Ramcharger Project

[RU55ELL]

It's pretty much a done deal, so I figured I'd start a thread. I'm picking it up on Sunday.

1987 Dodge Ramcharger, 318, TF727, NP208, open diffs, 67k original miles, 2 1/2" add a leaf lift, BFG ATs on 15x10 Eagles.



NEW PARTS:

New Headliner
New brakes, pads, shoes, and lines
rebuilt heads
new radiator and hoses
new steering rag joint
4 barrel edelbrock intake
holley 4150 (IIRC, vacuum secondaries)
New wires
New exhaust from Y back
new cat
Lokar Kickdown and throttle cable
new uninstalled timing chain
Milemarker Hubs
Mopar ignition and distributor system

Pics the day after I got it home:

Plans:

A better flexing suspension
Front winch bumper w/ winch
Rear swingout to get spare out of cargo area
CB Radio

 

[Metcalf]

That ALMOST looks too good to modify :sombrero:

Nice base to start from...that is for sure!

 

[sdwhip]

That's a nice Ramcharger for a project for sure. I love those trucks, maybe I'll have to pick one up some day.

 

[ktn00000]

Very cool!

 

[RU55ELL]

It's not your typical "overlander" or "expo" vehicle, but I see a lot of potential with it.

 

[ktn00000]

No such thing as 'typical' which is why a forum like this is so valuable; you get to see what everyone is doing and the different approaches and ways they take to doing it.

I do dig the Ramcharger.

 

[offroadchef]

:wings::wings:

 

[Squatchout]

Nice ride. For your better flexing suspension I recommend a Skyjacker softride. I've had one on my Powerwagon for a good while. Rides nice and you can mix and match parts for a perfect set up. I saw the rag jont on your list. If it hasn't been done already replace the steering shaft with a Borgonsen unit. It's not the rag joint that wears it's the funky flex joint on the shaft. This makes the steering sloppy. Good luck with ths project.

 

[RU55ELL]

Squatchout, I was doing some reading on RCC about the Skyjacker kits. They sound like what I need. I had also thought about doing coilovers, but that would be pricey.

 

[Patman]

Love the RC. Great platform.

Back in the day when I was a "DodgeBoy" (almost pre-internet) I was primarily a crawler and have lots of tricks to get them to FLEX and last.

My last combo was almost all Skyjacker.

8" fronts with a leaf removed and longer shackles for about a 5" lift (with a 10k winch, dual batteries, etc)

6" rears moved under the frame to get rid of the factory blocks.

Remember to relocate the shackle hangers for proper angles. A long (within reason) shackle at the correct angle will make a huge difference in travel (and ride)

Properly mounted bump stops to keep the springs from going past flat. Custom shock mounts with duals in the front. 14" travel shocks all around (really could have used a little more in the front)

This setup with aired up 39.5s would ramp 1100 plus (back when that mattered) And actually drove like a car on the road. With a single stabilizer, my RC drove better than my stock Crew/short on 32's Only bad thing was the Detroit in the back loading up. But that wasn't the suspension fault. Would go ARB now (but I'm old?)

One thing to really think about for driveability is cross over steering. The 2x steering box will bolt up and then swap the pass knuckle to a flattop with an arm, it will MAKE the drive. It is night and day. Properly engineered it is a MUST. Just need to remember to reinforce the frame. Worth every penny and hour of labor.

 

[RU55ELL]

It would be nice to have this kind of flex:

 

[Metcalf]

I have to agree that crossover steering makes a HUGE difference. While it is harder to do at close to stock height it is totally worth it. I was able to use the stock 4wd steering box moved back to the 2wd position on the frame.

 

[RU55ELL]

From what I have read, the minimum lift required to make crossover steering work is 4". I'll probably convert when I swap springs.

 

[Metcalf]

I don't know how the axle position compares to my truck (1/2 ton vs 3/4 ton), but I was able to build a crossover steering system that worked with factory flat diesel main leaves for front springs on my truck.

My truck has a few extra leaves in front to level it out.....and make it ride like a brick, but the main leaf is in the factory position. The thicker leaf pack was probably more difficult to work around than the stock height main leaf.

Personally I would keep the Ramcharger as low as practical. I don't think I could bring myself to cut the tub on it, but all the front metal is replaceable. It would be interesting to see how big of a tire would fit in the back uncut.

 

[RU55ELL]

I won't be cutting the tub for sure. I doubt if I would ever do any cutting up front either. I'll hammer pinch welds or do some trimming that won't be noticeable cosmetically but I do not want to cut sheetmetal at all unless it is necessary to fit new bumpers.