I posted this in the 3rd gen board and didn't get a response. It's kinda off topic here, but not too far. I'm going to need a new work truck in 2 or 3 months. It's got to be a cab and chassis, probably an '04. The local dodge dealer is 40 miles away, and I can't find anything about cab and chassis's on the dodge website. Have any of you seen a cab and chassis on a lot, or heard anything about them? Are they out yet? And are they going to be like the 2nd gen. with the 4 link solid front end for the 2wd?

 

eric, do a search back about 6 months. It ain't gonna happen - well, don't hold you breath. You want a cab &amp; chassis from the factory, get a Ford - all shapes/sizes/flavors. From where I stand, you want a winner? get a CTD 3500 dooley/6-shooter and chit-can the bed and put what you want on aft.<br><br>There's an old saying, &quot;You get what you pay for&quot;.<br><br>Whatever you do, get a diesel; you're welcome here.

 

What I'm talking about is a dually without a bed. I guess 3500 with a bed delete would be a better name than cab and chassis. But it wasn't just a dually without the bed. I know they made them in gen. 2's because we had 3 of them. In the gen. 2, they came with in 2wd with a solid front axle and 4-link like the 4wd, but had a piece of what looks like 4 inch pipe instead of an axle and a pumpkin. Dealer called them heavy duty's, before that was what everyone was calling their 2500's and 3500's. What I'm looking for is an 04 model of the 3500 in my signature. I couldn't find anything like that on the dodge website.

 

Got the old window sticker, and Dodge used to call them &quot;cab and chassis&quot;. Don't know what they call them now. They were at every dealership around here, but I haven't seen any '03's yet.

 

Eric the cab and chassis are not available to us in the new truck configuration and most of the guys are taking the box off a dually and storing it for trade-in. The cab and chassis trucks have a narrower rear axle than dually and came with forward support for the deck etc. to be mounted. Rumors are possibly 2004 but nobody can confirm, I like you wanted a cab and chassis in a crew cab dual wheel and was told to buy a Ford or a Chev. Got to like DC's marketing strategy and they wonder why Ford out sells any other truck. PK

 

For 2004 they have a option called &quot;Box-off model&quot;. All the info swill be here: http://wwwsg.daimlerchrysler.com/SD7...43987,00.html?

 

It irritates me that Dodge is dragging this cab and chassis thing out. I would wait until one came out, but I've got to get rid of a '99 V-10 thats about to fall apart. Besides from the narrower rear axle, I like the four link front suspension on the 2wd's. I've heard that they MAY come out with a cab and chassis in the mid 04 production. I hope so, cause I can't wait much longer than that. BTW, I talked to 2 dealers in my area, and they don't know anything.

 

[quote author=c5racer link=board=11;threadid=17619;start=0#msg170423 date=1060448150]
For 2004 they have a option called &quot;Box-off model&quot;. All the info swill be here: http://wwwsg.daimlerchrysler.com/SD7...43987,00.html?
[/quote]

Good research! Greak link! That answers lots of questions. Yes, there will be a cab &amp; chassis model for 2004. They just call it &quot;Box-off&quot; model...same difference!

 

Well before I got all excited there is some details that would be important to know, the original cab/chassis came witha 2&quot; deeper frame (9&quot;vs11&quot, the rear axle narrower to make the truck track better and the forward supports for a deck etc. Just eliminating the box sounds like a dually with the box removed, took the box off my 2001 and had to build all the extras. It is only a 2500 so it wasn't to difficult to fit it up but it offers some challenges when setting up fuel tank filler pipes and forward mounts. Sounds to me like an emergency compromise on DC's part not an engineered product. PK

 

Kennedy is right, it's not really a cab and chassis, just a dually without a bed. In the old body style, there were some differences between the two, like the narrower axle, and the brackets to make a flatbed level on the frame, also it had what my dealer called the &quot;heavy duty front suspension&quot;. Basically the 2 wheel drives had the 4-link like the 4 wheel drives, but just had a piece of pipe for an axle. I like that because it made the truck sit up high like a 4 wheel drive, keeping it out of the weeds and brush in the pasture.

 

To be accurate, the second gens did not have an actual CC commercial chassie. There were differences that factories could not use the Dodge. Hense the lack of popularity.

A commercial frame is based on a 34&quot; width. A pickup frame is based on a 38&quot; frame due to getting a 4 by 8 sheet of plywood between the wheel humps.

GM and Ford make a true CC frame of 34&quot; width. Dodge never did this but made the top flanges much wider to accept most bodies, but again many factories could not use the wider frame. Generaly the wider frame demands the wider axle which is not as standard in the trucking industry.

Commercial truck bodies are designed for a 34&quot; frame and most ubolt to the frame. On a Dodge this could not be done and the body had to be built special for the dodge. My rear wheels are just a tad over 8' in width.

Consider a standard fifth wheel, it will not bolt to a Dodge in standard form. So to make a proper CC to compete with Ford and GM, Dodge has to design a strong enough frame four inches narrower than the present setup. Chev does this with a narrowing section right behind the cab but this also reduces strength.

To go to larger tires for commercial use there is just not enough room using standard suspension items for the Dodge wide frame to fit within the 96&quot; standard width. The only way around this the for the suspension to be under the frame rail which creates its own problems of hight. To build one the main spring support for the rear axle must be under the axle instead of above it. Some air suspension systems use this approach, and then the frame mount points must be constructed from scratch. I have been looking into this for my use as I intend to keep the Dodge with a modified chassie. To mount a standard heavier axle in a Dodge the spring attach points must be moved narrower.

This is probably the holdup on a Dodge CC, a new frame system has to be designed to compete with the other makes now available. This will require a 34&quot; frame strong enough under the cab to support the common weights. This is easy for a &quot;tractor&quot; type of vehicle but for a load mounted on the truck it gets difficult, so the frame must be designed from scratch. Later I will have pictures of the fifth wheel mounting showing the problem.

 

Hate to disagree with you HID but Dodge did have a cab and chassis package as there are 4 of them sitting in the farm yard. The major difference is the 11&quot; deep frame which is needed to support specialty equipment like a post pounder, a garbage bin picker, and 2 deck trucks with gooseneck hitches. The drive axle is narrower and was not available in any configuration but regular cab in 2 wheel bases. The 34&quot; standard transportation frame you refer to is only on trucks class 5 and up. Dont know how Chevy has been but even the Ford 450-550 has a wider frame width than a class 5-8 truck and we had everything from ambulance bodies to service bodies on them. The cab and chassis package includes as stated a heavier front end suspension only, higher GVW, fuel filler hose that is longer and different angles than a p/u box, the narrow axle, the forward frame level supports and the mentioned 11&quot; deep frame in 2 wheel bases. Just as a note the last 5 ton knuckle boom was mounted on a Chev HD which sprung the frame and GM would not warranty. The commercial 5th wheels available for trucks under 2 ton are custom mount as per application like mine which is a Holland FW6200 rated at 26000lbs gross and 9000 vertical is 18&quot; wide and 20&quot; on the pivot mounts. Only the larger tractor wheels designed for standard highway trailers requires the 36&quot; fifth wheels on 34&quot; mounting plates. Even oilfield trucks have these same plates custom mounted to accommadate larger double and triple frame configurations, and bed mounts. On 1-1 1/2 ton trucks most gooseneck and flatdeck floats only need the standard 12&quot; 5th wheel like a Binkly or on a full width highboy there are 20-24&quot; 5ths available from Holland, Muncie and a few more we don't have access to in Canada. We have manufactured mounts for many of these either frame direct or on a deck. Many of the local deck manufacturers here have kits to match the sub frames of there decks to any of the 3 truck manufacturers widths. Ford wins the sales with the most comprehensive amount of truck configurations with Dodge having the least due to as you stated the least amount of interest in commercial fabrications. PK

 

PK rereading the post(s) it looks like you agreed with all that I said, but what do I know

 

Maybe I misread it oh well we will let the critics have a go at it. PK