86 dodge build up

[bogginboy]

i am looking at starting a new project and have a few ideas in mind. a good friend of mine know his hsit about dodges and i already have a dodge t start the build on. i can do the suspension steering and axles and shit but i need to know what all mixes and matchs from a chevy.

i know u can take a dodge front axle and swap it directly into a chevy. can you do the same with leaf springs. my plans is to run 44s. to clear them 44s i will need to run atleast 12 inchs of suspension lift and its a bitch to find leafs that big for a dodge unless i have someone make them for me. i got a guy to make them but he will be way more expensive then to buy a chevy 12 inch lift kit and that corrects the steering and all that happy stuff.

so my question is. chevy leaves are 2.5 inchs wide. what are dodge leaves and are the the same length.

the truck is got is a 86 dodge half ton. im gonna pull the motor tranny and t case and put 1 ton running gear and and axles under it. i will use a chevy 14 bolt that i got and find a 60 front for this project.

[Mclovin]

Just get 14" blocks

[Cooter]

Just start with a Chevy if you want something that Chevy crap easily bolts into.

[PavementPounder]

I would start with a Chevy in the first place.

[Cooter]

OK, Mark- this is just starting to get frightening now.

[bogginboy]

the only reason i want to do a dodge is becuase a buddy can get big blocks for me fairly cheap compared to a chevy big block thats build. also i have a perfect starting point for a dodge. i got it and its free and in great shape. cannt beat that deal

[Mclovin]

u can MAKE ANYTHING work. its just a matter of time and your fab. skills

[bogginboy]

ya im aware of that im jsut wondering if they would bolt up or not? all i need is the chevy springs and the rest will be a problem

[PavementPounder]

Originally Posted by bogginboy

ya im aware of that im jsut wondering if they would bolt up or not? all i need is the chevy springs and the rest will be a problem

If you know the rest will be a problem, why are you even bothering?

Bio just went through something like this and ended up abandoning the entire project after it was ripped apart for something nicer, that he likes, and that would also accept the 454 he has.

Talk to some Dodge people or at least look for the parts first before you start bastardizing something nice that you got for free. It will make shit a lot easier when you have to replace parts or have to sell it. Talk to that guy that has the big-ass Ramcharger on Misfits.

[Cooter]

If you can't make leaf springs fit, I doubt your ablility to even swap an RB MoPar into a truck...

[bogginboy]

i can make them work thats not a problem. if anyof you guys read what i posted it would make this alot easier. i asked what the spring width is o n a dodge?

[Cooter]

I think we all read what you posted, from looking at the replies...

[bogginboy]

i may scrap the idea. who knows. i gotta go look at the dodge again and take some mesurments and see what will work and what wont. hopefully i can make it work the way i want it to.

[Cooter]

OK, I'll throw you a bone.

They are the same width, but do a search on Ramcharger Central, and you will find all sorts of info on Chebby springs on a Dodge. Again, the springs are the easy part- steering, drivelines, the RB swap, and braking are all going to be bigger concerns.

EDIT- here is a search for you



Since I seem to be on a roll, here is another Cooterism-

Anyone can get it up, that's the easy part. It's all about what you do with it afterwards.

[Toivo]

Chevy and dodge shit is the same. Im almost 100% sure that the leaves are the same width, seeing as how username stole leaves from a chevy to lift his dodge up. The draglinks etc, all that shit is genreally interchangealbe. The only difference is dodge drag links bolt on to the top of the knuckle, where as chevys bolt from underneath. Not hard to counter bore the mount hole and mount like the dodge, if you have a chevy axle. Not complicated too much buddy.

[bogginboy]

there ya go. i didnt know any dodge sites. i think this is gonan be easy.

[Toivo]

easy yes, cheap, haha, you are putting 44's under a truck. thats never cheap! good luck buddy, itll be fun!

[bogginboy]

i plan on spending 3 grand on tires and lift.

it will be a expensive bogger and as soon as some one finds me a freakin motor i will be in bussiness.

[Cooter]

Again, the width isn't the problem, it is the length of the spring packs.

[user name]

ok the only thing dodge in my chevy is the 60 front the springs are chevy lift. The springs will probly work but chevy and dodge have a different perch hight and wont bee the same lift as it would in a chevy more or les i cant remember. The busings are different if i remember and you might as well just get 12" springs for a dodge, they are mass produced im sure the internet im on is really slow but check out www.4wheelparts.com i think i have seen them there before. and the bigblock is easy to find it's the bigblock trany that is hard to find. The mounts needed for a bigblock dodge truck and nearly impossible to find used and are like 200 new so it will get more expensive than a chevy very quickly. If you want chevy prices build a chevy it will be cheaper in the long run trust me ive built both.