Anyone ever seen this done ? wiring? This will a pulling truck but still a fun street truck. my plan is a p-pumped 12v (ever so slightly modified ) NV 4500 -np 241HD . the truck is a 96 single cab long bed. 360 auto.

chris

 

Will bolt in not much wiring needed

 

same thing I was thinking . we just finished pulling old motor and tranny. motor mount look the same

 

1/2 ton or heavy duty 3/4 or 1-ton?

Lots of suspension needed for a 1200 lb engine...

 

heavy duty 3/4. I'm having trouble finding parts. Found out lastnite the front axle housing is cracked and pasenger side tube is bent.

 

I could be wrong, my my buddy the local Dodge dealer said the Cummins frame trucks had additional frame reinforcements. Don't know how true that is, but I would suppose he knows more than I.

 

same frame ,all 3/4 and 1 ton frames are boxed half way back . Actually the motor mounts look the same . gonna be a fun winter project. the wiring is what I think will be the hardest

 

Not much wiring needed for a 12v...

 

i know the 1/2 ton gas motor frames front crossmember rubs the oil pan on a cummins, i dont know if the 3/4 or 1 ton trucks will do it though

 

I am doing the same conversion on a 1994 3/4 ton 4x4 gasser. I have a wrecked (bent frame) 1998 3/4 ton 4x4 12 vavle 5-speed donor. I know the rear of the frame is 1/4" on the cummins and its only 1/8" on the gas burner. Its a two piece frame that rivets together at the front spring hanger of the rear axle. My plan was to drill them out and take that part of the frame and bolt it up to the front part of the gasser frame. The front part is different as well though. Its the same thickness, but it is beefed up a bit more.

 

How far have you gotten ? I'm gonna check the fram thickness tomorrow . How much do ya'll think that will effect the truck?

 

Anything can be done, but from a structures standpoint, it's better to err on the side of a little too much instead of a little too little. Perhaps you'll have to add a bit here and there. Take a micrometer and gauge the frame rails in several places both front and rear. This will give a good start. Then if you can, check out the frame rails in a similar manner from a diesel model. Just a thought, while you check this, use a paintpen and mark the areas you took the measurments from, so you can replicate the same areas on each rig.

This sounds like you're going to do a ground-up on this truck? I've seen (but don't know how to do) a frame-rail coating of the rubber bedliner material that would serve to rust-proof the frame quite effectively. Ever given thought to this idea when rebuilding a truck? Also if you happend to have access .01.5 or .02 rear axle you could rebuild your new rig with 4-wheel disc brakes, giving a substantial upgrade to one of the truley weak points of this truck. Just my $.02, sounds like a neat project!

 

We're going to do your mic idea tonite. this going to a ground up rig. Trying to take all the best points of all three gens. the alxe is already in place,trying to source a front now. coating the frame is a really good idea . This truck is going to be a streetable pullin' truck .Nothin' sounds better than 12v woundup and screamin' going down the track . Anyone ever used a painless wiring kit?

 

Typically it's unusual for a company to make changes to a chassis like that depending on what engine it gets. It would cost them more to have two different chassis production lines rather than just beef up all of Ram frames.

 

I've been told that the V10 and diesel frames are identical. I currently have a V10 frame stripped and ready to swap over to my truck (my frame is bent).

Looks identical.

Unsure about smaller displacement gas engine frames.