Re: next dodge project --


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Posted by Fred Coldwell on Friday, August 03, 2001 at 7:49PM :

In Reply to: next dodge project -- posted by mannyc on Friday, August 03, 2001 at 4:04PM :

Very imaginative concept! Congrats on thinking outside the conventional 8' PW pickup box! :<> But here are a few considerations:
1. Drive Train Constipation. If the transfer case stays in its original locat1on, there is no room to fit in an overdrive with a new engine & transmision.
2. Pumpkins are Neutral Factor. The 5.83 pumpkins limit top speed, but 2 sets of rebuilt 4.89 gears are no more expensive than for a PW.
3. Rear Axle Spring Hangers. The much longer bump up in the rear frame for the tandem axles leaves no good place to mount the new forward spring hanger for the remaining rear/rear axle spring leaves. The higher position of the frame changes the spring pad angle. You may have to remove and reweld spring pads to get drive line angles within U joint limits. But 6X6 rear axles have no spring pads, so you need to ground off the spring loops and weld on a spring pads anyway, so perhaps not so bad after all. 4. Wheelbase from front to single rear/rear axle would be 146" (125" + (1/2 X 42")) [42" = distance between bogie axles) vs. 126 for PW. That leaves 20 inches for rear of custom crew cab if you use a 8' PW pickup bed. My rough measurements many years ago for a PW crewcab told me 24" more wheelbase (to 150") is needed for comfortable fit. You may be 4" shy. Run a tape and double check additional length of a proposed crewcab (door width gives some idea). Add increase in cab length to the 53" distance from back of PW cab to rear axle distance for a PW 8' bed to get new back-of-cab to rear axle distance. I think it might come out around 77".
5. Reasons 1, 3 & 4 suggest perhaps lengthening a PW frame by 24" is the easier approach. Move the transfer case back a bit to where both front and rear drive shafts are the same length (as on some W300s), and as a bonus you can fit in an overdrive. 8' PW pickup bed may also sit and mount better on a stretched PW frame than a differently contoured 6X6 frame.
These are first thoughts; others may follow. You may discover work-arounds to these concerns. Keep us posted on this intriguing idea! Fred C.



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