85 dodge d100 build

[TurbododgePirate]

So a couple of winters ago, I sold my Spirit rt. I was looking for a project, and I always liked the look of lowered full size trucks. Looking through craigslist I found a 1985 Dodge D100 pickup. 318, auto. 85k miles.

[TurbododgePirate]

Winter passed and a friend of mine came up and flipped the rear axle. Thanks Luke!! I wish I could say I did some of the work, but no, not really.

Pictures are Before the axle flop, after the axle flop, and after the flop with the air shocks blown up to level the truck. No worries, it's gonna go lower. :nod:

[WVRampage]

Now show one with the the fender on it and the front almost done..........

[JeremyL]

Nice project!

[TurbododgePirate]

Here are a couple side shots of before and after the front drop. And some pictures of the dakota drop spindles and 2" lowering springs.

We plan to relocate the outer tie rod end to the upper portion of the spindle for better suspension geometry. Its really goofy right now.

Again Luke (VWRAMPAGE) deserves all the credit. He did 99% of the hard work in getting the truck low, but I did learn a LOT.

[TurbododgePirate]

This is what I hope it to look like after it is all done.

[TurbododgePirate]

Someday it will likely be my sons truck.

[turbokid]

Wow liking the torque thrusts and the aar stripe forsure.
I wanna make a 440 4 speed sport truck like that someday.

[Mario]

So this is why you are selling the Charger I take it?

[TurbododgePirate]

So this is why you are selling the Charger I take it?

Pretty much. The truck is so easy and cheap to work on, I look at all the money I have thrown at the charger, and I still don't have a running car. But I'm not going to let it go for free, too much time and $$$ invested.

[TurbododgePirate]

Cheezy picture my wife took. Got a little captain in you?

[Aries_Turbo]

i vote blacked out bumpers and grilles. :)

looks like more progress has been made since i last seen it. :)

i think you should put a turbo on it and use that megasquirt that you have lying around. 8 +40% injectors should be plenty for 2 t3 based turbos. :)

Brian

[TurbododgePirate]

Okay, got just about everything stripped off the front of the cab. I wanted to get the firewall painted so we can slap the cab on the truck asap. Pics are before during and after. I am a crappy painter, but it turned out okay. Since it is the firewall, I am not really concerned about a couple small runs.

[Aries_Turbo]

cool dude. its coming along. :)

Brian

[Force Fed Mopar]

Cool man. I like the 72-93 trucks probably the best out of them all. I've had at least 1 ever since I was 14. I think I have like 6 or 7 now lol, including a '68. I put a 5-spd in my '72, almost finished w/ a rear disc swap, next step will be painting and lowering like you :) Won't go as low as you though, just gonna use drop shackles in the rear. Flip is too much for me. Might drop my current DD '93 shortbed too.

[GLHS592]

Cool project. I've just about lost interest in my '85 D-100. I have too many other projects.


Here are a couple side shots of before and after the front drop. And some pictures of the dakota drop spindles and 2" lowering springs.

What year Dakota? 1st generation? How much did it drop the truck total?

[TurbododgePirate]

Cool project. I've just about lost interest in my '85 D-100. I have too many other projects.



What year Dakota? 1st generation? How much did it drop the truck total?

They are 1996 dakota drop spindles from Belltech. It dropped the front about 4" total with of that from the 2" drop springs. That's what you see in the pics. There is more front suspension fabrication in the trucks future, but nothing I can do right now.

My 1986 Panther pink Shelby charger is now on the backburner, but at least I'll have something to tow the non-running shell with :)

[TurbododgePirate]

Cool man. I like the 72-93 trucks probably the best out of them all. I've had at least 1 ever since I was 14. I think I have like 6 or 7 now lol, including a '68. I put a 5-spd in my '72, almost finished w/ a rear disc swap, next step will be painting and lowering like you :) Won't go as low as you though, just gonna use drop shackles in the rear. Flip is too much for me. Might drop my current DD '93 shortbed too.

Tell me about the rear disc swap!!!

[Vigo]

Wow, nice progress! Now im going to go look at belltech spindles for my 96 dakota.. heheh


.... $233 a pair? sweet....:eyebrows:

[TurbododgePirate]

Wow, nice progress! Now im going to go look at belltech spindles for my 96 dakota.. heheh


.... $233 a pair? sweet....:eyebrows:

I did a google search and found my pair for $150 :thumb: OOOhh yeah! Thanks!! I hope to have the front radiator support in color this weekend, possibly the interior of the truck as well. I would love to have the painted rad support on the truck instead of the old crusty rusty pos it came with.

[forcedfedmopar]

now before you go to paint make sure to shave the drip rails and get rid of the big mirriors.:love:

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f98/forcedfedmopar/ds.jpg

[TurbododgePirate]

now before you go to paint make sure to shave the drip rails and get rid of the big mirriors.:love:

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f98/forcedfedmopar/ds.jpg

I love your truck. Hopefully mine will be almost as nice.

[TurbododgePirate]

got the inner fenders painted and cleared as well as the rad support... not too many painting days left this year.

[Aries_Turbo]

cool. :)

[TurbododgePirate]

Thanks for the positive comments! I really hope to get the cab on before winter. Paint is a hope, but doubtful.

[ScottD]

Cool project. I've always liked the 72-93 trucks, especially short beds. What are your plans on the front end are you going to keep the 85 grill & hood or change it up a bit?

[TurbododgePirate]

Cool project. I've always liked the 72-93 trucks, especially short beds. What are your plans on the front end are you going to keep the 85 grill & hood or change it up a bit?

Hate the 1985 waffle grille. The rad support you see there is a 1987 rad support that I picked up (Headlight buckets are in a different location) I also have the grille and headlight bezels. I wanted to go 1991-1993 grille, but they are hard to come by.

[ScottD]

I don't like the 85 grill either, that's why I asked.

There's a guy in Sabillasville, MD that specializes in Dodge truck parts. I don't know if he's on the net, I know that a friend of mine who has a 78 Lil Red Express has bought a lot of stuff from him. That guy might be able to hook you up with a 91-93 grill. I personally like the 77-78 front and 91-93 the best.

[TurbododgePirate]

Thanks for the info!

[TurbododgePirate]

Still thinking about wheels. I want a nascar truck look and will paint the wheels body color. I have the silver steel wheels pictured now, but they dont fit over the front calipers :(

[Gearhead24-7]

Lookin' good Heath....$1,500 for that 383....

[TurbododgePirate]

CHris, I want it, but until I have a paying job, its impossible. Any chance you can bring that panel flanger on Saturday?

[Vigo]

those first black steel wheels are a safe bet to make any truck of that era look good, and they're fairly cheap. So far so good!

[TurbododgePirate]

Cut the exhaust off before the cat this weekend, man does it sound great!!! Gotta order those headers from summit today.

[TurbododgePirate]

YEA!!!! Ordered summit headers today. Gotta check the eastwood site for their high temp paint. Also found a collector to merge 2-3" exhaust into one 3", or 2 3" into one 3.5", but dunno if i can find a 3.5" cat and muffler.

[Aries_Turbo]

VHT Flameproof is a pretty nice paint too. they have it at advance as well.

Brian

[Gearhead24-7]

3.5" is not a problem. As a matter of fact 4" is not a problem. I can hook ya up.

[TurbododgePirate]

Chris cool I'll let you know!

Brian, I am getting Eastwoods TLC Titanium Ceramic coating for the headers, and will probably do some other high temp rattle can dark gray for the rest of the exhaust.

Will have to sandblast the headers, and find a cheap HLVP touchup gun.

[TurbododgePirate]

The Summit brand headers (actually made by edelbrock) arrived today!! Now to order the eastwood ceramic paint, and sandblast them!! Gonna be titanium. ANd for $114 how can you go wrong!

[Aries_Turbo]

cool. :)

[TurbododgePirate]

Was just reading up about a turbo build for the stock 318. Even in a cheap build the guy has a LOT of $$$ tied up. Especially in the fuel system.

[Aries_Turbo]

2 walbro 255's, 2 sets of +40's, 2 87 T1 regulators and your megasquirt that you already have is enough fuel for 700hp. drill and weld some bungs in a carb manifold and then cut and braze some 84-87 fuel rails together to make a fuel rail for the setup and youd be all set. :)

or can you use the efi manifold off of a later 318? were they MPFI?

brian

[rampant150]

^ A MPFI intake wont bolt up to non-magnum heads, but custom FI intakes with the old-style bolt pattern are available.

[Aries_Turbo]

i didnt think so...

i was thinking more along the lines of cheap. :) a few bungs, a drill, and some welding shouldnt be too bad. :)

brian

[TurbododgePirate]

http://www.theturboforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=121494.0

This is the build I was reading. Lots of money tied up in even a simple setup.

[TurbododgePirate]

Right now it is gonna get the headers, a 4 barrel, 340 stick cam, and a transgo TF2 shift kit. More once it is on the road and runs.

[aaron7]

Heh, just bought a 88 D100 today and found this thread when I googled what the bolt pattern was. I know the D150 was 5x5.5 but is the D100 the same?

I have a new 1998 360 (5.9) Magnum on a stand if you're interested... complete with harness and ECU :D CHEAP TOO as I'm going with a 440!

[Aries_Turbo]

you dont need all that fancy stuff for a fuel system. :)

dont even think about going boosted carb. its a pain in the asss to tune. efi is so much easier and cheaper.

Brian

[TurbododgePirate]

Heh, just bought a 88 D100 today and found this thread when I googled what the bolt pattern was. I know the D150 was 5x5.5 but is the D100 the same?

I have a new 1998 360 (5.9) Magnum on a stand if you're interested... complete with harness and ECU :D CHEAP TOO as I'm going with a 440!

How much?

[aaron7]

Cash talks, it needs to go!

http://boston.craigslist.org/nwb/pts/1411781926.html

[TurbododgePirate]

Well, got the summit headers, and heard so many bad things about them I sent them back.

Ordered a nice set of hedman headers made specifically for the 2wd D100 pickup.

These are the ones going back.

The headmans have a ball and socket type flange that is supposed to seal much better as well.

The plan is to run a mandrel 3" 90^ from the driver side header over to the pass side and merge into a collector that is 2-3" into one 3.5" and exit in front of the rear wheel.

Also ordered Cam and Lifters, Hydraulic Flat Tappet, Advertised Duration 276/286, Lift .441/.441 to wake the motor up.

Also a Edelbrock airgap 4 barrel and edelbrock 650 CFM competition carb are on the way.

Now I have to figure out what tranny I have so I can get a transgo TF2 kit for it.

[aaron7]

Good to know they make headers for the D100/D150 :)

Wonder if they make big block ones too... :D

[aaron7]

Also, I was wondering... I don't need to dump the front end of mine 4" and I'd really like to not have to do spindles... where did you find the drop springs for the front? And are they 2" or 1"?

[TurbododgePirate]

Also, I was wondering... I don't need to dump the front end of mine 4" and I'd really like to not have to do spindles... where did you find the drop springs for the front? And are they 2" or 1"?

Mid America Customs make the 2" drop spring that I have. It is my understanding that they are the same spring rate as a 3/4 ton, just shorter. Also you could use a 3/4 ton LCA, they are pocketed so the spring sits deeper.

http://midamericacustoms.com/

[aaron7]

Very cool, thanks. I'm not sure if I can go with off-the-shelf springs or not since I'm putting the 440 in there. I'd imagine it's a bit heavier than my 3.9 V6 :p

[TurbododgePirate]

I am pretty sure you would be fine with the springs i have.

[TurbododgePirate]

Just put the order into summit for the cam, a gauge pod, and a Edelbrock air gap intake.

Its going to get some nice upgrades over the winter. Hopefully I can get the paint finished in the spring and get it to the race track.

[WVRampage]

let me know when you want to put it togather.

[TurbododgePirate]

let me know when you want to put it togather.

You up for it? I really want to help this time though :) if you'll let me. And this time we'll plan the WHOLE day :) isnt that how things end up anyway? That way I can plan lunch and dinner. Hell, if you want to crash here in the spare bedroom you're welcome to.

[TurbododgePirate]

Hedman headers showed up today!!!! YEA! Pics as soon as I can get them.

[Vigo]

That thread had some cool pics at the end, but yes he did spend a lot of money to get a pretty blah result.

More could be done with less..

But well-done n/a small blocks are pretty damn strong anyway.

[1966 dart wagon]

Love the thread

Ya old SBs are way cheap to build! headers a 100 bucks psh cant shake a stick at that:lol:

I love the 'nascar' wheels in all black look and the stripe...and lowered:hail:

[blk86trbo]

Your truck has come a long way, it's look great!

[TurbododgePirate]

Its getting there. A little bit at a time. I gotta get a welder, the one I borrowed I had to return :( and I have to weld one of the cab mounts back together.

[blk86trbo]

Its getting there. A little bit at a time. I gotta get a welder, the one I borrowed I had to return :( and I have to weld one of the cab mounts back together.

I hear ya man. Years back, my bro had a 78-79 plowtruck, and I used to own a 81 longbed 4X4. Always like those Rod Hall editions, but the only two I've ever seen around my area were a rustbucket and a junkyard specimen :(

Looking forward to more pics!

[dds78910]

now before you go to paint make sure to shave the drip rails and get rid of the big mirriors.:love:

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f98/forcedfedmopar/ds.jpg

I have always loved this truck. My 78 Ramcharger needs some new mirrors bad, and I would like to put on some smaller mirrors. What mirrors did you use on this truck?

[forcedfedmopar]

i think they are from phord ranger or van. its been way too long. lol

[TurbododgePirate]

Plenty of small mirrors here. http://shop1.actinicexpress.co.uk/shops/Rat_Sport/index.php?cat=Mirrors I am likely ordering the alloy racing mirrors in black.

[dds78910]

Plenty of small mirrors here. http://shop1.actinicexpress.co.uk/shops/Rat_Sport/index.php?cat=Mirrors I am likely ordering the alloy racing mirrors in black.


Cool site, Thanks!:thumb:

[Force Fed Mopar]

Tell me about the rear disc swap!!!

Well, I got it done finally, but I think I need to do some more engineering to work on my 8.75 rear :) It should work fine on yours though, as you should have the 8.25 rear. I used the parts off a '94-98 Grand Cherokee. I had to drill a 5th bolt hole in the backing plate for mine, can't remember if the 8.25 will need it or not. On my 8.75, it feels like I have too much axle play still, even w/ an adjuster on both sides (still using the original tapered bearings, using the conversion kit for the "green" standard bearings may allow it to work fine).

I'm not fully done w/ figuring the swap out, but they work good enough to move it around in the yard fine. I just haven't had the time to mess w/ it much since, and now I have sold the engine out of the truck (this is my '72 D100 BTW) as well as the bed, and am probably go to just go ahead and yank the trans out too and finish tearing the truck all the way down to the frame since it's half-way there already, clean and paint the frame/diff/suspension/etc, replace the cab, and find another, nicer bed to put itt all back together with.


^ A MPFI intake wont bolt up to non-magnum heads, ...

It will if you have the heads re-drilled for the proper intake bolt hole angle ;)


Right now it is gonna get the headers, a 4 barrel, 340 stick cam, and a transgo TF2 shift kit. More once it is on the road and runs.

That should run fairly stout, I ran a '83 bottom end w/ rebuilt stock 68-74 318 heads, Eddy Performer intake, Eddy 1407 carb, and a '68 340 4bbl hyd cam in my '72, and it would chirp 3rd gear with the 5-spd (NP-535 from a 4-cyl Dakota) and a 3.23 gear.


Good to know they make headers for the D100/D150 :)

Wonder if they make big block ones too... :D

They do :nod:


Also you could use a 3/4 ton LCA, they are pocketed so the spring sits deeper.

That would be the 1-ton lower control, not the 3/4-ton. I started an FAQ thread on lowering these trucks on DT, FAQ: Lowering 72-93 Dodge D-series Trucks (http://www.dodgetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78205)


Very cool, thanks. I'm not sure if I can go with off-the-shelf springs or not since I'm putting the 440 in there. I'd imagine it's a bit heavier than my 3.9 V6 :p

3/4-ton springs will handle it fine.

[turbospirites]

Good to know they make headers for the D100/D150 :)

Wonder if they make big block ones too... :D

I think they do I have headers on my old dodge D250 bought them off summit racing for 99 bucks

http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/2210/61/30522530002_large.jpg

[glhs0426]

Here are a couple side shots of before and after the front drop. And some pictures of the dakota drop spindles and 2" lowering springs.

We plan to relocate the outer tie rod end to the upper portion of the spindle for better suspension geometry. Its really goofy right now.

Again Luke (VWRAMPAGE) deserves all the credit. He did 99% of the hard work in getting the truck low, but I did learn a LOT.

Which Dakota drop spindles? I have been looking and there are two: 87-90 and 91-96.

A coworker is parting out a '92 model and I was comparing the spindles to my '85 and can see how you would have to ream the spindles to relocate the tie rod.

John

[Evilancer]

Your truck is coming along pretty nice man, keep up the good work!

A nice little regular cab short box truck like that, is the perfect candidate for a 12v Cummins swap. Has the potential to put out alot more torque than any SB V8, and still get in the 20+ mpg range on the highway.

Jon

[Vigo]

87-90 and 91-96

As far as i know those years represent the early 5 lug years and then 6 lug for the later stuff. You would want to confirm that but im guessing you'd want to go with the 5 lug setup incase those hub lengths are different or something.

[Force Fed Mopar]

Your truck is coming along pretty nice man, keep up the good work!

A nice little regular cab short box truck like that, is the perfect candidate for a 12v Cummins swap. Has the potential to put out alot more torque than any SB V8, and still get in the 20+ mpg range on the highway.

Jon

Yeah, too bad they are like 3500 or more for just the engine and trans :p One guy around here wants like 4k for just a 12v engine.


As far as i know those years represent the early 5 lug years and then 6 lug for the later stuff. You would want to confirm that but im guessing you'd want to go with the 5 lug setup incase those hub lengths are different or something.

Actually, I think they use the newer spindles, IIRC the bearings are larger, same size as the 85-up full-sizes. I could be wrong though.

[Vigo]

Yeah, too bad they are like 3500 or more for just the engine and trans One guy around here wants like 4k for just a 12v engine.

I am seeing complete but problem-ridden 1st gen cummins trucks for 1-2k on craigslist here lately. Its getting closer and closer for me :)

[TurbododgePirate]

Just agreed to pick up a 1984 W100 with new doors, fenders, inner fender wells, new floorpans, and a good cab. $500. Needs a gas tank and a windshield. It will get lifted 4" and 35's under it. A good contrast to the lowered d100 :)

[glhs0426]

Thanks for the inspiration! I got off my behind and started to finish my 85. It's been driven to work two weeks in a row! A small amount every day has made a "when will this ever get done" into "YES! Now, if I can just finish this I'll still have time for some lunch". The speedometer calibration was finished today.

Doh.......where is the cable so I can download some pics? Pics to come.

[dds78910]

I have a Diesel Power magazine that had a 1St gen Dodge cummins pickup and the guy installed ome mirrors from a 95 F-150 and I thought it looked slick so I picked up a set of ebay for cheap. I havent put them on yet but I'll get some picks posted when I do.

I also put on a New Summit racing street/strip carb last week and my Ramcharger runs really good now.

[Force Fed Mopar]

Fox-body Mustang convertible mirrors look good on them also ;) Better than the F-150 mirrors I think.

[glhs0426]

Did you ever get the tie rod relocated and check the bump steer? You said it was really goofy. I know using rack and pinion steering arms (which are cast into the drop Dakota spindles) on a drag link steering causes wierd bump steer and Akerman. Also, I know using drag link steering arms on a rack and pinion causes wierd bump steer and Akerman. This is a Mopar your dealing with so the rules may not apply and I'm curious....read on.

I lowered mine quite a bit using stock spindles andcut late model 1ton 4x4 springs. It needs the tie rod relocated to the top of the steering in order to line up horizontally with the inner tie rod. I haven't run a bump steer check so it may be fine. It's 1/2" off the stock bump stops. IMO it needs to raised back up a little. The static alignment set just fine.

I've been doing a lot of research on the front suspensions of these trucks and they share almost the same spindle as the 73-89 B,E,F,M,R body cars! There has been a lot of debate in the car world over the early and late disc brake spindles when swapping an old car from drum brakes. The later spindle is a little taller which caused concern for wierd geometry. The findings were very, very little difference in bump steer, camber, and caster when swapping between the two spindles. I put all this out there to say do you think an early car drop spindle will work on our trucks?

http://www.magnumforce.com/store/image.aspx?src=3939%5FSpindles+Only+low+res%2Ejpg&Size=450

[glhs0426]

I spoke with Mid America Customs today and they are evaluating drop spindles. They informed me the Dakota spindles require a lot of work to correct bump steer.

[GLHS592]

Any news on this truck? Did you ever figure out the Dakota spindles?

I'm researching how to lower my truck right now and I'm confused as ever. I would like to lower my 1980 D150 2"-3" in the front and 4"-5" in the rear. I'm thinking the Mid America Customs kit (4"/6") would lower my truck too much for my tastes. I like at least a little gap between the tire and fender. I also don't know if I want to spend nearly $1000 to lower my truck.

I wish I could find the 1 ton lower control arms. Those coupled with 1994-2001 Ram 2" lower coils would probably do the trick. I thought about the Dakota spindles, but I've never heard of anyone that has perfected the swap.

I've seen where people are using 2" lowering shackles made for other trucks. Does anybody make a 2" front leaf spring hanger for a D150? I wonder if the spring hanger made for a 1st gen. Dakota would bolt up. From the pictures, it looks like it might.

What shocks would I use? I've read about several choices, but haven't really figured out what works best.

[Bardo]

He got the daks on and picked up some other stuff but ill let him tell you about that ;)

[54inches]

Any more pics of the progress?

[glhs0426]

I used cut 1 ton 4X4 springs from a 03-08 Cummins truck. The bump stops were removed and shorter/stiffer bump stops were installed. The rear used a 2" drop shackles from a 85 C10. For shocks I called Doetsch (http://www.doetsch-shocks.com/) and gave them the ride height measurements from the top mounting point to the bottom mounting point. $200 for four shocks but it was well worth the price.

Problems I'm having and need to correct:

The rear of the truck needs to come down another 2" and I too am investigating the Dakota spring hanger.

The steering geometry is all screwed up i.e. Akerman and bump steer. I discussed this at length with some friends this weekend and they came to the conclusion I might need to try the Dakota steering arms since I need to change the length of the arm. The way it was explained to me was when the suspension was lowered the relationship between the inner and outer tie rods changed. The outer is now the same height as the inner, effectively making the tie rod longer. If the Dakota steering arm is shorter it might restore correct geometry to the steering. We'll see in the coming month.

John

[GLHS592]

I am looking for a Dakota to measure the spring hanger with no luck. If it measures out close to my truck's spring hanger, I will probably order one and a pair of 1994-2001 Ram lowering shackles. I measured the shackles on my 1998 SS/T and they are 1" longer than the ones in my D150. I'm thinking 2" from the Dakota hanger and 3" from the Ram shackles might do the trick. Also, you can flip the leaf spring hangers like in this thread.

http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=6181958&an=0&page=0#Post6181958

The van lower control arms look promising, if you can find a pair.

A guy on another forum recommended 3" lowering coils made for a 1994-1999 Ram 1500. I may pull mine out of my SS/T and try them.

I wonder if Mid America Customs is still thinking about doing the spindles. I e-mailed them a few weeks ago with no response.

[glhs0426]

Good find Kevin! I had no idea about the van LCA's or the shakle flip.

The front of mine is working well as far as ride height is concerned. All I need to do right now is a front hanger flip. That flip might be done this week. Gotta science out the pinion angle. Right now it's perfect, .5 degree front u-joint angle, .5 degree rear u-joint angle and 3 degrees pinion down. No vibration, excellent traction.

John

[GLHS592]

Good find Kevin! I had no idea about the van LCA's or the shakle flip.

I am thinking the hanger flip may be the thing to do. You can always drill the new holes a tad bit higher for a little more drop.

For the front, the 3/4 ton van lower control arms look like they are the way to go. The Pull-a-part in Nashville has 11 possible donors. I'll see if I can find two pairs if you want me to look for you.

[glhs0426]

I am thinking the hanger flip may be the thing to do. You can always drill the new holes a tad bit higher for a little more drop. The Pull-a-part in Nashville has 11 possible donors. I'll see if I can find two pairs if you want me to look for you.

Don't I have a set of hangers on the truck already, or are these hangers off something elese? I might be missing something.

[GLHS592]

Don't I have a set of hangers on the truck already, or are these hangers off something elese? I might be missing something.


I got ahead of myself. I was thinking about the lower control arms from the 3/4 ton van and didn't type it out. :lol:

[Bardo]

A sneak peek of things to come http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d30/ajbardo/IMAG0112.jpg http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d30/ajbardo/IMAG0109.jpg http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d30/ajbardo/IMAG0111.jpg http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d30/ajbardo/IMAG0110.jpg

[Gearhead24-7]

[QUOTE=Bardo;713895]A sneak peek of things to come http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d30/ajbardo/IMAG0112.jpg



What a prick. :lol:

[Bardo]

What a prick. :lol:

hey it rained today, were you thinking about coming over?

[Bardo]

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d30/ajbardo/IMAG0125.jpghttp://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d30/ajbardo/IMAG0124.jpg

[Gearhead24-7]

A little progress.
http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt60/GunRunner612/IMAG0063.jpg
http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt60/GunRunner612/IMAG0062.jpg
http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt60/GunRunner612/IMAG0060.jpg

[Bardo]

surprised the whole truck isnt under a black tarp ;)

[TurbododgePirate]

surprised the whole truck isnt under a black tarp ;)

I dont have a black tarp, only blue/silver and green/silver. Prick. :D Now if I had a trash bag big enough for it to fit in...

[Bardo]

I dont have a black tarp, only blue/silver and green/silver. Prick. :D Now if I had a trash bag big enough for it to fit in...

Don't make bags that big that's why I said tarp. Use your tap and die set lately? ;)

[Gearhead24-7]

Use your tap and die set lately? ;)

Oh SNAP!

Literally. :D

[TurbododgePirate]

Don't make bags that big that's why I said tarp. Use your tap and die set lately? ;)

Actually they do make car storage bags. http://www.autoanything.com/car-covers/20A50302A1.aspx

Ouch man, that really hurts..... like looking at your welds.:D
Regular grocery items are what you may possible spot on the Food Lion Ad (https://www.weeklyads2.com/food-lion/).

When you coming home again?

[Bardo]

You and Chris know to not let me use anything but a air hammer, sawsall and a cut off wheel. Just cause I can take it apart doesn't mean I can put it together. Some time next week I think

[TurbododgePirate]

You and Chris know to not let me use anything but a air hammer, sawsall and a cut off wheel. Just cause I can take it apart doesn't mean I can put it together. Some time next week I think

Hahah maybe we can get together. We can cut the roof off the truck cab, put it on the trailer and fill it with charger parts then take it up to sechrists. Ill have to go to Harbor freight and get some more long metal sawzall blades.

[Aries_Turbo]

whose truck is who's? im confused. :)

Brian

[Gearhead24-7]

The truck belongs to TDPirate. Bardo and I put up pics sometimes.

[Bardo]

whose truck is who's? im confused. :)

Brian

its ok, grab a beer and a seat and you'll be alright. :) its heaths truck me and Chris would rather work on it then our own cars so if we mess something up its no big deal cause its not ours :D

[Aries_Turbo]

lol, i knew heath had a truck, hence the build thread.

yeah i sometimes like working on other peoples stuff too. :)

Brian

[PunKid]

Cool project I have a very Similar project that is just lacking paint.

I started with 72 D100, and took out the 318 and 3 on the tree and put in a 440 with an Auto. I eventually got sick of the auto and went to a 4-speed. Unfortunately at the time I thought the OD A-833 was what I wanted. But after driving it I now realize I want just a normal A-833

I lowered the rear using some Beltech lift shackles for a Chevy. (I still have the box around for the part number. It was not a direct fit I think it required a larger Diameter bolt and then drilling of the holes on the bracket to fit the larger bolt. End result was about 2.5" drop

For the Front I did the 1-ton control arms. The van control arms are not drilled for the front strut brace that our trucks have, so in order to use those you will have to template the holes. The biggest problem using the 1 ton control arm is you also need the lower ball joint bracket (if you look the lower part of the spindle is removable). I have heard that some trucks came with the smaller ball joints but most came with the Large ball joints. So now the 1 ton lower spindle bracket also has the tie rod mount, so you also need 1 ton tie rods. but if you continue down this road you will need all 1 ton steering components. I was able to go through a book at an old parts store and mis match a tie rod that fit the 1 ton bracket and still threaded into a half ton sleeve. After all that if I were to do it again I would just buy some big Hyme joints and mount them on bottom, eliminates the confusion and helps the angle on the tie rods. Lastly you need to make two sleeves to slip into the ball joint bracket so that you can use your 1/2 ton bolts to mount into the bracket to the spindle. Wow that was a little long winded. I ended up with almost 3.5" drop using factory 1/2 ton springs. I also used 1/2" coil isolators to give me back some ride height. Ohhh yea cutting the factory bump stop bracket is a must, then use two rear bump stops in its place.


I got tons of photos at home I will try to get some up tonight.

Any questions let me know

[TurbododgePirate]

Cool project I have a very Similar project that is just lacking paint.

I started with 72 D100, and took out the 318 and 3 on the tree and put in a 440 with an Auto. I eventually got sick of the auto and went to a 4-speed. Unfortunately at the time I thought the OD A-833 was what I wanted. But after driving it I now realize I want just a normal A-833

I lowered the rear using some Beltech lift shackles for a Chevy. (I still have the box around for the part number. It was not a direct fit I think it required a larger Diameter bolt and then drilling of the holes on the bracket to fit the larger bolt. End result was about 2.5" drop

For the Front I did the 1-ton control arms. The van control arms are not drilled for the front strut brace that our trucks have, so in order to use those you will have to template the holes. The biggest problem using the 1 ton control arm is you also need the lower ball joint bracket (if you look the lower part of the spindle is removable). I have heard that some trucks came with the smaller ball joints but most came with the Large ball joints. So now the 1 ton lower spindle bracket also has the tie rod mount, so you also need 1 ton tie rods. but if you continue down this road you will need all 1 ton steering components. I was able to go through a book at an old parts store and mis match a tie rod that fit the 1 ton bracket and still threaded into a half ton sleeve. After all that if I were to do it again I would just buy some big Hyme joints and mount them on bottom, eliminates the confusion and helps the angle on the tie rods. Lastly you need to make two sleeves to slip into the ball joint bracket so that you can use your 1/2 ton bolts to mount into the bracket to the spindle. Wow that was a little long winded. I ended up with almost 3.5" drop using factory 1/2 ton springs. I also used 1/2" coil isolators to give me back some ride height. Ohhh yea cutting the factory bump stop bracket is a must, then use two rear bump stops in its place.


I got tons of photos at home I will try to get some up tonight.

Any questions let me know


Yeah, we have a lot of good information over on moparts in the truck thread. There are van LCAs that people are using now. Hey, I have a awesome set of nitro drop shocks for the front that are brand new that would work on your setup. Lemmie know if youre interested.

[Bardo]

you know, if we put that 318 in the charger i might be willing to give that whole setup a new home if the $$ is right :eyebrows:

[Gearhead24-7]

No, no. Heath and I decided you're finishing the Lebaron.:nod:

[GLHS592]

I lowered the rear using some Beltech lift shackles for a Chevy. (I still have the box around for the part number. It was not a direct fit I think it required a larger Diameter bolt and then drilling of the holes on the bracket to fit the larger bolt. End result was about 2.5" drop.

A guy on Moparts cut the metal sleeve out of the factory shackle and just slid it inside the Chevy lowering shackle's sleeve. He also flipped the front leaf spring hangers over, drilled new bolt holes in the frame, and bolted them back on for a couple more inches of drop. I'm not sure if I will do that or just flip the axle on top of the leaf springs.


For the Front I did the 1-ton control arms. The van control arms are not drilled for the front strut brace that our trucks have, so in order to use those you will have to template the holes. The biggest problem using the 1 ton control arm is you also need the lower ball joint bracket (if you look the lower part of the spindle is removable). I have heard that some trucks came with the smaller ball joints but most came with the Large ball joints. So now the 1 ton lower spindle bracket also has the tie rod mount, so you also need 1 ton tie rods. but if you continue down this road you will need all 1 ton steering components. I was able to go through a book at an old parts store and mis match a tie rod that fit the 1 ton bracket and still threaded into a half ton sleeve. After all that if I were to do it again I would just buy some big Hyme joints and mount them on bottom, eliminates the confusion and helps the angle on the tie rods. Lastly you need to make two sleeves to slip into the ball joint bracket so that you can use your 1/2 ton bolts to mount into the bracket to the spindle. Wow that was a little long winded. I ended up with almost 3.5" drop using factory 1/2 ton springs. I also used 1/2" coil isolators to give me back some ride height. Ohhh yea cutting the factory bump stop bracket is a must, then use two rear bump stops in its place.

I'd like to see pictures of the 1 ton lower control arms. Are they similar to the pictures of my van arms below? I heard about that swap a few years ago and never even looked at the lower control arms on my old 1990 D350. I just assumed the trucks all used the same LCA. From what I saw in the junkyard, the 3/4 ton LCA's looked identical to the ones on my 1980 D150. I also noticed that the LCA's looked identical in all vans whether they were 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton, or 1 ton.

The van LCA swap looks like the easiest to do. They use the same ball joints as a 1/2 ton pickup. The only modification you need to do to the LCA's is the strut brace bolt holes. From what I've read, you have to drill the LCA pivot bolt mounting hole on the truck frame from 5/8" to 3/4".

If I ever find a sand blaster, I'll blast my 1 ton van LCA's, paint them, and do the swap. I'll take pictures along the way. I've already cut the bump stops off of mine and knocked the ball joints out.

http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/4/510/709/38772854031_large.jpg
http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/4/510/709/38772854034_large.jpg

[GLHS592]

Here is a write up I did for a Dodge truck forum:

Nobody makes much in the way of aftermarket parts for 1972-1993 Dodge trucks. Parts for lowering your Dodge pickup are not offered by the major aftermarket companies like Belltech or Eibach. There is one small manufacturer that makes some very expensive lower control arms, but I've had no luck getting in contact with them. What can you do if you want to lower your pickup? You can go the cheap route by cutting your coil springs. This may cause your spring rates to change or cause camber problems. You could go the expensive route by modifying a pair of lowering spindles made for a 1st generation Dakota. I've heard this works, but there are a few issues with this and it takes a lot of trouble to get them to work.

There is another option that is very simple, engineered by the factory, and is cost effective. Go to the junkyard and find a 1972-1993 Dodge B-series van and unbolt the lower control arms. Just swapping the van's lower control arms onto your 1972-1993 Dodge half ton truck lowers it roughly 3" due to the fact that the van lower control arms have a spring pocket that allows the coil springs to sit lower than it does in the truck's stock lower control arms. No shock or spring change is needed. It doesn't matter if it is a 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton, or 1 ton van. The van lower control arms are the same. I purchased a pair from a mid 80's B350 for $40 plus tax at my local Pull-A-Part.

I had trouble separating the steering knuckle from the lower control arm at the ball joint. In fact, I gave up and left the junkyard. I asked around and found out that the steering knuckle is a two-piece design. There are two 15/16 bolts/nuts that you will have to unbolt in order to separate the top piece from the bottom piece. You will have to take the brake caliper and rotor off to gain access to the bolts. Remove those steering knuckle bolts, take out the shock absorber, unbolt the control arm pivot bolt, remove the strut rod from the lower control arms, and separate the steering tie rod from the lower steering knuckle piece and you're done. The only parts you will need are the lower control arms and the control arm pivot bolts/nuts. Once you get the lower control arms home, take a large hammer and remove the lower steering knuckle piece from the ball joint and then knock the ball joint out. You cannot reuse the ball joints because they are larger in diameter than the ones on your truck. New ball joints are $50 at NAPA, so you might as well replace them anyway.

There are a couple modifications you will need to make to the lower control arms and your truck. First, completely remove the steering stops. They are not needed and the arms will look cleaner without them. Next, you will need to drill two 1/2" holes in each arm for the strut rods. I pulled a stringline from the center of the ball joint to the center of the pivot bushing and found the holes in the truck arms are equal distance from the centerline of the arm. Measure the distance from the ball joint to the strut rod holes on the truck arms. Now, you can transfer this information onto the van arms, mark your holes, and drill. There is one modification you will need to make to the lower control arm pivot holes on your truck's frame. The truck's factory lower control arm bolts are 5/8" in diameter. The van's are 3/4" in diameter. You will need to drill these holes larger for the van's bolts to fit the truck. I was thinking that maybe I would be able to slide the sleeve from the truck arms into the sleeve on the van arms so I wouldn't have to drill the pivot holes. The truck sleeve is too large in diamter to fit inside the van's sleeve,so that will not work. From this point, you may be able to just bolt the van arms on your truck. I had a little proble with mine. I tried to install my driver's side arm and the holes wouldn't begin to line up. I found that the metal around the pivot bushing on the arm was up against the pivot bracket on the truck. Before you paint your lower control arms, you may want to grind a little off the arms around the pivot bushing.

http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq42/GLHS592/1980%20Dodge%20D-150/D150_P3120053.jpg
The steering knuckle is a two piece design on the truck and van. You will need a 15/16" socket for these.
http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq42/GLHS592/1980%20Dodge%20D-150/1980_Dodge_PA160021-1.jpg
Van arms with van lower steering knuckle
http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq42/GLHS592/1980%20Dodge%20D-150/1980_Dodge_PB040001-1.jpg
Van arms with bump stops and ball joint removed
http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq42/GLHS592/1980%20Dodge%20D-150/D-150_P3060043.jpg
Side by side comparison of the truck arm and van arm. Blue arrows point to the strut rod bolt holes that you need to drill.
http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq42/GLHS592/1980%20Dodge%20D-150/D-150_P3060044.jpg
Truck pivot bolt (5/8") on top and van pivot bolt (3/4") on bottom
http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq42/GLHS592/1980%20Dodge%20D-150/D150_P3120054.jpg
Drilling the truck's pivot bolt bracket from 5/8" to 3/4"
http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq42/GLHS592/1980%20Dodge%20D-150/D150_P3120052.jpg
Grind in the unpainted area shown by the arrows. The holes in the lower control arms would not line up with the ones on the truck's pivot bracket due to this area touching the pivot bracket.
http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq42/GLHS592/1980%20Dodge%20D-150/P3190015.jpg
Finished product
http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq42/GLHS592/1980%20Dodge%20D-150/D150_P3050036.jpg
Before
http://i432.photobucket.com/albums/qq42/GLHS592/1980%20Dodge%20D-150/D150_P3190004.jpg
After

[Bardo]

update. so heath painted the jams, back of the cab and front of the bed. we got the bed put on the truck and some of the interior in, exhaust on and i think thats about it. will update as things happen.