99 Ram 24v

[freeskier125]

This is my 270k mile 08/1998 Dodge Ram 2500 Regular Cab, Long Bed, SLT Laramie (Wood, Leather, Power, Pillar Gauges...) Cummins 24v, NV4500, 4850lbs Front, 6084lbs GAWR SRW D80 (Only 8800GVWR?) With a S&B Intake, 4" MBRP, Smarty Programmer, RV275 Injectors, DrawStraw1 + Big Line Kit, Raptor 100, South Bend HD Clutch, Ford ~Free-Spin~ Hub Conversion, 37337 Rear Wheel Cylinders, Hellwig Rear Sway Bar, Front & Rear Sway Bar Disconnects, 2" Leveling, Bilstein 5100's, New OEM Steering Box + Brace, Front & Rear Receiver Hitch, Heated Towing Mirrors, Dual Red Top Optima's...

Looking back, I literally don't have a good picture of the truck itself. I realized that it was a unique truck years after an older friend had bought, driven, and fixed it, telling him I was first in line when it came time to sell. 4 years later... there we are hoggin up the street in Nantucket, MA. These are some of the first photos I took being the proud owner of a Dodge. I honestly bought it with THX-138 plates and an unpaid ticket in the glove box. But those aren't registered to me, nor him anymore... so we'll forget all that

I have a thread for my Tuck Camper build ( http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/75243-99-Ram-w-97-Sun-Lite ) but not one on the truck. It's currently serving as my daily driver, although both are "trying to be prepared for" an indefinite cross country journey. While the camper has had it's own issues I'm back to focusing on the truck and have reconsidered what makes an expedition vehicle. But first, here are some pictures over the past 15 months I've owned it. (Again, and surprisingly, I don't have many photos of the truck by itself)

750watt Inverter.
The truck has a nice 6 speaker stereo system but the original owner thought it could use another 1000watts of bass. I took out those shenanigans and installed a more practical 2 outlet 750w/1500max Inverter I had kicking around.

Conversation under the hood earlier today...
"Let me tell you what Melba Toast is packin' right here, all right. We got 4:11 Trac-lok outback, 100 GPH pumper, S&B intake, bored none over, stock 16.3:1 pop-up pistons, turbo doohickey up in there. We're talkin' some frickin' muscle...." :ylsmoke:

The first of many front passenger axle shaft seals

Homemade front 2" receiver (has held up to many-a-slams and maxed out my 12k Ramsey)

Ford ~Free Spin~ Hub Conversion. A couple stitches, broken tools, and swears later we're free spinning.
"Hopefully I won't be replacing the C.A.D. seal so frequently"… I says to my self… Late 2012
"I have driven less than 250 miles this winter in 4WD and the seal is leaking again" :ar15:… I says… Early 2013

Fuel System.
I initially installed it on the outside of the frame rail for a couple weeks, then decided to reinstall it on the inside of the rail; protecting, shortening, and improving its position (still came with it's unexpected problems).

Draw Straw 1
Reg Cab, Long Bed truck... It contacts a bed crossmember, maybe I'll put washers under the tank straps... whats gonna happen with thousands of pounds of camper in the back?

37337 Rear Wheel Cylinders.
I believe they come out of a 1ton GMC. The factory Dodge cylinders have a 24mm bore and the GMC's have a 30mm bore, nearly identenical casting, same function, same bolt pattern. $11 each, why not?

Swaybar Disconnects.
Rears are Rough Country built for the front of a lifted TJ. The front ones I made from class 0 draw pins and 5/8" pipe. Not sure I'll ever use them to their full potential, but cost less then OEM replacements.
:shakin:

Towing a Toyota Trekker

 

[freeskier125]

And thats pretty much it. All of the other photos I have a camper in the back!

Start of RT 1 in Key West

Daytona Beach, tough day...

Drove all of Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway

All 9000lbs shredding Grandfather Mountain in "level 1: fuel saver" mode. I admit, I'm a dink :roost:

Mt. Washington.
Despite my or the campers resume, and our valid argument, it wasn't enough to convince the attendant in letting us drive up the auto road.
…At least on that day… I'll be bach…

Identity crisis. We're not Yacht.

Salmon fishing in Pulaski, NY

Gettin' first tracks

Visited Bah Habah and Acadia NP with a foot of fresh snow.

And one more for good measure...

We covered most of the east coast during our first year; from the Southern Most Point in Key West to the Eastern Most Point in Lubec, Maine (over 7+ weeks, with lots of stops in between), there is only one direction for "us" to head, west.


Going back to my earlier question, I am re-evaluating what "makes" an expedition vehicle? (besides the living necessities related to the camper)

How prepared should I / you be? Obliviously, carry enough tools and basic equipment to cover what you might expect to see; minor vehicle repairs, spare oil changes, shovel+ect. for getting unstuck, flat repair, 5 or 10gal of extra fuel, zip-ties, JB weld and gorilla tape can cover a lot too... but when does (or doesn't) it become impractical? If needed, someone can drive to the closest auto parts store and use their specialty tools in the parking lot, making it ALMOST unnecessary to bring every single item from the tool box. But, it is better to have it and not need it, than to not have it and really need it. I'm curious what others have learned to bring and what to leave behind...I feel comfortable with the truck, having 50+ nights in the camper and drove ~19k miles last year with no major issues. At least not while traveling out of state, ALL issues occurred within 20 miles of homebase. Ishn't that vieered?

I'm currently debating/planning a few final modifications.

-- What brand 285/75R16's to buy. Probably going with BFG AT and buying a road hazard plan through Sears to cover my ********. Being a nation wide company you can pretty much find a sears within 50 miles, but totaling near $1200 I could buy a set off the interweb for $250 less, which could purchase a new replacement. On the other hand, it's nice to have a little insurance and not worry about it.

-- Onboard Air. I'll be traveling with a Superflow MV-50 Air Compressor and debated building a system with a 5 Gallon tank and multiple connection points. I might be able to get away without spending much more than $60 on the tank, regulator, fittings and couplers but I'm not sure if it's all worth it. It's just adding more stuff, and not sure how much use it will actually see. Again, on the other hand it would only take a few times using it to pay for itself.

-- Camper Charging System. I have everything ready to install (wires, breakers instead of fuses, disconnect plug, solenoid powered by key or toggle switch) but am waiting to see if I'll mount it at the same time as the OBA.

A few other items like Fender Flares, CB Radio, Snorkel (looking doubtful), and other unnecessary accessories might make it on before I'm finally frustrated enough to call it quits.

Thats pretty much it for now, I'm sure there'll be more updates to come. Thanks for checkin it out!
- Colin

 

[Regcabguy]

Put a Dashmat on to hold off the cracks. Mine never did crack with a rug from day one. A Pacbrake makes stopping those 2nd gens a snap. My 99 with all you've done was a bear to stop with 33's and an 1800# Northstar. I don't remember if you had a fuel pressure gauge,but they're necessary. Nice rig!

 

[redthies]

Awesome to see a practical and well set up camping rig. There are only a few 2nd gens on here, and I like them all, but having had a similar pop-up, I am digging yours. Go west!

 

[chilliwak]

Thanks for posting pics of your rig Colin. You can always fill your truck up with everything you think you might need and still be missing something. Make a few short trips and find out what your bare necessities are. That way you can have more room for important things like beer! Keep us updated with ots of pics. Cheers, Chilli.:Wow1: P.S. I agree with Redthies, GO WEST!:ylsmoke:

 

[blakeape]

Good to see you actually getting out there and using the truck you have! I live in MT but grew up back east and would love to tour the East coast someday, that said the West is awesome! I think you are on the right track, you addressed the front end issues with your free spin kit, I would definitely get a fuel pressure gauge on ASAP, hard to argue with BFG's and the MV50's are good/cheap, but slow and I've never aired up past 30 psi with mine and that takes a while. Nice job and keep enjoying it!

 

[freeskier125]

Regcabuy - A Pacbrake is on my wish list. With the bigger two-piston Ford calipers and bigger rear wheel cylinders it actually stops quicker than lightning. I haven't had the camper in the back since I finished the brake system but I'll be sure to extensively test it once it's fully loaded and floating on bigger tires. I do have fuel pressure gauge, luckily thats how I noticed the last one was failing. I was surprised to find no idiot light on the dash, there is no performance loss, no bucking or stuttering, I would have never known with out the gauge.

redthies - Thanks! Hopefully some other Ram owners can share ideas/copy some of the mods I've done. Being young and having a decent setup to explore with, I'm not sure if I'll ever have another opportunity to travel "indefinitely", so i'm going out on a limb and listing to all the "old folks" saying do it while you can! It certainly will be an adventure!

chilliwak - You're right about bringing everything and still forget or missing something. I use to road trip with my entire tool box but after tens of thousands of miles I've whittled it down to the basics + adjustable wrenches and vicegrips. Yes, more room for beer! I'll try to keep it updated, I know everybody likes pictures. :drool:

blakeape - Even I am surprised how much use I've gotten out of the rig in the first year alone. I have spent some time "out west" but never with my own vehicle, let alone one that is an apartment with 4 wheel drive. While writing about my truck I stumbled across your setup and have come up with more ideas, whether I wanted to or not. You've got a pretty slick setup, I've often debated going vegi too but I know how tricky it is and without a solid source of oil, I never jumped on the bandwagon. Financially, I can't do a proper lift right now (nice coils/adjustable links/stupid lift block delete) but I am curious how the Dodge does being lifted with 37" and 2000+ LBS in the back? How about wheeling trails with 2000+ LBS in the back?


Also forgot to add; Since I am running larger tires I can no longer use the factory spare tire carrier. Besides a second fuel tank or air tank, has anyone used this area for another purpose? I thought about making a little square frame to hold a couple Ammo Boxes full of tools and chemicals/greases/oils. Crank it up and down with the lifter winch thingy and a couple ratchet straps to keep it up in place. If stuck in mud or something access might be difficult but I hope not to use it all that often. Water tight, out of the way... more room in the cab and storage for the camper. Hmmm...

 

[blakeape]

I like the way my truck is set up and it tracks and drives great, but I admit I don't really wheel it too hard with the camper in. I ran a 285/75R16 spare in the factory location for years until I built the veggie tank mount back there. You should be able to squeeze one in.

 

[Spencinator]

Colin-
Having 35's myself I will be building a swing out tire carrier and putting OBA in the space underneath the bed. It will be tight on the back with the dirt bike carrier but I'm sure Ill figure it out. Hopefully later this year Ill be going to 37's.

I would suggest a stronger trac bar for the front. This helped my steering the most and I don't even have a steering brace. I believe there's pictures of it in my build thread.

 

[freeskier125]

I bought 4 BFGoodrich 285/75R16E A/T KO's from Sears today. $270 EA. mounted, lifetime balance, HP valve stems, Road Hazard.... Every mechanic stopped what their doing as it pulled in, and stopped to watch the truck leave the garage. They dragged me into the shop to talk about the truck, Hub Conversion, swaybars, ect... and I left it on "level 8" so the tech could have some fun.

But honestly no more than :35 minutes after getting home, I was already stuck...

My neighbor pulled me out with a loggin' winch... with a darn fast pull speed too! No need to call the EPA about the carbon deposits, it'll melt away

I'll get a proper picture soon

 

[freeskier125]

Update with the Dodge;

285 BFG AT's...
Even with all the new picky / whisker / spikey things still intact on the tread, it wasn't enough to keep me from getting stuck. They are a huge improvement over any of the old 235's it has ran and I can finally keep up with 70mph traffic with out tacking it out. With the ford parts and offset wheels, the front tires stick out enough making it almost impossible to keep a clean truck.



Pop off the swaybar disconnects and let's see what flex it has...



Not too shabby for a truck with wood trim and leather, she rides like a sponge too.

Front Drive Shaft U-Joints
Recently replaced the front drive shaft U-Joints. Advice for anyone who's planning on doing this, consider buying a complete new one. Between the cost of 3 joints, seals, the condition of the CV ball, and if there is any slop in the splines on the drive shaft it might be worth replacing the whole shootn' match.

Dodge used a double cardan constant velocity joint on the transfer case end of the drive shaft, I guess it's to keep everything somewhat centered. The ball with little roller bearings inside goes into the cup with the H Yoke strattleling everything in between.

On the yoke of that CV there is a dust seal to keep most of the crud out. I went around to a hand full of the local auto part stores who had no idea what little seal deep within a front drive shaft I was talking about or the few who did couldn't help me out. I found a solution in the plumbing department of the local hardware store. I cut down some of this rubber hose but it wasn't a perfect fit. From the few pictures I found of the correct seal, it has a metal base pressed onto the yoke end to keep it from coming off and just loosely flopping around the joint, which mine tended to do. If you plan on replacing your U-Joints, and going this far, look around and preorder the Spicer seal before you tear everything apart.
Old and New seal



Rocker Pannel
My driver side rocker needed replacement, so I begun the process of pulling off trim and exposing the area to be cut. Once I was able to lift some of the carpet I saw more daylight through the floor then what I had remembered / expected...





POR15 the rust and put in a 2'x3' sheet, riveted it down with some seamsealer/adhesive along the edges. Covered it up and replaced the rusty section of carpet padding so it doesn't come back. The rocker was attached with rivets along the top and the same marine adhesive/seam sealer along the rest. Filled in the edges and a dent in the cab corner with fiberglass to make it look all nice and purdy. Dupli-Color matching paint came out pretty well too.

Starter
It feels like this truck needs some sort of attention just about every other week, even if I baby it. One day it wouldn't start on the side of the road at a local fishing hole, no click, no spinning. After a couple whacks with a rock, it was just barley enough to get it started, a really slow crank even though the batteries were fully charged. Drove around for a day or so whacking the starter before I was able to take it off to figure out what was going on.



I found a common issue is that the contact and plunger wear our, but mine were in decent shape. It worked fine on the bench but once I installed it I was in the same situation, no click, no spinning. I hooked jumper cables (+ and -) straight to the starter and it worked!? It turned out to be a dirty starter and wasn't getting grounded through all the crud on the mounting surface. Removing it again and cleaning the surface with a wire brush, it was good to go. Who knew such a thing could happen, I know it can but really, first time ever hearing or experiencing something so stupid. I guess hitting it made just enough contact somewhere to get power through.

Rear Diff
This past weekend I heard some squeaking noises while driving, pulled over and checked behind the dust covers but didn't find anything, it went away. Later that day a clunking sound showed up and I noticed the rear end was locked all the time, I didn't assume it was related because I though the sounds were from the front end of the truck . In the next ~25 miles the ABS lights came on once and later I lost my speedo. That night driving around with a friend to try and further diagnose the issue with no real conclusion other then the locker was no longer stuck, (there was no constant, or rotational sound and couldn't make it "make a sound") I went to kick it out sideways and dropped it into 3rd gear with a even louder clunk sound being made only to slowly coast over to the shoulder, still in 3rd, but not moving.

Well theres yer problem...


There must have been a small chunk to start with and ended up with all of this. It blew a hole in the diff cover but didn't sound like all of this was in there, like i said there was only an occasional clunk you couldn't reproduce and that didn't make the sound of stuff floating around the diff... all well...time to replace it, and it did have 274k on it. Not sure what I'll end up doing, finding a used carrier and gears on craigslist, or re-gearing from a 4.10 to 3.73 or 3.54 and a new carrier like ARB... but that gets pretty expensive. I'm open to any suggestions. Being my daily driver I'll need to get it back together ASAP.


No other updates with the On Board Air, 2/0ga. 12V Lines front to rear, and though about putting in fooler switches (for high idle and 3 cyl mode) in garage door opener compartment overhead.

 

[D45]

What size cable/wires did you run for the inverter?

 

[NorthernWoodsman]

Uhh, care to explain the sunken boat in the back ground? Talk about having a bad day...

 

[bloodyWEST]

can you scrounge up some details on your ford hub conversion? i have read about it on Pirate4x4 but details were lacking. maybe a link to another article?

awesome truck by the way..

 

[jps4jeep]

Nice truck, consider yourself lucky there is only that much rust, I live just south of the NH seacoast and my Father in Laws 99 Dodge is completely rotted. bumper long rotted off, bed and fenders are swiss cheese and there are no rockers on the truck at all.