Help me pick my first 1st Gen truck!

[RSchwarzli]

standerd 9/16 wheel studs were my 2x4 has bigger 5/8 wheel studs that need a coined wheel on them.

Uhhh, say what now? Coined wheel? Like take a penny and drill holes in it, slap rubber on it, and use it as a wheel?

 

[LJinLA]

That is exactly what you need to do. As soon as you settle on something, the next week the exact truck you want will be for sale for a cheaper price than what you settled for. That's how it happen with me, at least.

Thanks for saying that and I look forward to it happening that way!! Oo. Oo. Oo.

 

[LJinLA]

I dont see why you wouldnt be abale to put one wide tire on the back of a dually it be no differnt then a super single a big truck, though it would be easyer to do with a factory 4x4 truck as they have the standerd 9/16 wheel studs were my 2x4 has bigger 5/8 wheel studs that need a coined wheel on them. As for gearing you are on the right path with wanting 3. 55s mine had 4. 10s in it when i got it and with the 5 speed and 235/85R 16 tires it would not go above 70 on the highway, I have since changed then over to 3. 54 and now i can run 70 all day and up to 93 before i hit the gov. at 2500 rpm.

Thanks for pointing that out ... I think I'd better stick to searching for a SRW.



Yep, even the guy aforementioned running 38. 5 tires with 3. 55s says that not only he was finally able to use the first gear (manual transmission in a 92 W250) in a much more useful way, but that he is now also getting a much better mileage (in spite of the super heavy tires) and achieving a higher top speed. I think that 3. 55s and 37s (or even 38s) is ideally the way to go with a W250.

 

[DVolk]

Anouther option would be find a brand X truck and do a conversion on it , id check out auto traders web site i see them often on there

 

[RWherley]

Not exactly have you ever seen the duall wheels with raised ring around the lug hole and a cone cut into the wheel around the next one so it goes ring, cone ring, cone and so on, they line the wheels up with the truck hub and each other kind of like the cone shaped lug nuts on older big trucks. Now that i think about it if you plan on doing a lot of off roading a srw would be better.

 

[LJinLA]

DVolk, I don't have the mechanical skills or tools to do a cummins conversion.

RWherley, I agree, I think that searching for an SRW would be my best option.

I've been looking extensively these days, hopefully I'll come up with a truck that is right for me soon... .

 

[DVolk]

I know on craigslist there has been a couple of fords with 5. 9s up here in oregon so you might do a search .
One thing to rtenember is if you run the big tires you will want to buy the the steering box bracket thats on dodge connections web site , that might be wrong i can find it if needed , this brace prevents the frame from cracking and for around $30 with the hardware its a wise investment even for a stock truck and its easy to install and you dont have to take it to a alignment shop because nothing changes.

 

[RSchwarzli]

Not exactly have you ever seen the duall wheels with raised ring around the lug hole and a cone cut into the wheel around the next one so it goes ring, cone ring, cone and so on, they line the wheels up with the truck hub and each other kind of like the cone shaped lug nuts on older big trucks. Now that i think about it if you plan on doing a lot of off roading a srw would be better.

Hmmm. Will do some Googling this one... .

 

[NIsaacs]

Hmmm. Will do some Googling this one... .

It's hard to explain, I will try and takes some pictures of this old style dually wheel, Ford, Dodge and IHC used them. They are stud centric with 4 holes tapered and 4 raised and must be mounted to interlock. Some hubs had a dowel pin and the wheels had a hole to match so a newbe tire guy could only fit them the right way. If not and the wheels were mounted raised on raised you soon had problems. They were called coined wheels.



Nick

 

[NIsaacs]

Here is a pic if I don't mess it up.

 

[HHhuntitall]

Also called Bud wheels, bro. Also used on semi-trucks until late 80's..... Good system, until a tire shop doesn't bother to line 'em up right and bolts them down on the alignment pin..... The alignment pins insured the valve stems were opposite each other. Later model 1st gen Dodges are hub-centric, as well as "coined". All should have the alignment pin from the factory. Cheby trucks had an outer reinforcement plate they used, as well, that went outside the wheel, under the lug nuts. Furd used the coined wheels until '87, IIRC.

 

[LJinLA]

I know on craigslist there has been a couple of fords with 5. 9s up here in oregon so you might do a search .

One thing to rtenember is if you run the big tires you will want to buy the the steering box bracket thats on dodge connections web site , that might be wrong i can find it if needed , this brace prevents the frame from cracking and for around $30 with the hardware its a wise investment even for a stock truck and its easy to install and you dont have to take it to a alignment shop because nothing changes.

Thanks for suggesting all this, DVolk, I'm looking into it right away.

 

[NIsaacs]

Also called Bud wheels, bro. Also used on semi-trucks until late 80's..... Good system,

Good system? I never liked the coined wheels. Since the outer nut and wheel was the clamp for the inner wheel and the interlock was sloppy and crude it was rare for the inner wheel to be centered. On a big truck the inner wheel had its own nut to center on then the outer centered on it with it's own nut, better system.



The front axle on my Ford uses the coined wheel. It is out of a '76 Dodge motorhome with factory flat faced built in washered nuts... . hello??... . they were not centered... . so I use and carry 2 tappered nuts to center the wheel on the hub, then zap 6 of the flat faced nuts on, then pull off the tappered ones and finish with the other 2 flat face nuts, what a crock I could have switched over to all tappered nuts but I like the super heavy duty flat ones that the axle came with.



Nick

 

[HHhuntitall]

Good system? I never liked the coined wheels. Since the outer nut and wheel was the clamp for the inner wheel and the interlock was sloppy and crude it was rare for the inner wheel to be centered. On a big truck the inner wheel had its own nut to center on then the outer centered on it with it's own nut, better system.

That is true, two nuts on big trucks. Earlier trucks didn't have that, 50-60's. They were just like the 80's Dodge, only 5 or 6 lug. Not that it matters, I guess. The concept is the same.

The front axle on my Ford uses the coined wheel. It is out of a '76 Dodge motorhome with factory flat faced built in washered nuts... . hello??... . they were not centered... . so I use and carry 2 tappered nuts to center the wheel on the hub, then zap 6 of the flat faced nuts on, then pull off the tappered ones and finish with the other 2 flat face nuts, what a crock I could have switched over to all tappered nuts but I like the super heavy duty flat ones that the axle came with.



Nick

I did the same on my '91 and '93 until I went to Alcoas. Always torqued 'em down with the two, then torqued two flats. The '80

s Cheby and some heavy tandem dual 12k axles use the tapered nuts with the outer plate I was talking about for reinforcement.

 

[NIsaacs]

The '80s Cheby and some heavy tandem dual 12k axles use the tapered nuts with the outer plate I was talking about for reinforcement.

Yes, my gooseneck with 17. 5's use that style, but all those are flat faced hub centric wheels, you can't use a tapered nut on the wheel so they use the clamp with the outside being tapered. Chevy has used that style for years, even on the medium duty C40's to C60's, ten bolt but only used 5 for the front. Way better than the coined type.



Nick

 

[LJinLA]

Has any of you ever bought a salvage title truck and fixed it?
It's a bit adventurous, but there is a very local to me, damaged 1992 Cummins Ram 4x4 manual. According to the owner it can be started and driven. The truck, apart from the accident damage looks in very good condition, no rust, excellent interior/exterior, very clean engine, etc. Owner initially wanted $3. 5K but I think I can get it for $2K or less. It looks like a $10K truck. Can anyone give any feedback on this, please?

 

[DVolk]

Ive looked at sevral to buy but were sold trying to get the funds , there not bad the insurance companys stamp the title wrecked or salvage for real stupid resons a freind of mine wasbumped in the rear of his 77 Cordoba and it put a little crease in the bumper you could barely see , he got a few hundred bucks and a branded title , since the insurance companys dont like to deal with used parts or vehicles over a certain age , my father iin law bought a s-10 with one it needed some tlc that i done with it other than the bumpers you cant telll it was ever wrecked. Just crawl under it and make shure nothing on the frame looks bent and drive it if it drives good BUY IT ,you found a good rtig !!!!!

 

[HHhuntitall]

I've bought several and rebuilt them. In Texas you can get a rebuilt title, you just have to fill out the paperwork, and show evidence of where you purchased the parts. I've got several salvage title trucks I've parted out, using some of the parts to rebuild trucks I still have. I sold a '98 last year that was rebuilt. High mileage and older trucks get salvage titles very easy from insurance agencies, as they find it's easier to pay off a $5k truck than deal with rebuilding it. Only way to avoid that is insure it as an antique if it's old enough. I have a '97 I bought 5 years ago that had 76k miles on it, that had been totaled when the insurance rep saw transmission fluid leaking out of the T-case. The drive shaft had bottomed out and cracked the casing from where the control arms bent and allowed the axle to move backwards after hitting a ditch. A new front section of the case, two control arms, and the truck was back on the road, and I put it to work feeding cows.



If it's as clean as you say it is, I'd buy it, and if you aren't happy with it, I'll probably give you your money back... . But you'll have to meet me half way to Texas..... From San Diego, you can be in El Paso before I can!!



Not sure of your state's rules... . Commiefornia can be a PITA to work with... .

 

[LJinLA]

I know that, unfortunately CA can be a real PITA to deal with

I'd very much like to jump on this deal, but here is my dilemma:
The damage seems to be just to the body, the engine isn't damaged. However, the damage to the front of the body is extensive: on the right corner, the headlight is gone, the hood bent, much of the front grill, bumper, etc. is no longer there.
Now, I don't have a garage or other place where to store the truck - I would have to park it in the street, in a highly trafficked section of Los Angeles.
Since the truck can be driven, I thought I might be able to give it a temporary fix so that it wouldn't draw too much attention and could be registered as a non-salvage vehicle, if this is at all possible by simply changing its status from salvage, and then work on it little by little.
I know, it's a very precarious way to go about it, but there's nothing else I can do about it in my present situation. The deal is very tempting to me and it'll probably be gone quickly unless I grab it immediately.
But, unless I can change the truck's status from salvage title so that it can be legally driven and parked on the street, this is unfortunately a deal I won't be able to take advantage of.
If it is as simple as buying the truck, going to the DMV to register it and change its status... ... . then it could be a go. Can a vehicle with a salvage title be driven ordinarily and parked in the street? Unfortunately, I have no experience with this type of stuff. Will call the DMV first thing in the morning.

If someone has any additional ideas on how to make this feasible, please pour your input in, it would be much appreciated.

 

[HHhuntitall]

Lease a rental storage building or RV storage spot in a secured lot. I used to lease a 20'x40' for $130 month, and I did mechanic work out of it. I had all my tools stashed in there, and after a few months, I leased the one next to it, then two covered RV spots to park my project vehicles in, or customer's when I worked on outside trucks. For you, I'd say a 10-12x25' or larger should fit your truck..... then you can go out and work on it when you get the time, no worries about anyone stealing off of it, or no HOA or city regulations on non-operational vehicles parked on the street. Not sure what rental places go for now, that was back '97-01 when I had mine, and that was a smaller town. I also got in good with the elderly owners by mowing what little grass they had and making small repairs and improvements around the place, like wiring in lighting, repairing doors, spraying weeds/grass in the gravel, shooting 'coons/skunks/trespassers... . you get the idea...



Oh, and I forgot, but after performing repairs in Texas, you have to get a completed green sheet inspection (which means it has to pass) before taking it in the county tax office with the completed forms. When transferring from states like OK, AZ, and AK you have to, too. Seems they don't have to have inspections or weight tickets in some states, but Texas requires it.



Since the DMV won't be open today, and my curiosity got the best of me, here's the California DMV website for How To: ReRegister a Salvage vehicle: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/brochures/howto/htvr13.htm



Looks like you need the first five items, probably not the rest if it was previously registered in CA. Good luck!!