Well, I'm starting with a 1978 Ramcharger.  It has a 318 and a 4 speed, factory axles and no mods except Hedman headers and 31" AT tires on stock wheels.  It's nothing special at all, but the body is in decent shape.

This is how it was when I picked it up.  The only thing I done was removed the banged up front bumper and replace the VERY worn out drag link.


Here's half way through my Rustoleum paint job.  I already had almost a full gallon of gloss black laying around.  I finished some of the body work, sanded the entire truck and used a roller to paint the whole truck.  I haven't taken a picture since the job was finished.


I just got started on the lift today, but I got rained out for now.  I only got to get the front end loosened.  A 3/4 ton D44 w/ lockouts (non-CAD) is going in along with RCC inspired brackets, 8" shackles and 4" Rough Country 56" springs.  More pictures and info to come...

If you haven't done so..... Soak all bolts/nuts/hdw with some Liquid Wrench or other penetrant for a day or so before you start!!!! May just save your day.

Deuce and a half?  Chevy II?  32 Ford?

that is so awesome - I'd love to have a deuce.....

RC looks good - reminds me of how our '78 started out.

- Sam

After the RC is done, the Deuce is next.  It needs it's fair share of work.  Right now it isn't starting, probably the solenoid.  In that picture, you can see the trans on the ground.  Flywheel, PP, disc, and rear main all needed replaced and the crank had to be sleeved.  The wood in the bed is all junk too and it has some rusty spots.  Mechanically, it has never let me down (save for the starting problem).  I don't want to get off the subject though.  In time, I'll make a new thread for the Deuce.

yes please do keep us posted nice duece....have fun with it...

 

I have two options right now; either 4" round (1/4" wall) or a 5" square tube bumper a guy has fairly local.  The square tube bumper is at least 1/4" wall and has a 2" receiver built into it.  It's on a Chevy, so I was going to cut off his mounts and have it welded onto mine.

That's the one I want to get, but job loss is slowing things down.  I'm putting on all the stuff that I had laying around.  Once that runs out, I'll pretty much be stuck.  I should be able to finish all of the suspension and get the truck lifted and new axles installed.  I'll have to wait a little bit to finish the steering, brake lines and drive shafts.

Good to see you are making some progress on the RC.  I also must say that it must be nice to have decent weather in the middle of December...  I'm stuck with one fender cut and one still stock (of course I started with the one that didn't rub at all).  We got 15 inches of snow (give or take) and sub zero temps at night so I'm not doing anything on my truck.

I got the front springs installed and the Dana bolted on loosely.  I need new U-bolts, but I wanted to get an idea of where I was at.  From the fender lip down to the center line of the axle is about 36" if I go with a 6" shackle.  That's with no weight on the truck though, I'm expecting it to settle about 3" with weight on it.


I haven't looked at how the axle is in relation to being centered in the wheel well.  By measurement, it should be about 2" forward with no weight on the truck.  I'm guessing it'd move back that much when I set the truck down.  I'm probably going to have to move the front eye out 2 more inches with some new brackets.  I'm not messing with that until the front end is done with the current setup though.  That way I can see how everything is working with what I have on hand.

What's the application the springs are for and how long are they (eye to eye)?
Besides the width are you gaining a longer spring?
Definately interested to see how you do the shackles...

One more question... curious to where/what U-bolts you got for the D60?

Thanks,
Eric

Can't wait to see the home built fold out ladder for that beast!
Thanks for the info.

Yes, they're Chevy rear springs I had originally bought for an old Blazer that I started building.  For now I'm leaving the overload springs in.  I may cut them shorter on the front set, but I won't get rid of them totally.  I'm going to piece together my own rear shaft.  I'll use the stock shaft in the truck now and get a driveshaft for the 14 bolt from the junkyard and sleeve them together.  For the front, I think I'm going to have to get something custom made because of the angles.  Steering will be easy; once I get a Dana 60 in place, I already have a high-steer arm in the garage.

The project is a little slow right now.  I did manage to get the front axle set and temporarily bolted in.  From center-line of the axle to the lip of the fender is 34".  Does anyone happen to know how much over stock that is?  I didn't take a before measurement.

I have the rear end up in the air waiting to get started.  Once the temperature is above single digits, I'll get going again.  I can get as far as removing all the old parts, moving the front hangars and getting the springs in place and mocking the axle into place.  I'm not sure if I'm going to use the shackle flip brackets I made or make some new ones.

I'd say you're probably about +12 over stock (if mine is +4)
No body lift on my RC, just for reference.

fun build. I will be watching. With the duece and a half plus the 1/2 ton rc you've got a tre'.

Took a look at the front axle after it's settled for a while.  Has the Chevy-56 4" lift springs, moved forward 3" up front and with 6" shackles on it.  The springs have now settle to where they are touching the frame.  So, now I have move the springs further forward.  I'll probably make a new set of hangars that have stock, 1.5", 3", 4.5" and 6" spaces. 
I think I have to go 6" to get the shackle angle I want.  I'll definitely have to run zero-rates to move the axle back as far as possible.  In the rear, I got the axle completely removed.  I didn't get much else done though.  I have to get all of the old brackets off and removed.

I'm getting activated for the National Guard, so I won't be able to do anything to it for a while.  I'm taking some measurements with me so I can try some stuff out on paper while I'm gone.

Thank you for your service.  How long do you have before you have to go?  Kind of sucks that you are just getting into the RC and now it will be put on hold.  I was diggin the progress!

Here's about all I've gotten done lately.  I dropped the tank so I had better access to the rear pieces and so I didn't blow myself up.  Everything got a once over with a flap wheel on my 4.5" grinder and some gloss black spray paint to dress it up.

Thats clean.  Your tank straps must not have been all rotted away.  My tanks on both trucks have rust stains on the plastic from the straps, I'm currently waiting for one or both to drop themselves...

I'm still jealous of your weather, its been really cold here again this week.

Well, I had to change direction on the rear a little.  I had to cut my budget a little if I wanted to get my rig done any time soon.  I re-used the stock hangars in the rear, I just moved them.  I still need to make some reinforcement pieces from 2x4, 1/4" angle iron.  I move the top-left bolt hole on the hanger to the old location of the bottom-right rivet to locate it.  I made a simple cardboard template to drill the forward hole.  I had to notch just a little bit out of the body mount to clear it.



The stock hangers DID NOT like the new GM springs.  I think the bushings were too big and that's what caused the problem.  That on top of the fact that the outside of the brackets were sucked in a little, so there were only actually about 2.75" wide instead of 3".  I tried to bend them out but I still couldn't get them to a full 3".  I had to persuade them the rest of the way in.  I also re-sleeved the GM springs to 5/8" to fit the stock hangers.  All in all, I think I the axle about 4" forward and down.  Without the axle in place, it still looks like the center-line might be a little further forward that I want.

Post #20 is the best picture I have of the front axle.  I'll get another picture if I get out there today of the truck on it's own weight.  The spring is laying on the frame and the shackle is touching the body mount.  It's moved forward 3" now, I'm going to redo the mounts with holes at the stock location and then 2", 4" and 6" forward.  I need to have the front springs in the 6" hole, making the axle roughly 4" forward of center.  Pics will follow as I get things done.

Good luck. Hope everything works out.