JPR Ram

3.54 gears are very common in 1st. and 2nd Gen CTD's. In fact I'm currently running 3.54's; and my combined gross towing weight is just over 16,000 lbs. So far towing is a breeze and I have zero issues. But if I was gonna be towing heavier loads more regularly, I'd have to drop to a smaller tire size or install 4.10's. Actually, I have a set of 4.10 just setting in a box in my garage. I suppose I need to just install them anyways............

JBradley500

The previous owner of my truck said he didnt like the 3.54's because there was one hill on his common towing route that he had to downshift into 4th gear. The hill hes talking about is huge (even for upstate ny) and i had to run my jeep wrangler up it in 3rd gear. Thats impressive in my book. I think 4.10s would be too much.

rockmike

Should give a guy some decent mpg.

The white smoke thing concerns me,antifreeze level is staying put,I dont smell anyantifreeze at the exhaust pipe.Pretty confident the heads not leaking.Ill have to check out all those fuel; supply lines tonight....the zuks rolling out of the garage for the weekend and the cummins is coming in

Exekiel69

I saw one on CL a couple days ago red and gray, DRW 4x4 x-cab I think with a stuck n 3rd getrag for like $3k. I would buy it but I have too many trucks already.

Btw it was in VA I think.

rockmike

Been doing a bunch! of work to my new truck.This truck got zero tlc,I really feel like I saved from a certain grave.It was just parked for 2 years about 1/2 mile from the pacific ocean

1st make it drive better:The front emd on this truck is clapped out! all origainal stuff under it.

Rebuilding the front end didnt go so well lol The upper ball joints where a nightmare to get out.I ended up just welding a socket on it and busted out a 1" breaker bar and not! put a giant cheater on it and faught it all the way out.




Bottom ball joints where cake!

Next I went to remove the control arm bushings again lowers cake! uppers not so good.After heating and hoseing them down with penetrating fluid it went BANG!! and **** flew everywhere and the bushing was laying on the floor.

After closer inspection I realized the bushing didnt come out at all! it simply ripped a perfect round hole right out of the upper control arm!


I just ended up buying new upper control arms with ball joints and bushings already installed...
old steering out.


She gets all new steering parts too.

rockmike

Next I tore in to the front brakes,wheel bearings.


had to build me a tool for installing the bearing races,its kinda deep in there hard to get a good strait drive on the races.

The tool

new stuff!

Shes got all new Timken stuff.
New Centric brake rotors and calipers and there severe duty brake pads

New stuff ready for install

New steering stuff is assmebled and ready for install.

rockmike

Next project was to install the diamond eye 4" system.

This was a lil tuff,just because I did it all by myself.If I had a helper it would have been so easy...nice kit!






This was a great mod.The truck had a 3" strait pipe on it lol it was kinda loud!

She sure pulls alot better and smoother now with the 4"exhaust

rockmike

I figured the engine could benefit from a better air filter set up,really help that 4" exhaust system out.So I odered in some goodies from Vibrant and got rid of that **** factory air hose! everytime I touch it my hands are BLACK! The smooth air intake tube and the BHA really made a differance! especially having that 4" exhaust.


Still need to build me some sort of plate to go across there and block off any hot air to the air filter.But for now the 8 gauge wire will work to support the filter lol ghetto but affective!

Im having so much fun! working on my new cummins truck...im addicted lol

rockmike

More stuff! got done

Hope im not boring you guys with fixing up my truck.I just want to document it.Plus I get kinda of kick out doing build threads. GUys gotta having somthing to do at work other than work lol

Next is preparing for some more fuel and boost! So what ive learned from y'all here the diaphram pump must go!

So I bought the low press. piston LP to upgrade with.


I built my own spacer out of some 6061 1/4" thick is what I had laying around.

Milled it down to the specs y'all gave me.3/16"


Went ahead and removed the inner fender to make this easier on me.

Nice much better look at it now!

I cut the insulation with a sharp knife for the extra room needed for the piston LP.


All cleaned up and ready for the install.I used felpro part#6579 SBC fuel pump gaskets for this install.


Went ahead and hoged out the banjo bolt holes why it was apart...why not!

I went ahead and just re bent the ridgid fuel line from LP to IP it was kinda of a ***** but after about 4 adjustments it fit perfect!


LP install done!

rockmike

Next was some injection pump mods!

I bought the Dynamic timing spacer kit from M&H

The install was very easy especially with the pump sitting on the bench.










Seems like the next oppropriet mod would be a 366 spring so I ordered one of them up.
Again this was very easy to do with the pump out.




Thats all I got for pics with that mod,kinda needed two hands to this hehe

Next mod id the rear end,its been making some noise back there and i dont trust it.My parts trucks rear end was always very qiet so Im going to swap out the two.

Subliminal

Nice! Keep up the good work!

rockmike

Yes sir ,im on a mission

Swapped out the rear end in the truck!


Better dana 70 in there now!

im just going to go ahead and leave the non overirde springs in there and air bag it soon.


Swapped out all the u joints while I had the driveline out.I used made in the USA precision u joints


Picked some of this stuff up.Im going to insulate all the single wall area in the extra cab portion of the truck and do the floor.


Fun,FUn!

rockmike

I got all that insulation done!
Wow what a differance that made




Then just glued the carpet down over it...looks factory:happy

The extra cab window rubbers are hard and molded and they leak! so I used the ones out of the parts truck and rubbed them down with silgyde and there like new now.



I also swapped out the steering shaft on the cummins,the stock one was real sloppy,guess what the parts truck had a nice tight one.So those parts got swapped also.
old

new

The drivers seat didt recline either,so robbed some parts off the parts trucks seat and fixed the recline!
I had to weld a lil stud on it,the stock one had broken off and was missing the handle.



Then I did some horse trading with a buddy and got me that hx35 turbo...with down pipe!


The trucks at the mechanics shop right now.Getting a new inj pump(the one I modified) new radiator ,water pump,thermostat,and all coolant hoses replaced.

If this truck gets wrecked by some *** hat I WILL beat the poor fawker from an inch of there life!:mrgreen: I plan on driving it extremely defensive!lol when she gets all tinited out and painted dark Blue it should be a pretty sweet looking 1st gen cummins and be able to tow the *** in style and comfort!!

foxtrot

The way I see it is coils are for cars and leafs are for trucks, So the real question is, Do you want a car or a Truck ???