The Big 3 Comparo!

2012 RAM 2500 Laramie Longhorn -  A Work Truck With Style? 

The first modern commercially viable light truck with a diesel in North America was the Dodge D-Series with the Cummins 6BT option. Introduced in 1989, this truck proved that the market was ready for a diesel engine, but the D-series was far from sophisticated as truck go. Dodge is well into the fourth generation of the Ram truck and a Cummins I-6 diesel is still a popular option. Power has been vastly increased since the early days of the old 12-valve engines, but many of these old originals are still on the road today.

If you’re in the market for a diesel truck, consider the new Ram, still powered by Cummins. The pinnacle of the Ram line is the Laramie Longhorn package, and we can tell you it’s plush and powerful. The new 6.7L Cummins turbo diesel provides 350 hp and 800 lb-ft of torque when mated to the six-speed automatic transmission. (The six-speed manual transmission requires de-rating to 610 lb-ft). This next gen diesel features integrated exhaust brake, increased block stiffness, variable geometry turbocharger, higher fuel injection pressure and more. The Cummins engine is the most powerful it’s ever been and just keeps getting better.

In the transmission department, the six-speed automatic features a tow/haul mode that improves performance when towing a trailer or hauling a heavy load in the bed. When selected, an alternate shift program reduces shift changes and gear hunting. A simple selector switch to access tow/haul mode is conveniently located on the center stack of the instrument panel. To further tune your truck to your towing needs, the Ram is available with axle ratios up to 4.56:1 on some models.

The Ram is all about towing and an integrated trailer brake controller is standard. This controller works the same as any aftermarket electric brake controller, but is blended into the Ram at the factory for an OE fit and finish. Another aid to towing is the integrated diesel exhaust brake that’s standard on all models.  The exhaust brake supplements the standard brakes to reduce brake fade and provide stopping safety and confidence, when hauling heavy loads on downhill grades. Also standard is a dual trailer harness plug; four- and seven-pin are both provided. Trailer towing mirrors and a “ParkView” backup camera are also available on Ram and came standard on the Laramie Longhorn package we tested.

The new 6.7L Cummins turbo diesel provides 350 hp and 800 lb-ft of torque when mated to the six-speed automatic transmission. (The six-speed manual transmission requires de-rating to 610 lb-ft).

A feature that is exclusive to the Ram is the availability of the RamBox bed. Our test truck came with this unique bed and we found it interesting and convenient. Ram box beds have integrated storage along both sides and over the fender wells. This lockable storage offers tow convenience and easy to access locations to store whatever your heart desires. They’re long enough for fishing poles and long guns, and deep enough for a fuel can. The RamBox is available in a short box bed version only.

On the inside, the Ram Laramie Longhorn MegaCab truck can only be described as plush and roomy. The MegaCab is big inside. The front seats can recline to almost a horizontal position.

On the inside, the Ram Laramie Longhorn MegaCab truck can only be described as plush and roomy. The MegaCab is big inside, so much so that front seats can be all the way back and the rear seat passengers will have as much leg room as a standard four-door cab with the front seats forward. Also, the front seats can recline to almost a horizontal position should a long on-site job require a combat nap. The leather-trimmed seats are comfortable and feature heating and cooling. As tested, the ParkView rear backup camera was standard, as was the Garmin Navigation system with Sirius XM radio and CD/CDV player. The rear seats are theater like, with controls for the overhead DVD and Ram headphone within easy reach. When the seats are folded down, the MegaCab has the most inside storage space of any truck in its class.  As has become the industry standard, the rear offers a 60/40 split and can be folded to improve your interior carry capacity, without giving up all of the rear seating space.

An exclusive feature of the Ram brand is the RamBox bed. This bed offers owners two lockable storage boxes, one on each side of the bed.

The 2012 Ram Laramie Longhorn is plush on the inside and a drive down the freeway is comfortable and relaxing. We found the truck to be responsive both around town and on the open road. The I6 Cummins engine is responsive and seems to have a little more throttle response that some of the V8 diesels we tested. In our humble opinion, this is a truck you can live in, not just live with.

One final note; if you’re not a fan of diesel exhaust fluid or DEF systems, the 2012 Ram is the last of the non-DEF trucks. Ford and GM have already converted to DEF and next year even Ram will have to. New federal fuels will mandate DEF in every diesel truck on the road.

Stay tuned for our thoughts on the 2012 GMC Denali 2500HD!

By Trent Riddle

Photography: Trent Riddle & the Manufacturer

The post Comparing Ford vs. Ram vs. GM: 2012 Dodge Ram 2500 appeared first on .

2012 Ford Super Duty - The Most Bang For The Buck? 

Normally, we don’t get too excited over new trucks, especially when the price tag hovers around $60,000. On the other hand, the new diesels represent the latest in clean diesel technology while giving up nothing in terms of power and performance, and, in the case of the Ford Super Duty’s 6.7L Power Stroke, mileage as well. Spending some time behind the wheel confirms that fact.

Sure, the 2012 is essentially a carryover platform from the 2011 model, which was the first major change in the Super Duty in decades. The 6.7L now boasts 400 horsepower and 800 lb/ft of torque, up from its original ratings of 390 horsepower and 745 lb/ft of torque when the truck was introduced. Revised factory tuning makes up the difference.

Behind the Power Stroke is an all-new six-speed automatic that not only features a tow/haul mode, which also activates the Super Duty’s built-in exhaust brake, it also features several levels of control via the SelectShift function, which includes both Progressive Range and manual functions, according to Ford. The Progressive Range function allows drivers to reduce the number of available gears in drive, which is perfect for towing on grades, while the full manual mode allows driver-selected gears, very similar to a manual.

The 6.7L Powerstroke Diesel now boasts 400 horsepower and 800 lb/ft of torque, revised factory tuning makes up the difference.

The truck also features an integrated trailer brake control and electronic checklist for trailer hook-up, displayed by the dash-mounted LCD which is smack dab in the middle of the cluster between the speedo and tach. One cool feature for trailer towing enthusiasts is an optional rear view camera that’s mounted in the tailgate, which displays the view in the rear view mirror or via the optional Sync display screen. And part of that view is a grid that helps you line up on a trailer.

Super Duty gets a new gauge cluster with full instrumentation, including boost and trans temp gauges and the new 4.2-inch LCD in the center.

On the inside, the Super Duty gets a new gauge cluster with full instrumentation, including boost and trans temp gauges and the new 4.2-inch LCD in the center. According to Ford, storage space is up 60-percent with a revised lockable center console that includes 12-volt power points and a 110-volt plug in at the back with a built-in power inverter. More lockable storage is now available under the rear seats.

As they say, the proof is in the pudding and once you fire up the 2012, you know that the Power Stroke diesel has become more refined, and quiet, really quiet. No more cold-start rattling as was characteristic of previous generations of Power Strokes. This was accomplished, in part, by the new engine architecture and use of a single turbo. Also, a unique piston bowl design works in conjunction with multiple fuel injection sequences, which quiets the motor and lowers emissions levels. Low-end power and throttle response are also incredible, thanks to the dual scroll turbo, which makes for seamless power transitions between low-end grunt and high-end power.

 A good chunk of the excellent drivability comes not only from the new power plant, but also Ford’s new automatic trans. And thanks to hours and hours of testing and refining the truck’s electronic controls of both the engine and transmission, the end result is a seamless application of power at nearly every throttle position and driving situation. The TorqShift automatic always seems to be in the right gear and there’s always power on tap at every rpm level. That’s what impressed us the most about the 2012 Super Duty. And with highway mileage running about 20 mpg, we think this is the best Super Duty to hit the market.

The 2012 Ford Super Duty is one of the most refined diesel trucks we’ve ever driven. Quiet and powerful, even with a huge emissions device in the middle of the exhaust system hanging under the truck, the new 6.7L Power Stroke proves that you can have power and clean emissions as well, not to mention fuel economy.

Stay tuned for our coverage and comparison of the Dodge Ram and GMC Denali!

By Kevin Wilson

Photography: Trent Riddle & the Manufacturer

The post Comparing Ford vs. Ram vs. GM: 2012 Ford Super Duty appeared first on .

But once you get a taste for performance, it becomes addicting. And so the mods kept coming, to the point where the truck became inadequate for work. Brian now had a desire to go fast on the quarter-mile. At that point, he realized he needed a newer, lighter and safer truck to go fast in. The answer was found in a retired Pro Street Dodge from GAW Racing.

After the truck made the journey to its new home in Milton, Kentucky, IKT Diesel Performance assessed the purchase. They concluded the truck was already a stout package to start with since it was equipped with competition-grade Ford 9-inch axles front and rear. These axles shave a lot of un-sprung weight off the truck as compared to the original Dana 60 and 80 units, while adding a lot more strength and gearing options. There was more weight reduction achieved through the use of a fiberglass hood, carbon fiber bumper and tailgate. All of the original glass had been taken out and replaced by Lexan windows, furthering the weight loss of the truck.

Getting the truck to hook up is no problem with four 32×14.5×15 Hoosier slicks. The 9-inch axles allow the use of huge 15×10 Bogart wheels. For street cruising, the wheel and tire package is changed to something more street legal.

The truck was equipped with a sturdy 5.9L Cummins, but Brian was looking to up the power ante. With the help of Matt Wood and Chase Fleece, he pulled the motor for a fresh new build. The motor went back together with a fire-ringed block and head. The rotating assembly was fitted with a Crower billet connecting rods and Mahle ceramic-coated, fly-cut pistons supplied by Industrial Injection. Speaking of headwork, the head was ported and polished by Fleece Performance for maximum airflow. Before getting put back on the motor, a ZZ Fab side-draft intake manifold was added to the head. Furthering the aid of the airflow is a Hamilton 188-220 camshaft complimented by Maxspool valve springs and pushrods. All of this is held together with a full set of ARP head studs, main studs and rocker studs.

AFCO drag shocks help plant the truck on launch. Race-quality Ford 9-inch axles replace the heavy stock Dana 60 and 80 units.

With the long-block built, it came time to really amp up the power. Industrial Injection brought some serious fuel to the party with a set of their 76-lpm injectors fed by dual CP3s. The bottom pump is an 85% over and the top pump is one of their 120% over units. Making sure those pumps stay happy, an AirDog 200 feeds fuel from a 5-gallon fuel cell.

Although technically the truck is street legal, the interior is built for business vs. comfort.

Making sure all of that fuel is burned is the job of the Fleece Performance-built S475 turbo mounted on the Steed Speed manifold. With still way too much fuel and smoke going on, a three-stage nitrous kit is on call to finish up burning all that fuel and raise cylinder pressures and power output. Brian runs one-stage pre-turbo with the spray bar installed in the intake manifold. The third stage is in the intake piping. Brayden Fleece and Ryan Milliken used EFILive to get this monster tuned to make big power.

The doors have been gutted for weight savings and are covered with aluminum to clean them up. Lexan replaced all glass on the truck for more weight savings.

With all of the newfound power, it was deemed that the entire driveline be overhauled to see what they were working with. Suncoast Transmissions sent Brian a brand new Om3ga 48re. The Om3ga features larger-than-stock parts inside to tolerate any abuse that can be dished out. The shifting is controlled by a PCS, so shift strategies, lockup timing and anything else can be adjusted with a few keystrokes. When they checked the rearend, the gears and spool looked just fine, as did the Detroit locker in the front. The truck runs 3.42 gears, which in conjunction with the 32-inch slicks, have it going through the traps in peak power band.

The truck is most definitely built for speed, not comfort. Even the radio is gone, being replaced with a PCS D200 sponsored by Suncoast Performance. The nitrous bottle is kept close for convenience as well. You can also see the Cheetah SCS Turbo Action shifter.

With the truck completed and racing, Brian has run a best of 9.54 @ 144 mph. The best part of the whole truck, though, is the fact that it’s street legal with just a change of tires. Many would say that Brian has an awesome combination that anybody should be happy with, but true to the name of the truck, he will never be truly satisfied. There are plans on the horizon for even more power to be added. When asked if that will be enough, Brian laughingly says, “No, I’ll find something else to change.”

The engine bay is simple and clean; purely function with a little bit of form thrown in for good measure. The Industrial Injection twin pumps provide plenty of high-pressure fuel delivery. Also visible is the side-draft intake manifold.

The Fleece Performance-built S475 is bolted to a Steed Speed T-4 manifold and produces 80 lbs of boost. A single turbo means less tuning and less expense if it blows up. A compound setup ruins two turbos when it goes bad.

An AirDog 200 pump and filter setup keeps the motor fed with plenty of un-aerated fuel to make maximum power.

Dual Wilwood calipers keep the truck stopped at the line while spooling and also help haul the truck down fast after the traps.

Text and Photos by Phillip Hooker

The post A Nine-Second, Street Legal, Common Rail Dodge Ram appeared first on .

Adam and Bernie English’s 4520 is still a working tractor. It’s a Synchro-Shift model, meaning the final drive is all gear driven. The last four gears in the transmission are synchronized for easier shifting. The 4520 was heavier and stronger than its little brother, the 4020, and nearly as burly as the big brother in the lineup, the 5020. You could call it a “three bears” just right tractor. Turbo-Built indeed!

Deere had left the last of their two-cylinder legacy powerplants behind in 1960 and debuted a series of modern four- and six-cylinder inline engines. In the six-cylinder line, the ’60 4010 and 5010 used 381- and 531-cubic inch engines. When the 4010 became the 4020 in 1963, the 381 six was given a displacement boost to 404 cubic inches and the stage was now set for a new tractor.

John Deere was a company that generally did not allow itself to be rushed into putting new developments on the market before they were ready. In fact, they had benefitted when other companies had done so. While some may have clucked a little about Deere being a little behind the others in offering a turbo diesel tractor, the folks at Deere were confident they had not stepped on their crank when they finally did.

The Deere 404-six became legendary for its durability and adaptability. It started life as a 381-cid six in 1960. A bore increase of just 1/8-inch made it a 404. The 4520 was its first chance at turbocharging and the 404 engine proved as reliable in that venue as it was naturally aspirated. It lasted through 1982 in both NA, turbo and turbo aftercooled form, cranking out as much as 150 hp. It upgraded into the similar 466 (not to be confused with the International 466) with a full 1/4-inch bore increase and other improvements.

The 4520 debuted for the ’69 model year as the company’s first turbocharged diesel tractor. It fit between the very popular naturally aspirated 4020 and the much larger 5020, with its 531 six-cylinder engine. Some have called the 4520 a “4020 on steroids” but that’s not precisely true. It used a 404 engine that was based on the same NA engine used in the 4020, but the power train and the tractor was larger and heavier. A more accurate description might be to call it a down-rated 5020 than an up-rated 4020. Unlike some of the other turbocharged tractors on the market, the 4520 wasn’t just a tractor to which a turbo was added. The entire package had been built around the extra power and John Deere used the ad line “Turbo-Built.”

By ’69, the 404 six had become one of Deere’s mainstays. It was and is a highly respected powerplant that many think was seminal in cementing JD’s success in the ’60s and ’70s. The turbo 404 PTO power output was a modest 122. The compression ratio was lower than the NA version (15.7:1 vs 16.5) with stronger pistons that used keystone rings and had up-rated piston oil cooling jets. The turbo engine had a beefier new block with more main bearing support and improved oil flow.

The English’s tractor does not use the funky and troublesome air filter that caused so much angst when the tractor debuted in 1969.

The most whiz-bang part of the new 4520 was its air filtration system. Designed to both clean the inlet air in a superior fashion and offer a long maintenance interval, the air cleaner had 12 venturis that removed dirt, and a special muffler was designed to siphon off the dirt, touted as roughly 90-percent of the incoming, to blow it out the stack. Pretty clever huh?

Well, this turned out to be a place where J.D. might have tripped over it’s crank… or at least stumbled. It didn’t take long for problems to start and dirt began being blown in the engine and in some cases setting the air filters on fire. J.D. had to pay for upgrades to customer’s tractors even after the normal warranty was expired. Whoops! With an upgrade, the 4520 became a tractor to admire.

Despite having the same engine, the Synchro-Shift and Power-Shift 4520 tractors had different performance levels. PTO power was a fraction less in the Power-Shift test and it developed slightly less drawbar hp (108 vs. 111). Conversely, the Power-Shift developed dramatically more drawbar pull (10,079 vs. 8,773 lbs) while delivering just a skosh more fuel economy. The books say 7,894 4520 tractros were sold.

The 4520 was available with the standard Synchro-Shift or with the Power-Shift that offered clutchless shift-on-the-fly. It was one of the first tractors with a ROPS (rollover protection system) JD called “Roll-Gard.” A heated and air conditioned cab was available as well as a fiberglass canopy that attached to the ROPS. Later in the run, a FWA system was offered as an option. Some of the last 4520s built in 1972 have been seen with the Sound-Gard cab that was one of the major contributors of the hoopla to Deere’s “Generation II” program that started in 1972.

The 4520 lasted into 1970 and was replaced in the line by the 4620, which was very similar but aftercooled and made 135 hp. The even more powerful 4630 of ’73 made 150 hp with an intercooled 404 turbo engine. The 1973 model year was Deere’s second new beginning, akin to its ’60 rebirth, and the company debuted a great deal of new technology. Many say that the ’73 Generation II era marks the beginning of John Deere’s decades long domination of the ag market. The 4520 was a major stepping-stone into that era.

The 4520 was fairly typical but its control layout was particularly liked. A cab was available and this is a tractor you see often with a cab.

By Jim Allen

The post The 4520: John Deere’s First Turbo Diesel Tractor appeared first on .

The truck sits on a 4-inch Burbank Suspension lift that’s been on there for decades. We know that because they’ve been out of business since the early ’90s. There’s enough room to mount BFG 37×12.50-17 All-Terrains on American Racing AR 172 Baja alloys. The truck is still in Midnight Blue Metallic but has Bushwacker fender flares, U.S. Body Source fiberglass hood, A.R.E. full-drop bottom sleeper cab and a Lund sun visor.

On a warm summer day in 1983, Mel Agne was delivered a “moose.” Actually, it was a bare-bones 1983 Ford F-250HD regular cab 4×4. It soon became known as “The Moose Truck” because it was reminiscent of the vehicle used by a moose-based superhero character that Mel invented as a kid.

The Moose fleet (left to right): Mel’s “Moose,” Suzi’s “Lady Moose,” Matthias’ “Nite Moose” and Graham’s “Iron Moose.”

In ’83, Agne was a 20-year-old just starting a career in computers so he didn’t have a great deal of money. When he sat down with the salesman at Stoner-Wade Ford in Quarryville, Pennsylvania, to order the truck, the only option box checked on the F-250HD 4×4 order form was: “6.9L (421cid) DIESEL, 8-CYLINDER.” Agne’s budget limited him to the bottom-dollar truck, what was then called the “Base” trim. The no-nuthin’ trim is more like it! Not even hubcaps. It came with the base Warner T-19 four-speed manual trans and the color was Midnight Blue Metallic. As his financial situation improved, he began building the truck he would have ordered. Now, 30 years later, he’s still building.

Agne built a tilt-bed trailer from the back half of a donor truck that matches the Moose right down to the wheels, tires and fender flares.

Today, the Moose Truck is something any superhero would be proud to own. To say it’s highly modified would be an understatement and if the list of stuff we describe seems long, there’s twice as much stuff we didn’t tell you about. Mel’s a got a serious case of “tinkeritis.” Everything came from Mel’s fertile mind and skilled hands, and he’s owned the truck long enough to have changed many of his early upgrades… in some cases more than once.

After almost 30 years, the Moose’s original engine has still never been lifted out of the chassis, and besides a precautionary head gasket replacement, the basic engine is still untouched and stock. Breathing has been enhanced by a Hypermax turbo system and fuel delivery improved with one of his own modified Moose pumps and Moose Mister injectors fed by a Holley Red fuel pump. Exhaust flows through a custom 3-inch system that feeds into dual 4-inch stacks sourced from a Mack dealer. Engine longevity has been enhanced with a Filtration Solutions FS2500 bypass oil filter and a coolant filtration system.

Hadley air horns are just visible on the sleeper roof.

The T19 trans and BW1345 transfer case are stock, as are the Dana 70 and Dana 44 TTB front axle, but Mel added a Gear Vendors Overdrive since the IDIs deliver optimal fuel economy at 1,400-1,800 rpm. This is also why the truck still carries 3.54:1 axle ratios along with 37-inch tires and he can run 70 mph with only 1,700 rpms. The truck has been converted from vacuum assisted brakes to hydroboost from a F-500 truck.

It’s a pretty busy engine compartment. Mel added a Hypermax turbo system in 2000, though he altered the air cleaner arrangement, and an intercooler in 2009. Needless to say, the engine mounts a Moose pump and Moose Mister injectors. The engine is mostly built for fuel economy, and until he adds heads studs, he’s shying away from the dyno, but this formula regularly yields 210 rwhp on similarly built trucks… roughly equivalent to 250-270 flywheel hp. That’s a 60-70 hp increase in typical rwhp from stock trucks.

The core of Agne’s appreciation of this truck is the engine. To say that he’s a fan of the old-school 6.9/7.3L IDI engines would be an understatement. Not only has he learned the ins and outs of this International Harvester-developed engine, he has developed fuel injection products and solutions to help owners achieve top performance.

Long gone is the barely padded original bench seat. It’s been replaced by a cushy Flexsteel 40-20-40 seat. Not seen in this shot is a vintage Highliner overhead console that holds a Icom 2720H dual-band 50-watt amateur radio. A 12-speaker stereo system supplies tunes. Behind the seats lurks a Tripplite 550B 110-volt AC inverter. Instrumentation includes a throttle position indicator, digital system voltmeter, boost, pyro, tach, oil pressure and oil temp.

Years ago, Agne helped develop a formula for an enhanced performance BD2 injection pump for turbocharged 6.9/7.3L engines. Not surprisingly it was called the Moose pump and he sold a few dozen every year by word of mouth. Demand for a high-quality economy pump for NA or milder turbocharged engines led to the Baby Moose DB2 and Moose Mister injectors. Agne worked for years with a one-man injection shop on these pumps and when that fellow decided to retire, Agne stepped in and bought Conestoga Diesel and changed careers from computers to compression ignition.

Pretty busy underneath, too. The Gear Vendors unit jumps right out at you. The framework you see is Mel’s custom-made dual-control (auto or manual) hydraulically retractable steps. The vintage Burbank lift has been augmented with a few extra leaves over the years and the truck now sports Rancho 5000 shocks as well as a rear Rancho Kicker shock kit.

By Jim Allen

The post Become Obsessed with Ford IDI Diesels appeared first on .

AFTER:

AFTER: Wow, in the hands of the skilled surgeons at Unique Paint & Body, our Silverado has made a full recovery from its cancerous rusted-through rocker panels.

Don’t forget what this guy looked like BEFORE:

BEFORE

Let’s look at the last few steps of how this amazing transformation was made possible:

It’s a scary thing, but we’ve seen many trucks driving around with even worse rust than ours once had. But really, knowing that replacement panels are available and at a reasonable price from places like RockAuto, you shouldn’t be discouraged from buying an otherwise nice truck with some body rust; just factor the repairs into your offer and work toward a better deal on the truck. Then after the repair you can put the money you saved into performance parts and have a truck that you can really be proud of without breaking the bank on purchasing a new one. You’ll be glad you did; we sure are!

After everything is welded and the welds are ground smooth body filler is used to fill any low spots.

The body filler is sanded to provide a flat and seamless finish, making it hard to tell where the original cab ends and the replacement panels begin.

Once the filler is sanded, it’s covered in a coat of primer and then sanded one more time before heading to the paint booth.

Couch installs beads of seam sealer to complete the cab corner installation, just like when it came off the GM assembly line.

In the paint booth, Payne and Slovenski masked off the entire truck except for the repaired areas and cab corners. Then Couch lays down a coat of sealer, two coats of base color and two coats of clear, blending the color and clear into the original paint above the repairs on the cab corners.

After curing overnight in the paint booth, the truck is unmasked and rolled out for reassembly. The rocker panels look like new and, aside from being clean when the rest of the truck is dirty, you can’t tell where the repairs were made.

When reassembling the truck, Payne installed the new door seals we received from RockAuto.

Payne then wet-sanded the cab corners and buffed them to finish the blend from new paint to old.

The big Chevy isn’t finished yet, but being rust-free sure ups its curb appeal. After we convert it to a short bed and install the FiberwerX bedsides to match the front-end conversion, the truck will be wrapped and/or painted, so stay tuned.

Text and Photos by Chris Tobin

SOURCES

RockAuto

Dept. DW

6418 Normandy Lane

Madison, WI 53719

866-762-5288

www.rockauto.com

Unique Paint & Body

Dept. DW

602 Park Ave.

Carrolton, KY 41008

502-732-9690

The post How to Deal with Rust (PART 3) appeared first on .

At this point, the truck looks kind of odd with the rocker panels completely removed, but this was the only way to ensure that all of the rust is removed from the truck so that it will not infect the new panels.

After the truck is blown apart, the grinding and cutting (or surgery) can begin to remove the cancerous rusty body parts. Remember to be very careful when cutting away sheet metal, as it’s always easier to make another cut than to cut too much and try to replace metal you have already removed. And, it can’t be emphasized enough to wear proper eye protection and practice safe shop techniques when working with grinders, cutting wheels and welders. These are powerful tools that can do serious damage to you and your truck if improperly used.

Payne applies a weld-through primer to all of the exposed metal to make sure that there’s no place for the rust to start growing after the repairs are completed.

The team at Unique prefers to use a flap wheel grinder and remove the half of the weld on the panel to be removed rather than drilling out the spot welds and risking drilling into or through the good base metal that you will be welding the new parts to. Couch, Jared Payne, Jack Slovenski, Wayne Knight and Chris Amburgey removed the bulk of the rusted outer panel, then cut away the middle panel to have access to the inner rocker panel. The inner rocker was then removed by drilling out the spot welds completely. This enabled the body to be welded directly to the new inner panel from the underside of the body for a solid and secure fit that matches the original fit, finish and strength.

Payne and Slovenski verify that the inner rocker panel fits perfectly before Slovenski welds it in place.

Weld into place from the backside through the holes that were drilled through the original spot welds.

They next carefully removed the lower portion of the cab corners to reveal the extent of the rust damage behind the panels, which was extensive on both sides in our case. Then they cut away little of the upper ends of the outer rocker panels to leave as much clean and solid original base metal as possible to weld to the new rocker panel. Carefully making small cuts at a time, they matched the end cuts in the truck to the cuts on the new rocker panel, fitting them to the truck repeatedly to ensure a proper fit and look.

Couch marks the new outer rocker panel before carefully cutting it to fit the cuts in the body from the old panels so that the pieces will mate together seamlessly.

Before the rocker panel is welded to the cab, Payne and Couch hang the doors and make sure that the alignment is correct and that the panel gaps look good.

Once they were confident in the panel placement, they clamped it in place and hung the doors to make sure the panel to door gaps were correct. With the panel placement verified, the doors were removed again and the panels were welded into place along all the edges with spot welds like the factory and complete butt welds at the ends where the panels mate together. After the rockers were installed, attention was turned to the cab corners where they were carefully fit and matched to the remaining good metal on the cab before being welded into position. Whenever welding sheet metal, be sure to move around the joint so as not to put too much heat into the metal and cause it to deform.

After Slovenski welds the rocker panel to the cab, Payne grinds the welds down to a smooth, flat finish.

To finish off the rust repairs the team ground the welded joints smooth but didn’t stop there. They used body filler to completely smooth the area and then sanded it to perfection, making it very difficult to even tell where the welded seams and repairs took place. Then a coat of primer was used to cover the bodywork and sanded smooth once again.

The cab corners are fit to the truck in the same way as the rocker panels with careful trimming and checking alignment over and over until the fit is just right. Then Slovenski welds the cab corners to the cab. The team also treats the area behind the cab corner to primer and undercoating to make sure that rust will not grow back and infect the new panels.

Slovenski and Payne then drove the truck into the paint booth and masked off everything but the rocker area. Couch then sprayed on a coat of primer/sealer and two coats of color-matched white base coat and finally two coats of clear for a great looking repair. Then, after curing overnight, the truck was reassembled complete with new weatherstripping from RockAuto.

Check back soon for the final few steps of this in-depth step-by-step tech segment! 

Text and Photos by Chris Tobin

Sources:

RockAuto

Dept. DW

6418 Normandy Lane

Madison, WI 53719

866-762-5288

www.rockauto.com

Unique Paint & Body

Dept. DW

602 Park Ave.

Carrolton, KY 41008

502-732-9690

The post How to Deal with Rust (PART 2) appeared first on .

The 6.6L Duramax diesel engine found in Silverado HD and Sierra HD 3/4- and 1-ton trucks is a durable power plant that can last for hundreds of thousands of miles, and it’s backed by the equally stout Allison transmission in most trucks. Unfortunately, many diesel truck owners have found that the body is far less robust, especially in the rocker panel and cab corner areas where they’re prone to rust. As a truck that came from northern Indiana and served as a work truck for a concrete contractor, there was no surprise that our ’01 Chevy 2500 HD with more than 360,000 miles on the odometer suffers from a good bit of rocker panel and cab corner rust.

BEFORE: There was no doubt that our truck had a serious case of “cancer,” but it was not terminal. We just needed to right surgeon to cut out the cancer and replace it with good skin.

To cut out the automotive cancer on our Chevy we ordered replacement cab corners as well as inner and outer rocker panels from www.rockauto.com, then loaded up the parts and headed up to Unique Paint & Body in Carrolton, Kentucky. The crew at Unique, led by owner Stephen Couch, has years of auto body and paint experience and has replaced many a rusted-out body panel. In our case, they even came in and worked the weekend to complete our repairs on schedule to meet editorial deadlines without impacting the workflow of the regular shop paint and repair business.

To get started on the rust repairs Stephen Couch and Jared Payne remove all four doors from our extended cap Silverado. Be sure to disconnect the harnesses and hinge retainers before trying to remove the doors.

Replacing rocker panels and cab corners is a serious undertaking requiring a lot of cutting, grinding and welding, and the skills to do it right. Rather than show the detailed step-by-step process here in the magazine, which would take up the entire issue, we’ll show the basics and an overview of the repair process.

While the team lifts the bed and moves it rearward, Wayne Knight slides the wooden bed support frame between the bed and the chassis to hold the bed securely out of the way while they’re working on the truck. If you don’t have a bed support, you can fully remove the bed and set it aside in the shop.

If you have the proper skills and equipment, you can definitely perform the repair in your own shop or garage, and this article will be a great primer for you to refresh your skills before you begin surgery on your own truck. For those of you who won’t be tackling rust repair on your own, you can still read on to get a deeper appreciation for what your local body shop will go through ridding your truck of its rust problems.

With the truck blown apart and the initial cut lines marked at the front and rear of the rocker panels, the crew is ready to get to work cutting out the cancer.

Since we had an expert crew working on the truck, we chose the full factory style replacement rocker panels over the slip-on style rocker panels, but the slip-on style would be easier for less experienced DIYers to install. With the full factory style panels, the entire rocker panel is removed from the cab at the factory pinch-weld joints and replaced with a new piece welded into place the same way as the factory panel. Additionally, the inner rocker panels on our truck were also heavily rusted so we had to completely remove the outer rocker panels to get to the inner panels to replace them.

The spot welds are ground down on the pinch weld seam inside the cab and under the cab to free the rusted rocker panel from the rest of the body.

GM actually uses three panels for the rocker assembly with the inner panel and a middle panel that houses the striker mounts and then the outer panel that’s seen when you look at the truck. This may be part of the reason that they are prone to rusting as dirt, road debris and moisture can become trapped in the rockers with little room to drain through the small drain holes.

Couch makes cuts at the front and rear of the rocker panel low enough to leave plenty of metal to work with when determining how much of the body metal is compromised and where the new panel will be joined to the old panels.

Using the replacement pieces from RockAuto converts the rocker assembly to a two-panel system with the inner panel the same thickness as the factory panel and an outer panel that is much thicker than the factory rocker panel and has the striker mount built into the panel. We hope that the new panel will not only be stronger than the factory panel but also resist rust better than the factory one.

For the cab corners, he carefully drills out the top portion of the spot welds along the rear of the cab. Then, after cutting at his mark, he’s able to peal down the corner to reveal substantial damage and rust on the backside of the panel.

Using a seam splitter and a body hammer, Couch separates the rocker panel from the cab sheet metal revealing the middle and inner rocker panels and a lot more rust damage.

Doing rocker replacement does take up quite a bit of room, especially if you’re working on both sides of the truck at the same time as we were. To have access to the complete rocker panel, all the doors have to be removed, but at least this is pretty easy on the GM trucks where after removing the retainers the doors can be lifted off the hinge pins. Then the hood and front fenders have to be removed to get to the front part of the rocker panel. Finally, to get to the cab corners at the rear of the cab, the bed must be removed or at least unbolted and moved back to allow room to access and work on the panels. You will need at least one friend to help with the doors and three or four to help with the bed, but maybe if they’re willing to help with lifting you can get them to help with the rest of the job, too, but you’ll be on the hook for the pizza and beer!

While Slovenski is cutting the front and rear of the middle rocker panel on one side of the truck, Payne is drilling out the spot welds on the inner rocker panel on the other side of the truck to make quick work of the rust removal.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this tech feature to learn about the final steps in rust repair!

Text and Photos by Chris Tobin

Sources:

RockAuto

Dept. DW

6418 Normandy Lane

Madison, WI 53719

866-762-5288

www.rockauto.com

Unique Paint & Body

Dept. DW

602 Park Ave.

Carrolton, KY 41008

502-732-9690

The post How to Deal with Rust a.k.a. “Automotive Cancer” (PART 1) appeared first on .

Travis Amick, owner of Alter Ego Customs, wanted a truly spectacular truck to show off his alter ego, and highlight what his shop was capable of building. He took a look at his trusty Chevy K1500 and decided that a newer rig with eight lugs and a diesel engine was essential for the build. A 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 was selected and the build began.

Travis’s truck is a wild one with a custom suspension and other modifications. The 42 inches of lift and 53-inch tires make this Dodge Ram truck stand tall and stand out.

Tall was the quest so this Ram truck EOM suspension was removed and the frame was drilled and sleeved to accept an Evil Twin suspension system. Up front longer upper and lower control arms were installed and the front springs and shocks were replaced with King coil-over off-road shocks. A custom front axle bracket was welded to the front housing, and PCS full hydraulic steering was added to turn the monster tires. At the rear, the stock leaf springs were replaced with a 5-link custom suspension that also uses King coil-over shocks. A custom subframe is also part of the new suspension.

Looking closely at front, you can see the King coil-over shocks, custom front suspension, PSC hydraulic steering ram and much more.

Upgrades to the driveline include a set of Yukon 4.88:1 gears front and rear, along with billet diff covers. The front axle is open and the truck sports an AAM limited slip differential. The 48RE transmission now runs an ATS 5-Star converter, and a T-case indexing ring was added to the tail to improve driveline angles. Of course, all-new driveshafts were required and Dan’s Drivelines in the Vegas helped with these.

Michelin XL 16.00R20 tires were mounted on 20×12 Ion Forged Terminator wheels. These are the same tires used on M35 6×6 military trucks.

To improve power and help move this monster down the road, power improvements were made. These include the addition of a Banks intercooler and High Ram intake, Garrett turbo and AEM cold air intake. A Bully Dog Performance Management Tool (PMT) tuner was used along with some custom tuning by Bully Dog for this unique rig. For exhaust flow improvement, a larger diameter stainless steel system was custom made and routes to a set of MPBR 6-inch stacks in the bed. A Snow Performance Stage 2 water/meth injection system tops off the performance mods. The result is an impressive 1,200 lb-ft of torque and 505 hp out of the Cummings 5.9L.

On the outside, the stock bumpers were replaced with some Evil Twin steel bumpers, while a Warn 12,000-lb winch rides behind the front one. The truck also sports a RBP grille and a custom emblem, also by Evil Twin. AMI chrome billet door handles replace the stock units and, of course, no custom build is complete without a custom paint job.

Seen here is the Banks High Ram intake, part of the Banks Intercooler system. A Garret turbo was also installed at the same time.

The paint is a wild black base with airbrushed demons, flames and smoke popping of the dark background. Devious Designs in Vegas made this truck stand out, even without the lift.

This wild paint job shows demons, flames and smoke popping off the dark background. This is all airbrushed custom work.

Finally, the interior also has some custom paint by Devious Designs on the dash. Katzkin leather covers are on the seats and US Speedo gauges replace the stock cluster. A custom stereo was installed to pound out the tunes. The Alpine head unit feeds several amps in the interior that in turn blast music out of the massive speakers in the doors and back seat.

The stock gauges have been replaced with a stainless steel, blue back-light cluster from US Speedo

The end result of all this work is the truck you see here. The 42 inches of lift and 53-inch tires are the icing on the cake for this sweet Dodge.

By Trent Riddle

Photography by Diesel World Staff

The post Big Bad Dodge: A 2007 Ram 2500 Gets Rebuilt appeared first on .

Once the system was installed and the custom EFI Live programming software was downloaded into the truck to bring full potential out of the tuning, we were able to strap the truck down on the in-house Dynojet chassis dyno to see just where our “stock truck” numbers came out. Remember, since this truck is still running a stock engine and stock Allison transmission, the tuning is left quite conservative to keep boost and transmission slippage limited.

Once everything is installed, you’ll be surprised to find it’s nearly as tight of a fit as you would’ve first expected. Seeing all of that plumbing and large turbo sitting on the floor before the installation can make a guy a bit hesitant. But Industrial Injection has done a great job of making a clean-fitting system that when done correctly can almost look like a factory piece.

After bringing the truck up to operating temperatures and checking for any air or oil leaks, final power numbers came in at a pretty impressive and virtually smoke-free 476hp to the rear wheels. The additional airflow through the upper RPM range really improves top-end performance and helps keep EGTs at well below safe levels, even at nearly 500hp. On the street, the truck drives better than it did stock, with the improved low-end response, acceleration daily driving and towing has been improved and there is much more usable power on tap. The owner no longer fears watching his pyrometer needle bouncing off 1,400-degrees while towing up over the 8,500-ft mountain passes.

On the LMM Duramax, the factory fuel filter housing can be retained for fuel filtration; it just has to be moved to a new bracket and location further from the engine near the firewall. Moving the filter actually makes servicing it easier, as well. For higher-performance applications, an aftermarket lift pump system would be recommended; in that case, the factory filter could be removed all together.

The new turbo’s polished housing and the powder coated pipes makes for a nice look under the hood. You can see here that the factory coolant reservoir is reused, along with the mass airflow sensor in the intake pipe. While fitting the large AFE filter looks to be a bit of a challenge, its location will allow it to still draw in plenty of cool incoming air.

While this turbo is marketed as a Towing Compound system, we’re told that with the proper tuning and supporting mods, it can support upwards of 700hp in the LBZ and LMM applications. Of course, this would mean engine head studs, lift pump, fuel upgrades and a built transmission. For high-performance applications, the system can also be used with drop-in factory replacement VNT turbochargers like the Garrett Powermax units. Whether you’re looking to improve your towing capabilities or just get down the drag strip a little quicker, the Compound Turbo system from Industrial Injection may be just what you need.

After installing the compound turbo kit, Industrial Injection employees strapped the truck down on their in-house Dynojet chassis dyno to not only see what kind of power improvements have been made, but to fine tune the custom EFI Live programming to keep the stock transmission and engine happy.

Because this truck is still running the stock Allison transmission and stock engine, tuning was kept pretty conservative, but with the help of the Towing Compound Turbo Kit, the custom Starlite Diesel EFI Live tune was able to produce a virtually smoke-free 476hp to the ground. The additional airflow means much broader power and torque band, and ensures that exhaust gas temperatures will stay extremely low, even at this power level. With the addition of a lift pump and built transmission, this turbo kit could support up to 700 horsepower.

Text and Photos by J.S. Hansen

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