have almost the same amount of time on my front tires and they are still about half tread.

How is the paint coming along?

I agree with you that something about 3/4 size of the truck would be nice. Its just slightly too much most of the time. I really like the idea of this jeep.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Moab%20EJS%202011/IMAG0010.jpg

[RU55ELL]

What about KM2s?

[Metcalf]

They don't really make the right size and weight capacity. Cost is also a big issue with KM2s, once you get to the 37+" range they start to get VERY expensive. I would also have to change rim sizes for sure which is an added expense.

With the super large fender openings I have now I really need something 38-39" tall with a higher D range load capacity.

[RU55ELL]

How much do the Mad Dogs cost?

[Metcalf]

$359 each......OOOOOuuuuuccccchhhhh.

I swear I am going to need a few stiff shots before I order 4 of those. While it doesn't double the value of the truck. Its in that ballpark!

For a large, radial, 16" rim, 4000lb load rating, it was the least expensive option. Since I don't have to buy rims it works out cheaper than most. Once you get in the 37"+ range it seems tire weight capacity really drops off. The maddog radials are rated at 4000lbs at 65psi. This should give me plenty of capacity for whatever stupid things I come up with to do.

[Metcalf]

zephyr,

Paint is going ok. I got the cowl painted the other weekend. I ordered my door gasket set and wing window gaskets the other day. The misses is out of town for 10 days so I have both cars. That will let me pull the doors off the truck and not drive it for a week.
Hopefully that will let me get this thing painted!

It should look ok all one color with some new shoes :)

I will have to give it a treat and order a new grill shell, mine is hammered!

[SChandler]

I, like many others here, am looking forward to seeing the truck in one color.:elkgrin: I'll be interested to here what your thoughts are on the Maddog's. Looking at pictures of them, they feel like a large version of a Toyo M55 or Goodyear Duratrac. I expect they will be a good all-around performer. Plus, with a 4000lb per tire load rating, you can get one of those big slide in campers and be set for luxury camping.:D

[Metcalf]

It will be an interesting comparison for sure. The maddogs are something like 20-30lbs per corner lighter. I am gonna have a rocket ship! :)

I will be looking forward to having a full size spare....well not really. That thing is going to be big, heavy, hard to store, and hard to get into and out of the back of the truck. Driving around without a spare probably isn't the best idea either.....

I need some ideas on how and where to mount a set of 6.5" separates that doesn't involve cutting the doors up. My doors are 1985 doors so they don't have door mounted speakers stock. I'm thinking kick panels of some kind. I kinda want to try to make some fiberglass kick panels. With the e-brake there isn't a lot of room on the drivers side. I have thought about eliminating the fresh air vent on the drivers side and just making a mount for the speaker in that hole with a back on it or something. Then on the passenger side just make a small kick panel to bring the speaker out past the body a bit? Don't really know.......

The camper shell is still going to be a slightly darker and metallic gray....the 'truck' is all going to be one color :D

[bryson]

Don't know about availability, but these are pretty cheap, especially for a BFG! They are about a 38x14.5x16.

http://www.discountedwheelwarehouse.com/Discount_Tires.cfm?pID=521&pn=BFG-28483

[Metcalf]

I thought about those, I want a set for my Willys project :) With them being so wide I think I would have to buy wheels, my 8" wheels just are not wide enough. They are also a fairly light load range C tire.....
Thank you for the suggestion on something.

[DT75FLH]

what about the 37" Humvee tires? I know you don't want to buy rims but the tires can be had for $100. per tire with 90% tread.

IIRC they are load range "D" with a 3850# capacity per tire and were rated for 70mph

heres a link for 15 of them with 70% tread for $600.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/15-MILITARY-TIRE-37-12-50-16-5-HUMMER-HUMVEE-HMMWV-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZalgoQ3dSIQ26itsQ3dIQ2 6ituQ3dUCIQ252BUAQ252BFICSQ26otnQ3d21Q26pmodQ3d170 514212017Q26psQ3d54QQ_trksidZp3284Q2em263QQitemZ12 0662520913

here is a link "above my head" for snow performance done by the army core of engineers

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=3&sqi=2&ved=0CCMQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.crrel.usace.army.mil%2Flibrar y%2Ftechnicalreports%2FTR-07-13.pdf&rct=j&q=humvee%20tire%20capacity&ei=9e7iTbKbCNGgtgfq6PWjBw&usg=AFQjCNF0-i2x2Ne6_iJjmgVm3ax82TeD7Q

yes I suck at links..

[Metcalf]

Your not the first person to recommend those. After seeing them in person on Teleturn's dodge a few weeks ago I just gotta say pass. They where about 1-2" shorter than the worn out Michelin's even at 40psi vs 25-30psi. The H1 tires just aren't big enough for me really.....

The 2nd problem is wheels. I do like the idea of double beadlock rims. I'm not too excited about running spacers or recentering H1 wheels.

I'm just being picky.

So far its still pitbulls next week or so.....

I stripped the doors down today to get ready for paint. Anyone have any idea how the window comes out? I have everything else out, but the window is FIRMLY attached to the channel on the window regulator.

I will start sanding on them tomorrow.....fun fun.

I also picked up some stuff for some sawhorses. I'm going to pull the doors to paint them....hopefully less overspray and stuff.

I'm half excited about having the truck one color....but boy oh boy I am burned out on body work and paint.....

[Metcalf]

Ok......I'm getting tired of sanding and painting......

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0029.jpg

I'm still waiting on my new door seal and window channel kit. The vent window gaskets showed up yesterday.

My gauges from Autometer ( thanks Cuz ) are on there way too. I got an EGT gauge, electric fuel pressure, and 0-60psi boost gauge. I had an idea the other day to make a gauge mount that fit over the existing 'information' cluster on the dash. Maybe make some indicators in the new gauge mount...some simple lights with a harness? Maybe I could just push that information system back in the dash? Don't know.....

I'm also painting the interior plastic/vinyl/dash back to dark grey like it was factory.....

My funds showed up for tires yesterday......last chance to try and talk me out of the Pitbull Maddog Radials.

[teleturns]

My funds showed up for tires yesterday......last chance to try and talk me out of the Pitbull Maddog Radials.

I say go with the Maddogs. I bet they will be so smooth compared to your XMLs and will look great! If I could do it all over again I would have just got some 16" wheels and gone with the Trxus M/T in the 37" flavor.

[Metcalf]

Thats the plan. The maddogs should be like a caddy compared to the XML's. They are also like 30lbs lighter per corner! I'm going to keep the best XML for a spare tire I think.
I found a local shop that can balance the new tires too, that should help a little bit. I was pretty happy with the 3 seasons I got out of the used XML's but I think a new set of tires will be SOOOO much better.

[Metcalf]

Sneak peak....

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0048.jpg

Come on FedEx! I need my door weatherstriping package...

[lstzephyr]

Looks good! What are you painting it with?

[my1stcummins]

What is this, a strip tease?! More!:sombrero:

[Metcalf]

I couldn't find a strip tease smiley to use....

I'm painting it with a simple siphon feed paint gun and my small roll around craftsman compressor. Its dry enough here I don't have to worry about water. I'm just using Rustoleum Professional in a color I can get in a spray can and quarts/gallons. Touching up with a spray can has helped a lot. I run the paint pretty thin in the gun.

Lesson learned...ALWAYS clean your paint gun!

Its nothing fancy, just cheap and one color, it kinda looks like that new Audi 'trashcan' grey :)

[Rambow]

I think your making a good choice with the pitbulls on your rig. I wish I had enough room for these exact tires on my 93. I bet they perform and look great. I have read alot of reveiws on pitbulls and ccant find many, if any dislikes.
Like everyone else, I have patiently been waiting for a real picture of the dodge,paint, tires, everything. Keep up the good work... This is still my favorite dodge ever!
oh ya are you going to run your 16x8 wheels or step up to a 10" wide wheel with the new tires?

[Metcalf]

Thanks!

I'm going to try the 8" wheels. I may break down and get 10's but one of the reasons to use the pitbull was that it comes in 16" so I don't HAVE to buy wheels. I think they are going to be tall enough that I can get away with the 8" wheels since they are a radial. Hopefully the tread sits pretty flat. I will have to play with the pressures a bit and see what I can do......

Rant of the day...For the love of GOD can I get my dang weather strip package today!

[Metcalf]

OF COURSE!!!!!

They do not have any 38.5x13.5x16 Pitbull maddog radials in stock anywhere. They do have the 16.5 and 17 version but if I have to buy wheels I might as well look at other tires again....

DANG IT!

[huntinguy]

this might help you. http://www.offroaders.com/tech/AT-MT-Tires/MT-Mud_Terrains.htm

[Metcalf]

Thanks for the link.

I have looked at just about EVERYTHING two or three times. Its just a cost vs gain thing. I don't want to double the value of the truck with a new set of tires.

I'm trying to get a price match deal from Discount Tire Direct on a set of 37" goodyear mtr kevlar tires with some 17" steel wheels. With there free shipping AND mounting and balancing I think I can get them for LESS than the pitbulls. They are a little smaller than I wanted, but I think since they are known to be a tall 37" tire I should be ok. Teleturn's has the H1 goodyear tires, his older 37s where about 1.5-2" smaller than my michelins. I'm pretty sure the new kelvar version of the mtr is a pretty good deal larger than the old ones.....so basically close to what I have now.
We will see if they match the price....

[trasko]

Dag that is a shame. I've been finding it hard to find a 5th 16.5" wheel myself. I'm looking to go to the more common 16" wheels to make tires easier to attain -- funny you'd be better off w/ a 16.5" wheel in this situation. I'm open to swapping but I imagine shipping costs would make it not worthwhile. Good luck!

[Metcalf]

I would go to 17" wheel if you can. That is pretty much the standard now.
Still looking....

[Metcalf]

I just ordered a set of 4 pitbull maddog radials in 38.5x13.5x17 through Filthy Motorsports here in Colorado. They gave me the 'old' price that Discount Tire couldn't even come close to matching. ( tires are rated to 4000lbs+)

Then I ordered a set of Crager 17x9" soft 8 satin black steel wheels from Summit Racing. They had a great price and standard shipping was only $13 for the set of wheels. ( wheels are rated at 3650lbs )

The bummer part is that I couldn't get them all mounted and balanced at Discount tire.....So, I might mount them up myself and then I need to get them balanced. That will probably blow my budget a little bit, but what is a guy to do. I have a deadline for the 4th July so I just have to go with it.

I think the 9" wide wheels will be better for the tires. They spec out at 38.63" tall on a 10" rim, so on a 9" rim they should be plenty tall.

Now my truck will be worth $5-6K ;)

I need to go throw up or start drinking...

[Metcalf]

New sneak peak! Its not the best picture since it was like 8:30 when I took it....

I figured all the people that watch the thread deserved to see something at least.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p60/Metcalfphoto/Dodge%20project/IMAG0050.jpg

I ran out of light to do the other side, but this is what it looks like in all one color! Its kinda looks like that newer audi 'trash can' grey. Mine is a little lighter. Its not even close to straight ( the bed was beyond hope ) but its nice to have it be one color. Its a lot of grey, I might break it up with a black pinstripe on the lower body line or something....maybe black out the blister on the hood.

The JC whitney seal kit worked pretty well. Getting the window and stuff in the new channels only tool mild swearing.

Once I get a new grill shell it shouldn't look too bad.

I will get some outside away from home pictures once I get it looking more presentable with the new tires, wheels, grille shell, etc.

Thanks for looking. Give me some feedback, 110,000 views and not a lot of posts by other people lately!

[huntsonora]

I think it looks great!

[Metcalf]

Thank you.

I hope its going to look ok with the new black wheels I have coming. Seeing it all in one color really helped my motivation. If it wasn't dark out I would probably be working on it :) While I don't think it will ever be 'done' it is definitely getting closer. I'm going to be really glad to be done with the paint and body...that is fore SURE! Now I can work on the smaller projects for a while.....

[sdwhipkey]

It's lookin good. It looks like a navy ship in all that grey and four years ago I never wanted to see that color again. I think some black on the body would do it some good and the new wheels and tires will really set it off. I've been watching this thread since about the time you started it but have never posted. Good work I'm lookin forward to the more completed pics.

[colodak]

I jus tstumbled across this buildup, I'll make a suggestion you'll love at night. I used to have an '81 Ramcharger and I did it on that. Find some Hella H4 headlights, these are a direct replacement for your sealed beams, they have a Euro-spec beam pattern, however you can replace the bulbs in them instead of the entire assembly, and go with bulbs ranging from: normal 55w low beams upto 110w low beams. I used to run 110w/150w bulbs in mine. If you go with the really brigh bulbs you'll have to play with your wiring some to get the full advantage of them, but at night they are worth it.

[BCHauler]

Truck is looking great. I am one of those silent observers, but I've been following this thread. That generation of Dodge is really the coolest full size truck. The big tires actually look right, instead of just cool, if you follow my drift.

[Metcalf]

Thanks!

The big tires make it work right too. The larger tire lets the 7000lb truck float in the sand and gives it enough clearance under the axles so the large center sections on the axles are not always hanging up. The key is getting the larger tires to fit without having to lift the truck, then most of the drive-ability of the stock truck remains. I still get a lot of double takes and head scratching about the truck. It sits LOWER than most new trucks but is running a 38"+ tire. The bed rail and tailgate heights are still very manageable. Getting in the truck isn't too bad either, I will admit these trucks have higher door jams and a 'shorter' cab than most of the newer trucks. I will try and get a picture or two next to a 3rd gen dodge or something....

[my1stcummins]

It really is a fantastic looking rig. Any plans to build a rear bumper? I've been toying with the idea of a new bumper that has shackles and cutouts or loops on the corners for using the bumper as a better step when the tailgate is down.

Also, adding backup lights makes a huge difference, especially with a canopy. I found some great hella tractor lights on amazon.com for around $10ea.