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LT's Wild RamCharger

LT is new to the board, He just joined up. He is from my hometown of Los Alamos NM and we both wheel up here in Utah alot. He is a wild guy. He has been into wheeling along time. He has owned several built to the hilt CHevys, and a few Dodges. Right now he has a 87 Dodge Ramcharger which he calls his beater. The motor is a 360 bored over 0.3. He got real happy with the Sawsall and cut tons of the body off, including the roof, and front and fenders. He has a roll cage that is under fab right now. He now has a dana 60 going in for the front and a Corp 14 for the rear. He has Hydr. steering and a bunch of other stuff. He has new tires, 42 Irocs and beadlock rims.

I let him tell you about it. Here are his pictures:
 

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Bart

Bart

Registered User
Location
Arm Utah
It sounds like a grounding problem with the back lights. You know you'll never be done and you've told me that.
 
L

LT.

Well-Known Member
Location
Los Alamos, New Mexico
Bart said:
It sounds like a grounding problem with the back lights. You know you'll never be done and you've told me that.
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I kind of was wanting for the truck to be done. The darned thing has been in one shop or another for almost two years now. Before EJS last year is spent 11 months in one shop and it has taken up residency in two other shops since then. Some things have changed now and we are expecting our first this summer. I have other projects that are demanding my time and I really want all the loose ends tied up on this truck. Looking back now I am trying to figure out if I have bad luck or what. Two years is way too long for just redoing the suspension, doubler, tranny, and some loose ends. The lighting problems really make me mad because it did not have any electrical problems for EJS last year. The truck has been in a shop or on my trailer since then. I am almost to the point of wanting to torch the truck again.

LT.
 
L

LT.

Well-Known Member
Location
Los Alamos, New Mexico
The Beater is back at the shop now. I dropped it off this morning and I left a small punch list behind as well. The Chile Challenge is just about a month away and I hope it is done on time. If not, then this would be the second time I will have canceled a run due to the truck being built.:(

LT.
 
Bart

Bart

Registered User
Location
Arm Utah
I could be totally wrong but from the sound of it, if it's not finished to your satisfaction, you've been taking it to the wrong shop.
 
L

LT.

Well-Known Member
Location
Los Alamos, New Mexico
broncomitch said:
what did you need done?
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The hard lines on the ends of the axle still needed to be fastened to the axle tube. All the lights on the back end were not working and I had a tranny leak at the dip stick tube.

Bart said:
I could be totally wrong but from the sound of it, if it's not finished to your satisfaction, you've been taking it to the wrong shop.
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It seems like it does not matter where I take it things just are not getting done in a timely manner. I know that I am a little picky but, I see all the fantastic builds going on in this forum by other members and I think to myself, that is what I am talking about. Clean, well thought out, fab work. I don't have any of those skills so I end up taking it to shops where I think they can do the same kind of work.

ChestonScout said:
I think Rob is just apealing to his feminine side...........just like all women..........never satisfied
:rofl:
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Thanks brother. I knew you would understand. I have been doing a lot of reading in the General 4x4 section and I am floored by the abilities of the members on this forum. There is not another forum that has so many cool rigs being built. One of these days I will be rich enough to have someone else build my junk perfect.

LT.
 
L

LT.

Well-Known Member
Location
Los Alamos, New Mexico
Disaster strikes again! Someone had posted asking me if the AN fittings and stainless steel hydraulic hose would hold up to the pressure. I can now say that it will if you get the hose seated into the AN fitting all the way. If you don't then you might as well kiss the truck good bye. Today I was doing some high speed testing on the suspension. Thank goodness the line did not fail when I was cruising down the dirt road at 60 mph. No, no it broke when I locked in the hubs and was in 2:1 and moving at a slower 30 mph. The broken line cause me to stop suddenly and there is minor damage to the front end. I also found all four wheels had gotten a little loose and caused some more damage to the spacers. I also have more than one broken stud on the spacers again, and I am now thinking of converting back to 8 lug on the axles and wheels. Dang. I just bought the wheels and have literally less than 100 miles on them. Figures. Anyone looking for a set of Spyderlock wheels in a 17X9 with a 5 on 5.5" bolt pattern?

LT.
 
Bart

Bart

Registered User
Location
Arm Utah
GEEZ, I cannot believe the luck you have with that rig. Sorry to hear it. Wish I could run beadlocks on the freeway and I'd buy them from you, but I don't want the hassle from cops. Good luck and hang in there. It will come together.
 
L

LT.

Well-Known Member
Location
Los Alamos, New Mexico
Bart said:
GEEZ, I cannot believe the luck you have with that rig. Sorry to hear it. Wish I could run beadlocks on the freeway and I'd buy them from you, but I don't want the hassle from cops. Good luck and hang in there. It will come together.
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Well, at least it happened when it did. It could have been much more devastating if it had happened an hour or so before. I was ticking off a mile at just about a minute. 60 mph and a line breaking then I would have been there for a lot longer.

I traded off my big winch for a 454 chevy and quite a few parts to change my axles over to 8 lugs. I am saving up for a buggy chassis now.

LT.
 
L

LT.

Well-Known Member
Location
Los Alamos, New Mexico
The truck is back at the shop again and I am going to have to sit out the chile challenge for this year. It does not seem to make much sense to go 300 miles and wheel a rig that I can't keep together in my own county. I am bummed but, I would be more upset if I went and was broke bad on the first day. Right now I am just trying to get it back together for EJS. That will be its farewell trip.

I did learn some about the Torque Flite 727 tranny with this build. I am now on my third tranny and I need another one. It turns out that the TF 727 does not build any line pressure until about 1500 rpms. This means that when you are crawling at idle, or a little above, there is not enough pressure in the lines and you will burn up the tranny quickly. I guess this make sense. The TF 727 was made during the muscle car era. Where cars were launched at 1500 or more rpms and stayed that way all the way down the track. While the tranny can withstand tons of hp it needs rpms to keep in in its happy place. Ford and Chevy trannys do not have this little quirk to them.

I may not have found out the best way to build a rock crawler but, I have found out a few ways not to build one. Kind of like Thomas Edison. I feel like I have lots of knowledge in rock crawling, just not any info on the proper way to build one.

LT.
 
L

LT.

Well-Known Member
Location
Los Alamos, New Mexico
kawzx10 said:
Damn that sucks about the trans I guess Im going to have to figure something out with my 727. Have you heard of any fixes?
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I did hear one fella who put an air actuated solonoid on the tranny that would hold line pressure. He had it hooked up like a micro switch for a nitrous set up. It was a neat idea and I thought about it but, I am very frustrated with the factory frame and I am going another way with the build.

On another note. I did discover that Summit racing does not sell AN fittings for hydraulic systems. I also found out that my hydraulic lines are made from fuel hose. Damn, I guess that would explain why they did not last very long. I really am learning a lot with this build it is just costing me a lot of money to learn.

LT.
 
ChestonScout

ChestonScout

opinions are like Jeeps..
Location
Clinton, Ut
LT. said:
I did hear one fella who put an air actuated solonoid on the tranny that would hold line pressure. He had it hooked up like a micro switch for a nitrous set up. It was a neat idea and I thought about it but, I am very frustrated with the factory frame and I am going another way with the build.

On another note. I did discover that Summit racing does not sell AN fittings for hydraulic systems. I also found out that my hydraulic lines are made from fuel hose. Damn, I guess that would explain why they did not last very long. I really am learning a lot with this build it is just costing me a lot of money to learn.

LT.
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That was the first thing Leroy said when I told him about your problem. He said maybe they are making new hydro lines but he didnt know of any.

They were SOOO pretty tho!
 
kawzx10

kawzx10

Active Member
Location
Layton,UT
I will have to do some searching on the 727 or maybe switch to a manual. I seen your thinking about building a buggy if you start parting that thing out I may be interested in some parts although you will probably use most of them.
 
L

LT.

Well-Known Member
Location
Los Alamos, New Mexico
kawzx10 said:
I will have to do some searching on the 727 or maybe switch to a manual. I seen your thinking about building a buggy if you start parting that thing out I may be interested in some parts although you will probably use most of them.
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Most of the parts will be swapped over to the buggy. I will be selling a new rebuilt TF 727. Just keep in mind the problems I was having with it. Honestly, even though it is rebuilt, again, it is not worth much money, sorry to say. In all reality the tranny is worth more money at the scrap yard than to a potential buyer. I maybe thinking about selling the doubler set up that I have. Not sure yet if I want to keep it or not. I first built it thinking I was going to need a longer front drive shaft. After I pushed the front axle forward I could have gotten along with out it. Don't get me wrong, I love having the doubler but, I may want to run a 4 speed Atlas for the buggy. Not sure yet. If you are interested in the doubler let me know by PM.

LT.
 
L

LT.

Well-Known Member
Location
Los Alamos, New Mexico
Steering lines version 3.0. One of these days I am going to do something right the first time.:rofl:

LT.
 

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L

LT.

Well-Known Member
Location
Los Alamos, New Mexico
I swear, there can't be anyone who has worse luck than me. I tried to do some more testing on the truck and wouldn't you know it, the front drive shaft falls right out of the truck. One of these days I am going to catch a break, one of these days.

LT.
 
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