Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
pwerwagn
TDR MEMBER
The conversion forum seems to be relatively un-used so I figured Id post this here.
So, I had plans of turning my 1993 excab 4wd cummins into a 4 door at one point in time. Acquired a 4 door... had nearly everything to finish and then for some reason I woke up one day realizing I should build a Ramcharger. Had to be a 74-80 pop-top though, to replace the Jeep. As fate would have it, there were 2 locally on Craigslist. Also as fate would have it... he wanted to trade for a SUV of some sort. I happened to have a 1994 grand cherokee in my backyard sitting there awaiting to be turned into my "pre-runner" for our race truck... So, the ZJ got ousted for 2 Ramchargers.
Initially I was just going to swap the 93's drivetrain into the RC, but then decided to do it a little different and shorten the 93 frame. For a few reasons. One, I wanted to use the flattest leafs possible to keep a good ride, but I eventually want to clear 42" tires. The wider frame gives me a good 2. 5" more ride height right off the bat (suspension mounting points are relative to the lower surface of the frame, body mounting points are off the top... ). I also thought it would be cool to have a true "1-ton RC". Mostly just a novelty... and I like to be different.
I had already swapped a Dana 80 into the 93. BUT, the 80s are $$ to build, heavy, and have a long pinion. I had a 14 bolt laying in the backyard that already had 4. 56's in it, so I am using that instead. It gets me a ~3" longer driveshaft than the dana 80 would have.
So far, I have torn the 93 apart, shortened the frame (~42. 5" cut out), and re-did the rear spring setup. I put on a pair of ~64" long chevy rear leafs from a half-ton 2wd. Mainly for ride quality and travel. Up front I am going to use 52" long dodge rears.
So the end goal:
79 Ramcharger removeable top body on a 93 1 ton cummins frame.
Dana 60, 4. 56's and an ARB. 14 Bolt GM, 4. 56's and either a spool, detroit, ARB, discs, etc.
The motor right now has Don M injectors and some pump work. It made ~280hp at the wheels a few years ago with a stock fuel pin and stock gov springs with a hx35-12. I will prob run an M&H pin, gov springs, and an HE351 on it.
518 auto, rebuilt about 50K ago. Has a TCI converter, will probably be replaced with either a 4500 later on, or at least a DTT converter.
205. Will either wind up being a 203/205 doubled setup, or maybe just a Klune-V between.
Initially I will put 37's on it so I dont destroy the body until I clearance stuff... but the end goal is 40-42's with ~3-4" of lift. On some sort of beadlocked wheel (Walkers or BTR's ideally... If I can find some good used ones)
FOA, King, Fox, Bilstein... some sort of ~2. 5" Diameter shock. Hoping for ~14" front, 16+" rear (vertical).
I am going to use the 93 dash, Seat and door panels.
Outside, it will be the 72-80 body style (no upper body line, higher lower body line) but I will retain the 93 grill just to be different. The grill might wind up line-x'ed body color like my 04.
I have always wanted a "macho" paint schemed cummins (I own a 77 big block macho). But I wanted to do this blue. So I am doing the top Jeep Cosmos Blue (similar to petty blue), the bottom black, and having Macho stripes made in a dark blue. I am unsure what color to do the top... Black or blue.
It will be used as a family rockcrawler/trail vehicle, and also another Chase/Pre-run truck for our Class 7 Desert Race Ranger.
Here are a few recent pics. I will post some up later of the truck when I started, and the RC's.
--Jeff
So, I had plans of turning my 1993 excab 4wd cummins into a 4 door at one point in time. Acquired a 4 door... had nearly everything to finish and then for some reason I woke up one day realizing I should build a Ramcharger. Had to be a 74-80 pop-top though, to replace the Jeep. As fate would have it, there were 2 locally on Craigslist. Also as fate would have it... he wanted to trade for a SUV of some sort. I happened to have a 1994 grand cherokee in my backyard sitting there awaiting to be turned into my "pre-runner" for our race truck... So, the ZJ got ousted for 2 Ramchargers.
Initially I was just going to swap the 93's drivetrain into the RC, but then decided to do it a little different and shorten the 93 frame. For a few reasons. One, I wanted to use the flattest leafs possible to keep a good ride, but I eventually want to clear 42" tires. The wider frame gives me a good 2. 5" more ride height right off the bat (suspension mounting points are relative to the lower surface of the frame, body mounting points are off the top... ). I also thought it would be cool to have a true "1-ton RC". Mostly just a novelty... and I like to be different.
I had already swapped a Dana 80 into the 93. BUT, the 80s are $$ to build, heavy, and have a long pinion. I had a 14 bolt laying in the backyard that already had 4. 56's in it, so I am using that instead. It gets me a ~3" longer driveshaft than the dana 80 would have.
So far, I have torn the 93 apart, shortened the frame (~42. 5" cut out), and re-did the rear spring setup. I put on a pair of ~64" long chevy rear leafs from a half-ton 2wd. Mainly for ride quality and travel. Up front I am going to use 52" long dodge rears.
So the end goal:
79 Ramcharger removeable top body on a 93 1 ton cummins frame.
Dana 60, 4. 56's and an ARB. 14 Bolt GM, 4. 56's and either a spool, detroit, ARB, discs, etc.
The motor right now has Don M injectors and some pump work. It made ~280hp at the wheels a few years ago with a stock fuel pin and stock gov springs with a hx35-12. I will prob run an M&H pin, gov springs, and an HE351 on it.
518 auto, rebuilt about 50K ago. Has a TCI converter, will probably be replaced with either a 4500 later on, or at least a DTT converter.
205. Will either wind up being a 203/205 doubled setup, or maybe just a Klune-V between.
Initially I will put 37's on it so I dont destroy the body until I clearance stuff... but the end goal is 40-42's with ~3-4" of lift. On some sort of beadlocked wheel (Walkers or BTR's ideally... If I can find some good used ones)
FOA, King, Fox, Bilstein... some sort of ~2. 5" Diameter shock. Hoping for ~14" front, 16+" rear (vertical).
I am going to use the 93 dash, Seat and door panels.
Outside, it will be the 72-80 body style (no upper body line, higher lower body line) but I will retain the 93 grill just to be different. The grill might wind up line-x'ed body color like my 04.
I have always wanted a "macho" paint schemed cummins (I own a 77 big block macho). But I wanted to do this blue. So I am doing the top Jeep Cosmos Blue (similar to petty blue), the bottom black, and having Macho stripes made in a dark blue. I am unsure what color to do the top... Black or blue.
It will be used as a family rockcrawler/trail vehicle, and also another Chase/Pre-run truck for our Class 7 Desert Race Ranger.
Here are a few recent pics. I will post some up later of the truck when I started, and the RC's.
--Jeff
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I love modified stuff too. I had an old '69 Ford F100 that I put a Chrysler 400 and 727TF into. And I'm betting I am gonna try to stuff a Cummins 4BT into an old Scout one day. I love those little rusty boxes... 
