I'm considering purchasing a rollover '08 CTD Mega cab and doing a cab swap on it since the original is trashed. I've called around to some salvage yards and looked on "car-parts.com" and they are categorized differently between whether the cab came from a HEMI truck or whether it was a Cummins. None of the places have really been able to tell me with any certainty what the difference is.

It would help my search quite a bit if I could use a cab from a gas truck...anyone done this swap before? I was thinking maybe the floorpan was diffent on the diesel to allow clearance for the larger Allison tranny or something of that sort. Maybe a different cowl structure? I don't mind do a little modification to a cab from a gas truck to make it fit, but I don't want to get into swapping out floor pans and such if I can avoid it.

Talked to the local dealer but he didn't know either.

Thanks for any tips!

 

There should be no difference, think of the cheapest way to manufacture a vehicle and that's what chrysler did. In other words one body would be cheapest.

BTW there is no allison trans to worry about

 

Go figure.

I'd be willing to bet they are interchangeable or very close to it, but really don't know. If not, somebody would have figured it out by now and even the dealers would know. But then again, if they went around advising people about economical ways to repair totaled vehicles they might be out of a sale, right?

 

i could see the firewall being different but the rest should definatley be the same, of course the dash will be a little different with the gauges and all. and the floor if one is a stick and the other isnt.

 

Can't see how they would be much different, both come with the same trannys. Fuel tank is the same size, I highly doubt the firewall would be any different either. Of course the dealer doesn't know, what's new?

 

Are you planning on replacing the entire cab or just doing a cab clip? If the floor and firewall are OK on the wrecked truck, a cab clip may be the way to go I think. I have had 2 salvage vehicles that have been fixed that way. Done by a quality re-builder, you won't know the difference unless you climb under the truck to find the seem in the floor pan.

 

I would bet the fire wall and possibly the transmission hump are different, since the Cummins has the 48re and the Hemi has the 545rfe. Unless the transmissions are made from the same basic shell, but that I'm not sure of.

 

i looked it up in star parts they are the same same pn for floor pan and fire wall for 5.7 5.9 and 6.7

 

if you end up doing the swap...I love to come see it.

<----Lives in Southlake.

 

Now this is the answer I was looking for ... I'm assuming you work at a Dodge dealer? I don't think the parts guy I talked to at my local dealer actually looked up individual part #'s....I just told him what I had been told at the salvage yard and he said he did not know.

I'm with you guys that it would make more economical sense that Dodge try to keep the cab the same across the line, just everytime I called a salvage yard they asked if it was a gas or diesel And if you look it up on the car-parts website, which I believe uses the Holland Interchange guide, it also asks whether it is a gas or diesel.

 

I was going to replace the entire cab. My plan is to purchase a complete parts truck (flood, or something hit in the rear, theft recovery, etc). It would take a higher initial outlay, but I could part out what I don't need and make some money back. Plus, that labor I can do myself. I can't weld, so splicing a cab together I would have to bring to a bodyshop.

A parts truck would be alot cheaper if I could buy a Ram 1500 Mega cab with the HEMI, versus a diesel 2500/3500.

 

The factory can punch diferent holes in the same part all day long, but after the salvage yard gets ahold of them they are different parts. You may still need to do a little modding, but it won't be anything radical.

 

The "08" Mega Cab with the CTD uses the 68RFE automatic while the gas engines use the 5 speed automatic. The wiring harness should be different and the transmission controls will be different also. I would think that instrument cluster and OHD would be different between the two different engine arrangements.
I know when my son had an 97 sport truck V10 the OHD would only display the temperature and driving direction. While the diesel would display fuel mileage and total miles driven along with miles to empty. I do not know if the gaser models display this information in the 08's like the diesels do.

 

I kind of assumed sheet metal was all we were really worried about. Most if not all the undamaged sub-assemblies would be pulled out of the rollover and re-installed in the new cab.

 

Have you checked with a body shop? Seems they ought to know.

Good luck with your project!