oops !
I guess I should have posted here first . . . I was just used to web sites having their "General Discussion" and related sections at the top of the forum lists .
( That'll teach ME not to scroll down on sites I'm not familiar with , huh? )
Anyways , I've been hanging out in the Dodge Tech section mostly since joining this summer , and am very impressed with some of the creative abilities of the members here .Very nice !!
I'm 45 , and a machinist/millwright/welder/fabricator by trade . I've got an 04' Ram that's my daily driver , a 94 2500 RAM plow truck , and an old 87 Ramcharger that I'm trying to figure out how I wanna go about converting into a woods crawling moose-wagon .
The RC's frame is pretty crusty in the back , so the first thing will be to chop it off and start fabbing the rear section from tube .
Living up here , you really need a vehicle similar to what they're running in Alaska so I've been slowly digesting Dusty's incredible 'Kodiak-Rockwell' build thread , and have been very pleasantly entertained . I doubt I'll go the Rockwell-route , nor will it be nearly as big as the swamps are something I'll try to avoid getting TOO deep in . ( Yeah . . . I know , best laid plans of moose and men , and all that )
I'm thinking , probably about 38 or 40" tires on 70's , probably trailing arm the rear with coils and just run leafs up front . Strengthen the 727 she has and build a Magnum roller 360 , and try to concentrate , primarily on strength and reliability of the shafts and axles .
I've got a fair amount of experience building and machining engines , and the metal fab skills too , but not too much dealing with the transfers and axles , so I'll be looking for a lot of info being a FNG here . My off-roading experience is limited to 4-6" lifts on 35-38 " tires with pretty stock components other than the motor .
Great site here , looks like a lot of crazy-assed gear-heads too . . . . oughta be a fracking hoot!!