37x12.5x16.5 military tires on 2nd gen. Plus 03-12 upgrade steering

[wil440]

7 minutes ago, Doubletrouble said:

 I guess that's the bright side. You guys can make a living off of some else's stupidity. I myself have had bigger tires, 33x12.5x15 on a '95 gmc z71 and I noticed then that it ate steering parts on the regular. Pitman arms, idler arms and tie rods once every 18 months on average. I do my own work so after have the truck set up like that for 8 years it was getting old. After that truck and a bad experience with a '99 suburban at the same time I decided to sell both when I bought my '01 3500 Cummins. Haven't looked back.

 I've had a couple issues with the dodge but nothing out of the ordinary for a truck with 150k on it. Stock tire size and only "mod" is a fass ddrp lift pump. So far so good.

I got maybe 33" to 34" tyres, doesn't eat steering, looks right, it's mine so if I have to change worn out parts then it's down to me anyway, I bought it because the pizza cutters had been binned

Thing is it comes down to the owner to decide what he/she wants his/her vehicle to look like, myself I don't get the dropped to the ground EU shoeboxes the youngsters here like, I can't see where sitting 2" or less from the road and a 5" exhaust with a 1.2 litre motor is appealing but we are all different

Evans truck looks the dogs danglies and I'm sure he can change out steering parts on his lonesome 

[Doubletrouble]

I agree, I don't like them little low sitting anything. And the giant fart can exhaust on a 4 banger us rediculous. 

 I like to see trucks with bigger tires and such, they do look great. Some trucks just looking at them need bigger tires to look right sometimes. I've just decided with this truck I will avoid doing those things. My wife is only 5'3" so she has a hard enough time getting in (put the steps on it for her) and we aren't getting any younger. To each his own, but I hope people don't stop lifting them and running bigger tires, I like to see them! Lol

[dave110]

6 hours ago, wil440 said:

 

Thing is it comes down to the owner to decide what he/she wants his/her vehicle to look like,

  

[Evan]

Bought this today

[dripley]

I built a Minute Lube oil change place 30 plus years ago and all of those guys there had low rider pick ups. The pit you pulled over to get your oil changed had 2" angle iron around at the entry and only 1 1/2" at the exit. All of them had to back there vehicles in for an oil change because they could not clear the 2". But as mentioned, its your truck do what want to it.

[Evan]

Here it is on 35x12.5x17s this is a couple years ago.

 

 

Have a few hundred mikes on the 2007 steering and maybe 50 on my truck. Funny thing is my truck drives tighter and more precise than the 2007. Both identical steering. 

2007 has a prominent dead spot at the center.  When I removed factory steering I found a wobbled stopper tie rod boot on the passenger knuckle. I didnt put it back. I found it od that the factory used a wobble stopper. It is a cab n chassis truck but that shouldn't matter?

Truck does kinda drive better but that damn floating dead spot at center is driving me crazy.

I run a wobble stopper on my jeep and it drives 10 times better than the 07.

 

The eventual plan is for these to end up on the jeep. These wheels lock both beads so I can air down to a couple lbs and not worry about knocking a bead off.

 

Have 5 of these wheels.  

To recenter the center is cut from the outside half of the wheel the new center is welded back in on the inside half. One cool thing about this is back spacing goes from factory h1 7" to a more normal 4-3.5. Dodge wheels are about 6.5".  Normal aftermarket i should say.

 

The tire can also be changed with the tire still bolted to the vehicle. 

 

Im not young but I feel young. Those wanting to run these bigger tires can intentionally get into these for 600-900 for a tire and wheel combo. Then a second set of tires run about the same.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/124487840100

Theres only 3 maybe 4 options for cheap 37s like this.

 

For me 16.5 opens up the jeep to a set of offroas only with ag or tractor tires. 

 

The 37s may be short lived on the truck but will be fun for a few. 

I havent decided 100% sure on back spacing. Now that I have this center cut out I can mount the tire and figure what back spacing I want on the jeep. Likely 3.5" will work fine.

 

Edited January 28, 2021 by Evan

[Dieselfuture]

On 1/27/2021 at 7:58 AM, Mopar1973Man said:

Yup. Hence why I have zero love for big tire trucks. 

After I broke a bunch of little axle trucks I decided to go with bigger axles with lower gear ratio, that's why I posted the two videos, was basically agreeing with you that to do it right need correct ratios, plus these axles had kingpins and I never had any problems with joints I did brake an axle shaft, ended up putting chromoly axles in there later. 

It seems that the like button disappeared on that post, maybe all my posts 

[Mopar1973Man]

10 minutes ago, Dieselfuture said:

It seems that the like button disappeared on that post, maybe all my posts 

 

Like buttons do exist... I think it you on the wrong side of the fence. Being it shows Gold Member (old system) which everyone should be switching over to the new system (monthly, quarterly or yearly plans). If you want create a ticket for support and well dive in deeper.

 

10 minutes ago, Dieselfuture said:

that's why I posted the two videos, was basically agreeing with you that to do it right need correct ratios, plus these axles had kingpins and I never had any problems with joints I did brake an axle shaft, ended up putting chromoly axles in there later. 

 

Yeah I seen "Diesel Brothers" and every build had military axles and some gawd awful lift and rolling massive coal. Every design was build around those huge lifts and big tires. Don't get me wrong some that is needing a truck to cross a bog sure. Still in all the route I choose is that I'm looking for EFFICIENCY. Ditch the rotational mass as much as possible. Ditch the drag as much as possible.  

 

https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1127408_truck-modifiers-behind-diesel-brothers-hit-with-850-000-fine-for-pollution

 

Quote

UPHE filed its lawsuit in 2016. It subsequently bought one of the modified trucks and had the vehicle emissions tested, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. The results reportedly showed 36 times more pollution and 21 times the amount of particulate matter of a stock truck.

 

... Continued ...

 

So now when you change back to looking at drag and efficiency, you find that true racing they aim to reduce rolling weight, rotational weight, and lower the vehicle to the road to reduce drag and center of gravity. When you start removing the drag and rotational mass the power comes by itself without any power mods. Even correcting the final ratio to the ground improve low end response and launching power considerably. Like myself I do live in the mountains I can't just slam a vehicle to the ground but I don't want it standing up excessively in the wind. Wind drag is exponential above 55 MPH. Lower vertical height or just reducing the frontal size of the vehicle has huge impact in efficiency. Now If you watch close the better you make the efficiency (reduction of drag and rotational mass) you notice all temperatures go down. (Engine coolant temperature, EGT's, engine oil temperature) then even deeper down the line you'll see the transmission temperature fall too. Heat in a device (engine, transmission, or axles) is energy or work force turn into heat and is wasted energy. 

 

What I've found in all my testing and changing of stuff. The optimal final ratio for any 98.5 to 02 Dodge Ram with a 5.9L Cummins is between 3.55:1 to 3.73:1 now this is figuring in tires and wheels. Like here is a example...

 

35 x 12.50 R16 on 3.55 geared axle has a final ratio of 3.21 to the ground - FAIL! This will generate huge amount of coolant temperature and EGT's.

35 x 12.50 R16 on 4.10 geared axle has a final ratio of 3.71 to the ground - PASS! This will run much cooler.

Edited January 29, 2021 by Mopar1973Man

[Evan]

Yes.

 

4.10s is good for 35 maybe plus alittle.

 

Fords kingpin dana60 are the small axle to have. Steering options up grade 35sp or leave factory and beat on it.

 

The 60s in our dodges is also adequate to 37"s.

 

Most pavement pounders running big tires up 44s will never break a 60.

 

Trail rigs running some horses lockers low gears can break 60. Thats where 14bolt/dana80 rears morph into the front. Were in the rock bouncer era.

 

Here's how the pvc insert works. Basically just locks bead to both sides of the wheel. 

 

Took me about an hour to make this 1 insert

 

And then figure out how to get it in the tire.

 

Clerance for valve core. Not shown is the hole so air can get through insert.

 

Thats it and repeat 4more times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've had a couple chevy pickups also on bigger tires. I found them very good with no lift and 265ish tires. Got good life out of stuff.

Ounce lifted with 33-35s they did eat idler and pitman arms fast. The straight axle dodges even 1/2ton are much better suited to handle a lift and 33-35" tires

 

 

Jeep had 307 factory i went to 3.55 slight difference but barely enough to make the swap worth while Definitely not worth spending money to go that slight of a change. Thats virtually nothing.

If running big tires and a guy/gal feels they want to invest in gears id recomend change a hole number.

Stock 3.55-4.56.  I feel most won't have seen much of a difference going to 4.10 to feel happy with theyre decision.

However if the tires aren't super big the 4.10s would be better. But then most won't feel the need or want to regear. Thats a ton of rigs out there. 3.55s work well and are most economical as this the ratio thats very common on alot of vehicles. 

 

Mike is correct in his thinking. But this comes from an era where tv stations turned off at night and posted speed limits where lower. **** so am i.

Edited January 30, 2021 by Evan

[Dieselfuture]

On 1/30/2021 at 8:40 AM, Evan said:

Here's how the pvc insert works. Basically just locks bead to both sides of the wheel. 

Nice water main, hopefully they didn't need that at job site  I used black poly pipe when I did mine on 20" and 52" military tires. Had to make my own rims too, cut some split rims 8 of them to make 4 welded in custom cut scenters held together with 3/8 SS bolts every 2" worked great, ran 2psi just fine, tried 0psi but it would bottom out every so often, 2 was good, for the most part I ran about 10-12 

[Evan]

Lol. I got the 16" from a pipe supply house. It was damaged said do not use

[Dieselfuture]

4 hours ago, Evan said:

Lol. I got the 16" from a pipe supply house. It was damaged said do not use

Sure 

[Evan]

To be honest I did scrounge job sites and 12" was the biggest i could find.

 

Holds air just fine.

Only took about 10minutes to air up to 50