the start of my first build.

[89ram50crawlbuild717]

sorry for the crappy pictures at first, i bought the 89 with the intent of swapping the motor to my 1987 sport but after taking offroading a couple times i noticed it wasn't half bad to keep for a shuttle truck for biking and a dd but i never took time to take pictures of the severe chassis rust in the rear so there are some parts missing. but here we go.




hauling wood for the stove:about a month after i got it.
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some random pictures before the frame was overhauled
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the frame was so bad in the rear i decided to cut the chassis back to the shackle mounts and patch the rest up of the problem areas with 3/8ths diamond plate and i replaced the xmembers with 2x4 a500 Canadian steel and the tubular xmember i replaced with some pipe laying around,also welded up a new gas tank mount,shackle mounts, capped of the chassis and made shackles.

the setup for the shackle mounts are 3/8ths diamond plate and a lower leaf spring bushing at the end for the shackles to connect to.
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the bed you see on it now is only temp,i just need it for inspection and was made from lumber i had laying around but then i will be dropping a red oak tree and having a buddy of mine that has one of those portable saw mills cut me up a bunch of a 1x6's and 1x4's to make a good one since rough cut lumber looks sooo bad ass when its stained and sealed and also it will save tons of money!
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but thats about it for now so ill post more progress then when it happens.

[89ram50crawlbuild717]

1/8ths diamond plate not 3/8ths

[noahwins]

Bobbed flat bed made of red oak is gonna look bitchin. Utility boxes in front of the wheels behind the cab?

[89ram50crawlbuild717]

im not sure on where im relocating the spare to as of right now but i have some ideas in mind but the red oak bed should be the cherry on the top for the summer and i also plan on installing the hi lifts slide and lock system for strap down point and i was also looking at these under body mounted tool boxes i can install by the cab so i can keep my tools and straps in a neat space and keep the cab from getting all cluttered up also i found a nice petrol tank i can mount in the bed to clean up the underside from b.s. to get hung up on in trail. but the next steps are,new bed,montero ucas,and bigger tires. plus if i dont go with under mounted boxes i found nice tower style ones.

links
http://www.hi-lift.com/slide-n-lock/index.html

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Buyers-Products-Company-18-in-Aluminum-Recessed-Door-Underbody-Toolbox-with-T-Handle-Latch-1705101/204338297

http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=179566-76354-37024153&langId=-1&storeId=10151&productId=3101649&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lund-Aluminum-Tool-Tower-Tool-Box-4417/202903112?N=5yc1vZc23lZ1z10ydu

http://www.am-autoparts.com/Mitsubishi/Montero/front-control-arms/AM-3815345927/649848.html?gclid=CIX184fu9MMCFXJp7AodXk4AGw

[89ram50crawlbuild717]

im not sure on where im relocating the spare to as of right now but i have some ideas in mind but the red oak bed should be the cherry on the top for the summer and i also plan on installing the hi lifts slide and lock system for strap down point and i was also looking at these under body mounted tool boxes i can install by the cab so i can keep my tools and straps in a neat space and keep the cab from getting all cluttered up also i found a nice petrol tank i can mount in the bed to clean up the underside from b.s. to get hung up on in trail. but the next steps are,new bed,montero ucas,and bigger tires.

[pennyman1]

since you are in PA, be ready for a hassle at inspection time - PA requires a reconstructed title for a truck with a wooden bed to be legal to inspect...

[89ram50crawlbuild717]

i know pennyman-but i got a couple shops that will turn a blind eye to it till i get the R title.

[89ram50crawlbuild717]

i still have the factory bed so ill put that on when inspection time comes.

[pennyman1]

That was my other suggestion - I went through the same thing years ago for Geronimo until I put a regular bed back on.

[89ram50crawlbuild717]

did the cops mess with you bad when you had the flatbed?......these P.A. cops are unreal no matter where you live in the commonwealth!

[pennyman1]

Mine was a stepside wooden bed - didn't mess with me except for the time I drove it without the front bumper and had the turn signals taped to the brackets. I was going to get a new exhaust and just painted the bumper. 1 block into Mt Lebanon (total pita for anything car related) and was pulled over and ticketed. Fought the ticket, and when the magistrate asked how long was the truck going to be that way if I wasn't pulled over, I answered" put back together the same day"- the ticket was dismissed.

[BradMph]

Run a video camera, keep them honest. Funny how they change their tune when they get informed that they are on video. lol.

[89ram50crawlbuild717]

i want to set up a go pro in the cab just for that reason,cops can be complete pricks with custom builds in my area, i remember back when i didnt have my grill on my 87 sport because a deer judo kicked the damn thing in half haha but the cop tried saying my vehicle could be impounded but i laughed in his face and asked how? so he went back to the ol crown vic to read through violation codes but i guess he couldn't find anything because his ass pulled off 5 mins after walking back to his cruiser,so i can only image the attention a chopped up and planked out truck is going to bring once i start driving her on the streets again.