My "new" old truck.

[dward]

I just bought my 4th Dodge CTD but I seem to be going the wrong way. My first was a 94, then an 01 to an 03 drw to carry my big Lance camper.

After selling the 03 as I sold the camper and didn't really have a need for it anymore (2400 mi in 1 year) I found a pristine 93 club cab 4x4 auto with 95k miles. The owner bought it from his uncle and put over $8k into it the past 12 mo, including a bed off paint job, new wheels/tires, brakes etc.

Compared to the 03 with the Smarty and AFE enhancements, the 93 is a little anemic. It still gets the job done but a little slower. It does have 305/75/16 tires and the engine is completely stock. The trans is in good shape with an aux cooler.

I'm looking for reliability and longevity but wouldn't mind a little more power. After dropping $$ into the 03 I just want to keep it simple and inexpensive.

I would like to maybe go back to a smaller tire as I believe the axle ratio is 3:54. Correct me if wrong.

What wheels would fit this truck if I looked for used. Will a standard 8 lug ford or chevy 16" fit?

What would be my best option to increase the power a little w/o having to worry about the trans or other components, or is there some upgrades for the trans that aren't too involved.

I plan to at least install gauges and address the KDP issue. Is there any concern with the lift pump as on the 01 and 03?

The steering seems ok, but a little loose and a Borgeson may be in the future.

I really like the 93, it feels like a "TRUCK" and definitely stands out a lot more than the newer ones.

Thanks for reading and I'm sure I will have many more questions as I learn about this old girl.

 

[MMeier]

All kinds of stuff you can do to that 12v that will totally change its presonality and not have to worry about . Check out the first gen forum here . My 93 had 33x12. 50x16. 5's on it when I got it 3 years ago, if the front springs are not sagging too bad they will clear with the right offset wheel. Turns out the stock 235's are the same height as the 33's ... verified by GPS speedo readings. Post some pics of that low mile rig !!!!

 

[dward]

Thanks for the post. I found the FAQ after I posted. A lot of great info. The previous owner actually paid about $1200 to have a custom set of "DEEVER" front springs installed which made for a much better ride. They must be taller as the larger tires have plenty of room. Didn't realize they were the same height, so I guess I will leave the tires on if it doesn't change the ratio.

Will work on the pics but it looks exactly like the one in the left top corner of the home page, minus the camper shell.

 

[CValiquette]

It's 1stGen.org :: Index. That was a Christian website lol. 1stgen has definitely been good to me though. If you need any parts, look up Mark Nixon on there. He parts out trucks and always has stuff up on the classifieds.

 

[MMeier]

It's 1stGen.org :: Index. That was a Christian website lol. 1stgen has definitely been good to me though. If you need any parts, look up Mark Nixon on there. He parts out trucks and always has stuff up on the classifieds.

OOPS, erased that link !