Ok lets see...bought a 91 NIC cummins single cab long bed D350 auto for $2500 with 260k on it when it stopped counting. Sorry I don't have better before pics, I pretty much bought it, drove it for a week, started tearing into it.





Couple things wrong for me here, auto<--- NOT a fan, 12v although dependable, was tired and the bed was side swiped into something heavy and stationary by the previous jackass's...."owners".



Hit it so hard it broke the leaf and shoved the pass side axle back 3" creating a wicked crab walk down the highway. Still drove like a dependable old hag though.



It was 2wd and I just aint having that nonsense ...and just plain ugly. However...I am in love with 1st gen Dodge Cummins trucks. So I removed the bed....





Started to unbolt everything 2wd and started on the grille as well....





Then started cutting all the remnant's of the 2wd junk out of the front in prep for the 4x4 conversion....

 

Ok, heres where some of you may gasp, laugh, agree or cry.... but after much reading and deliberation I came to the conclusion that I DID NOT want a 1st gen D60 for a lot of reasons but mainly due to just the lack of dependability in the long run. Those are my opinions based purely on what I read across many forums. So I started to hunt..and I also came to the conclusion that for what I want a NV4500 is a MUSt and in stock form they have a drivers side drop, 1st gen D60's are pass. So I decided to go with a ford front and rear combo....so I got this.





Out of a 07 F-250 complete with Spring buckets, links, and brackets. And this...



Out of an 04 F-250, I haven't looked up gear ratios yet but I will shortly. Gears are one of the last items on my immediate list. So I cleaned up the frame and crossmember a bit and started mock up....







Shortly after I started taking measurements, I had my first hurdle. The spring perches on the axle are 8.5" wider then the frame on each side totaling 17" total difference, and I REALLY want to keep the coils, so seeing the advantages of a wider separation in springs I opted to keep the axle susp stock and just build brackets for the frame.
Got my fab tools ready...



Built a welding table in the process...

 

So I wanted to come up with a design from the standpoint, "If I jump this mother across the grand canyon, I want my engineering to be the only thing that stays in tact" So I came up with a design that brings a flat surface for the spring buckets 8.5" off the frame, and has attach points on both sides, top and bottom of the frame.





Once tacked in, this bracket will be fully boxed to the frame with 1/4"

Ok, so my next obstacle was finding a bed. I REALLY wanted a Utiline bed in short form. I waited and looked for about 2 months and finally found one in Kansas. Off on the yellow lane road I went to claim my prize. It has no floor in the bed due to them being wood, but 0, Z.E.R.O. RUST through or soft spots!! Ill post pics of it tomorrow due to the bed being out in the barn and not in the shop. So here's where Im at as of today. I need to remove quarters/hood/radiator, radiator support etc. Remove the Cummins/Auto combo, build a 4wd crossmember from my 2wd, drop fuel/brake lines, mount the bed, cut the frame down to SWB status, reweld everything back in place, Replace fuel tank, fit the rear axle, order the NV4500/Transfercase, Clutch, fit etc etc.

I ordered 3rd gen flip out tow mirrors should be here tomorrow, Ill have to build a bracket and weld it on as well.

I want to make somewhere in the range of 600+HP and 1000+RWT, so I ordered a P7100 injection pump to do the PPump conversion and that just shipped today.

The vision: Single cab, short step side bed, 3/4 Ton diesel frame off restored and many memories, headaches, funds shortages and hangovers created over the span of the build. Oh, and I jus picked up a Hypertherm 600 Plasma too... . Theres a TON of stuff I don't know yet, for example all the fuel delivery stuff, pumps, etc and that's where Im counting on you fine people of interwebz land. Anyway Ill post some more stuff tomorrow, let me know what you think and hopefully you guys can answer the things that google cant. hahaha

 

Wow that's gunna look sick. I wish I knew alot about mechanics and fabrication and what not. I can take a bobcat apart and rebuild it but I'm dumbfounded when it comes to truck motors and suspension and fab.

 

your motivated... looking good!!

 

I have a pair of those 07 axles too... will be watching this build closely.

 

Man to be honest, the hardest part of ANY build is money. If you have that covered, then the rest is easy. I mean...we've all played with Lego's right? EXACT same thing, building and creating is like adult man size Lego's with beer involved hahaha. I have no special background in any of this, this is my first diesel, I didn't know how to weld until I just bought a welder off of craigslist and started welding scrap. At the start of this build I had some sockets, a air compressor and a air wrench and a little Lincoln MIG. That's it, as I went I started buying more tools as I needed them and since I'm not comfortable with welding 1/4" with my welder then I'm buying a bigger one tomorrow. You honestly just have to read read read read and then finally DO. Whether you're comfortable or not, just look at it from the point of view that no matter what you screw up, its just steel and metal. It can ALL be fixed or replaced. I've only been on this site as a member for a short while, I've been reading the posts here for a LOOOONG time. I don't know about everyone else on here, but if you ask me a question and I have the answer its yours. I'm not here to be an internet tough guy, we should all be here to expand the diesel world, diesel knowledge and mainly 1st Gen Dodges!!

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Ok, so here's my Utiline bed as promised, I work hitches..so around 15 days on and 5 days off. Next set of days off this bad boy with be sitting on my frame ready for mock up!!!







Ive already sourced replacement parts and a wood bed for this thing. All in all, needs new tailgate, this ones got a a bit of a banana curve to it, new tailgate chains, and nuts and bolts to get it all mounted. Its going to be somewhere in the neighborhood of $900 to complete this bed for paint. Oh, and look what the brown box truck brought today.



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You wouldn't happen to have any extra hardware for them would you? ie the bolts the connect the link bars to the bracket on the frame? I called the dealership and they claim to not know the size and they told me that I had to buy the complete set to get them. I only need two!!!

 

Sadly, no... I only have the bare axles. I need to find bits and pieces too.

 

Ok well I thought if ask.

Here's my conundrum, without my job, I hath not the funds to build this dream of mine...but because I my job I can't get a dadgum day off to do ANYTHING. I managed to pick up a 4'x5' 1/4" sheet and a 3'x3' 3/16 sheet this morning JUST before getting called into work on my days off. On top of that I'll be spending the next couple of weeks out of town. Oh well, I will return with coin and new toys!! MUWAHAHA

 

Awesome, Can't wait to see how the coil spring conversion turns out.