The Ramcharger Project

[Elwenil]

Ok guys, I know this isn't a MV but I figured it is my ride, and here is where a lot of the pics are so I thought I'd post it here. You guys can move it to Conversations if you want.

Anyway, I've often mentioned my desires to build up a Dodge Ramcharger to CUCV spec or better and now I have finally found my victim. A 1988 AW150 Ramcharger, 318 TBI, factory 4 speed (NP435). It's not perfect, but for the amount of cutting I will do, it's perfect for me. As you can see in the pics, it's jacked up already for an axle swap and the '81 W250 is beside it, ready to donate it's front and rear Dana 60 axles and NP205 transfer case. I'll also get a spare NP435, steering box and other odds and ends from the W250. So after the axle swap I will likely start gathering up more parts, like a M880 BO lamp kit from Saturn, HMMWV 12 bolt rims and 2" spacers, some assorted CUCV and M880 bracketry, a lot of 383 green, black and brown, and probably fab up some nice heavy bumpers and who knows, perhaps a Deuce winch. Anyway, here she is at the beginning:

 

[Elwenil]

Ok, per requests in Hoot's M880 post, I am posting more pics of my Ramcharger Project so far. I thought I had already posted these, but when I looked I hadn't even downloaded them off my phone yet. Front and rear Dana 60 axles are swapped over as well as a NP205 transfer case mated to the stock NP435 4 speed. Dual diaphragm brake booster and matching master cylinder were swapped over to actuate the larger brakes on the D60s. Anyway, here are some pics of my 1 1/4 ton Ramcharger:

 

[Elwenil]

I just realized that I haven't posted any pics of my Ramcharger lately. Got tired of running around on the pizza cutter wheels and tires and gave up finding a good deal on some used BFGs in good shape so I put my old Boggers back on. I really hate these tires but they are bigger and give me a little more top speed since the gearing with the little tires kept me below 55 MPH. I can deal with the flat spotting, wandering and the occasional cold tire death wobble but the thing I hate the most is the sound of the tires. It's not personally insulting, but it's like a siren song to every redneck within 10 miles who all have to gawk ( and I do mean gawk) at the tires and say genius little things like "I bet those thangs go good in mud". Anyway, here is my Ramcharger, still on it's sagging stock 1/2 ton suspension, with the 35x14.50x16.5 Boggers and a little "massaging" with a saws-all and a buzz-wheel to the front fenders for fit. I have the 3/4 ton springs off my old '74 W200 which have more lift than later models to go on when I gather all the assorted bushings I will no doubt burn out getting the old springs out. If you look closely at the second pic, you can see the silhouette of the front springs and how badly they are bowed upwards. The shackle is under the rust spot on the bottom of the fender.

 

[Lifer]

A milspec Ramcharger, huh? What would that be, now? Perhaps a M879 1/2??

 

[Elwenil]

Lol, I actually tried to come up with some sort of number related to the M880s to give my XM8-something but pretty much all the numbers close to 880 are taken by a vehicle already, lol. I wasn't going to go too far into it anyway, just some BO lights, antennas, 3 color NATO, etc. Not going to be fabbing up any dataplates, lol.

 

[Lifer]

Well, the M880 was a Dodge pickup, so maybe you could call it an "XM881," the "X" part meaning "experimental."

 

[Elwenil]

True but I would be reluctant to use 881 since the M881 is a actual vehicle, the M880 with a 28V, 60A generator kit. In the long run, it's probably for the best if I don't try to impersonate a MV more than I have to to get the look I want. In the end, with as much as I'm cutting out of the fenders and grille, it won't look much like a Ramcharger either, lol.

 

[Elwenil]

More stuff coming together for the project. I've had this Braden electric worm drive winch for 14 years or so and it's never worked. The problem was the motor, which was corroded up and full of water. The brush holders were all broken and nothing I, or a nearby rebuilder, could find would work. So it occupied assorted places around my house for many years in various stages of disassembly and I'd tinker with it from time to time. Recently I was on a website called Surplus Center. I found it looking for military surplus, but it's not military, more like industrial surplus. Mostly motors, actuators, and switches for manufacturing. I looked at the PTO shafts and drives they had to convert my winch to PTO and that turned out to be more money than I wanted to put into an old winch. But hidden in the motors was one labeled "8k RPM Winch Motor". The specs on it were right since the motor uses a standard mount and shaft size, and the price was right at $99. I have previously thought to buy a new motor for it, but Braden wanted almost $500 14 years ago and other universal motors I found were $200 and up. I decided that $100 was worth it and I set out to tear the winch down again and see what all I needed to fix what was broken or lost over the years. After getting it all torn down I placed a call to the local NAPA for the seals and put in an order with McMaster-Carr for a few bronze bushings, key stock, detent balls and springs, and a few nuts and bolts. Anyway, after a little cleaning and painting, she is done!

I have a couple foot of 4" channel that will make my frame extensions and a piece of 6" channel that will make my bumper. The bumper will only stick out a few inches more than the factory bumper as it is and will only be as wide as the frame. All the sheetmetal and grille below the headlamps will be removed over to the frame so there will be nothing in front of the tires. Eventually a exo-cage will guard what's left of the grille and headlamps. Once the bumper is built I'll have to find me a couple Deuce or 5 ton shackles and brackets to put on top of the bumper and I'll probably fab up a roller fairlead so I can get larger rollers for the 3/8" cable rather than use the tiny fairleads you can buy for offroad winches. But anyway, here is the winch, below. I think it looks a bit large for only an 8k lbs winch but I am betting it will pull a little more:

 

[gimpyrobb]

Sweet Lanty, Get her mounted up and take some pics.

 

[Elwenil]

Well I finally got a chance to get up to my friend's house and use his welder a bit and get my frame extensions and bumper put on and mount the winch. I ended up sticking the bumper out a bit more than I originally intended but the whole thing is made so that when I rework the core support and take out the front crossmember, this whole unit will slide further back in the frame and be bolted in place further back.

The bumper will be notched in front of the spool and I will be fabbing up some 2" dia rollers to make a fairlead out of and a couple long bolts and nuts with some valve springs will make a nice tensioner to keep the cable from snarling. Then hopefully we will get our tubing bender set up and I'll start on a grill guard and make me a place to put my PIAAs back on, lol. I was trying to make a few adjustments to it here and there but my pathetic 90A welder just won't hold an arc anymore so I'll have to wait until I can get back up to my buddy's house to use his welde to do the finish welding then buff the welds down and put on the final paint.

 

[Flea]

Looking good! How are you going to run the PTO?

 

[reuben]

It's a similar design as the ramsey winch on my 3/4 ton dodge truck, same type of drive setup anyway. It's an 8000 rated winch, and gets used plenty, although it's a bit slow and weak for what it gets used for. I've used it for pulling truck with trailer load of logs up a slick woods road hill. took awile but finally got there.

 

[BobM]

You know it comes to mind that to make this a CUCV, you should swap in a cummins!

 

[Elwenil]

Looking good! How are you going to run the PTO?

It's an electric, so no PTO needed. I did look into converting it to PTO but it was too expensive.

It's a similar design as the ramsey winch on my 3/4 ton dodge truck, same type of drive setup anyway. It's an 8000 rated winch, and gets used plenty, although it's a bit slow and weak for what it gets used for. I've used it for pulling truck with trailer load of logs up a slick woods road hill. took awile but finally got there.

Yes, the Braden is similar in application to the Ramsey H-8 winches. The design is a little different and the Braden is a bit more modular with a lot of different drive and gearbox configurations. I haven't had a chance to do much more then test the winch so far, but I'm sure it will be typically worm drive slow. I must say that with all the gear reduction in the gearbox and worm drive it did spin a little faster then I had imagined but I will just have to see how it does with a load on it. I don't mind it being slow, I just want it dependable. A slow winch is much better than no winch or a broken winch when you are stuck. I have way too many friends with trashed Warn and other brand planetary winches to ever trust them. Another added bonus is that with my slow winch, I will be the last choice when the group is looking for a pull, lol.

You know it comes to mind that to make this a CUCV, you should swap in a cummins!

Believe me, if I had the cash to afford a 6BT and NV4500, it would be in the truck now. Maybe in the future I will find a deal but for now I will have to consider it as an updated M880 style and stick with the underpowered 318 EFI. The rest of the drivetrain should be up to par with a 6BT though so if I do find one later on it will be a rather simple swap.

 

[maritimer]

have a look around local scrap yards, for the motor and trans you can sometimes find them in write offs and the scrap yard willing to get rid of them cheapo, looks good btw

 

[wsucougarx]

Lets get some CARC on that Ram

 

[Elwenil]

It's coming, or at least a CARC substitute. I don't want to paint it twice, so all the mechanicals have to be in place, then the sheetmetal fixes, body mods and possible exo-cage will have to be done and then I can lay down a nice 383 Green base and then add the black and brown camo touches in the M1009 pattern.

Right now I'm going to have to replace a %$#@% tie rod end, which is a pain since I don't want to put the cash into one but I'm not quite ready to swap to a high steer crossover set up yet. I also need to poke around and find someone parting a Deuce or 5 ton so I can get the front shackles and brackets off of one to put on my bumper.

 

[Bob H]

What about XM889, 9 like in the M1009?

 

[Elwenil]

Hmmm, good call. I thought they were all taken but the M880 series uses M888 (4X4 Tactical Telephone Maintenance) and skips M889 to M890 (4X2 Cargo). The only reference to an M889 I can find is a mortar cartridge which it's common for vehicles and weapons to use the same number. Looks like XM889 will work. If I use it, it would just be for kicks. I'm not going to have data plates made up or anything. Thanks for the tip!