1981-93 Dodge Ram 4x4 Help

[matthon]

Researching the 81-93 Ram trucks and looking to see if anyone here can fill in the blanks.

I know the VIN has info like Model, Year, Series, Engine, but what transmissions and axles were available?

I'm going to look at a 84, 318 4 speed, appears to be stock, so let's go with that.
Based on pics, the shifter appears to be in the center/forward area of the tunnel, so it's probably the granny gear 4 speed.

For around town with short highway trips, and an occasional towing, are these a good trans?

Was the A833 OD trans even available with the 4x4?
Is an OD a good swap, or even reasonably possible?

Looks like a Dana 60 rear, just not sure what the ratio would be or what the front axle should be?

I would prefer an extended cab/short bed/auto, and it's a regular cab/extended bed/manual, however everything has already been gone through/rebuilt and there is no rust, which is unheard of in these parts.

Any help or insight is greatly appreciated.

 

[Jeff Peterson]

I have a '84 w150 318, but with a 727, so can't comment on the 4 speed, it will have a 9.25 rear end and a dana 44 front, my truck has 3.23's
(edit) after digging around it looks like a new process 435 would be what's installed in the 4wd's, granny low with 4th. being direct.

 

[matthon]

Looks like rear is a Dana 9.75.

 

[Budnicks]

Looks like rear is a Dana 9.75.

View attachment 1588364

must be a W200 or 3/4 ton with floating axles,
a W150 1/2 ton usually doesn't have a Dana-60

9.25" has 12 bolt cover
9.75" has only 10 bolt cover

dana-44 & dana-60 (even a dana-70) pans look a lot alike/shape wise
the dana-60 is physically much bigger

 

[Jeff Peterson]

Mine……

 

[Detective D]

All half ton anythings Chrysler made going back into the 70's were the 9.25's.
Ford guys get hung up on dana 60 because the alternative for them will break.
You will not break a Chrysler 9.25 unless you do something really, really stupid. Or run it dry. Make sure it has something in it. The pinion seals go out slowly and the oil will come out. So it is not "bad" you don't have a dana 60. It won;t matter.
I wouldn't mess with swapping the transmission, why give up the 4 speed? If you tune the thing right it will purr along at highyway speed and sip gas anyway, it's a 318.
Chrysler in the 80's got the work done using a 318 and gearing. If you want it to tow, you need the gearing to let the engine run in the higher rpm range until you are up to speed. 4 speed will do that for you.

 

[Detective D]

Oh I should mention too, you could be one of the unlucky few that got a dana 44 in the back instead. You can break those. Not very common on Dodge trucks that I am aware.

 

[matthon]

So the 6th digit of the VIN, the Series, will tell me if it is a 1/2, 3/4, or 1 ton.
And a 3/4 and 1 ton would come with the Dana 60?

What makes it a 3/4 or 1 ton, something about the frame, axles?

 

[Jeff Peterson]

5 bolt wheels for 150, 8 for 250/350

 

[matthon]

Looked at the truck.
VIN is on the dash, the sticker on the door jamb, and the sticker on the underside of the hood, all match.
Hood sticker has a code that has AUTO TRANS after it.

According to the VIN, 1B7FD14T3ES:
USA, Dodge, Truck, 4-5k lbs, 2WD, 1/2 ton, Standard Cab, 318 2bbl, Check Digit, 1984, Warren MI.

The cab and front sheet metal are clearly from the same 2WD truck, the bed is from another truck as it is a different color.
Both are rust free.

Chassis has Dana 44 and Dana 60, 8 lug wheels, 318 4bbl, granny gear manual trans.

What I cannot figure is what the chassis is from, a W150, W250, or W350?
Or is it a 2WD chassis converted to 4WD?

I don't really care if it was made into a W250/350, just trying to figure out what it is.
Current owner bought it a decade ago from someone who could not finish.

 

[Jeff Peterson]

I would say w250, a 350 would have a Dana 60 in the front

 

[Detective D]

Looked at the truck.
VIN is on the dash, the sticker on the door jamb, and the sticker on the underside of the hood, all match.
Hood sticker has a code that has AUTO TRANS after it.

According to the VIN, 1B7FD14T3ES:
USA, Dodge, Truck, 4-5k lbs, 2WD, 1/2 ton, Standard Cab, 318 2bbl, Check Digit, 1984, Warren MI.

The cab and front sheet metal are clearly from the same 2WD truck, the bed is from another truck as it is a different color.
Both are rust free.

Chassis has Dana 44 and Dana 60, 8 lug wheels, 318 4bbl, granny gear manual trans.

What I cannot figure is what the chassis is from, a W150, W250, or W350?
Or is it a 2WD chassis converted to 4WD?

I don't really care if it was made into a W250/350, just trying to figure out what it is.
Current owner bought it a decade ago from someone who could not finish.

View attachment 1589308

View attachment 1589309

View attachment 1589310

View attachment 1589311

This last picture by the shock, is that an oil drip line or a crack?

People used to get donor trucks with the heavy axles and swap onto half tons for "mudding" around by me.
It could also be a junky 250 that they swapped the body over onto. Personally taking a 2wd half ton with an auto and turning it into a 4wd 3/4 ton swapping mechanical would be a lot more work than moving the body onto a chassis. But I know people that did it in their youth, usually Chebby guys, Ford guys around here dreamed big and never put their truck back together LOL. Not enough stuff is compatible with the Fords.
The underside looks pretty clean, at least.

 

[matthon]

This last picture by the shock, is that an oil drip line or a crack?

Snow melt.

Yeah, I think the body was swapped onto the chassis, not by the current owner though.

It is very clean under there, I was crawling all under it, no rust or rot.

 

[Daliant]

Plan on getting about 8 miles per gallon with that thing.

 

[Daliant]

It's got one hell of a body lift kit on it, I'm guessing the cab still has the small tunnel from when it was 2wd.
Can't tell what transfer case it has, hopefully not the full-time 4wd one and it has lockout hubs up front.
Looks like dana 60's front and rear, probably 4.10 gears in it.

 

[matthon]

8mpg, yikes.

Small tunnel, not sure, best pics I have of the tunnel, pic of the floor/rocker too.
It has lock out hubs up front and the selector on the floor.
Owner doesn't know the axle gears.

Going back to drive it, it had just snowed and he didn't want it driven on the salted roads.
I put it in all the gears in the driveway, and it was idling the entire time I was there, a few hours.

I am digging this truck, at the same time thinking it's more truck then I probably need.
Yet, condition, rebuilt 318, brakes, axles, blah blah blah, if I don't like it in a year I don't think I will lose on it.
It's so much easier to justify not buying a rusty piece of junk that needs everything or was misrepresented.
Although I need it for the occasional tow, and always wanted a 4WD I could hit some trails with, this one might come down to driveability.

All the info helps.

 

[Detective D]

I dig that thing, but I also drive a 1990 Ramcharger all summer.
These trucks, if the floor and rocker looks that good, then the whole truck is probably in great shape. The drip rails usually plug and water comes in right in the front of the door onto the floor area there and rots it. Then it moves into the rockers too.
MPG is going to depend on jetting and gear ratio. But if you you get the jetting right and can have the engine purr along at speed, a 318 can be about as efficient as they come.
4:10's is not the end of the world if the truck has 33's on it.

You won't know the whole story unless you can take it for a spin through all gears up to speed to see how it sounds and drives, how many rattles, how solid it feels. Might want to ask the guy about setting up a deal for first thing once the salt is gone, OR, if the price is really very good I doubt you would lose out just because the body is so clean. But you might discover the body lift is not done quite right for the steering linkage, or the fuel filler tube, or several other things that people sometimes try to "stretch" instead of buying the right parts for. A true test drive would find some of that. That is all fixable too, but keep it in the back of your head for price.
I 100% avoided a lift kit when I was looking for my Ramcharger. In WI, that was REALLY hard to find. There are too many half *** high school kid lift kit installs around here.

 

[matthon]

if the truck has 33's on it.

It has 35s.

But you might discover the body lift is not done quite right for the steering linkage, or the fuel filler tube, or several other things that people sometimes try to "stretch" instead of buying the right parts

I looked at that stuff and we went over it. Fuel filler looks correct, plastic gas tank, which I wasn't sure was factory but I thought that was a good thing. Steering was done correctly, new steering shaft and box. I was actually making a list of things it would need to remove the lift kit, but it grew fast, including replacing the 35s.

The drip rails usually plug and water comes in right in the front of the door onto the floor area there and rots it.

I saw some rust above the passenger door, in the middle, I pointed it out and thought the drip rail might be the cause.
As far as rust, that and a small hole in the bed floor, that is it.
I'm used to rust and rot all over.

Basically new everything <10k ago, except the transfer case and axles were not rebuilt, and only driven in nice weather.
Like I said, I would prefer an auto/extended cab/short bed, no lift, maybe 'settling' in this case is not a loss.

 

[matthon]

This made me think of WIW threads.

It seems some, including myself, are subconsciously looking for validation on purchasing and gravitate towards responses that support that.
Basically why I did not want to bring price into this, just the facts on what is good/bad and does it meet my wants/needs.

I've been back and forth on this one, even after seeing it in person I was thinking it was not for me.
There is a Ramcharger local for sale, a couple thousand more, west coast vehicle, 90k miles, really nice, but I'd prefer a pickup, especially for towing, and saving a few thousand is a plus.

 

[Jeff Peterson]

Rust free 1st gens don't grow on trees, how much does he want, or did I miss it?