[brushhippie]

I have the chassis from an early 70s Power Wagon and am having a heck of a time finding the numbers on the frame...read folks say it is here there and everywhere but I have yet to find it...any other ways to identify the year...it has front drum brakes and has the divorced transfer case....not much help huh...lol

904 tranny..and the engine I am told was taken from a motor home..it is a 78 model 360 with around 70,000 miles I am told.

I would love to put a 5 speed in this thing or anything to bring the top gear up a bit..the divorced transfer case leaves it open to anything except extra long trannys...which is why there in not a 727 in it....I assume.

 

[brushhippie]

No need for everybody to respond all at once holy shit!...lol Yea went pokin around and found what I need to know.

 

[712edf]

Well, what did you find?

It's either 72,73 or 74.

And that should be a 727. They came in short versions too.

Bucky

 

[SuperBurban]

On all the Dodges I have worked on, and parted out, I have yet to see a VIN, or even a partial VIN on any frames. Since you say the engine was swapped, that leaves the tranny, or axles to get the date off of. Either way, it is narrowed down to 72,73, or 74.

 

[Ragman]

My 78 Club Cab has the VIN stamped on the frame. I found it when trying to get a new title for the truck. It was located on the drivers side around the middle of the cab on the side of the frame rail. It took some time with the wire wheel but I found it. DOT wanted a pic of it in my title application.

 

[brushhippie]

That is what I found...72 3 or 4...from there I guess it does not matter it will be titled as a 79 for now since that is the cab I have at the moment....already interesting....  thanks for the input gents!

 

[brushhippie]

Well...got this thread goin so..I guess I will continue on...what I have is two PWs..one 72,3 or 4..and the other my Grampa bought new in 1979...after his death my Gramma sold it to one of the local hooligans who tried his best to kill it but could not...I ran into him one day recently and he told me he still had it if I was interested..SO...now it is at the shop...with the club cab chassis..the club cab truck had a ford cab on it when I got it...or course the first thing I did was take that crap bag off the chassis of that fine truck and put it out in the yard for the dogs to nest in...and my intention is to find a cab for that truck as it has a dump bed and would be quite handy around the place...SO until I do find one...since I have to pull the cab off Grampas anyhow..I will put it on the club cab chassis for now so we can use it...I am about to pull the rotors and spindles off the 79 and transplant them on the club cab..I am not sure where the front end that is under it came from but the lug bolts are bigger..I think he said it came from a chebby..pics to follow.

 

[brushhippie]

This truck has way heavier duty suspension

both trucks seem to have suffered similar damage

 

[brushhippie]

Both trucks sport the same 1978 model 360s...one with a two and the other with a 4 bbl and Grampas has a nice set of headers on it...seen some like this somewhere before! between the two we will put one together for now while we restore Grampas frame and running gear.

 

[SuperBurban]

This one is a D60, it would be my choice.

 

[brushhippie]

Would the gear ratios be the same or does that vary by application? he had said it came from something else and was not sure it was the right gear ratio...if it is I need to just swap the entire thing out.

 

[SuperBurban]

Back then, its hard to say. in general, 3/4 tons had 4.10, and 1 tons had 4.88. Best thing would be to pull the covers, and check them all. Then you could also see the condition.

 

[brushhippie]

Good call...I am beginning to lean toward leaving everything as is...drum brakes and all. The motor is said to be low miles...the guy is family so I believe him...lol I would like to have a bit more top end and have a guy looking for a 518 for me...I think for now I will replace every bushing bearing ball joints tie rod ends etc and grind all the rust off the rest of this beast..the club cab truck is just so much heavier sprung..the 79 is kindova wuss next to it..I do not want full time 4 wheel drive so the tranny and transfer case from it are out..the rear end of the 79 did have a tag saying to fill it with limited slip oil...? I was considering the steering box from the 79 since the cab steering shaft matched...but it is wore out..and the one on the club cab has no slop in it..so it seems Grampas was wore smooth out but the older chassis is in better shape...more pics tomorrow.

 

[SuperBurban]

You will likely have length issues with a 518, which means relocating the 205, and having drive shafts remade.

The D60 does not have ball joints, it has bearings top and bottom. In general, I don't go replacing bearings, unless they are shot, or show wear. But I would do all the seals, calipers, wheel cylinders, pads, & shoes. Tie rod ends sometimes yes, other times it depends on how they are. Been the same with U-joints, if it is going to be a daily driver, then they all get swapped out, otherwise it depends on how they check out.

If you live in an area with snow, the full time has lots of benefits. But uit would also take some work to get it working with the 518. With the 205, you may want to look into locking hubs, for the D60 you have, you wioll need the kind with external bolts. So Dodge D60 specific. Or if you have good junk yards, you can get hubs from a chebby, or 91 to 93 Dodge, and they use the more common locking hubs with splines.

Be sure to get a pre 96 518, also known as a 46RH. Post 96, is electronic, and known as the 46RE.

Yes, more pics we go nuts over pics, helps feed our addiction.  By the way, Welcome to RCC.

 

[712edf]

For the record, all the 70's Dodge trucks I've owned had the VIN on the passenger's side frame rail.

So basically you just need a club cab cab (and title) for that frame?

Bucky

 

[brushhippie]

Well...I do not believe there is room for a club cab on here from the looks of the rear cab mount...so my thought was put a single cab on it and build a frame up between for a winch, fuel tank a tool box etc..the back of the dump bad has a place they added for a winch stinger..which is laying around here somewhere....what I need right now is a core support...some kinda powerful bad...gonna check the local bone yards but do not expect to find one.

 

[712edf]

I just re-read this thread. If you have a 4wd club cab chassis with divorced t-case & drum brakes that makes it a 1974. There were no club cabs 72, in 73 they only came on 2wd.

I think there was a shortbed club cab but it was 1/2 ton only. The W200 club cabs were long beds & had 149" wheelbase.

Bucky

 

[brushhippie]

Thank you Bucky! It is most definitely a long bed...so 1974 it is. I can tell you one thing...I have never seen exhaust bearings installed in such a fashion....crazy right!?

Must put some heat on this

going to have to pull the motor to install the headers..that will give me a chance to clean the inside of the frame

 

[712edf]

You will notice that on the 74 truck front axle that the u-bolts point down. On the 79 they point up.

Bucky

 

[brushhippie]

I bought the club cab from my uncle who mounted the dump bed on the thing..but never finished it...no lift cylinder...and now that I look at it...they kinda bolo'd the install..as the bed extends past the point where it rotates...so gonna have to address that at some point..lol der many thanks for the welcome (and info) btw Mr Burban...great to see an actual forum with folks who still participate...fazebook has about killed them.