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1st Gen. Ram - All TopicsDiscussion for all Dodge Rams prior to 1994. This includes engine, drivetrain and non-drivetrain discussions. Anything prior to 1994 should go in here.
I swapped out the front driveshaft on the Vanilla Gorilla today.
The old stock Getrag one was a little short, but still worked for years with the 6 inch lift and 1/2 longer shackles.
I had a A-518 driveshaft that is about 6 inches longer than the Getrag cut down and re-balanced to swap it out last year.
I needed to change out the front Dana 60 axle yoke to make the bigger front U-joint on the re-built drive shaft work with my set up.
I then had a bit of time before dinner to mess with the rear suspension / shackle flip on Poncho.
I am a little closer to being able to get them back on the road for the summer.
I figured I'd better gather some of the stuff up while it's still cheap, before the Chinese counter - tariff gets here!
Bumper was $156 shipped, grille was $66 shipped, grille inserts were $13 each.
For the rear I decided to follow this guy's example (black truck isn't mine) and I tracked down a nice Ramcharger bumper complete with brackets. I'll probably fab a similar cover to hide the hitch as well, I really like this look...
I figured I'd better gather some of the stuff up while it's still cheap, before the Chinese counter - tariff gets here!
Bumper was $156 shipped, grille was $66 shipped, grille inserts were $13 each.
For the rear I decided to follow this guy's example (black truck isn't mine) and I tracked down a nice Ramcharger bumper complete with brackets. I'll probably fab a similar cover to hide the hitch as well, I really like this look...
Watch out for that grille. The plastic ears on top are very fragile. I bought the grille and inserts for my 89. Then I fabbed the holders for the headlights in the new position. In all the test fittings I broke one of the ears but the others seem to hold it OK. I don't know how long it will last but it's been a year and a half and it seems OK so far.
I figured I'd better gather some of the stuff up while it's still cheap, before the Chinese counter - tariff gets here!
Bumper was $156 shipped, grille was $66 shipped, grille inserts were $13 each.
For the rear I decided to follow this guy's example (black truck isn't mine) and I tracked down a nice Ramcharger bumper complete with brackets. I'll probably fab a similar cover to hide the hitch as well, I really like this look...
As nice as that bumper looks, I don’t know what I would do without a bumper that I could step up onto. I use the step bumper a lot.
I've been using one of those aftermarket grille for 5-6 years now, has held up pretty well.....one of the upper ears broke on mine as well. This long winter has beat it up though, the fine rock chips and chemicals and salt really turned it green and chunky. I did clean it up with some steel wool, and then waxed it and it looks OK now.
I've been using one of those aftermarket grille for 5-6 years now, has held up pretty well.....one of the upper ears broke on mine as well. This long winter has beat it up though, the fine rock chips and chemicals and salt really turned it green and chunky. I did clean it up with some steel wool, and then waxed it and it looks OK now.
It is really too bad that these trucks don’t have metal grilles. Seems it would be a lot better.
It is really too bad that these trucks don’t have metal grilles. Seems it would be a lot better.
Up until '90 there where either complete metal or mostly metal.
The re pop grille on my '91.0 was aging much faster than the OEMs do, so I will be swapping on an OEM one for the summer. It will also say DODGE on the grill.
Up until '90 there where either complete metal or mostly metal.
The re pop grille on my '91.0 was aging much faster than the OEMs do, so I will be swapping on an OEM one for the summer. It will also say DODGE on the grill.
Hmm. That is unfortunate, because I like the look of the grille on the 91.5-93 trucks better. Mine is cracked between the d and the g and has the chrome coating peeling off from the bug deflector rubbing on it.
So today I fiddled with the pump some more to try and fix my no start issue. I pulled the throttle lever off of the throttle shaft to access the back side of the fuel slide pin that is stuck. So I did that and removed the little cover that is on the back side of the slide pin. Using a mirror to make sure there was not anything in the way I used an Allen wrench to push on the pin. With a little pressure it popped back into the bore hat the fuel cone sits in. So i then grabbed a small screwdriver and popped the pin back the other way. I moved it back and forth several times until it felt like it had freed up. It never was all that stuff, but it freed up some. It now moves easily back and forth. Not too easily, but it moves smoothly beside the little bit of a popping action. I was hoping that this would make the truck start, but when I went to start it it just cranked. I didn’t crank it for real long since it was past 9 o’clock, but it definitely didn’t magically fix it unfortunately. Is there some spring that hooks to that pin someway? Is it possible something came unhooked down inside the pump that is not allowing it to move that pin anymore? Right now when I move the throttle lever it does not pop that pin out like I’ve been told it should. The pin did not appear to be rusted or even dirty when I looked at it after popping it out. The only thing that I changed before the whole no start thing happened was pull the fuel pin out and replace the diaphragm. I am about to just bite the bullet and get a new pump as I really need this thing going again. Anyways, that is what I did today.
