How difficult to convert a 3500 DRW to SRW??
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Southlake, TX
Posts: 78
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
How difficult to convert a 3500 DRW to SRW??
Found a '08 4x4 Mega 3500 DRW at one of the dealers closing down for a really great price...trouble is I really don't need, or want a DRW. It's overkill for what I'm pulling. If I wanted to convert the truck over to SRW down the road, if I just can't stand the dually configuration, how difficult/costly would it be?
Obviously the bed would need to be swapped out, but those are easy. Would the entire rear axle assembly need to swapped (I've read the housing itself is wider on a DRW).
What about the front hubs and spindles?
I know it would be easier of course just to find a SRW but this is being offered at over $17k off sticker since it is a leftover '08, and if I can get the 0.0% financing it makes it very tempting!
Thanks.
Obviously the bed would need to be swapped out, but those are easy. Would the entire rear axle assembly need to swapped (I've read the housing itself is wider on a DRW).
What about the front hubs and spindles?
I know it would be easier of course just to find a SRW but this is being offered at over $17k off sticker since it is a leftover '08, and if I can get the 0.0% financing it makes it very tempting!
Thanks.
#2
Registered User
I thought about doing that to my 03 when I got it. The front adaptors come off and put on 3/4T wheels and I think the front track width was the same as a real srw truck but putting 3/4T wheels on the back would have been about 3" wider track than a srw. Not a real biggie cuz I was preparing to build a hauler bed anyway but I decided to leave it alone. I didn't want to have to find new lugnuts and hub covers on top of the wheel/tire expense. Craig
#4
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: jarrettsville, md
Posts: 809
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Found a '08 4x4 Mega 3500 DRW at one of the dealers closing down for a really great price...trouble is I really don't need, or want a DRW. It's overkill for what I'm pulling. If I wanted to convert the truck over to SRW down the road, if I just can't stand the dually configuration, how difficult/costly would it be?
Obviously the bed would need to be swapped out, but those are easy. Would the entire rear axle assembly need to swapped (I've read the housing itself is wider on a DRW).
What about the front hubs and spindles?
I know it would be easier of course just to find a SRW but this is being offered at over $17k off sticker since it is a leftover '08, and if I can get the 0.0% financing it makes it very tempting!
Thanks.
Obviously the bed would need to be swapped out, but those are easy. Would the entire rear axle assembly need to swapped (I've read the housing itself is wider on a DRW).
What about the front hubs and spindles?
I know it would be easier of course just to find a SRW but this is being offered at over $17k off sticker since it is a leftover '08, and if I can get the 0.0% financing it makes it very tempting!
Thanks.
#5
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Southlake, TX
Posts: 78
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I thought about doing that to my 03 when I got it. The front adaptors come off and put on 3/4T wheels and I think the front track width was the same as a real srw truck but putting 3/4T wheels on the back would have been about 3" wider track than a srw. Not a real biggie cuz I was preparing to build a hauler bed anyway but I decided to leave it alone. I didn't want to have to find new lugnuts and hub covers on top of the wheel/tire expense. Craig
Swapping the entire rear axle would be the biggest drawback in IMO.
#6
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Southlake, TX
Posts: 78
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
#7
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: jarrettsville, md
Posts: 809
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Trending Topics
#9
Registered User
I did the swap and it took us a day and was technically easy...
Well, I found someone in Wyoming that wanted to do the swap and it turned out great!
The hardest part was getting the 'hub-centric' wheels off...it took us 4 hours! Other than that, it was pretty easy. We had a little problem with the e-brake cable, the manual didn't outline the process of removing them, but we worked it out.
We ended up swapping the entire rear axle since we knew it would swap easily. All I have to do now is work out the wireing for the marker lights on the new bed.
Here are some pics:
The hardest part was getting the 'hub-centric' wheels off...it took us 4 hours! Other than that, it was pretty easy. We had a little problem with the e-brake cable, the manual didn't outline the process of removing them, but we worked it out.
We ended up swapping the entire rear axle since we knew it would swap easily. All I have to do now is work out the wireing for the marker lights on the new bed.
Here are some pics:
#10
Registered User
We swapped the entire axles. There has been much debate about the ability to swap the hubs. One account describes the axle housing as having different lengths so we went with the sure fit swap.
Technically it wasn't that hard, physically it was a bear! There were a few things that we had to learn along the way. Getting the 'hub-centric' wheels off turned out to be the physically hardest part. Figuring out the how to remove the e-brake cables was one of the things the service manual didn't outline very well.
I left home at about 6 am Monday morning and drove the 7 hours down to Justin's for the swap. We started at about 1:30 and finished tearing both trucks down and getting mine back together for the ride home just after midnight. I had to leave Justin and his buddies to finish putting his back together today.
I am very happy with the swap. It was harder to do than either of us thought it would be, some things just beat us up...
Technically it wasn't that hard, physically it was a bear! There were a few things that we had to learn along the way. Getting the 'hub-centric' wheels off turned out to be the physically hardest part. Figuring out the how to remove the e-brake cables was one of the things the service manual didn't outline very well.
I left home at about 6 am Monday morning and drove the 7 hours down to Justin's for the swap. We started at about 1:30 and finished tearing both trucks down and getting mine back together for the ride home just after midnight. I had to leave Justin and his buddies to finish putting his back together today.
I am very happy with the swap. It was harder to do than either of us thought it would be, some things just beat us up...
#11
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Houston TX
Posts: 132
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
On the TV show Trucks (spike tv) over the weekend they did a single to dual swap. Was an older truck, 97 if I remember correctly, so dunno how well it will translate to whats involved on an 08. However not too difficult from what I gathered.
Here is the link for the episode.
http://video.powerblocktv.com/servic...id=23027805001
Gts95 ... one other thing about the 0% financing. When I purchased my truck I did qualify for the 0.0%, however the $4000 cash alternative turned out to actually save me more money than the 0% would have.
Here is the link for the episode.
http://video.powerblocktv.com/servic...id=23027805001
Gts95 ... one other thing about the 0% financing. When I purchased my truck I did qualify for the 0.0%, however the $4000 cash alternative turned out to actually save me more money than the 0% would have.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
89dieselkong
2nd Gen. Dodge Ram - No Drivetrain
4
04-05-2009 05:20 PM
dragginlx
2nd Gen. Dodge Ram - No Drivetrain
15
03-09-2007 11:32 AM
BEHRMAN
3rd Gen Engine and Drivetrain -> 2003-2007
14
04-10-2006 06:58 PM