J BODY

Truck in question in a 3500 single wheel (05). Guy wants to go duals without bringing a salesman into the picture (I suggested that). Anybody done it? What parts are required. Knowing this guy he's only concerned with the rear axle. Opinions, personal experience comments welcome!! THNX!

Gary Emerald

3rd gens use the same width axle for SRW and DRW

NDanecker

I just did the conversion.

For the front you need the bolt-on dually hubs. Go to junk-yard and not the dealer. Dealer will charge 150 or so for each hub and 7 per nut (yes...that is 7 per nut and you need 16 of them). This nut is what bolts the hub spacer to the front axle (stock srw axle in front). Try to get the nuts from the junk yard also, if you get lucky.

For the rear you'll need a wider axle. I ended up swapping out a complete unit from a junkyard. Cost me 2500 for the entrie unit, but I plan on selling my srw one on e-bay so in the end it wont' be that much (I hope). The brakes, shocks and other stuff bolts right up.

The axle housing is the same between srw and drw. The axle shaft itself is longer with a spacer between the hub and rotor. I guess you could tear apart your stock rear, pull out the shafts and get new ones with the spacers, etc. but have fun parts hunting. Junk yards sell the whole unit, and parts at the dealer will be HIGH!!! Mucher cheaper and easier to get complete axle, IMO.

Or -- you could use spacers but if you tow heavy I'd go with stock DRW replacement. Much safer also then adding an after market spacer...but that is up to you.

Fender flares are expensive new, plus you'll need to get them painted. This is the route I took as I've got a friend in autobody who hooked me up. I'd check e-bay or this forum's classifieds for the flares. Most times you can get them used very cheap vs. buying new for ~700 for each side. Either way you'll need to paint them to match. Holes will need to get drilled in bed also for bolting the flares to bed. Some holes are blind so special pem nuts get used (body shop guy has them).

Or -- you can buy complete bed taken off a DRW truck...if you find one cheap and same paint or have it painted.

That's it...good luck!!!

NDanecker

Here are pics of both axles. On the DRW you can see the spacer they use.

Just to recap: The rotor is in the same spot so brake calipers and mtg brackets are the same. The shocks are the same. The driveshaft yoke is the same. The housing tubes are the same. But the internal axle shafts themselves are longer using the spacer.

J BODY

Thank you NJT! Good info. I still think he should see a salesman, but I'll pass the info along. I looked up the prices on some of the items I could think of (hub adapters, etc...) and yes...new they are quite spendy.

NDanecker

I agree after doing the conversion I should probably have just bought another truck. but --- I don't trust the 6.7L yet and buying used really wasn't an option. I purchased my truck new so I know only I beat on it! I've got mods which I'd need to rip off and re-install on new truck. I like a 6-spd which is hard to find used. All pointed to just converting it.

Now - if you plan on hot shotting or doing real towing where DOT will be involved don't think the dually conversion will get you by. You are still limited by what the door sticker says....unless someone can input on if the truck can be re-rated.

I have private plates so I don't need to visit every weigh station I pass. I needed the dually for the increased load capacity and stability while towing...which is does with flying colors!

Most of the time you'll probably get by though....if it walks like a duck...talks like a duck...its probably a duck (or a factory built 3500 dually).

ocsurf16

NJT awsome thread right up on the dually conversion...im from Ocean City just below you and looking to do the same thing..only prob is i have a shortbed..do u think that would be a prob since youve done it?

NDanecker

I think axle wise you'll be fine as the suspension is probably the same. The flares will be an issue. I believe they'll fit on the bed but you'll need to do something with the fuel filler door as the flare will probably cover that up on the short bed. Long bed the door is just in front of the flare.

Other option is to use the flare from a Mega Cab. Those are short beds.

Good Luck!

ocsurf16

anybody ever done it? SBDRW

dslpwr81

I want to know the same thing. I have wanted to do this for a long time. What would a Short bed Q/C look like? I have looked for two years for pictures.

wiskeyVI

Great Thread and info guys! I've been thinking about this too.

GUMP

chevy and ford have short beds, personally I don't like them they just look odd, but so does a longbed ext cab srw without a toolbox

ocsurf16

ive seen a few fords with shorbeds but never a chevy...i love the look of the shortbed fords..that was what i was looking for untill i found my dodge...i just need a dually for the weight that ive been towing now....ive also been looking for pictures for a long time now..i just found mega thats it

Topics II

(sorry for the thread jack)

I did the conversion over a year ago and had put about 20k miles on it. The rear fenders are factory mega cab fenders. The rear wheels are factory steel dually wheels. I used a spacer on the SRW axle. I used it to tow a 45ft race trailer with a total weight of 29000lbs on a cat scale.

wiskeyVI

NOW I know why those fenders look differant...I didn't realize the Megas were differant.