Cummins Diesel Forum banner

2nd gen Cab and Chassis build

56K views 95 replies 12 participants last post by  Lawdawg264 
#1 ·
Hey guys, I thought I might start sharing my new project with everyone as I will be asking advice alot lol. I am building a 1995 cab and chassis. I will be changing the cab out with a 96 ext cab. I am doing pretty much a complete restoration on the old girl except for drivetrain. The pickup has 115k on it but the motor was rebuilt/changed out under warranty (KDP failure), and only has 60K on it. This is going to be my tow rig for the drag car. Plan is to pain it the same as the race car (light/med blue). Here are my progress pics so far. With work I only get weekends to work on it. I just got done patching the holes in the roof where someone bolted a visor and the holes in the doors where the truck style mirrors bolted. BTW I have a lot of spare parts lol. I have basically stripped 3 of theses to get the pieces lol. Hopefully I uploaded the pictures correctly, I'm not a computer guy lol.
 
#2 ·
Not sure if anyone if following this or reading but I have all the body off the frame. I will be fixing the KDP, new water pump and heater core. Is there anything else I should look at fixing or is easier to do with everything exposed. Obviously if I notice things I will fix them but I'm just trying to be proactive for once in my life and do things the easy way. Any input is appreciated. I thought about drilling the manifold for the EGT probe?
 
#3 ·
Didnt get a whole lot done this weekend. Old man lost the pinion bearing in the rear on his 97. Ate up the pinion so we swapped the pinion and carrier out of mine, new bearings seals ect. I was on the fence about swapping out the 4.10s for the 3.54s I got. Now my decision was made for me lol. Project keeps growing!
 
#4 ·
Definitely not enough cab chassis builds out there!!!

Ive had my eyes peeled for the right cab chassis 12v dump truck for quite some time now.


Most cab chassis have the 5.9 V8s for some reason. Probably cost most were bought by landscapers and thrashed
 
#5 ·
I agree. Pretty much uncharted territory. My c&c was a landscape rig. Had a nice crane mounted on it but it was trashed for the few miles it had. Its going to be nice having the extra payload. I will have to do some more frame work than originally planned for the ext cab but no biggie.
 
#7 ·
Yes mine is 12k and it is very stiff lol. Especially without anything on it. The frame is pretty tall also. I didn't measure it but the height of the frame rails looks to be maybe 2 inches more than a 3/4 pickup. I know the crane that was on the back of it could lift 5k. I lifted 2k with it and she didn't squat much lol.
 
#8 ·
Any chance you could measure the rear rail height, and the inside- inside, and outside-outside of the rear rails? I'd like to compare it to my 2500 frame. Is there a sticker or something on the truck that specifies it's a C&C? I've gone and looked at a few supposed C&Cs, none had any markings/stickers about being a C&C and the frames were the same as my 2500 regular PU's, just with beefed up leaves, as far as I could tell...:confused013:
 
#9 ·
You bet I can. I'm not sure if the rails are bigger at the end but I will look. I know they look taller in the middle of the frame. The door sticker is gone but i did run the vin and its a cab and chassis. I also measure the wheelbase and parked it next to my dads 2500 and its about 6 in longer wheel base than an ext cab long box. If you look in my garage I have some pics of the Ext cab sitting on the frame. You can kinda see where the frame is too tall for the mounts. I have also heard the spring perches are set wider apart but I did not verify. I did just measure the rear axle last week and it was a touch over 49 in, dads 2500 was 58 and change I believe, Hub to hub. I will measure that for you when I get back next weekend. The differences in the frame were enough to make this not an easy swap to an ext cab with a dually box lol.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Speedfrak78
#10 ·
Thanks. How do you decode the Vin to see if it's a C&C? The FSM doesn't show it as having independent codes to distinguish it from regular PUs. Only thing I've been able to positively confirm as being different are the wheelbases. That spring perch center to center width would be interesting to know also. I'm going to see if I can find a hub to hub measurement for a dually PU. I've been trying to get all the measurements for SRW, DRW and C&Cs D80s to compare for another project.

I know the excabs had longer mid sections to clear the floor, my frame rotted out and I cut up a reg cab to try and get the area I needed, which looked like it would work, but ultimately didn't.
 
#11 ·
My wife works for a dodge dealership so I had her run the vin. I did it a while back so I can't remember the breakdown of the VIN. I had a regular dually pickup in the shop for pieces, that is what the Ext cab came off and I believe the axles were the same width. I think the 3rd gens started changing that. Also I know cab and chassis only came in a regular cab. Always good to have information!
 
#12 ·
Cab chassis are more narrow than a DRW truck. A dually pickup the rear wheels stick out of the body, where C&C the wheels are tucked into the body





Note the relation of the front and rear wheels
 
#13 ·
I know there's axle differences, I've never seen anything showing frame differences, I'd just like to see something conclusive . I can't find any Dodge/ Chrysler literature referencing 2nd gen C&C chassis. The FSM doesn't show or specify any C&C specific differences. I've read where upfitters didn't like the 2nd gen C&Cs because standard C&C equipment doesn't fit the rear frame rails without custom mounts. I've read that the only reason the PU got the wider axle was to not intrude into bed space too much. If you're not dealing with wheels wells from the bed, there's room to pull the wheels in towards the leafs more. The narrow axle would fit under almost any upfit body without issue. I've been trying to find one to get some measurements off of, but almost 20 yr old trucks, especially any that saw commercial duty, are rare. If they weren't beat to death, salt got em.
 
#16 ·
I want to get opinions on this: the extended cab touches on the frame. I have to fabricate the back 4 cab mounts. It will have a flatbed on it. My original plan was to notch the frame, brace it back up ect. But I got looking and think I might just do a cab lift on it. Wouldn't take much. Probably an inch and a half at most. It would only be on the core support and front 2 cab mounts. Im not a fan of body lifts but I think with that small of lift the roll will be small. Seems like it will be less work and cleaner. I also will be doing a custon front bumper so the gap will be a non issue. There are some pics in my garage. Your thoughts?
 
#17 ·
I don't see anything too terribly wrong with a body lift, however I am not a fan. But... If it will make life easier, I say go for it! I don't believe it'll affect the roll enough to matter, unless you plan on taking corners at high rates of speed.

Personally, I'd add something to cover the "daylight" gap, if you end up with it.
 
#20 ·
Speadfrak thats correct eye to eye. I dont think I notching the cab floor will get me enough and I already have my back seat redone lol. I feel comfortable cutting the frame as I back half alot of cars. I think I will go for the body lift. I woulda traded you this cab and chassis, I just wanted a 2500 lol. Its turned out to be more work than originally thought but oh well. It will be nice when its done.
 
#21 ·
I just want a C&C rear axle. It's going in my 79 F250 12v swapped tow rig. The C&C axle will, well should, tuck under my flatbed without the need for giant wheel wells. At least that's what I'm hoping.

The 2500 Dodge is one of my old projects, it's now being put together to sell to finance the Ford. It is a Virgin '96 115K 12V, auto. Getting a 3" Carli system with full leaves, which I originally bought for my other Dodge( 95 reg cab), which I'm now using for the Fords drivetrain.
I can't seem to stick with one thing... lol.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lawdawg264
#22 ·
UPDATE: So i have still been hitting this project every weekend. I did not take any new pictures but I got most of the body work complete on the cab. Haven't started on fenders and hood yet. I did weld up the new cab mounts. Actually went very smooth. I did end lifting the cab about 2 inches. I only did the lift on the front cab mounts and the core support mounts. The back 4 cab mounts I had to weld new ones since it was a regular cab and is now an Extended cab. I can say that is one big gal now. Looks good you can't tell it has the body lift on it. I still have to put the new guts in the rear end and change the front end out to match, re-build/build the new flatbed and fab up the bumper. Hopefully I can get some color on it this month. Also started looking for a new/ bigger car trailer. I know there is alot of threads about fifth wheel hitches. Anyone have much experience/preference with putting one on a flatbed. I have never used a fifth only gooseneck so its new territory for me. I have all the stuff to put the gooseneck on this but the trailer I'm looking at is a 5ver.
 
#23 ·
Put my diamond eye exhaust kit on. Took all of 30 minutes. Its alot easier to do without any of the body there. Didn't even have to get under the pickup.
 
#24 ·
update

Got my wheels back from powdercoating. I didnt want to use aluminium wheels and there is not much out there for steel. Got them done in dark grey hammered finish. Got some primer sprayed. Just mor hand blocking dut thing are coming together. Rim Tire Wheel Auto part Automotive tire


Land vehicle Vehicle Car Vehicle door City car
 
#26 ·
One of the differences I've noted on the frames.... the C&C (at least in a long wheelbase) is a one-piece frame rail. The pickups have a factory splice at the fwd leaf spring hanger. Its a hot-spot for rust. I've wrecked out two '95 pickups... one was wasting in that area, the other had fully broken thru on one side.
 
#27 ·
I didn't even notice that. Now I will have to look the next time I see pickup frame. All these little differences you don't notice until you have to LOL
 
#28 ·
Update

I have finished swapping in the 3.54's in the front and rear. The exhaust is installed, 4 shocks in, started re-assembling the core support and radiator. The cab, doors and hood are all blocked down and ready for color. Just started on the fenders. Hopefully get some color shot on this month.
 
#29 ·
Got some paint in the cab and doors.
 

Attachments

  • Like
Reactions: StealthDiesel
#31 ·
Update

Body is all put together. Got the dash all wired up and doors all hooked up complete with power windows and locks. New carpet. just sat the new wheels and tires on the back ro see what the looked like. Land vehicle Vehicle Automotive tire Car Tire
 
#33 ·
Updates

Ok guys. I finished putting in all the glass headliner and she is now running. I would appreciate some help. Here is what I got. The old cab when I bought it had melted wires in the harness. It had no dash lights no cab marker lights but the headlights worked. It had the e brake light on and the abs light on. I changed wiring harnesses while doing the cab. Now I have abs light brake light and air bag light on. I did change steering wheels somight have a bad clock spring. The headlights will work but the cab lights only come on with the headlight switch pulled halfway out. Where the headlights wont come on. Also the 3rd brake light is always on. I checked the switch to make sure the petal was contacting it and it is but no change. Its a flatbed and I don not have the rear lights put on yet. Also mt turn signal lights just stay on when I turn the switch. They dont flash. Searched many posts but im seeing what peoples ideas are. I tried a different used headlight switch with no change but I dont no if its a bad switch too.
 

Attachments

#34 ·
It is normal for the parking lights to come on with the switch partially pulled. Brake light and ABS light on at the same time has many different causes there is a lengthy trouble shooting procedure in the FSM. As you surely know the FSM also contains complete wire diagrams. The flasher problem could be one or both of the flasher relays are faulty or missing.
 
#35 · (Edited)
I did put leds in but I changed the resistor as well. I have a few ideas to start checking. Im also swaping the original steering wheel assembly in. I was going to change the ignition tumbler anyways to maintain ch the locks. I ended up not liking the locks I started with. Thanks GAmes forv your reply. Takes me a while when I only get to work on it one day every 2 weeks.
 
#36 ·
Finished interior

Finished the interior today. Took it for a test spin. She is pretty stiff with no bed or weight on the rear. Otherwise drove great.
 

Attachments

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top