Hello everyone,
I have a 1996 1500 SLT 2 wheel drive that I bought new. It has a bit over 300,000 miles on it. Recently it was stolen from my driveway by someone who cut the catalytic converter off. There is a long sad story as to why but the short of it is that the transmission is now shot and there is a significant water leak out of the timing chain cover. She is a good old truck and there is a fair amount of sentimental value for my old truck. What I want to do is rebuild the transmission and swap the tired old 5.2L for a low mileage 5.7L. I would also like to have better towing capability, standard car trailer, nothing extreme. So I am interested in converting the suspension and brakes to make it a 2500. Based on the information I am seeing here and other sources, it appears to be springs, shocks, brakes and rear axle. If I replace the rear axle I would like to use a slightly later one that has disc brakes. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Tim

 

For what you want to do with that 2nd gen truck, I'd consider sticking with your plan of rebuilding the transmission (assuming that it's a 46RE) and installing a magnum 5.9 engine, along with a heavy duty transmission cooler and remanufactured torque converter. The 5.7 Hemi engine swap would be more difficult and expensive.

You can install a 3rd gen Ram 1500 rear axle with disc brakes into your 2nd gen truck as a bolt-in swap. Just make sure that the differential has 3.92 gears (or 4.10). This will make your '96 Ram into a great towing truck that will easily tow your standard car trailer with no fuss.

 

I'm all for the odd one out kind of stuff. Hopefully your wallet is fat and your pockets deep. Never know what kind of garbage you run into, I'm told the hemi drivetrain is a pretty easy swap for something that doesn't belong but I have never done it, it is on my idea platform though someday, I have a 98 reg cab short bed 4x4 I've been debating a v10 magnum or a hemi swap, 6.4 hemi would be really sweet but price point isn't quite there yet for me.

If you are determined on the hemi conversion I would stick with the 545RFE or the G56 manual trans that comes behind them. Probably best to find a wrecked donor truck.

Just something to keep in mine and to be that guy, no amount of upgrades you can do to a truck will increase the legal GCWR. It will probably tow X weight and safely but if you're ever in an accident it will come back to what that truck was rated for at the factory

 

I've got a '96 1500 4X4. Extended cab and short bed. It pulls a car trailer just fine. I'd just rebuild your engine and transmission and replace the cat.. If you're running 3.55 gears, you can pull a trailer just fine by locking out the over drive. There is so much to swap to go with your plans, it wouldn't be the same truck anymore.

I was pulling a truck on a trailer,


...and had a flat on the trailer. I pulled it at least 10 to 20 miles and never noticed any difference in handling..



If you use a Class III receiver, you can pull a trailer just fine. Add an extra transmission cooler just to be sure if you want.

BTW, that's a Farmer Chic paint job, I'm cheap.