96 Dodge Build

[Deleted member 12023]

I also have done the brake cyl mod, works great. I have read that if the drum is hard to take off, leave one lug on, with the rear on jacks, spin the tires in gear and then put on the brakes and the drum will pop right off. Remember to leave one lug on or the drum will go somewhere.
Ken

That is a good tip. I am not so sure I trust myself doing that in my GF's Father's house. He is the chief of police...I bet the neighbors would be talking if I accidently put the Dodge through the garage wall!!

 

[Scott39]

Cool Dodge!!

 

[toyrunner95]

Sadly this is the only picture of the interior that I took. You can see that the rear seat was removed. This is before we put the tire in there.

How big is your Fridge? Do you have the quad cab?

 

[Deleted member 12023]

How big is your Fridge? Do you have the quad cab?

I have the Engel MT-45. http://www.engel-usa.com/mt45.htm. It fit with just enough room to slightly recline in a comfortable position, if I wanted to rest in the seat.

Yes it is the quadcab/extended cab. It does not have rear doors though. They didn't make rear doors until 98 I believe. I won't lie, sometimes it was a pain in the rear getting into the fridge, but was our only option the way the truck was set up.

 

[toyrunner95]

ok thats good to know, I have an 01' with the doors so its good to know that I can fit on in there comfortably. Can the seat be compleatly slid back? Not reclined obviously. I have long legs.

 

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

I have the Engel MT-45. http://www.engel-usa.com/mt45.htm. It fit with just enough room to slightly recline in a comfortable position, if I wanted to rest in the seat.

Yes it is the quadcab/extended cab. It does not have rear doors though. They didn't make rear doors until 98 I believe. I won't lie, sometimes it was a pain in the rear getting into the fridge, but was our only option the way the truck was set up.

Looks like it sits level, but my back floor (also a '96) looks like it slopes towards the front of the vehicle. Do you have a platform/stand/brackets for the frig? :sombrero:

 

[Deleted member 12023]

Looks like it sits level, but my back floor (also a '96) looks like it slopes towards the front of the vehicle. Do you have a platform/stand/brackets for the frig? :sombrero:

I used a 2"x4" scrap under the front of the fridge standing on it's side. With a ratchet strap around the fridge to the holes on the back wall, it snugged up nicely against the 2"x4" and the back wall. I used a piece of foam rubber between the cab and the fridge to reduce noise.

Hope that helps...I wish I had taken more pictures of it when it was all put together.

 

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

Muchas gracias...keep the build coming!

 

[Deleted member 12023]

Sorry for the slow progress, I have been super busy working and saving.

This past Friday I got stopped by a local cop, who wanted to check my tire width. To make a story short, the As$ gave me a ticket for $140 dollars because my treads stick 1/4" past my fenders. (He pulled a U-turn in a school zone, during school hours, for this stop. He also had a plumb bob and tape measure with him?? ******).

So I am beginning to question my wheel selection. The tires are only 285's but the wheels have 4.5" BS. I want to upgrade to 35x12's but don't want to deal with this guy anymore, nor do I really want to buy new wheels.

I guess my question is- Should I get new wheels and stick with a narrow tire like the 285, or keep the wheels, get 35's and give the cop the finger every-time I see him?

On another note, I have found myself drooling over Land Cruisers lately. I am sitting on the fence of dropping a lot of money into this truck, or switching to another rig. I feel like the full size has it's advantages and disadvantages, but can 2 people and a dog realistically fit in a LC for 6-10 months and not kill each-other? Or do I make the rig I already own into the Expo rig, and live in comfortable amounts of space, and just accept the large size of the rig. I guess this is what I get for reading Overland Journal!

 

[Scott39]

Sorry for the slow progress, I have been super busy working and saving.

This past Friday I got stopped by a local cop, who wanted to check my tire width. To make a story short, the As$ gave me a ticket for $140 dollars because my treads stick 1/4" past my fenders. (He pulled a U-turn in a school zone, during school hours, for this stop. He also had a plumb bob and tape measure with him?? ******).

So I am beginning to question my wheel selection. The tires are only 285's but the wheels have 4.5" BS. I want to upgrade to 35x12's but don't want to deal with this guy anymore, nor do I really want to buy new wheels.

I guess my question is- Should I get new wheels and stick with a narrow tire like the 285, or keep the wheels, get 35's and give the cop the finger every-time I see him?

On another note, I have found myself drooling over Land Cruisers lately. I am sitting on the fence of dropping a lot of money into this truck, or switching to another rig. I feel like the full size has it's advantages and disadvantages, but can 2 people and a dog realistically fit in a LC for 6-10 months and not kill each-other? Or do I make the rig I already own into the Expo rig, and live in comfortable amounts of space, and just accept the large size of the rig. I guess this is what I get for reading Overland Journal!

I'm an extoyota guy, but after having my Dodge, I wouldn't go back. Room, power, and better fuel mileage. If you're not wheelin real tight trails, no need for a smaller rig. I have wheeled some real tight trails here in Colorado (trees rubbing on both sides at the same time) but I wouldn't go back to a smaller rig.
There is only a rew trails in Colorado I wouldn't want to do with a fullsize rig, but 99% of the time, I will be on trails I can anyhow.
Check out Stephens orange crew cab chevy, post #47, he wheels this on some of the hardest trails in the country. Now he put a RTT on it for Moab EJS this week.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=791260

 

[Terrainist]

your tires

Might check with a local four wheelers or off roading club, see how they deal with their tire issues. Might be that some fender flares, due to the way the law was written, would put your "fenders" back within lawfull specs. I would check around, see what other peoples are doing about it.

Having to buy a set of tires and wheels because of some obscure law and a local cop is a bummer. And I would file a complaint against the guy - whipping it around in a school zone for a non moving violation...for your tires sticking out past your fenders a quarter inch. That's ridiculous.

Could also contest that ticket. He used a plumb bob and a tape measure, huh? What, is that supposed to be scientific proof that you broke the law or something? Was your truck on level ground? Was your truck evenly loaded? Were your tires low on air? I'm just say'in.

 

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

Where you gonna sleep in the LC? It's an awesome rig, but you basically have to camp out or tow a trailer...an offroad teardrop would work for me. For now, it's the full size p/u with shell for me. Good storage, trail capable, and good shelter...and it's paid for! :sombrero:

 

[Regcabguy]

suggestion

Third gen 17 x 8 wheels will calm the Maine cop's nerves. With 315-70-17 E rated Bridgestone Revo 2's or Firestone Destination AT's the tires will rub the control arms. Someguys weld a nut or something to the steering knuckle to limit travel somewhat. Another solution is to call Sage@ Carli Suspension. He'll fabricate some of his mild steel,slightly offset control arms for you. They'll replace the weak,stock ones also. That should take care of the rubbing. If you go with 35" Toyos,they're wider again. Don Thuren is another source. www.thurenfabrication.com

 

[Deleted member 12023]

As far as the truck size, I guess I was just questioning the practicality of the truck, but I have come back to my senses. On our last trip the truck even felt small sometimes. I just do not want to look like a consuming, pig headed American driving into some small Chilean village. But I figure as long as we don't act like it, the truck will not represent us.

The tire situation has been bugging the crap out of me for the last week. I have thought about switching to 3rd gen wheels but I believe they are like a 6.25" backspacing, which I think will inset them more than the stock wheels that were on the truck. The thing is, when I ordered them I argued with the guy at 4wheelparts regarding the bs. He told me I was incorrect for wanting them in a 5.5" bs, and insisted on the 4.5". I'm the fool for listening I suppose. Now they do not carry the wheels with bigger bs? I would ideally like to keep steel wheels, but the options are very limited. I definitely do not want any flashy wheels, no need to draw extra attention.

Besides who gives a ticket for a 1/4" out?? I will wait to buy tires until I contest the ticket, and base my decision on the outcome of that.

 

[bobcat charlie]

I have been REALLY pleased using Hummer H2 wheels (center hole has to be opened up slightly). Less back spacing and a much steeper bead retaining lip on the H2 wheel, lets me run as low as 12# without poping a bead. No rub on the suspension arms at full lock either way.