1998.5 Dodge Ram CTD - Sally

[ThundahBeagle]

I thought about rigging a pulley/crane for years, but I've only really put it on-off routinely for maybe a 2 year period. The rest of the time beforehand it was on permanently, and now it's realistically off permanently.

It's easy to undo the headache rack with 4 stainless bolts, and myself and 1 other friend can load thr canopy on/off as needed if there is a particular trip in mind.

But honestly, with the trees around here... I keep it off so it doesn't get absolutely wrecked and/or smash the glass.

Yep. I've placed it on or off with help. Would love to slam some 6x6 posts into the ground and set up a little sallyport type set up so I can remove it on my own. Just back in between the 4 posts (2 on a side, 1 near front of cap, one at rear), then remove the clamps and some eye bolts hook onto chains like the sanders coming out of the dumpers at DPW. Or slide boards under, and connect to chains, or something

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Ummmm, not so fast! Us men need a wife that helps us NOT spend all of our money. I would be very careful with this one. Not saying she isn't wife material at all, just beware!

I dunno. Maybe she deserves that GMT400 if she wants it. I mean, she curled up right on the stack of tires. Diesnt say boo about the other vehicles. If you got it, she could spend a little, ha ha

 

[Kingsize24]

Congrats those kinda partners are hard to find

Dude 100%! I'm VERY lucky I've found one of 24yrs myself. It's a rare gem these days it seems.

 

[frojoe]

She is also nagging me.... to put a cage in the Nova because "it desperately needs it for how fast it is". That prettymuch sums up her tolerance/acceptance/allowance of my hobby hahaha.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

She is also nagging me.... to put a cage in the Nova because "it desperately needs it for how fast it is". That prettymuch sums up her tolerance/acceptance/allowance of my hobby hahaha.

Not only is she a keeper, but others should seek out her siblings. The world needs more like her, sir

 

[frojoe]

Not only is she a keeper, but others should seek out her siblings. The world needs more like her, sir

Thanks, we live a happy/quiet life of 2 dogs, and a yard with projects vehicles. She really wants to get a hot tub, but admittedly says it will take up "some of your parking space so probably a non-starter". I said that if I am allowed to find/buy a 1992-1994 GMC or Chevy 3500HD cab & chassis GMT400 with a 10ft deck and a mini HIAB on it, she gets a hot tub. "Need it for install of the tub"

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Thanks, we live a happy/quiet life of 2 dogs, and a yard with projects vehicles. She really wants to get a hot tub, but admittedly says it will take up "some of your parking space so probably a non-starter". I said that if I am allowed to find/buy a 1992-1994 GMC or Chevy 3500HD cab & chassis GMT400 with a 10ft deck and a mini HIAB on it, she gets a hot tub. "Need it for install of the tub"

Lady Beagle would like a hot tub as well. That's a lot of energy, but maybe. If I can convert the back project shed to a sauna. We keep pretty low key as well. A wooded acre, truck, small SUV, Scout the Thunder Beagle. We lost the two Lion-Hearted Yorkies, but I'd like to convince lady Beagle for another Beagke and another yorke for her.

 

[frojoe]

FINALLY can cross the fabricated bumper off the project list, I figured out quick-detach mudflaps so that whole situation is "turn-key". Until I need to add some angle iron to it somewhere for a synthetic line fairlead for the future rear bumper.

The support bracket the mudflap bolts to is about as minimal as I could make it, so that the flaps aren't super bulky when detached and bouncing around in the bed of the truck.

I welded a 3/8" bolt to the bumper leg, so act as a pin to support the inboard slotted end of the mudflap bracket. I then cut up square tube to make a C-channel that the outboard end of the mudflap can secure into with a clevis pin.

So thru the very open fender well I can super easily see the mudflap bracket slide onto the pin, rotate up a couple inches, and then clevis pin securely. It's turned out to be quicker/smoother/easier than I was even anticipating.

 

[bigeyedfish]

That quick disconnect mud flap is really slick. Nice work.

 

[frojoe]

That quick disconnect mud flap is really slick. Nice work.

Thanks! Feels good to have mudflaps back on it... visually "tames" the back end of the truck even just a little bit (if that's even possible) haha.

I have a new D80 pinion seal on the way, and hoping to install the ARB D70/D80 rear locker either this coming weekend or the following weekend. Apparently I ordered the last unit of that SKU that was available in North America.. I guess not too many people are locking such a big diff haha.

Got a new work laptop and was editing up a picture to make it suitable as a background image, thought I'd share it. Photo credit goes to Ian of WheelEveryWeekend:

 

[Kingsize24]

Good on you for snatching it up then. And get that drill bit warm and ready to drill out to the bigger bolt size. 🤣

 

[frojoe]

Finally got the ARB locker in the Dana 80, generally no huge hurdles, but there is always something. I took ample measurements of the previous 4.10 gear install, took ample ARB stub/offset measurements, got a good 1st-guess shimstack calculated out, and turns out with the setup bearings the 1st try backlash was 0.0070" with the reused 4.10 ring on the ARB!

I don't have a very big vise at home, and the D80 ring gear bolt torque spec is 175ft-lbs, so I had to whip up a quick fixturing setup to stop the carrier from rotating as I torqued it up.

With the backlash set up and no other real checks to do, it was time to final-install the carrier. But turns out ARB sent 2X Dana 70 seal housing retainer brackets, which weren't close to fitting a D80 carrier bearing cap. So I had to get modding.. naturally..

Threw in two 1/4"-longer bearing cap bolts to account for the added thickness of the bracket, and double checked that the tab on the bracket would still engage the notch in the seal housing (it was fine, engaging ~0.230" deep)

Lastly, was drilling+tapping the port hole in the housing. ARB instructed to put the bulkhead fitting on the driver side, on the outboard side of the ring gear. I spent a good 45min measuring, angling, hypothesizing, and trying to imagine it in my head.. but there was no angle that I liked for entrance/exit with the cast iron housing being probably 1.0-1.5" thick at this spot, and not pointing the copper line directly at the tone ring and/or the ring gear bolts.

So I decided to route the line over the ring and have the bulkhead fitting on the passenger side of the carrier. Once installed, the copper line seemed rigid enough, and there was a solid fat-thumb-gap between the line and the ring gear, while having a 1/4" gap all round it to the cast iron to hopefully avoid rubbing/abrasion.. so we'll just see.

 

[frojoe]

Next up, was making the rear locker functional with the needed switch. Having used the front locker an extensive amount, I wasn't really hot on having to lean over to the center of the console to hit the button on the Switchpros, to the passenger side of the radio.

I have also been less and less interested in having the Switchpros, as things like the rock lights and the winch controls are already hardwired elsewhere, and I had no interest in redoing that wiring to consolidate it to the Switchpros. So as of now, the SwitchPros is only used for the front behind-grill LED bar, the air compressor on (to be re-wired to a toggle switch), and the exhaust brake (still not sure on alternate switch option for that yet.

In the effort of making things more streamlined and ergonomic, I had an idea to make rocker switch "pods" for either side of the steering column, and since I got a 3D printer in October 2024, this was finally possible to do in a not-tacky "obviously aftermarket" manner.

Next up was to 3D print another idea I've had in my head since Atlas swapping the truck... since the twin sticks are relocated into non-stock spot (intentionally, hehe).. this left enough room for a cupholder on the driver-side of the stick. Maybe a 1st in the world for a 2nd gen Dodge with a stick shift and 4x4 transfer case!

 

[frojoe]

I really like the look of the twin-stick rubber shift boot that comes with the Atlas (and I'm sure many other aftermarket transfer cases), so to start I printed a rigid trim ring to maintain the oval shape of the boot base, as well as be able to secure it down to the main trim ring.

Since I was going to have to trial-and-error test fit this frankenstein'd trim piece to the truck, I made the bottom hook/tang/clip thingy a separate piece that would then bolt to the main trim panel, so I could adjust if needed without having to reprint the entire thing.

The hook plate has a hard tang at the front, with the plan to bolt the rear of it down to the floor via a hole in the cupholder base, and then my 1st attempt at printing flexy tang features on the sides just to try and limit flex/bowing in the center of the trim panel.

Sub-assembled together...

 

[frojoe]

And then the switch pods and the transfer case shifter trim installed. I'm beyond stoked at how "OEM+" it turned out...