I am building my '99 2500 Shortbed 4x4 6 speed diesel into an Overland style rig. Not a crawler, but not a mellow desert truck either. I am looking at long arm kits, shackle flips, maybe going to 37s (on 35s now), need to regear and add lockers too.

 

As far as suspension I am looking at DOR stuff...trying to get minimal lift with maximum travel and I think DOR has that covered between the long arms and the shackle flip. Eventually I might do the coilovers but for now I will likely jut respring the front and use my fairly new Bilsteins.

 

I think I will do ARBs for the lockers...pretty darn pricey but it just seems to be the best strongest selectable lockers. I plan to put some road miles on this truck to get to e fun stuff so a selectable locker is kind of important...although an air locker up front and something more permanent in the rear might not be out of the question. I plan to add a compressor anyways, so there's that.

 

I think the truck has 3.55s. It is a 6 speed and feels like it tachs out a bit high to me so I wonder if someone put 3.73s in it...but either way I am guessing that 4.10s will be perfect for 35s or 37s to allow me to still get decent RPM at hiway speeds. Of course most lockers have a split in part number at the 4.10 mark...so if I had to run a lower (4.55s) I would have to get a new locker as well...so I don't want to screw this up.

 

So just kinda looking for any comments on my thoughts from the brain trust here. Thanks in advance.

Do keep in mind DOR has a very long wait for products. So be sure to measure and get things in order before ordering. Expect 6 month or longer sometimes for parts.

 

Let's see a picture of the truck...

i don;t think i would regear. i'd just use 4-low more often.

as for the ARB's i am not a fan.i've had 4 of them., they are great when new and everything works. but when you get an air leak, or are replacing the seal ever 10K miles. they are JUNK!!!! i'd look into electric lockers, OX lockers, or just a good ol turetrack.

i've been towed out of nasty areas because my ARB's wouldn't stay locked in from air leaks at the locker seal.

 

just my $.02 worth.

I agree with the above comments on the ARB lockers, when I worked at the gear shop I rebuilt many of them and actually replaced many carriers due to bad seals and or worn out housings not being able to seal up anymore.

They may be ok if it was a trail / off road rig only but to use as a dd'er they do not hold up at all.

In the rear I would do a good old fashioned Detroit locker, rough and tough and loud but nearly indestructible, front I would do and E-locker.

 

Suspension I would look here. http://www.carlisuspension.com/dodge-ram/components/index.html

 

 

 

Edited May 25, 20159 yr by Local399

I looked at Carli and actually have the Carli regular short arms on the truck now...bad thing is they pushed the axle so far forward that the Mag diff cover hits the track bar mount...a little lift will likely cure that if I stay with these arms. The intent of the long arm kit was to get TONS of drop...I think DOR claims like 12 inches of travel. I like the Carli arms though...but much of their stuff for the 2nd Gens is just not available any more.

 

I thought about E Lockers but was told the case is weaker than the air versions and that a 2500 diesel would likely run into issues...but I am open to the idea still. I would likely run a selectable locker on both ends since it is not that much more $$$ and I do put some city and road miles in to get to the good stuff. It has been years since I had a Detroit Locker in a truck and I can't remember how bad it is in city driving...again the truck is NOT a daily...but lots of road miles to anywhere even close to fun.

I have ran ARB's and was very happy with them. I daily drove 2 rigs with the same unit (changed it out, thank you Toyota 3rd members) from 01-07. Lots of trips on the interstate and lots of wheeling. I would say well over 100K miles between both rigs and 2 ARB's...see below. 

 

The only ARB issues I ever had was the weak as pump and even had one fail on me. I would skip their pump and run a ViAir if I ever went air locker again. 

 

Now this was on a lighter Toyota with less peak tq than the cummins makes on 1 cylinder at idle... but I was running 4.88's and 35's and did a fair amount of wheeling. 

 

The *$$^((*&@# that put the 1st 3rd member together forgot to either torque and/or locktite the ring gear bolts. I had a high speed vib after a couple years (but with a 22RE and 33-35" tires 70 wasn't easily obtained) that eventually turned into a clunk when a ring gear bolt went between the ring and pinion. That was wheeling/camping in Hamilton, Mt and I drove all the way to Boise, Id towing a 4 wheeler trailer before I tore it apart and found the issue. Aside from stripped threads the ARB took the abuse quite well. Towards the end only 3 ring gear bolts where still installed and none of them where tight. 

 

So my experience was great and would go that route again but I cannot justify one.. thou I would love a TrueTrac for the front.