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Real Wheels - Feature Trucks
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"Beauty is in the Eye of the
Beholder"
Ross Bartlett's
79 Dodge
Ramcharger "Old
Ugly" |
Poor old Dodge owners have to put
up with a lot just to drive what they like. From hand-me-down parts, to
ridicule, and all the stupid questions like "what kind of truck is that?"
It seems the general public just doesn't see Dodges the way they see Fords
and Chevys. That fine, that just means we have them all to ourselves! Ross
Bartlett is one of those Dodge owners that really takes his love of these
beasts to the extreme, but then that can be said for most Dodge owners.
Ross' 79 Dodge Ramcharger is his personal slice of heaven and it shows.
Not in the traditional ways like paint and body work but underneath where
it counts! This is no show stopper-primadonna truck, no sir! It's a
no-holds-barred, take-no-prisoners kind of truck! Like most 4x4's, it's a
work in progress, an unfinished masterpiece if you will. Heck the only
thing more fun than driving an old Dodge is fixing one up. With a late
model NP 241 T case, 85 Ramcharger axles, and a "Steer and Gear" steering
box, and Borgeson steering shaft this truck is was well on it's way to
perfection. To get the most out of the suspension in his truck Ross took
it to ORW in El Cajon, CA. and had Bruce Hill work some magic on the old
girl. Here are the results of all this work!
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Under the hood of Ross' Ramcharger lies the
old 360 motor with a few new touches thrown in. The Dual Optima Deep
Cycle Batteries are one of the first things you'll notice but the
custom shock hoops and Bilstein shocks stand out too. A K&N air
filter sits a top the for now stock engine but plans call for a new
resting spot for it. Half the fun of driving an old truck is getting
to make it exactly the way you want it. Ross still hasn't decided
what to do with the engine yet but plans are in the works |
| The front suspension is a combination of
off-the-shelf pieces and custom work. Bruce Hill at ORW did a
fantastic job of getting 12" of travel out the Skyjacker 6" lift
springs. The custom mounted Bilstein shock are the real story of
this truck. The quality of the work is amazing and the whole truck
is just fantastic. The custom front hoops allow a long enough shock
to handle the massive wheel travel and help add some stability to
the front end with the crossover bar. This setup will handle exactly
what Ross has in mind for the truck, high speed desert running with
some slower, more technical stuff thrown in too. |
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Here's the really neat part, the rear! Bruce
is pointing out the custom made crossmember he made for the dual
Bilsteins and their reservoirs. This is a first rate job through and
through. The original shock mounts just wouldn't have been strong
enough to handle the forces the big Bilsteins would be putting on it
so Bruce fabbed up the setup. It also allows for the removal of the
stock lower shock mounts that all Dodge owners know and love. A
U-bolt flip is in progress as we speak. This will add some extra
clearance and keep Ross from dragging his way over the taller
stuff. |
| The rest of the drivetrain is in a similar
state as the engine, kind of undecided. The stock NP 203 transfer
case has already gone bye-bye in favor of this NP 241 unit. The
transmission is still the good old 727 TF but plans are for an A-518
four speed to help with the 4.56 gears in the axles. Speaking of
axles, the stock ones were retired in favor of some '85 Ramcharger
axles. This gets rid of those lousy wheel bearing and anemic 5 X 4.5
bolt pattern. Bolted to those axles are 4 35x12.50R15 BFG Mud
Terrains on chrome rims. The whole package should suit Ross' needs
perfectly |
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To some people the body and paint are the
most important thing, Not to this Dodge owner! Sure it's nice to
have a truck the doesn't require a tetanus shot to ride in but it
all comes down to function! What's the point of looking good if you
can't go anywhere? I hear rumblings of a paint job coming soon but I
like it just the way it is,
beautiful! |
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