if your building a custom frame then your biggest hurdle is just getting the cab to fit on the engine...shouldnt be too hard they are a bit bigger but not that much...

 

"So it weighs a few hundred lbs more.....what about a 5.9 with a bumper and winch? Bout the same. So its not that unfeasible."

My thoughts exactly, and Ive already got the motor, and its only about 4 inches taller and longer than the 5.9

 

you'll be fine...i would beef the suspension as much as possible...you said your gonna run air ride, right?? You gonna run it at all 4 corners if so then you will have no problems with the weight if you got bags under neath of it as long it is good quality stuff that is

 

Well, I was just talking to a friend that has a set of dana 120's. I havent seen them yet, but thats a big number . They have 5.11 gears, which with 35's would put me right around 2000rpm @ 65. (double OD tranny) I too think that a stock axle would handle it, especially with air because air bags are going to reduce the shock. The only thing I worry about with 1-ton axles is the ball joints going out often. Im gonna have to do some research on these dana 120's

 

id look at dana 60 kingpin front axle sounds like one heck of a project

 

It can be done. There is a guy on TDG who put a 466 and 1000 series in a 78 or 79 ford, so you can put oyur 8.3 in whatever as well. I have seen other pictures of the 8.3 dodge as well and there are some floating around of a 92-97 OBS Ford with a 8.3 in it. I think a 1 ton frame will handle it as long as it isn't cranked up. I think the Dana 120 axle is from a F-550 and I think it is a rear only, but IDK for sure. Sounds like a great project!

 

I noticed your post about the 8.3l in a crewcab. I also want to do something like that. I will probably use a 8.3L Cummins also and I have a couple of Allison MD3060s. As far as the truck, I have a 1977 Dodge W600 that i am planning to use. It is just a single cab but I have access to a crew cab from a 1985 W200. The axles in the W600 are more than up to the task but they are geared at 6.80. Even with the Allison OD I would be turning kind of high RPMs at highway speeds. Not to mention the driveshaft RPM. I am planning to use Michelin 42 or 46 inch tires. They are 395/85R-20 and they are available petty cheap surplus. As far as axles go I do have some Eaton AWD axles that are really heavy duty. They came out of Air Force fire and rescue trucks. The good things about these axles is that they are geared at 3.70 and they have factory full air lockers. Let me know what you think about what I want to do and if you are intersted in any tires or axles drop me an e-mail. Thanks Dan Read more: https://www.dieselbombers.com/privat...#ixzz0Y6hoE8KC

 

groovy dude..................do the 19.5 wheels with is so ya can get 6400 lb payload per tire.........they are 35"

 

I saw the post was around a year old. Did u finish the project?

 

I thought kind of the exact same thing the other day. I took my truck to a brake shop the other day to get them to look at something. Aside from the fact they were being very unfriendly, the guy proceed to give me a lecture on how I should have upgraded the brakes when I put that "big heavy diesel engine" in. Didnt even complement me on the swap.

Now I'm not saying the Cummins isnt heavier. It is. But its only about 3-400 pounds extra. Two of me weighs 400 pounds. So its like this guy was saying if I carried around two passengers all the time I would have to upgrade my brakes?