Okay, I've been asked for pics, so here goes: If you haven't read the back story to my truck yet, here's a recap:

I got a 2000 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie 2wd w/ the 5.2L quad cab, 6' Box. I got it dirt cheap a few years ago ($450 from the company I work for). It was a little rough, rusting in the usual spots for a northern truck, and it has 198k on the odometer (currently got 223,000 miles on her) But I didn't care, the interior was nice, everything worked, and it ran great! But as winter came, I missed having a 4x4 (Prevously owned a GMC 2500)

I found a beat 1998 2500 plow truck on craigslist for $500. It was so bad the drivers seat was falling thru the floor and the chassis had holes in it. But it ran and drove (That freakin' Dodge, kept on fighting till the bitter end!). Jacked that pile up and took a cutting torch to it. Removed the front Dana 60 Axle, Rear Dana 70 leaves and all, the 46-RE Tranny and 241DHD transfer case. Saved the 5.9 as well. Removed any and all useful parts too. Nothing left, but a sad carcass when I was done with it.

I put my truck up on stands and did the same. Cut the front independent suspension off, rear 9 1/4" axle off along with the little 1500 springs. Scrapped the parts truck carcass and my 1500 parts, got $650. Nice I'm in the green! Now comes the careful part. Welding the attachments to accept the 4x4 components onto my chassis. The front crossmember, coil spring bells, trailing arm brackets and the wider rear leaf spring brackets. Bolted things in replacing bad parts along the way. Had to have a rear driveshaft made by a local company called Fleet Pride. Cut a hole in my floor, put in the shift lever, installed the replacement 4x4 tranny and transfer case. (Sold the 2wd tranny for $250. Sweet, more green!) Added fluids and voila! I've got a 4x4 2500 now on 33" tires.

That wasn't enough though. I found a brand new set of 4 - 37"x12.5"x16.5" Military Humvee tires for sale. Lets do it! 3" body lift for sake of time did the trick. Runs and drives great on and off the road. Really kills it in the mud too! I've put 10k on it since. No I've got a V-10 and I'm in the process of acquiring a 47-RE transmission to go with it for a transplant.


Here's what it looked like when I first got it, right after I removed all the company logos.


Added some Hella 8" lights w/ 130 watt bulbs tied into the high beams with a relay for serious nightime visibility. Also found some American Racing rims on the side of the road with a "Free" sign on them.


Got a fiberglass cap for the dogs to ride in the back and for dry storage in the winter.


The parts truck.








Front Dana 60 out!




Out with the rear Dana 70, tranny and transfer case.












One of the rims that the owner of the parts truck threw in the back for me.


Mounted the 33's




Cutting the trailing arm brackets off so they can be welded to the frame.


Last shot of it as a complete 2wd.








Welding




Forklift helps IMMENSELY!


Trailing arms bolted into the freshly welded bracket.




2500 vs 1500 in one truck!




















Now 4wd w/ a 2500 suspension on 33" tires.


Time to get rid of the carcass.














Time for the 37's. Even Lewis General Tire (commercial truck service center) couldn't get the bead to seat.


Got it myself!


Tires rub, time for lift!


Cab first


While I'm under there, de-rust and undercoat/paint the axle. Plus all new steering components.


Done! It grew up so fast!


Comes with a price though.


Still drive up to the lake with it!


Cap off


ATV's got a steeper climb now


Doesn't squat with the beefier suspension though!


Tested it's limits


Aftermath




Mud graffiti (Funny thing is the 'dirty' comment was my own!)


Adding dual stainless pipes that have been hanging in my father's rafters for about a decade and a half.


Ran out of argon, weld looks like garbage.




How I park on the construction site at work


V-10 in the barn (next to the 360 from the parts truck for size comparison), soon to go in!


A to-scale CAD drawing I made of a stainless steel light bar to attach to the roof of the cab. Fabrication is in process.

 

How long did it take to complete the axle swaps?

 

The axles alone took two weekends (Friday night through Sunday night), remember though it wasn't just a simple axle swap. I had to torch cut down to the bare frame and weld 4x4 brackets and crosspieces on to accept the axles and suspension. It took a third weekend to get the transmission and transfer case in and tie up loose ends like the shifter through the floor, brake lines & hoses, new u-joints, re-position the steering gearbox, and run vacuum lines for the front actuator.

 

Damn man.. Thats some good work.. I should let you have my truck for a few weekends and let ya loose on it lol... Cant wait to see the v10 swap.. What made you want to go with a v10 though? Why not Cummins?

 

Thanks! Haha, sure! I love my truck so much more because it's my own creation. It's not something I just went and bought lifted, y'know? I can take real pride in something I "built" Quite a few people who see it have an appreciation for it to, which is nice. I don't really get people saying "That's dumb, just buy a truck the way you want it" anymore.

I chose the V-10 for 3 reasons...
1: Upfront cost, I don't have tons of money anymore lol.
2: I don't have to change my fuel system.
3: Higher revs and a higher tolerance for contaminants (No turbo to ruin if a little water leaks into the intake).

In the world of mudding, at least up here, gassers are chosen much more commonly over diesels for mud truck builds, even on those that people spend tens of thousands of dollars building just to go through the mud. Granted I want mine to be more of an all around truck.

 

That is awesome.

 

Thanks!

Haha, I like how under my username it says "rookie"

 

Itll change with post count lol

 

Did you just put in a body lift?

Nvm. I read the sig lol

 

Yes, it's lifted way higher from when it was a 2wd 1500, but that only brought it up to a factory 2500 height. I added a 3" body lift to help clear the 37's, but suspension height is still "factory"