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View Full Version : Hi. This is my tow rig.



PavementPounder
12-12-2006, 01:19 AM
http://www.greatlakes4x4.com/images/vbpg_images/i692.jpg

- Stock 488ci V10/47RE (factory original http://www.greatlakes4x4.com/images/smilies/finger.gif )/241HD
- D60 front, open, 5.13 Precision Gear
- D70 Rear, Detroit, 5.13 OEM Dana gears
- 7" Skyjacker Doubleflex + 2" BDS coil spacers, flipped rear shackle, dual front shock option
- 37" Nitto Mud Grapplers (pictured), now on 37" MTR's
- TrailReady front bumper
- Warn 16.5ti
- Taylor 10.4mm ignition wires

I have a near-bind issue at the Cardan at full droop, so I'll probably have to fork over $ for a High Angle or Tom Woods unit, unless we can find a 1410-series flange adapter or another solution. Also now have a not-too-bad axle wrap issue in the rear, so she'll be getting some bars back there or possibly a linked rear in the future. She also needs a new rear bumper, some body damage repaired, and 40" tires. The 37" Nittos pictured were sold and she's rolling on 37" MTRs on the 2005 Ram 2500 rims pictured. I'm currently looking at some 40" MTR's for street and occasional wheeling since the 37's are overgeared with the 5.13's. Its nice for towing, but its spinning a little too fast at highway speeds. 40's look like they will put it pretty close to the original rpm range at 70mph.

Suspension flexes pretty well for a boxed kit, thanks to some custom-bent 0-2" ZJ sway bar links. Here you can see an entire 37" Nitto completely disappear when I fell through some ice in a field:
http://wegotmud.com/pictures/3-5-2006B/100_4083.jpg
http://wegotmud.com/pictures/3-5-2006B/100_4084.jpg
http://www.greatlakes4x4.com/images/vbpg_images/i639.jpg


This truck really is my tow rig and pulls vehicles on my 24' trailer fairly frequently - even FSJ's. I had a problem with the trailer height for a while that even an 8" forged drop wouldn't fix, so the solution was actually to SOA the trailer itself and it now tows nice and level.

Can't seem to stop this thing. It needs a lot of maintenance work right now, but its still on the factory transmission at almost 180k, the engine has even been very hydrolocked (even broke off 4 plugs during recovery/repair!), and it still hauls ass and wheels like nothing ever happened (except for all the fubar'd sensors from the hydrolocking:mad:).

OverkillZJ
12-12-2006, 01:43 AM
...I think you should drive our tow rig over someones trail rig, LMAO

jfowlzj95
12-12-2006, 01:51 AM
Do you take that to mud bogs?

PavementPounder
12-12-2006, 08:26 AM
Do you take that to mud bogs?

It kind of sucks in mud right now due to the rig's weight and low clearances of the axles. There's currently a lot of low-hanging crap on the front axle that has a plow effect and the rear diff gets get hung up on stuff a lot also if I'm not moving fast enough. It does okay, but it would do a lot better with a few more inches of ground clearance. The motor is still stock, so it doesn't spin up fast enough to carry the truck across a bog track. Still makes a lot of torque, which is something else I can take advantage of with a larger tire size.

I have a HP D60 that was originally destined for my CJ that I have considered using in the Ram instead, which would help/correct my front driveshaft issue, get me away from unit bearings, give me some kingpins to run hi-steer on to reduce the plowing effect, and eliminate the CAD system. The rear just needs some shaving.

nate
12-12-2006, 12:23 PM
Yeah a 40" would make a lot more sense with that much lift. I run 35s on my truck with a 2" lift... and really could probably pull that out and still fit the tires.

PavementPounder
12-12-2006, 01:15 PM
Yeah a 40" would make a lot more sense with that much lift. I run 35s on my truck with a 2" lift... and really could probably pull that out and still fit the tires.

I saw your original post via email and you're on the right track. 315's cleared stock, but full 35's rubbed the inner fenders at 1.25 steering wheel rotations. However, the wheels that the 35's were on were a really low backspacing - not what I would have picked if I had the choice at the time. If they were 3.75-4", the 35's may have been more functional, but then lower control arm rub may have become an issue. I haven't seen Ram's with bent LCA's like WJ's, but I suppose it would be a good potential solution to that particular issue. 35's were fine with the 2" front spacers alone and the truck was level. The spacers were then taken out in favor of the full 7" lift, which was chosen in order to allow full articulation of the 37's. (I don't just stuff whatever fits at ride height and I hate extending bumpstops.) The 7" kit appeared to be perfect for the 37's, which is the configuration you see in the "ice hole" pics. The 2" spacers were then put back in and the rear shackle was flipped (and the spring re-centered in the wheelwell) in order to go up to 39's or 40's after I realized that 37's and a D70 sucked and I was dragging my ass everywhere. The first pic with the bumper is 9" with 37's so yeah, that looks a little goofy.

NAFTEL
12-12-2006, 02:57 PM
thats a nice dodge. lucky bastard.

Whalen
12-12-2006, 05:52 PM
the pounder? what the hell are you doing over here?

Ive been witness to the thrashings this poor truck has taken for years. Its amazing it even still rolls ;)

-Whalen

PavementPounder
12-12-2006, 05:55 PM
the pounder? what the hell are you doing over here?

Ive been witness to the thrashings this poor truck has taken for years. Its amazing it even still rolls ;)

-Whalen


I came here to stalk you in order to see how you have been beating on that 5.9 that still crosses my mind occasionally. :flipoff2:


Actually, someone made fun of my tuxedo. :bling:


Now that I think about it, I don't recall seeing you at the Misfits party on Saturday. I went there after the GL party.

Whalen
12-12-2006, 06:10 PM
Are you insane? we BS'd about misc shit for atleast an hour.... and to think you drove home that night LOL.

I was there... stareing at your old ladys boobs with the rest of the retards :booya:

PavementPounder
12-12-2006, 06:22 PM
Are you insane? we BS'd about misc shit for atleast an hour.... and to think you drove home that night LOL.

I was there... stareing at your old ladys boobs with the rest of the retards :booya:


:doh:

I remember talking to everyone else, just not you. The ride home was actually fine also, aside from some :smt104 at the drive-through in Fenton from the burger jockeys. At least I didn't roll my shit in my own backyard that night. :mrgreen:

Whalen
12-12-2006, 06:41 PM
....and walk away bleeding :smt042 theres always atleast one idiot at the misfit X-mas party. Im just glad it wasnt me this year. :drinkers:

chadjans
12-12-2006, 10:22 PM
Why is it lifted?

PavementPounder
12-12-2006, 10:31 PM
Why is it lifted?

Because it gets wheeled sometimes.

fr3db3ar
12-13-2006, 11:51 AM
PP is a jeepen god :smt041

got2bwj
12-14-2006, 09:02 AM
awesome tow pig!!:smt041

PavementPounder
06-22-2007, 09:49 AM
Now on 40's and I installed a rail-to-rail steering box brace from Solid Steel.


Please excuse the XJ. :screwy:


http://msproviero.googlepages.com/Ram40s04.JPG

NAFTEL
06-22-2007, 11:11 AM
thats huge. i think you need a new garage though- that one looks too short to house the truck

PavementPounder
06-22-2007, 01:04 PM
Haha... Yeah, its getting there. That's the man-door that you see behind it in the other picture. This one shows the big door (removed the b-ball backstop). I am actually planning on knocking down the existing pole barn and building a new one. Its fine for what it is, but is has a dirt floor covered with really thick plywood. Not level, easy to roll things around on with cracks, and my forklift sinks into it in areas.

I think this will be where it stops, though. I'm not even sure I'm going to be able to get as much travel out of the 40's as I did with the 37's. The rear springs may need to be repositioned again and moved forward a bit, as well as some bumpstops added.

http://msproviero.googlepages.com/Ram40s02.JPG

nate
06-22-2007, 05:00 PM
Are those the stock 16x6.5" wheels? :smt082

PavementPounder
06-22-2007, 07:13 PM
Are those the stock 16x6.5" wheels? :smt082


Are they stock? Yes.

Are they the stock 1998 pizza cutters you think they are because you didn't look closely enough? No :finga:


They are the wider 2005 2500 rims. With the steel wheel spacers (due to the increased backspacing to fit the 2005 AAM axles), the 1998 caps fit over the longer Dana hubs perfectly.

Northtrails
06-22-2007, 08:10 PM
Nice truck!! :smt023

cLAYH
07-07-2007, 02:33 PM
HMM looks like mine except my rear tires are twice as wide as yours(but the fronts are only half as wide.:-D

Strada
07-07-2007, 04:33 PM
Ohh dude, this truck is a dream:smt118 :smt118 :smt118
But, 40´s look´s a bit small for it???:) :rolleyes: ;)

nierace
07-08-2007, 01:56 AM
So what kind of mileage do you get with your tow rig? :D

I definately love the style of the 94-01/02 Rams still my favorite of all time. Very bad ass :thumbsup:

BlaineWasHere
07-08-2007, 11:17 AM
I love how your truck made those 37's look super small...

how did you escape GL4x4?

Sample
07-21-2007, 12:27 AM
I am thinking about dumping my V10 Dodge, doesn't have enough low end power.

PavementPounder
07-21-2007, 09:38 AM
So what kind of mileage do you get with your tow rig? :D


Pretty crappy, I'd say. I haven't tried to measure it in forever and the speedo has been uncorrected forever. It stopped working for a while, also. Noticed a definite improvement in mileage when I replaced the wheel speed sensor so the computer knew how fast it was going, though.

nate
07-22-2007, 12:51 AM
What exactly do you tow with that anyhow?

PavementPounder
07-22-2007, 10:54 AM
Anything I need to. I have a couple CJ's + whatever crap I buy and drag home to part out - usually FSJ's. The Ram is moving towards something that should be towed itself, so I don;t know what I'm going to do when it gets to that point. :D

nate
07-24-2007, 11:37 AM
That's what I was thinking.

I was looking at 37s for my truck (98 2500 CTD) and I got to thinking, it'd be pretty messed up that the tow rig is running bigger tires than the wheeling rig (Jeep has Q78x15 TSLs) haha.