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LT's Wild RamCharger

LT is new to the board, He just joined up. He is from my hometown of Los Alamos NM and we both wheel up here in Utah alot. He is a wild guy. He has been into wheeling along time. He has owned several built to the hilt CHevys, and a few Dodges. Right now he has a 87 Dodge Ramcharger which he calls his beater. The motor is a 360 bored over 0.3. He got real happy with the Sawsall and cut tons of the body off, including the roof, and front and fenders. He has a roll cage that is under fab right now. He now has a dana 60 going in for the front and a Corp 14 for the rear. He has Hydr. steering and a bunch of other stuff. He has new tires, 42 Irocs and beadlock rims.

I let him tell you about it. Here are his pictures:
 

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L

LT.

Well-Known Member
Location
Los Alamos, New Mexico
Greg said:
I would LOVE to see more of this, had a similar idea myself, though a bit different.
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He started out with a cab over camper on a pickup truck. A few months ago he learned that his wife was expecting another little one. The cab over will become too small for his growing family. Sooo, the motor home idea was spawned. The last few days we have been fixing the rear of the frame. It used to have a large basket hung off of the rear of the vehicle. Some where along the way the basket was overloaded and bent about the last three feet of the frame rails. We removed the basket, straightened the frame, re-enforced the frame, ran some bracing, and shortened the basket. The stock 22R motor does not have enough to it to get the motor home out of its own way. My bro is really into the back country and could not think of a better way to get there than to re-do this motor home. I will take some pictures next time up.

LT.
 
L

LT.

Well-Known Member
Location
Los Alamos, New Mexico
Alright, I have now hit an all time high on the frustration-o-meter. I cannot believe I have spent this much money on this pile just to have parts not fit like they should. If I don't get a solution to the problem tomorrow I am going to practice with the Dillon on the darned thing. Then if there is anything left I am going to pour gas on it and light the whole thing on fire! I went to put the range box (the front piece of the NP-203 T-case) onto the tranny tonight. Counted the splines and saw they were the same count. When I got down on my back, with the range box on my chest, pressed the heavy sucker into position and slid it right on. First shot, perfect I am thinking, WRONG!! Although they are both 23 spline the out put on the tranny measures 1.215 and the input on the 203 measures 1.25. I am going to hope and pray that Off Road Design can work miracle for me tomorrow. Maybe I just have the wrong input installed on my 203? Has anyone else run into this kind of problem before?

LT.

LT.
 
Greg

Greg

I run a tight ship... wreck
Admin
Location
Grand Junction, CO
Ouch, sorry to hear LT. Every build is going to have some frustrating moments, I think we've all been there. Hopefully it's a simple and easy fix. Take a break if you have to, but there's no need to aerate the poor thing! And if you do..... I want to see video! :hickey: :rofl:
 
L

LT.

Well-Known Member
Location
Los Alamos, New Mexico
Okay, a quick call to Off Road Design this morning only gave me conformation that I screwed up bad. I needed the output shaft on the other tranny that I sent to the scrap yard the day after I pulled the T-case out of it. So, now we are trying to find the correct output shaft for a TF-727. This may end up being more trouble than it is worth since I am hoping to have the new 440 installed sometime next year. And wouldn't you know it, Dodge made different trannys for big blocks and small blocks. So, even after the output shaft change the tranny is only going to be in the truck for a year or so. Maybe what I should be doing is rebuilding the big block fairly stock and then sourcing a tranny for it. I really don't know what to do now.

LT.
 
L

LT.

Well-Known Member
Location
Los Alamos, New Mexico
Well, I may have gotten lucky here. I think we were able to source a new output shaft for the tranny. I am sending the new input shaft down to make sure. All I have to do now is drop the tranny and send the pieces down.

LT.
 
L

LT.

Well-Known Member
Location
Los Alamos, New Mexico
I feel the need to update again. Today I got the tranny out of the truck and did a second check to make sure the new output shaft indeed does work with the range box on the NP-203. Everything looks good to me but, what do I know? If I knew anything I would not have sent the parts truck to the crusher before I had all the parts I needed.

LT.
 
L

LT.

Well-Known Member
Location
Los Alamos, New Mexico
Okay! Now we're getting somewhere. I got the tranny back from the shop with the correct output. The dual T-cases are in, bolted up, and shifters are in place through the floor. Cross member is in place and supporting the whole shootin match. Rear axle is pushed back into place and is at ride height. Front axle is close to ride height and is close to being in position. New tires and wheels are on the axles so I can see where I need to trim up. No pictures as the wife had the cammera with her. It looks killer. Next we are going to get the links cut and welded up and the brackets burned in place.

LT.
 
T

turbosniper1

6x6x6 / Commando
Location
(CLASSIFIED!!), CO
NICE!!! Sounds good brother! Now we need to see the pics since it all looks killer! You will have to pry it out of her fingers when you are out there burning in those welds for the links! Keep up the good work and bring the pics!
- Matt
 
L

LT.

Well-Known Member
Location
Los Alamos, New Mexico
Now that the camera is back in the house I will see if I can take a trip to the shop and snap a few pictures for all the non believers out there. I was so impressed with myself and how fast I was able to get everything done I would not have wanted to stop to take any photos at that time. It was just an amazing couple of days. I hope the build keeps going like it has the last few days.

LT.
 
L

LT.

Well-Known Member
Location
Los Alamos, New Mexico
Here are some photos as promised.

LT.
 

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T

turbosniper1

6x6x6 / Commando
Location
(CLASSIFIED!!), CO
OH YEAH!!!!! That looks SAWEET!!!! I love the look of those PitBulls and the SpyderLocks man!!!
Now all we will have to do is dovetail the body and make some clearance for them!;) I can't wait until I can see those bling coilovers in the fenderwells too!
Keep up the good work brother!
Matt
 
L

LT.

Well-Known Member
Location
Los Alamos, New Mexico
We were joking around the shop about the four links I already have installed on the rear. Four pieces of steel welded to the axle and frame so that the truck could be moved.

LT.
 
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