[Panda]

Thanks for the kind words @SOLSAKS
It means a lot to me. It's my first project, I really enjoy the journey and try to learn as such as I can

As for your Parents accident. When I was 4 or 5 a similar thing happened to my mom when we were going to my aunt. Studs broke, we lost the wheel and ended up in a ditch(I heard my Dad telling that story mamy times). My Mom had a big trauma after the crash and it took her 8 years to sit behind the wheel again.
Since the accident my Dad is very cautious about tires, lug nuts, studs, torque strength and checks every nut before long trips. I got it from him.

With 4 kids I take safety very seriously. Not only car safety but safety in general.

As for the RC... My goal with the RC is to keep the original look with some modern add ons, therfore I'm not considering getting rid of the locking hubs(they are very convenient) but want to go around them. I'll have to come up with something Maybe as mentioned above I'll add spacers to hide the hubs behind the caps.

All the changes I've made so far are hidden to keep the vintage style of this beautiful truck.
I absolutely love square body Dodges and hopefully I will pass it on to my son.

 

[Moparbob1987]

Wheels and tires look amazing it’s really going to make your RC pop !

 

[dodge82273]

there was a period in the late 70's when there was many such occurrences , my observation was most/all involved custom aluminum rims and lugs , it did help me earn my living tho...

 

[Panda]

Where some loose others gain. Maybe they did it intentionally to make your business grow

 

[Panda]

I test fitted the caps on front hubs. There's a half inch gap so 1"spacers should do the job.

 

[Panda]

I had some time on the weekend...

1) Replaced passenger side mirror and I'm disappointed with the Made in Taiwan quality, all mounts are made of plastic, everything is so thin that i have a feeling that it'll fall apart who'll e driving. We'll see...

2) I disassembled the door, moved the window to the side to cut some of the rubber holding the window to the lower rail. When it was raised the excess rubber was lifting the Weatherstrip and it was popping up. Two hour job no one will notice

3) visited a wrap shop with wheel center caps, they said it can be done but not with metalic foil, which is thicker and more sturdy. The other problem would be cutting out the letters. I'm back to square one - repaint the caps silver so they would match the rims.

4) I bought 10mm spacers for Suzuki Samurai, they fit 5x5.5" rims They should arrive within a couple of days and I'll be able to check if 10mm is enough to hide the lock hubs behind the caps.

5) A big round of applause for eBay seller wheelsandcaps - I contacted them yesterday because one of my rims was missing black rivets(see photos) . After exchanging few messages they have sent me the rivets even though the purchase was made in August. Very nice of them.

 

[jungle]

Your RC looks AWESOME!!
Jim

 

[Panda]

Thanks Jim, so does your whole project, way too difficult for my skills but I can't wait to see your gold truck in the spotlight again.

 

[Lzed]

That new mirror looks great. Quality of products definitely has drastically dropped. Reminds me, I need to take my door card off and just tack weld the little metal part below my bolt, it’s broken in half. Thing is getting on my nerves with the rattling.

 

[jungle]

Thanks Jim, so does your whole project, way too difficult for my skills but I can't wait to see your gold truck in the spotlight again.

Thanks Jim, so does your whole project, way too difficult for my skills but I can't wait to see your gold truck in the spotlight again.

Yea I can't to drive the new one either.
Jim

 

[Panda]

That new mirror looks great. Quality of products definitely has drastically dropped. Reminds me, I need to take my door card off and just tack weld the little metal part below my bolt, it’s broken in half. Thing is getting on my nerves with the rattling.

You need to do that. Small things like this get on my nerves too. Everything needs to be perfect

 

[Panda]

New spacers arrived in the mail today - 10mm aluminum.

They look good, make the truck look good, the caps fit perfectly and with these 10mm front and back have exactly the same distance from tires to fenders. I know it's not relevant but wanted you to know that

The only problem is I get only 3 full lug nut turns with the spacers. I'll need longer studs but have absolutely no idea where to start. Any advice? Where do I look? What size?

 

[jungle]

Hay that tape measure reads funny!!
Jim

 

[Panda]

This thread is a diary of my RC's transformation. It wouldn't be possible without RCC's community help. Here's a tribute to all of you guys - thank you.

My truck is on the other side of the world but is Proudly Powered by RCC users

 

[jungle]

SWEET!!!!!

 

[KurtfromLaQuinta]

You need to do that. Small things like this get on my nerves too. Everything needs to be perfect

We must be related. ☺

 

[Moparbob1987]

I had some time on the weekend...

1) Replaced passenger side mirror and I'm disappointed with the Made in Taiwan quality, all mounts are made of plastic, everything is so thin that i have a feeling that it'll fall apart who'll e driving. We'll see...

View attachment 625010
View attachment 625009

2) I disassembled the door, moved the window to the side to cut some of the rubber holding the window to the lower rail. When it was raised the excess rubber was lifting the Weatherstrip and it was popping up. Two hour job no one will notice

3) visited a wrap shop with wheel center caps, they said it can be done but not with metalic foil, which is thicker and more sturdy. The other problem would be cutting out the letters. I'm back to square one - repaint the caps silver so they would match the rims.

4) I bought 10mm spacers for Suzuki Samurai, they fit 5x5.5" rims They should arrive within a couple of days and I'll be able to check if 10mm is enough to hide the lock hubs behind the caps.

5) A big round of applause for eBay seller wheelsandcaps - I contacted them yesterday because one of my rims was missing black rivets(see photos) . After exchanging few messages they have sent me the rivets even though the purchase was made in August. Very nice of them. View attachment 625015
View attachment 625014

Did the mirrors come
From lmc truck? I’m eventually going to buy a set looking for a good place to purchase from. Your RC looks amazing!

 

[KurtfromLaQuinta]

The only problem is I get only 3 full lug nut turns with the spacers. I'll need longer studs but have absolutely no idea where to start. Any advice? Where do I look? What size?

You need to know what you got now... diameter of the "swedge end". Pitch and diameter of thread end. Current length.
With that info you need to find a really good auto parts store. With a really good person behind the counter that can find the right size for you. The really hard part.
Once you have your measurements... you might be able to find a source online that can get you your studs.

A quick search... I found these...

https://www.moroso.com/pub/media/pdf/press-in-WheelStud-LugNut.pdf

Wheel Studs and Lug Nuts | Coyote Wheel Accessories

Coyote Wheel Accessories thread-in Wheel Studs are designed to replace lug bolts with a traditional stud and lug nut configuration. Visit our website now.

www.coyoteaccessories.com

Wheel Stud Size

help.summitracing.com

I went to a good NAPA store quite a few years back and found the right guy behind the counter who got me what I needed from Dorman...

Dorman Products - Search Results

Dorman gives auto repair professionals and vehicle owners greater freedom to fix cars and trucks by focusing on solutions first.

www.dormanproducts.com

That Dorman site has a pretty good search engine where you can isolate all the measurements down to get what you need... I think.
Here's a screenshot of what I saw there...

 

[Panda]

Thanks Kurt, I appreciate your help
My current lug studs are
thread size is 1/2-20 -
thread length 29,3mm - 1,156 in
these are the only measurements I can get without removing the hubs and brakes.

I found these, they are 1.84 in

Dorman Products - 98260.1

1/2-20 Serrated Wheel Stud - .651 In. Knurl, 2-11/32 In. Length

www.dormanproducts.com

but according to their site, they seem to work only with 1984-85 Ramchargers.

As I said above I'm like a child in a fog

I sent an email to Dorman's support, maybe they can help.

 

[Panda]

Dorman responded
Looking at the stock measurements for the front wheel stud 4x4 model truck we would not have anything longer than what is stock for the truck. It has an offset knurl and a .625 knurl call out which the stock replacement would be the longest we offer at 2.25”.

Dorman Products - 610-277.1

1/2-20 Serrated Wheel Stud - .625 In. Knurl, 2-1/4 In. Length

www.dormanproducts.com

While looking for more info online, Google lead me back to RCC thread from 2010 where @Elwenil solved the mystery.

are longer wheel studs available?? HELP!!

So, I installed 3/4 ton axles in my 84 R/C out of a 77 P/U. Dana 60 rear and 44 front. These are the full time axles (it was what I had ::) and it gave me 4:11 gears). Anyway, The wheel studs in them are not long enough for the aftermarket aluminum wheels I have. I have searched all the parts...

www.ramchargercentral.com

I'd only like to confirm the length of front factory studs. 1 15/16"?