As many of you might know I am doing a 1973 dodge crewcab cummins conversion/restoration. The truck was originally a gasser and I'm converting it using a 1992 cummins I bought. I recently picked up a 1992 cummins core support that was cherry since mine was in a wreck before I bought it. I want to put the 1973 grille back on the truck to make it look like a stock truck. I know that I will have to relocate the headlight buckets and that's not a biggie. Tonight while putting the 1973 grille and lower valance on I noticed that there is a verticle support bar right in the middle of the grille area. I know that the gassers had a triangle shaped bracket welded on for the middle valance support bolt to go on and this bracket will interfer with the intercooler. Does all this middle support bar do is just provide a place for the middle support bolt for the valance to secure to or is there some sort of structural support it is needed for? Can I put the truck together without this bar is what I'm really asking? If I have to modify it to fit the 1973 grille and valance I will, but it will be easier to just not use it.

 

I just modified a 91 gasser support to fit a non i/c truck.

Haven't tried to modify one for a i/c truck yet.

 

Hows the project going? I haven't seen ya over on RCC in a while.
Jim

 

Very slowly. I stopped working on it in September because I was trying to mend my marriage, but now that all that BS is behind me I'm back in gear. I'm shooting for a goal of december to have it running and driveable. It may not be 100% done, but it'll be driveable.

 

There's nothing like building a truck as therapy. Good to see ya back.
Jim

 

Dang straight. I'll be hitting you up soon Jungle for some of those front shackle supports. I'm going to put this truck together the right way. I'll build it the way dodge should have built it from the factory.

 

I feel the same way about what Dodge should have built & that's why I'm building my HD line of hangers. Your talking about the HD frame bushing with the 5/8" grade 8 grease bolts right?
Jim

 

That would be the ones. I'm going to fix that problem right away. And after 37 years I think the bushings might be worn out.

 

Yea the OEM ones are usually beat & in the north east rusted solid.

 

My crewcab was pretty well abused. It'll definitely be an upgrade. I'm going with 3" wide chevy leaf springs with the 1.5" bushings in them too.