RamRunner Refresh

[75RamRunner]

There are two crew cab trucks (79 and 75) within 3-4 hours of me right now that are making it really hard to not go that route. I think i would "grocery getter" that truck a lot more than i drive the ramcharger and still have the bones to party when wanted.

From all my searching the ramchargers and crew cab trucks are identical from the B pillar forward and from the rear wheel well to the back.

Does anyone see and massive plot holes with the below

1. Cut CC firewall and floor out
2. Cut RC chassis at B-pillar to floor and cut frame railes just behind the t-case tie in
3. Lower CC onto RC chassis/half frame
4. Extend and sleeve tube to a full 4 door roll cage, sleeve and build new frame rails from back of cab to tailgate.


My thought is the back half of the ramcharger chassis as far as frame down is concerned, could more than likely be reused. Use the tailgate/wheel well as a located and then build a new riser to the back half. I did some fiddle ****ing with a tape and im not entirely convinced the frame rise to tailgate dimensions isn't also identical... as in i may just have to add 3ish feet of straight tube right behind the B-pillar to accommodate the second door and then plug and play the back. That would massively shorten fab time as id just be extending the frame and the interior cage and then dealing with the new sheet metal floor/firewall

 

[Mad Max]

...so are you intending to essentially make a monster crew cab? I can attest that those are quite fun :) . Initial thoughts. Your RC and the crew cab both hold 5 people, with one having a bigger 'bed', tho not 'accessible' internally like the RC's rear cargo area. If you were to monsterfy the CC I wouldn't 'combine' them, I would remove the cage from the RC and modify/install it in the CC, and transfer everything from the RC to the CC, making improvements along the way. Cutting the floor and firewall seem like a lotlotlot of 'grind' work...and I'm not sure what you would really gain from swapping them - I presume you have a lotlotlot of mods to the RCs firewall and floor that you would want in the CC. Ok, but I would leave the CC as-is and upgrade with the components from the RC, again making the necessary mods and upgrades along the way to suit.

Or...Leave the RC as-is, grab the CC and build it big n strong 40s, and use the CC as a grocery-getter and pull the RC behind it for hammer time :) . And...if you can find a decent 1st Gen Cummins truck (91.5-93) I'd install THAT driveline in the CC and have a spectacular driver that could very easily be upgraded for towing the RC anywhere you'd like. I've been to that movie more than once and know a lot of simple tricks - I PMd my number - holler at me anytime and we can chat more.

- Sam

 

[75RamRunner]

...so are you intending to essentially make a monster crew cab? I can attest that those are quite fun :) . Initial thoughts. Your RC and the crew cab both hold 5 people, with one having a bigger 'bed', tho not 'accessible' internally like the RC's rear cargo area. If you were to monsterfy the CC I wouldn't 'combine' them, I would remove the cage from the RC and modify/install it in the CC, and transfer everything from the RC to the CC, making improvements along the way. Cutting the floor and firewall seem like a lotlotlot of 'grind' work...and I'm not sure what you would really gain from swapping them - I presume you have a lotlotlot of mods to the RCs firewall and floor that you would want in the CC. Ok, but I would leave the CC as-is and upgrade with the components from the RC, again making the necessary mods and upgrades along the way to suit.

- Sam

Yes and no, basically id want the entire drivetrain/setup from the RC into the CC. Ive love my diesels, but i want them on the street or ranch work, not on the trails.

Firewall to B pillar is complete stock as far as sheet metal goes, B-pillar back is all custom sheet metal and tube, think truggy with bedsides that has tubs. Thats where the cut and graft mentality and appeal comes in, id want to retain the cowl, wiper motors, 85% of the firewall, etc from the CC and just notch the chassis tie ins and then "patch" the firewall back. Id have to cut the floor out to do what im envisioning but i think id be cutting a good amount out anyways to retain the flat belly pan.

The appeal to the CC is a fully enclosed cab with a/c and heat, something the ramcharger just cant feasibly do and the full width rear seat, the back seat i have, due to the shock mounts and cage, is 42" wide and really only fits 1 adult or two children comfortably, it really didnt fit the car seat and junior suspension seat.....and the adult is back there they better be 5'8" or shorter or their knees are into the B-pillar cross bars. Its very usable, but it was an afterthought mod, not designed to be there.

 

[Crashnzuk]

Are you wanting to keep the front floor because there’s a bunch of tube and seat mounts etc welded to and through it? I assume the same goes for the firewall? Then I would cut it just below the cowl air box so your new cab retains the fresh air inlet for factory a/c box (assuming you want to use the factory setup). The front floor is different in a crew cab, the front seat area is flat front to back unlike the rearward up slope of RCs and the other models of truck cab. I’d look at where is the place to cut/remove/rework the least amount of things to put my splices. I also think your cut and stretch the frame behind the tcase has merit.
Travis..

 

[75RamRunner]

Are you wanting to keep the front floor because there’s a bunch of tube and seat mounts etc welded to and through it? I assume the same goes for the firewall? Then I would cut it just below the cowl air box so your new cab retains the fresh air inlet for factory a/c box (assuming you want to use the factory setup). The front floor is different in a crew cab, the front seat area is flat front to back unlike the rearward up slope of RCs and the other models of truck cab. I’d look at where is the place to cut/remove/rework the least amount of things to put my splices. I also think your cut and stretch the frame behind the tcase has merit.
Travis..

Good to know on the floor, i think i may have done a bad job explaining the sheet metal side. I dont intend to keep any sheet metal from the RC. I also don't intend to keep the floor of the CC, the chassis has cage tie ins at the B-pillar, firewall to engine cage, and B pillar that i would like to keep together.

The way its build i should be able to cut the bottom out of the crew cab and slide the skin over the top of the chassis and the roof cage/engine bar tie ins locate the entire cab. From there it would be fabbing the cage for the back seat, frame extensions, and then build a new floor/firewall.

However you are correct the goal would be to keep the cowl airbox, i wouldnt need to really yard sale the whole firewall out, moreso cut a channel where the bars are going to slide "up" as the cab slides down.

 

[Crashnzuk]

Sounds like you’ve got it figured out.
Travis..

 

[Mad Max]

...the idea of essentially 'growing' your RC into a crew cab is boss - please proceed 👍