what trucks would the parts be compatible with? Should I stick to looking at dodge's? What years would it be compatible with? Also could i swap everything to other style dodges, like long boxes, 4x4's, D250's, D350's, other sized motors etc?

Any and all specific info will help me weed out trucks I shouldnt consider, but also would help me look at trucks id weed out on my own un-rightfully.

Maybe I can find another truck that is a great price that makes the perfect part swapping partner for it.

 

The 80's Rams had a lot of parts swapability between the years.

The 1974-83 Dodge trucks were VERY similar in the front end and cab. The 84 is where Dodge changed stuff up with the cab and front fenders.

To be honest, if the engine in this truck is running well and the transmission is nice and smooth, I'd try swapping that into a truck that is structurally in better shape, but lacking an engine or transmission. But THAT is difficult.

 

ya. just find another truck that is the same. if the truck is 2wd you need to find another 2wd. floor pans rusting out is a common thing so you may have to fix that on anything you get.

 

ok so after sleeping on this a bit, i've been thinking. How big of an issue is this crack in the front frame really?

I know I had a similar problem with my nissan cars. My first car I ever had had this same thing happen. The mechanic pointed out the frame was dented up on those unibody cars. So i took the used car dealership to court over it. They won in court because they had a salesman lie and say I test drove it over 100kmh on a specific road in my city. The judge believed him, and i didnt get a chance to testify again and state that that road is only 70kmh speed limit. Now that car also had a suspension problem which caused the handling probl;em at high speeds.

Years later once i learned more about those nissans I learned from car club guys that they ALL have dented up frame rails. Like everyyyyyy single one of them. And if they don't then really its considered beyond mint and worth like 2-4 times more than an average one. So even the 80's zx I recently had had dented up frame rails, so I never worried about it because it was 'normal' to me.

I talked to frame guys on the phone about the truck and they all say it can be fixed. Just depends on money. So im going to take it in for free estimates at a few places. I looked at the frame rails myself tonight and I did find the damage. yes, one frame rail is cracked. The previous owner claims he had no knowledge of it. And a canadian tire passed the truck for him for his safety inspection when he had it. And a body man told me the PO probably didnt even know about it.

The one frame rail looks minor to me, like it could just be welded. The other one is "buckled" in the sense that yes it looks not the way it ideally should. And the crack is obvious. Yet I doubt the truck is going to fall apart while driving it. Maybe if Im hit by a semi truck then maybe my truck will come apart there????

So when I took the truck in for the insurance inspection I was expecting them to simply check the brakes, lights, windshield, tires, mirrors, basic steering, etc. As that is what the last guy did for my zx. So I just think maybe like my garage guy is like almost too good, or too indepth of an inspection. Like if it was a salvage or out of province inspection then fine, but for a basic inspection I see it as they went way too indepth.

Just wondering if a molehill is being made out to be a mountain, just like what happened with my nissans. I mean Im almost more concerned about the fact they mentioned the cross member and rear coil spring wasnt so great. To me those might impact the actual drivability. And the fact the cops pulled the mechanic over on his test drive for the exhaust noise is a concern.

So I dunno what to do. I really dont have the know-how to start swapping out parts into another truck. I did find a 1980 truck quite similar to mine but with a wood flat bed, but also cheap and had money sunk into it like mine did by the PO that might make the perfect marriage partner for my truck tho.

I will keep you guys posted once I get some estimates from different frame shops.

 

My muffler is the flowmaster hp-2. It gives a "50's" style sound supposedly. I guess maybe like bottles or cherry bombs?? Maybe that is why it sounds different when I take my foot off the gas quickly (or maybe not lol). Anyway, does anyone know if this muffler should be ok on canadian streets? I havn't ever taken the covers off the racing dumps which no doubt would make it way too loud for the street. But just wondering if Im still going to get in trouble using the hushpower 2 muffler????

 

The muffler should be fine.

Here's my two cents . . . I wouldn't buy another non-road worthy vehicle right now. It sounds like you just need something that you can rely on. Something that needs some work, and something that is non-running, a total project, or has lots of unknowns is a completely different story.

If your frame is cracked, the truck should fail inspection, period. However, it can almost always be fixed.

IMO, it would be best to either stick with your truck, or to buy a running, driving pre-83 dodge to drive while you swap your truck's good parts onto. Long or short bed shouldn't matter, but you would want to make sure it also has a 318 or 360 small block motor. Between a d150 and d250, the vast majority of the parts are the same, excepting springs, axles, and suspension.

Do what you will, but that is my recommendation.

 

Hi again. i am still tinkering with this truck. I just bought front leaf spring bushing today. They are made by Energy Suspension. They are part # 5.2102G if I am reading the sticker right. I got them for a lil over $20 canadian. The sales guy said they were for a D50 or a D100. But my truck is a Dodge D150 custom. But the computer said there basically is none for 150's. The next one up was for a D200 then a D300.

So it didn't really make any sense to me. I didnt even know they made a "200" or "300" truck in those years. I thought it just went D50, D100, D150, D250, D350??

Will these leaf springs bushings work for my truck? Would they still work if I put some type of "heavy duty" leaf springs in to beef up the suspension?

Also I have the same question about the control arm bushings. Again he said he can get them for D50 or D100. Will those work fine for my D150?

This truck really needs new bushings. and I wanted to put polyurethane ones in since im putting new ones in anyway. The suspension issues are what cause this truck to handle so bad. So I want it to handle really well after I fix everything.

Also is there a direct swap I can make with beefier leaf springs? Like for example could I put leaf springs from a 250 or 350 in my 150 with no modifying needed really?

 

How has the truck been driving otherwise? Any progress with the frame? I think the diameter of the control arm and leaf spring bushings are different between the 150 and 250. It appears to be 1/2" for the leaf spring bushings for a 150, and 3/4" for the 250. And you are right, there was no d200 or d300 in 1983. The only way d50 parts would work is wild luck. Its just a rebadged Mitsubishi. D100 parts will probably be the same. I think some of them just had lighter or less springs, but with the same general dimensions.

The springs on a d/w100-d/w350 are all the same width though, so you could add auxiliary springs from another truck. Just don't try to use the main spring.

 

Hi again,

Well, I'm debating back and forth between fixing this truck right now and be done with it. Or buy a winter beater for the extreme northern canadian winters here that are frigid and last 6 months. And then use this truck as a winter project.

As for how the truck is running; it still stumbles or bogs when I try to accelerate at a green light. I have researched on the internet and it is often mentioned a clogged fuel filter is the cause of this. I am going to assume the PO of this truck figured that out too or guessed at it, as a un-installed edelbrock fuel filter came with the truck. It doesn't have the special bolt tho that bolts it to the carb. Also I cant figure out what the other end of the steel braided hose for it screws to??????????? Could someone tell me how if I posted pics?

Also I'm confused on how to drive the truck. Specifically the transmission. I don't know for sure what kind of transmission it has. Like i don't know if the 1st gear is a granny gear only meant for creeping. I've been pulling away from lights in 1st gear. But then I have to shift like as fast as I can to second so I dont slow up traffic and cause an accident. I dont know if I've suppossed to have been pulling away at green lights actually in second gear not granny gear. This should be obvious to me I know, but its not. And here is why. I drive it in 1st gear because it doesnt sputter out and die that way. If I drive away in second it is much more likely to bog, stutter or even die. I don't know if this is all due to the suspected fuel filter or not which is my guess. When you guys drive your trucks how soon do you shift from first to second? Let me put it this way, I dont expect this truck to be a ferrari killer. But I mean its embarrassing having fatty tires on a truck and smart cars are blowing past me at lights.

I did locate the block heater plug for it. And plugged the cord into it, altho there isn't much length to it so I don't have much place to run the cord to or tie it to something. The cord is real close to the hooker headers right now. Could heat from those melt the cord? I think there is about 1/4 inch free air space at least between one header and the cord right now.

Also I noticed the truck has no windshield washer fluid container. And it had no windshield washer hoses either. I bought some hose at Canadian tire today that fit the nozzles which the truck DOES have already. Is installing a washer fluid container something I could do myself? Does it need a pump? And is that complicated???

 

pics need pics