What did you do to your Gen 1 today?
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Joined: Dec 2010
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From: Land of the Toxic Avenger
Today I swapped the bed from the black parts truck to the '92 D250.
People who buy welders should be subjected to an I.Q. test!
This was a previous owner's attempt to fabricate a ball hitch mount in the bed.... :tsk:
That mess took about 2 hours to remove without damaging the frame, brake lines, wiring, fuel tank, etc. - but I was able to remove everything except some leftover steel plate welded along the length of one of the crossmembers.
When you use a 1/2 ton bed on a 3/4 or 1-ton you need to remove these little spacers for clearance, there are 2 on each side. The heavier trucks have a slightly taller frame in these areas. A Sawzall made pretty quick work of them...
Bed swap is complete! Next come the doors and fenders!
People who buy welders should be subjected to an I.Q. test!
This was a previous owner's attempt to fabricate a ball hitch mount in the bed.... :tsk:
That mess took about 2 hours to remove without damaging the frame, brake lines, wiring, fuel tank, etc. - but I was able to remove everything except some leftover steel plate welded along the length of one of the crossmembers.
When you use a 1/2 ton bed on a 3/4 or 1-ton you need to remove these little spacers for clearance, there are 2 on each side. The heavier trucks have a slightly taller frame in these areas. A Sawzall made pretty quick work of them...
Bed swap is complete! Next come the doors and fenders!
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Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 343
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From: Riverside, CA
Weird, my 73 has those center bed “spacers” and it’s a W200. They must have dropped them later in production. I’d still like to find another bed for my truck, but early 70's short beds cost as much as a whole 90’s donor truck in Commiefornia
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 4,389
Likes: 114
From: Orange County, California
I don't think the series of the trucks determined whether the beds had the "spacers." I'm thinking it has to do with the earlier trucks having a shorter frame. Dodge must have stopped using the "spacers" on the bed sometime around 1991.5 or 92 as that is when the taller, 8" frames came around. The DRW bed I bought was from an 89-91 somewhere and had the "spacers" on it also which I removed in order to use on my truck. While mine is a 1990, it's also a chassis cab. Chassis cab trucks had the taller, 8" frames no matter the year.
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Joined: Dec 2010
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From: Land of the Toxic Avenger
So I did my RR steering many moons ago, and haven't had much issue other than a slight leak in the gear itself, until recently.
I've been hearing a clunk in the front end,and today, the day of a Nor Easter heading in, I realized the drag link was going bad and the noise was the link moving about in the pitman arm end.
Well, after frantically calling every local auto parts store, and getting " its in Tennessee," or "factory order only" which means they have to make it from scratch.
Ugh. What's a boy to do?
Break out the welder.
Took a big "C" clamp, and compressed the loose pin into the Pitman arm end, where it is supposed to be. Discovered the nut moved 1/32 to 1/16 of an inch outwards. Cleaned up the metal, and flooded weld onto the crown nut, and into this gap that shouldn't be there. Welded the nut to the tapered pin end, so it can't come off while plowing snow today and tomorrow.
Ill cut that nut right off, clean up the minimal spillage that the pitman arm received, and when I get a new drag link, ill be back at new.
No more clunk. What a pain not having these parts available. Ill be ordering an extra one to have in stock for the next failure.
I've been hearing a clunk in the front end,and today, the day of a Nor Easter heading in, I realized the drag link was going bad and the noise was the link moving about in the pitman arm end.
Well, after frantically calling every local auto parts store, and getting " its in Tennessee," or "factory order only" which means they have to make it from scratch.
Ugh. What's a boy to do?
Break out the welder.
Took a big "C" clamp, and compressed the loose pin into the Pitman arm end, where it is supposed to be. Discovered the nut moved 1/32 to 1/16 of an inch outwards. Cleaned up the metal, and flooded weld onto the crown nut, and into this gap that shouldn't be there. Welded the nut to the tapered pin end, so it can't come off while plowing snow today and tomorrow.
Ill cut that nut right off, clean up the minimal spillage that the pitman arm received, and when I get a new drag link, ill be back at new.
No more clunk. What a pain not having these parts available. Ill be ordering an extra one to have in stock for the next failure.
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Joined: Dec 2004
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Likes: 1,063
From: Commerce, OK
You might be lucky and find somebody willing to swap a flatbed for yours.
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Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 34
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Good eye! The cobbled-up exhaust was also damaged in the accident that hit every panel on the passenger side, definitely on my list of stuff to fix!
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 6,837
Likes: 1,683
From: Land of the Toxic Avenger
Next one will be the same system, with galvanized band clamps and muffler
Good value for the cost.
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 325
Likes: 65
From: Greenville south Carolina
For an affordable, good quality unit, get the 4" Diamond Eye unit. My mistake was purchasing a stainless muffler, and standard guillotine clamps. Ruined the system, and will force me to replace it prematurely.
Next one will be the same system, with galvanized band clamps and muffler
Good value for the cost.
Next one will be the same system, with galvanized band clamps and muffler
Good value for the cost.
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 6,837
Likes: 1,683
From: Land of the Toxic Avenger
Guillotine clamps crush the pipes together, preventing disassembly and adjustments. I needed to adjust the system due to clearances and rattles. I wish I had listened to the guys here and installed band clamps that would allowed me to adjust later. I would NOT install stainless clamps or muffler, as dissimilar metals, and galvanic corrosion rotted the pipes out, which is why illjave to buy a new system soon.
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Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 293
Likes: 54
From: Utah
I doubt it. The other day I saw a bed that looked to be in perfect condition as far as not having any dents for $500 with a tailgate. Paint wasn’t good, but neither is the rest of my truck. Tried to find it yesterday and it was gone.
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Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 293
Likes: 54
From: Utah
Guillotine clamps crush the pipes together, preventing disassembly and adjustments. I needed to adjust the system due to clearances and rattles. I wish I had listened to the guys here and installed band clamps that would allowed me to adjust later. I would NOT install stainless clamps or muffler, as dissimilar metals, and galvanic corrosion rotted the pipes out, which is why illjave to buy a new system soon.
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Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 293
Likes: 54
From: Utah
Fixed Speedometer
Today I got the adapter from PATC in the mail and put it on. My speedometer was reading 47m.p.h when I was actually going 55 so I got the +20% adapter. I know that my speedometer was off by 17% not 20, but I didn’t feel like paying the good chunk of change extra for the custom ratio adapter. It is only a couple miles per hour off at 65, so that is good enough for me. Most new cars are off about that much even. It’s just nice to have the speedometer working properly! The P.O. had been running just the sensor straight into the transfer case since the transmission swap about 30,000 miles ago, so my truck really has about 132,000 miles instead of 128,xxx miles. Still pretty low I guess and I’m just guessing on the mileage. Still low miles for these trucks.
It is strange, I have noticed that I have just a little bit of something coming out my crankcase breather, so I took the oil fill cap off and there is some stuff coming out there, but I haven’t noticed any oil burned since my last oil change coming up on 800 miles ago. Is it blow by or something else? Not sure how the truck would have blow by, but I am known to have bad luck. I don’t got rid the truck. In fact I am pretty sure I am in valet mode as I think my afc diaphragm is torn. Another one is on the way along with a GlowShift 3 gauge pillar pod so I can get my 3 in 1 gauge installed. Maybe it got a little blow by from the cruise flooring it for a ways before I decided to turn off the cruise since I wasn’t really going any faster than just letting the truck be slow using my foot.
It is strange, I have noticed that I have just a little bit of something coming out my crankcase breather, so I took the oil fill cap off and there is some stuff coming out there, but I haven’t noticed any oil burned since my last oil change coming up on 800 miles ago. Is it blow by or something else? Not sure how the truck would have blow by, but I am known to have bad luck. I don’t got rid the truck. In fact I am pretty sure I am in valet mode as I think my afc diaphragm is torn. Another one is on the way along with a GlowShift 3 gauge pillar pod so I can get my 3 in 1 gauge installed. Maybe it got a little blow by from the cruise flooring it for a ways before I decided to turn off the cruise since I wasn’t really going any faster than just letting the truck be slow using my foot.
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Joined: Dec 2010
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From: Land of the Toxic Avenger
I can attest to the guillotine clamps making further adjustments more difficult. Not impossible, but harder. Takes a little more pulling. I haven’t yet had an issue with the stainless muffler, but I have only had the exhaust for a couple months. Hopefully it doesn’t cause an issue. Would spraying the contact area between the muffler and the rest of the exhaust with VHT paint fix that issue? I’m happy with the Diamond Eye kit so far. It requires adding about 2 inches to the outlet if you have a 47rh to clear the transmission cross member since it gets moved back due to the thicker adapter plate and such. I still need to do that before I rub a hole in something.
Didn't say that the clamps were impossible to adjust. Just so much more work . I have had to split a pipe to release the two sections to adjust.
Regarding the galvanic corrosion, the way to stop it is separation of dissimilar metals. Not sure if paint would be enough
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Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 293
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From: Utah
It took several years, but the muffler flanges are rotting the pipes at both ends
Didn't say that the clamps were impossible to adjust. Just so much more work . I have had to split a pipe to release the two sections to adjust.
Regarding the galvanic corrosion, the way to stop it is separation of dissimilar metals. Not sure if paint would be enough
Didn't say that the clamps were impossible to adjust. Just so much more work . I have had to split a pipe to release the two sections to adjust.
Regarding the galvanic corrosion, the way to stop it is separation of dissimilar metals. Not sure if paint would be enough
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 7,247
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From: vermont
You could always buy DE stainless exhaust system with stainless band clamps....Then it would all be stainless, so the dissimilar metal issue would be non issue.
That is what I will be doing on my 12V '78 Ramcharger build.
I don't use guillotine clamps on any of my exhaust systems for anything other than hangers.
That is what I will be doing on my 12V '78 Ramcharger build.
I don't use guillotine clamps on any of my exhaust systems for anything other than hangers.
