Well in the research I've been doing, I see that my 2500 seems to axtually be a fairly rugged truck, being almost up to 3500 specs except for rear springs. I would like to put a utility body on the back (welded up myself, combination flat bed with removable rails and tool boxes) and have been contemplating putting dual wheels on. Its still a tossup, since duals have their downside (more tolls, more tire expenses, maybe slightly lower fuel mileage). But I like the looks of a dually, and with a utility body, I could make use of the additional width and make the body a little wider. I have found the front to be very easy to convert...it seems to be just a matter of finding the outer dually adapters from a salvage yard and bolting them on. Now comes the rear:

My 2500 4x4 has the dana 70 rear. I would like to keep my eyes open for a Dana 80 rear, but in the meantime, has anyone tried putting duallys on a SW truck? I would imagine they would contact the original bed, but as I said, I plan to install a custom body, so the body wouldn't be an issue. It would be a matter of whether they clear the leaf springs, and the brake drums. If they fit the SW axle, then when I'm looking for an 80, I would look for a SW axle in case I ever wanted to go back to single wheels.

Another thing I'm keeping in mind is that someday I would like to get 19.5 wheels, preferrably 8-bolt style to bolt right on. Since I have only seen 19.5 wheels in dually config., that would mean I would need to be able to run duals.

Last, and this is just a passing thought, are there 8-bolt 17.5" wheels commonly available? All I have seen are large 6-bolt patterns. I happen to have 3 full sets of six 17.5" wheels and tires...its too bad they are all 6 bolt pattern, so I can't use them. I wish I still had machining equipment...I would just fab up a set of adapters from 8-bolt to 6-bolt and run the tires & wheels I have on hand...but now I'm really being cheap.

Jim

 

Give these guys a shout for you 17.5" wheels, they can build you anything you want: http://www.stocktonwheel.com/4wd_offroad.htm They built me a set of wheels for supersingles to run on a Dodge a couple years back, and do excellent work. Not cheap, but priced according to the quality.

Regarding the dual wheel question, once you install the Dana 70/80 with the dual hubs, there will be no problem installing duals. You have already identified the wrinkle with the fenders. There is plenty of inside clearance, just not enough to the outside. If you want to do this on the cheap, pick up a set of 93 fiberglass flares for the dually from that era, and then cut your bed out and adapt them. They are not so bulky or as likely to get bashed as the big ugly blobs used on the newer trucks.

Send me a PM with the scoop on your Duetz engines. I am looking for one that I can fit into a Suzuki Samurai, and I see from you web site you will know what I am talking about.

 

You can buy dually adapters. they bolt right on your rear hubs.
There is a guy in Colorado who parts out late model Dodge Cummins. His name is Chuck 970-923-4017 I believe he hasdisc brake rear ends as well.
as far as the dually is concerned, according to the DOT. they are more worried about the sticker on your door jam as far as GVW. if your sticker rates your truck at 10,000 GVW or less than they cant touch you. if your 10,001 or more and are operating commercially than you need a DOT number and name our your truck and need an anual DOT inspection and all kinds of crap
I know I have been through this. Im currently running a 3/4 ton with dually conversion. they now leave me alone.

 

You'll have to change the outer hub end on SRW to the DRW, they are different. I had broke a few axle bolts in my 80 hub, and thought to save time I'd be able to just part one of my 70's till I had time to drill the broken bolts out. After 10 minutes of ripping one side of a 70 apart I found the backspacing is about 1 1/4 different between the two. I ended up drilling.

 

Thanks. I know I found a link online (forgot where now) that showed a guy with an early '90s SW truck who was able to bolt on dual wheels on the rear without mods (except for body clearance...but he put a dump body on), but I think the rear drums are different, and I wasn't sure about spring clearance. That guy said he had about 3/4" or so of tire to spring clearance when he was done...not a lot, but enough.

I guess I'll just hold out for a dual wheel Dana 80, and when i want to run singles for highway running, I'll just bolt them on. They will be a little wider than the front, but nothing to worry about.

I did find out my father has a set of 19.5" 8-bolt wheels from a bread truck, so I might try those once I get an 80. He has so much stuff I never know what he has on hand.

Jim

 

because the hub assembly is super expensive id rather u go to the wreckers and pick urself up a dana 80 dually axle and put it on her it will cost u less in the end...and get an entire leaf spring pack while ur there.....i go to a big rig wreckers in my area and they have leaf springs laying around in packs of 10 sometimes for 2 ton trucks....have fun

ps i dunno why u wanna do this mod unless u really like the dually look...if u simply dont like the way ur 3/4 ton sinks with a load then add 3 leaf springs on each side and u'll be happy

 

I won't need it for trailering or for normal loads, since I can't go higher than the OEM specified GVW in my state anyway, but it would be nice for if/when I haul loads up near the GVW limit of the truck on the flat bed I'm going to be building. I'm not worried about the tires...it would just be nice to have a little more stability for our twisty, winding roads up here in northern N.H. There is also the looks factor...but thats not a high priority.

Jim

 

just get urself an axle from the junkyard ....there's lots of wrecked superdutys there they have dana 80s...just hook the u joints up at the end....replacing hubs and gettign spacers or adapters or whatever is time consuming ....swap the axle right off the bat

 

Yea, thats all i was looking to do. I don't want adapters, spacers, etc...thats why I would only run duallys if I could either bolt them on my stock axle, or else go ahead and look for a dually 80. I have seen that the front axle seems to be the same for a dually or SW truck, except for the factory outer spacers, so that would be easy to do.

Jim

 

if ur in luck the ID tags are still on the axles at the junkyard...i go to a big rig wreckers forget regular junkyards you'll be hard pressed to find truck axles there....just watch out i think some dana 80's that come from the bigger trucks can have deeper gears than 4.11's (could be wrong but...) so u gotta be able to id them...