RAM 3500 drw to srw

[Boltonracing]

I'm going to be purchasing a new dodge ram 3500hd cab chassis. I have an ambulance box that is in the remodel rv build phase the box sits 95 inches wide. I need wheels to convert the duals to srw. What wheels should I use and why? I want to run around a 37" tire that is good in sand but holds up on the highway. I don't want to add much to the suspension. Is this possible?

Thanks and I'm loving this forum, I'll try get pics uploaded soon

 

[LR Max]

Why no just buy a 3500HD normal-people truck with SRW and remove the bed?

Then re-install said bed when its time to sell? It'll be a lot easier to sell with a bed on it.

 

[Boltonracing]

Well, I could just order the srw cab and chassis also, the difference between the cc and regular trucks is that the frame rails are straight and flat and are 60" from the cab to the wheels which I need. I just dont want a dually because of the loss of offroad performance but I need the width. The regular trucks or srw are 71" wide, put after market wheels and they might end up around 80" I still need 10 more inches wide.

Anyone know how wide a 4500 is?

thanks

 

[plainjaneFJC]

It may or may not matter to you, but you can only get the de-tuned diesel on the cab chassis trucks.

 

[Boltonracing]

It may or may not matter to you, but you can only get the de-tuned diesel on the cab chassis trucks.

What do you mean by de-tuned? There saying its 350hp 865lbft with the aisin, the only thing that I know changes is the speed governor. And I've been told you can get it with the max of 102mph.

 

[plainjaneFJC]

No that's the regular truck, its up to 385/865 The cab chassis is 350/725. That is on the Ram website. I think its detuned even more if you get the g-56 manual. Then again for your application that is more than enough power. If you were pulling over 20k pounds then it might start to matter some. One good thing about the dual wheel trucks is you do get a few different rear gear ratio options. With the single wheel your only option is 3.42. I have the 3.73 rear gear, my truck is 370/800 and it pulls way better than my duramax did.

 

[98dango]

What offroad do you really lose with a dually. In sand growing up on the Washington beaches driving tow trucks I never noticed a difference to be honest. In the mud I actually liked the dually better.

 

[Buliwyf]

What offroad do you really lose with a dually. In sand growing up on the Washington beaches driving tow trucks I never noticed a difference to be honest. In the mud I actually liked the dually better.

I agree. I just think those trucks are limited on tire selection. That's all. But if i can put on wheels 8" wide and run 295/70r17 wheels, I'm fine with DRW trucks.

 

[98dango]

My old service truck was a 93 f350 460 5 speed on 4" lift springs and sky 3" reversal had spring made for the rear and 38-11.5 boggers all around. I loved this truck fuel mileage was crap axles broke often.

 

[1stDeuce]

If you need to widen it out that much, you're probably better off finding a non-dually axle in a junkyard and swapping it in. Sell your dually axle and front hub spacers to someone wanting to convert (Or trade them axles?) and run normal wheels in all four positions.

Spacing the wheels out that far is going to put the tire centerline outboard of the outer bearing, which will not make it very happy.
Good luck!

 

[Darwin]

You could also buy custom wheels from 1st attack brush trucks. They have converted cab and chassis dodges to single rear wheel.

 

[Tx9812valve]

I have a 1998 Cummins 3500 that used to be a drw. Now it's a srw and I'm running 38.5x14.5r20s with the stock Dana 60 front/Dana 80 rear. The only thing you should have to do to make your truck a srw is take the wheel spacer off the front wheels and buy 4 new wheels that have the offset your looking for. It was that easy for me. The only way you can tell it used to be drw is that the rear brakes don't sit as tucked inside the wheel as they would if it was a factory srw axle, they sit an inch or two closer to the diff but the overall axle width was identical. I'll deal with my rear brakes being a little more visible and save the money associated with an axle swap for another mod.
I would do a little research on your axle widths or take a measuring tape to the dealer with you to measure the axle width minus the front spacers just to be sure though. Good luck

 

[1stDeuce]

The front axle is definitely identical, just has spacers. I am surprised that the rear was the same though... Normally dually axles have a slightly narrower flange-to-flange width than a SRW axle... ??

 

[Mrknowitall]

I would have expected the rear to be slightly wider- by the amount of the front spacers. That way the inside wheels would retain the same track despite the deeeeep backspacing.

 

[incognito]

Hy,

stay dually so much stable and safe you,ll like it
so much traction with 4 rear wheels is incredible.cut the box to fit the dually and suspension. that box is heavy you'll have sway dangerous off road .
had my truck SRW on 19.5 for 2 month only and switch back to dually now I'm happy again with my 235/85 r17 .
dually is 96 wide and srw is 80 wide so big difference in wide it affects sway on uneven road

http://globalcamper.blogspot.ca/p/4x4-dodge-ram-camper.html
hope this helps
incognito