REAL MAN TRUCKWORKS & SURVIVAL
VEHICLES, CAMPERS, and BOATS => Build Threads => Topic started by: wilsonphil on March 31, 2019, 08:19:21 PM
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Ok in the spirit of oil change I have started the rebuild of the Ramcharger.
First order of business was to get the 92 body that I am going to use off the frame that has been sold. I dont have a lift but I do understand Hydraulics and mechanical jacks and gravity if that all goes wrong.
I disconnected all the electrical, removed the front core support and then unbolted the body mounts using a HYd floor jack and wooden 4x4 blocks. I raised the body enough to use camper jacks that are used on the pickup style campers, the pucker factor getting the body high enough was pretty high once high enough I inserted a 2x6 under the body to use the camper jacks. I then also took off the back tires and used a floor jack under the rear differential and just rolled the whole assembly out from under the body.
Once the frame was out of the way I lowered the body down as low as the camper jack would let me and used the Rigid tripod stands to set everything on. The body is really clean and zero rot, just surface rust
The plan after I get rid of the 92 frame is to do the same treatment to the 90 that got rolled. Planning a few upgrades I will list them in the next couple days. at least the project is rolling or sitting how ever you want to look at it and not bad for a half days work.
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The camper jacks I used I scored off of Craigs list , I got all 4 for $100 and are in really good shape. I am going to make some mounts and adapters so that I can lower the body much lower. These jacks had zero issues raising or lowering the body they are just to high of a start point.
http://www.riecotitan.com/camperjacks/standardtripod.php
I will be making a body dolly so that I can move this assembly around while I am working on it. I hate having immovable objects in my driveway.
Also I could of ran a bar or beam thru the cab of the body and used the front body mount holes to attach chains but I didnt want to take the doors off and you could also use the seatbelt mount to attach chains to the same bar but that will put the bar against the door frame pretty hard in hind-site that should of been how I did it but I wanted to get this done because the guy who bought the frame/drive-line was starting to get excited about getting the setup so I wanted to get it done.
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My neighbors give me a wide berth and pretty much dont say anything to me but its funny to see their reaction when the see what I am doing. The guy that lives next door to me said "you amaze me I have a hard time putting on mud flaps and you disassemble an entire truck in an afternoon"
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And for those of you that dont remember or dont know the story, after getting a truck pretty dialed in I let someone drive it and they rolled it over on its roof for me. When this happened it completely tweaked the Body to the point nothing would close or open correctly. So I needed a new body.
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:likebutton: glad to see you’re making progress with the resurrection
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That’s a pretty backdrop. After stroking a check for more taxes than I already paid, I don’t think CA is where I’m going anytime soon.
Good progress. Looking forward to updates.
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How did it turn out with the buddy and $ up for the damage caused by his girl?
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It went well believe it or not! Did he give me enough to cover all the damages? NO, more than I expected YES! I say it was a good as one can expect.
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That’s a pretty backdrop. After stroking a check for more taxes than I already paid, I don’t think CA is where I’m going anytime soon.
Good progress. Looking forward to updates.
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California is like a Miss America, Playboy bunny, Porn star, Crack addict, with some unknown STD all wrapped up in one, fun to look at but no fun once you are involved, the key to staying in Califorina is not to own a house, land is OK just not a residence, that way you bring your fifth wheel and toys have fun and go back to sanity and come out again when you want.
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That’s a pretty backdrop. After stroking a check for more taxes than I already paid, I don’t think CA is where I’m going anytime soon.
Good progress. Looking forward to updates.
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California is like a Miss America, Playboy bunny, Porn star, Crack addict, all wrapped up in one, fun to look at but no fun once you are involved, the key to staying in Califorina is not to own a house, land is OK just not a residence, that way you bring your fifth wheel and toys have fun and go back to sanity and come out again when you want.
I think I spit bourbon out my nose....
I think the income tax would kill me. The new SALT limits with Trump hit me hard. When I write the check, in the memo field, I’ll write MAGA!
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Awesome to see this progress! I made a 2x4 stand on furniture Dolly’s to take the cab off the frame...
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190401/18593afb0235f12bd76af869546d8633.jpg)
You can see the stand before being lifted onto Dolly’s in the garage.
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That’s a pretty backdrop. After stroking a check for more taxes than I already paid, I don’t think CA is where I’m going anytime soon.
Good progress. Looking forward to updates.
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Great progress Phil and you definitely have "WANNA". If you wanna get something done you just do it. I agree with TRN on Cali. I lived there in the 80's and it was ok. I still would have loved to live there 100 years ago. Orange groves everywhere. Now not so much.
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Ok just a small update, I got rid of the 92 frame and running gear so that is not in the way anymore. The I made a cradle to set the body on while I an prepping it, the swivel caster wheel will be here tomorrow. Then I can start on prepping everything, stripping out the interior that is there. Yes I know I am not a carpenter but it should work well for the time period I will be using it
Nothing wrong with the stands its sitting on now but just needed to be mobile.
AND one more lovely thing i get to pay for being a person in California a 1% tax on wood + the local sales tax. Gotta love the retards out here.
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Nice work for a driveway. Have to remember that for the burb, but not this driveway!
I like the work stands too. HF has some taller ones but those look about the right height. Is that HF impact too?
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Looks legit to me. :thumb
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Oh, don't get me started on Ca again. Did our taxes and was OK with the Fed, Ca took 1/2 that back and she made 20k less last year.
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Nice work for a driveway. Have to remember that for the burb, but not this driveway!
I like the work stands too. HF has some taller ones but those look about the right height. Is that HF impact too?
JR those stand are 100% made in USA, Rigid brand, very well made and folding they were the same price as the Made in China brands, 2500 lbs rating, i got mine thru MSC because I get a good discount and free shipping
https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/74799271
And the impact is a Snapon, I have had it for years, never let me down and the batteries last a long long time. Most of my cordless are Snapon I have a few others but the Snapon units have held up the best.
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That is really not a bad price for what they are, Thx.
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We got some new neighbors who moved in next door.
Lived in California. Said it was way too liberal for them and they couldn't stand being there any more. Said that they owned a home in Baja, Mexico which they went to often to get away from cali. He said being here felt so good compared to the fast paced oppressive feeling of being out there.
He has to be loving life. We are about polar opposites of the cali mindset. Literally, we have almost none of the silliness that good people have to put up with there.
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Lucky stiffs. My wife just loves it here, her cousin near Sac says paying more here is worth it (another Gov employee)
I'm stuck for a few years but he plans are in place for my exodus as the kids get in school.
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That got me to thinking...And sorry for junking up your thread Phil
Cali Kentucky
Gun control Yes No
Wood tax Yes No
Illegals Yep Not so much
Magazine restriction Yes Nope
Pollution inspection Yes No
Police everywhere Yes Not many at all
Gangs Yes I haven't seen any
Rednecks Yes Yes
People crappin Yes In toilets
Free syringes Yes No
Land sold by sq ft Yes Say what???
Crowded 5 lanes Yes No 5 lane roads
Zillions of people Yes Dozens
Inheritance tax yes Nope
Concealed carry Yes Yes, for everyone without permit
High taxes Yes No
Rolling brownouts Yes Say what?
Cancer disclaimer Yes We know not to smoke paint or chew on boom boxes
Environmental police Yep Nope
Building permits Yes Only in some counties
Endangered species AC We eat them (AC=American Citizens)
Hippies Yes Say What?
Gays Yes Probably, but you never hear about them
Protesters Yes Everyone has a concealed carry weapon
Happiness No Yep
Moonshine No Definitely!
Freedom No Yep
Accept newcomers Yes No one from California, Colorado, Austin Texas, Massachusetts (or any other NE state)
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Hey, you wouldn't let me move there!!
Inheritance tax only if over 5 million.
And we have moonshine. Several bottles still awaiting my use.
Oh, and the mag ban is gone for now. :laugh:
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Don. The company is trying to get me to move to Indy or Louisville. Still thinking hard. Louisville has a 2point local income tax
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Don. The company is trying to get me to move to Indy or Louisville. Still thinking hard. Louisville has a 2point local income tax
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Louisville would be a yes for me... Indy I don't think so. What would you do with your Hide site you have worked so hard on? Hang onto it until retirement?
EDIT: We are terrible DOT'ers
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Hey, you wouldn't let me move there!!
Inheritance tax only if over 5 million.
And we have moonshine. Several bottles still awaiting my use.
Oh, and the mag ban is gone for now. :laugh:
Progress!!!!!!!!!
That's a win for the good guys!
Win that state back will ya.
You have to attack the source.
The Brown's, Pelosi's, Senator Barbara, and that whole political nexus of evil. Get them gone and you the people will be free to run.
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Don. The company is trying to get me to move to Indy or Louisville. Still thinking hard. Louisville has a 2point local income tax
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Man, we'd be big friends if you came to Louis-ville (We are not Cards fans here. We acknowledge that Louisville exists, but little more.) Oh, and there is a really powerful church down there. Went to the mountains and worshiped with a couple of their pastors.
Your girls are Kentucky pretty, so would fit into the social elite pretty well. Big hats in the spring for the race and all that. I could get you to buy that piece of land behind mine and we could co-op.
But, you have such a wonderful place there in the Texas...Tough call
But, you're young, and you could do it all again
With a buddy like this big Don I know with all his toys, you could build PDQ...
Tough call. I'm a phone call away...
SORRY PHIL....
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That was my fault for starting it with the mentioning of the California privilege.
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Let s get this back on the rails or on the cradle however you want to look at it.
I fabed up some adapters to bolt to the camper jacks, basically some 18 X 6 l brackets with side supports welded on. Then I used a 6.5' 2 X 6 steel tube to connect the jacks under the body. Next I attached the casters to the cradle. Then fed the cradle thur the center of the supports and raised the back enough to set it on the rear posts and then lowered the jacks to set to on the front, lagged the posts to the body. I am happy with the height as i can work on most of the body now with out having to lay on the ground. like having the trick on my workbench.
Learned a lot and if I ever do this again i would make things much differently, I'm still OK with how it turned out now I can move it around and my house doesn't look like the local salvage yard.
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Looks like a great place for the neighbor cat to sleep.
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I don;t see any brakes on those casters??
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Brakes just slow me down, I have a set of chalks I use.
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Ok small update, things slowed down the last couple weeks but still working on getting this done.
I reconnected the battery on the RC that got rolled and with one turn the old Cummins fired right up and idled like its supposed to. I had it on my car trailer to save space so got it off the trailer hosed it down and parked it next to the 92 body.
I started the interior removal of the 92 and got the windshield, dash, wiring harness, seats, steering column out of the way. The reason I removed the windshield is the bolts for the dash are under the seal you can get to them but its much simplier with the windshield out of the way.
The other reason is in the corners the Dodges always leak because the design is poor and the metal cracks over time, I will be fixing this flaw.
One thing to notice is the cracks in the spot weld area on the floor pan, this is a flaw I have seen in the later series Ramchargers, Im guessing due to the metal change in the late 80’s and poor design, the cracks were horrible on the 90 to the point I just plated the whole area. This will get the same treatment
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Well at least you sold that old motor.....
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So the list of improvements will be as follows, I have at this point in time to stay with the 46RH Non-lockup I have the 47RH cores but don’t know if the added cost and effort is really worth the LU function.
So the list,
1. Convert to Hydro Boost.
2. New Deaver Front springs and have them rebuild the rears.
3. Rear spring plate flip and relocate the lower shock mount.
4. Doubler for the NP205
5. New Body mounts (no Lift)
6. New 100% overhauled Cummins
7. Rebuilt the TC for the 46RH either by Huges or TCI up in Canada, this will supposedly get the converter in the 95% efficiently range.
8. Freshen the 46RH new seals and clutches with current upgrades.
9. New rea bumper with winch, I am abandoning the fuel tank rear bumper design is was nice not to carry around fuel jugs but not really worth the hassle for the 10Gal that it held.
10. Sound Deadener, I learned lots the last time so I should be able to really get this setup really quiet .
11. For tire size I might just stick with the 285/70/17 (33) maybe 35” but I should really go with a wider rim is I jump to the 35” and I will have to trim the front fenders a little, don’t want to
do that as I like having the factory rims but the are kind of narrow.
12. Debating if I will fully box the frame.
13. I'm ditching the current roof rack setup and going to go with the 80/20 setup like Don did, the rack I have is great but way too heavy.
13. Lots of other small improvements which I will document as I go
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Well at least you sold that old motor.....
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Selling that motor has made this much simpler in many ways.
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Well at least you sold that old motor.....
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I really wanted to edit your post to my benefit, but there's already an overwhelming abuse of power in this country. Hehe
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Its nice to be nice
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Ok made a little progress today, got the roof off and the quarter PNL, door, fender and associated parts. Not too hard to do but have a couple saws-all blades and jig saw where necessary. As you can see from the roof pilar cuts how much the tub was tweaked.
Next will be the other side and then things will be a little simpler to work on once the body is out of the way.
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Also to give you an idea of how hard it went over, look at the rear bumper bracket, its very fortunate she was in the Ramcharger.
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Also one interesting note the rear windows survived the rollover, once i figured out how to get the molding off it pretty simple to get them out, there is ZERO mechanical clips holding the windows in the frame, its all the window seal goop, on the bottom of the window frame there are two saddle blocks the window sets on.
Once i got a hole in the sealant i just fished a .032 safety wire and used it as a saw, its harder with one person as you have to move the anchor point on the inside once you loose mechanical advantage while moving around but I got both windows out with out breaking them.
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Yep, save those parts. Are the fenders and hood good?
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One fender and maybe the passenger door. That pile you see is already on the way to the china man
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I got all of the old body cut down and removed. The junk man will love me.
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I know some of you will ask so, I bought these wheel dolly's so I can stay in the sprit of keeping it mobile. I went this route because these unit are rated for 2K and they have a frame that flips up and you can go right on the axles. They are well built and stakable when not in use.
Only con so far is the wheels are on bushings and not bearings so there is too much effort to move. I will be fixing that.
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As with any project I was trying out some new gloves, the disposable are OK but hands get sweaty and they are not real durable. I gave these a try and they are very good durable and hands dont sweat. Made in the great white north, still use Ipad/Phone with them, Mechanix are good but too bulky and after a couple months they are not in good shape. These will last a week NP and then go to the next pair. about $1 a pair
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So when Dodge moved production down mexico way back in the late 80's they supposedly changed the steel they made the truck out of. Thinner and stronger was the story. Every late 80's early 90'd dodge truck/RC i have taken apart has look like this in some degree, this was the floor under the driver, when I did the conversion I just made a plate and reinforced the whole area.
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We use gloves like that in the cabinet shop, melamine has really sharp edges and cuts ya u pretty good.
I like em
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So when Dodge moved production down mexico way back in the late 80's they supposedly changed the steel they made the truck out of. Thinner and stronger was the story. Every late 80's early 90'd dodge truck/RC i have taken apart has look like this in some degree, this was the floor under the driver, when I did the conversion I just made a plate and reinforced the whole area.
Makes me wonder what wife’s RC looks like. Our “road” to hardball is terrible which makes me think these issues would be exacerbated.
Eh who knows. Most likely just going to go into a Connex box and wait to be drive again.
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Your wifes RC will be fine, it was still made in the USA then. 87-88 is when the shift occurred
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What brand are those gloves? Can't really see it.
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Tenactiv
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Ok small update, I finished removing the entire electrical system. More pressure washing and inspecting I removed one front spring so I can take it to Deaver for a measure up. One of the studs in the D60 galled on me when I was removing it, looks like the threads in the housing will clean up so no issues yet
Then I started adding parts to the "NEW" Cummins I added the IP, new vacuum pump for the hydro boost setup and a few odds and ends.
Its much simpler to work on these trucks this way, no struggling and having to lay on my back I can just use my engine hoist to lift everything out of the way.
Sorry for the lack of pictures was very busy today trying to get things done, I'm looking at Farms/land this weekend so I'm trying got make headway.
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Shiny! Where did you get the IP from?
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they were out of Iowa, I'll find the info later for you.
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Sorry it was Kansas City Mo
Farrell Diesel Service
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Tenactiv
They're "tough actin'
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Sorry it was Kansas City Mo
Farrell Diesel Service
Thank you!
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So Phase 2 of the build will be starting soon and I need to start to buying new parts, I plan on adding a doubler to my setup so there are two choices Off Road Design and Advance Adapter
Offroad Design http://offroaddesign.com/catalog/Magnum%20Box.htm is a planetary bolted in front of a NP205, draw back to this setup is its 2.125 inches added to the overall length and I will have to make a custom mount from the planetary to my cross-member, they want you to ditch the factory mount that bolts to the tail shaft of the 46RH. This means I will have to do some driveshaft work Front and Back. I have not heard anything bad about the Doubler they sell.
Advance Adapter https://www.advanceadapters.com/products/atlas-4-speed-transfer-case-builder/ is a all new made AL case with the same concept as ORD I am waiting to heard back about specifics like Legnth and weight to see how much rework I will have to do, Im assuming this setup will be lighter than the NP 205 unit. I have not found anything negative about their units either.
So cost wise they are about the same and about the same lead time on the build, and a third lever/cable to engage the planetary I am going to dig into this as the low gear set would be nice to have long term.
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Northwest fab?
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Looked at those but I wanted a complete unit ready to install and once you add up all the "extras" its about the same price as a ORD unit, you can buy just the OFD doubler but I didnt want to mess with tearing apart a good NP205 to install.
Also the NWF units are longer than the ORD, remember I have a RC so the rear DS is short already.
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(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190711/af53b1793777a9c7b8a39500d62d6f57.jpg)
Do you have a need for this?
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I have seen a few ready to go on pirate. Shipping might hurt but you never know. Might be a good option when I get to mine,,,,,yep when.
https://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/engines-trannys-t-cases-sale/2683908-new-nwf-eco-box-chevy-205-a.html
How much was the rebuilt pump, mine has been sitting for some time.
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Yes and this is why you GM guys have it so good, lots more parts out there. Unless its Dodge specific there is a lot more rework to do.
I am going to talk to Advance Adapters today and see what they say.
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Yes and this is why you GM guys have it so good, lots more parts out there. Unless its Dodge specific there is a lot more rework to do.
I am going to talk to Advance Adapters today and see what they say.
Phil, they used to have issues with highway duty on those. May have just been an early issue? Seem to recall oil coming out breather or something. Maybe Tate recalls and will chime in?
Hard to beat an np205......
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Yes that was an earlier issue they had but it seems it has been corrected and I have not seen any other issues from anyone recently.
I couldnt agree more on the NP205, they are really bullet proof, the 2 to 1 low range is the issue. My RC has 3.54 gears which makes going down the freeway nice/manageable. My RC does really well offroad with the 33" tire but there were a couple times it would of been nice to have more gear. I could do a gear change but I will pay for that in many ways, the doubler solves that and is there only when needed.
As with any aftermarket product most do not get the design overview or tested properly in every possible condition possible, most of the time the OEMs do pretty good in that aspect, IE thermal, stress/load, longevity. I seem to always be the outlier person and find the "flaws" and then I start looking at the design and ask myself if they did any real development testing or analysis of any type.
All of the doubler setups out there are based/copied from the NP241 or so it seems.
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^^^^^^^ hard to argue any of that
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And this coming directly from Advance Adapters.
Thank you for contacting us regarding your project. The Atlas 4 speeds are not suitable for full size Truck and Cummins application. Atlas II speeds only.
So its looking more like ORD is the only game in town.
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Well, at least AA isn’t claiming they are unbreakable any longer......
205 for the win! :likebutton:
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Advanced Adapter give me the supposed reason why.
It’s the strength of the high speed side of the gear set when 2.72 is used combined with the weight and torque of the engine. Also planetary main shaft would be another issue in 2.72
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Big thumbs down on POR15!
will be painting everything with enamel going back together
Yes surface prep was done correctly the case was completely disassembled bead blasted and then painted.
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The only frame damage I have from the roll over, very very easy fix and I will install a doubler in the area.
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Ouch....
I’ve always had good luck using engine enamel
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Yucko. I've been using farm implement paint. It's old school nasty stuff, but will stick to anything...just doesn't stay super shiny.
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As I tear the RC down I am finding more items that need attention of note as I was prepping the frame for paint I found these. The passenger side rear spring front bracket was trying very hard to separate itself from the frame.
I have never seen a Dodge truck or RC give problems in this area of the frame, the passenger side has cracks in three of the holes that hold the bracket to the frame and the drivers side has one.
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Thought those were cracks around a GM steering box!
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Dodge has those also, i fixed that a long time ago. My frame crack at the front shock mounts also, but i repaired and boxed the whole front frame and have not had a problem since until this happened.
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I drilled all the rivets for the cross member that were local to the area I am repairing, as you can see from the picture there was not a lot of effort when assembled to make sure there were good holes notice the gap full of rust and how the rivet walked during install or very poor hole alignment. 90% of the rivets I drilled out looked this way but none of them were loose.
Of note the drop legs of the cross member the rivet to the lower lip of the frame had 4ea holes but only 2ea were used. Not sure what the tool dimple is from I'm assuming some kind of clamp
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Interesting Phil. What are you going to do to reassemble? Weld where the rivets were?
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No I plan on using good quality Grade 8 flange bolts and nuts, I will drill/ream the holes to just 1/2 so I have a tighter fit and torque it up. I could go NAS bolts a and make like an almost press fit but its really overkill and not required IMO. Its a 30yr old Dodge and I will beef up the area, that area lasted that long if I get another 30yrs out of my repair Ill call it good!
I have drilled out frame rivets over the years and used bolts and nuts many times and have never had a problem.
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Just curious. Never had to undertake such a repair.
I wish I could have gotten a picture of the old square body dodge I saw this morning.
Old man (older than me) and it was the cleanest original single cab long bed square body Cummins Ive ever seen
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OK so I got TRN's engine out of the frame and to answer anyone's question of how much dose a Cummins weight? The answer is 920lbs, this is still full of oil and the turbo is removed.
I also started mocking up the frame for the mid engine conversion.
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That’s a serious hunk of steel right there.
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Mid engine conversion? Like motor In the cab?
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That’s a serious hunk of steel right there.
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Yeah you might wanna think about getting something more like an LS.
:wink
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I do like the scale. Who makes it/where did you get it? My Kubota L3800 may or may not lift that thing.....
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I do like the scale. Who makes it/where did you get it? My Kubota L3800 may or may not lift that thing.....
Charles, I’ll have to confirm, but the tractor I used to pull and install ours, I believe is a 38horse. Some blue thing can’t think of the manufacturer. Not a Ford not a new holland.
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I do like the scale. Who makes it/where did you get it? My Kubota L3800 may or may not lift that thing.....
I've been running my uncles L3800 around the house to complete some projects. It seems like I can fork and move 1000 lbs off the trailer. 25 sheets of 7/16" osb at 47 lbs per sheet wasn't a go but after pulling a few off the stack it could do it. Assuming you will be lifting off a semi-trailer you may want to leave some type of rear implement attached to the 3-point for some rear weight. With the load that heavy the front wheels like to buckle in a turn.
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Mid engine conversion? Like motor In the cab?
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Im joking, The engines are noisy enough in the engine compartment let alone sitting right next to you.
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I do like the scale. Who makes it/where did you get it? My Kubota L3800 may or may not lift that thing.....
Its a sureline and I think i got it off mcmaster BUT you can find them cheaper on the interweb. Mcmaster is like Cabelas "you cant pay more" but they have it. I have owned it for a few years now, its pretty handy.
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That’s a serious hunk of steel right there.
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Yeah you might wanna think about getting something more like an LS.
:wink
Now kids if you keep fighting over this engine Ill donate it to charity!!!
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Shawn’s charity slush fund is always a good option just sayin and I don’t mind screwing with the guys so if you want mo entertainment send it my way and I’ll make sure it’s interesting! :popcorn:
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Just looking out for my Texan buddy Phil. Hehe
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Does it run? Don could use it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
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But if you sent it to Don, you know there is a very good possibility he would stick it in the Colorado(aka the running vehicle).
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But if you sent it to Don, you know there is a very good possibility he would stick it in the Colorado(aka the running vehicle).
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Colorado oil change you say? Boy that escalated quickly.....
Oh wait, that comment came from a Dave. Sorry forgot about the Dave rule! :facepalm:
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Does it run? Don could use it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
It wouldn’t “run” for long after he got it
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Does it run? Don could use it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Tell me about it!!!!
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Ok back to Ramcharger fixing, I cut some cardboard patterns for the doublers that am installing and then I cut the steel using a shear. I got them pretty close and had to do minimal trimming. I beveled the edges so the plate would not interfere with the radius of the frame rails and sit nice and flush.
Then I clamped everything in place, I ground out the cracks all the way down to the doubler plate and welded away, also welded any holes that were not needed. Ground it smooth and it looks OK now. The three holes in front of the hanger are where the rock-sliders bolt too.
I have not finished drilled the holes yet they are undersize. I will also be adding a cover plate that ties the other three together, I know its overkill but I don't want to have to go back and fix this again.
I also made a plate for the rea of the frame where the rear spring hanger bolts to the frame I still have to do some trimming
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Any reason not to box it? Did that with my 77.
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Nice work Phil
And same question as JR
I boxed Square D
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I wont gain much in this area and it will be a hindrance for doing other things There is already a crossmember in the location but it really should of been placed three more inches forward. I am more worried about the spring hanger now than I am anything.
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If I was that far into it, boxing would seem a logical step. Understand you are fixing issues, but why not make it stronger?
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Frame is repaired and done, man it sucks doing this in the heat we have kinda brutal but i have been in worse.
So the rear section I added a 1/4" plate where the rear hanger mounts also the bumper. For the area with the cracks I ground out the crack and welded ground smooth. I Also welded any holes that were not used. Once all that was done i bridge plated the entire area drilled for the spring-hanger and where the frame sliders bolt too. The 4ea 1/4 bolts you see where to add some more rigidity.
Now the question is will the problem just move to a different area, time will tell.
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Those hangers look great and the plates will spread the stress out if not eliminate.
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Looks good
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Tell me about the heat! Omg it was 97 yesterday and 100 the day before.
Looking good Phil
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Tell me about the heat! Omg it was 97 yesterday and 100 the day before.
Looking good Phil
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Same here, rain this AM :grin:
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if something fails again I will predict it will be the front factory spring hanger.
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If something fails and you need a viable donor, I know where one is that will be sitting for an unknown amount of time starting in November :)
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dang bro....throwing in the towel that quickly?
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Dooon'e do it!
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dang bro....throwing in the towel that quickly?
I was talking about wife’s Ramcharger :) were not taking it with us. And I’m having thoughts about not taking the 74, because of its size.
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Ok progress has been much slower than planned and finding the cracks in the frame slowed down progress. But progress is happening Phase two is right around the corner, once this little item gets welded back together I will be starting the reassebmly.
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Oh that’s cool! They took pics for you!!!
Errrr wait, did you send it up to them in pieces...
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Of course they did, but I did ask them too do that. They are supposed to have it done tomorrow!!!!
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Cant tell, are the fins brazed?
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Ok progress has been much slower than planned and finding the cracks in the frame slowed down progress. But progress is happening Phase two is right around the corner, once this little item gets welded back together I will be starting the reassebmly.
all i see is smoke and mirrors magic.. hahah
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so what was the outcome with the ramcharger phil? did it make the move with you to TX or did it get sent on down the road to somebody else?
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Well its just a matter of having the time to work on it, everything is done and the only thing that needs to be decided is if I use a NP205 or go to the Atlas route. And when I say done everything is ready to be put back together, right now the body is still off the frame.
I living in flux right now and really dont have a home or a place to work on everything and when i do get time off its a mad rush to get things repaired that are critical IE not the RC.
I could sell it but ill regret it. But I have considered it
New truck is very attractive and most are very capable off road now but are longer wheel base than a RC Also the 80K price tag for a new diesel or even if i went the Tradesman route with the Power Wagon package you are still looking at 50K. Not a big issue with the price I wuld jusr have a hard time driving a truck I paid that much for thru brush and trees or getting rock rash or worse.
anyway I will get it done it will go down the road again