When you hear "fullsize trail truck," the first thoughts that pop into mind are a rolled-over, beaten-down Blazer that could barely pass for legal on the street. Hank Slocum of Golden, Colorado, took his perfectly good V-10 Dodge Ram and started wheeling it, and then he bought another one to tow the first one with. And some people say we obsess about our trucks
But we understand why Hank would build such a rig. He's not exactly the kinda guy that'll fit into a buggy; he's more the kinda guy that'd rip the front seats out of a Japanese car and drive it sitting on the rear bench. And we don't blame Hank for wanting to wheel in comfort. There's many a day we'd take the nice, big, plush leather on our butts and carpet on our feet over the burning oil smell and scorching exhaust-heated floorpan of our own rides.
But such a luxury rock ride comes at no small price. At 7,200 pounds, Hank's Dodge is probably one of the heavier things you'll find moving through the Moab slickrock. And being one of the heaviest 4x4s around earns you the responsibility of recovery vehicle. Luckily, Hank is the kind of guy that'll lend a hand, as we witnessed earlier this year in Moab, when a cherry Commando took a dump on Potato Salad Hill and Hank continued to winch it out of the ravine until he burned up an alternator. And don't think he asked the guy for a new one. Hank is an example of the good kind of people that keep four-wheeling friendly and make it so great for everyone.
Hank began with a simple and reliable build plan when putting together his '97 Ram. He started with a Skyjacker 7-inch-lift long-arm kit, but replaced the links with his own links with FK rod ends, moving the Ford high-pinion Dana 60 front axle forward 2 inches. To get the front 60 on, Hank employed KW Welding Services to make sure all the brackets were welded on correctly, since there is just no skimping on a project like this, especially after stuffing it with 35-spline axles, a Detroit Locker, and 4.88 gears. Steering duties are taken care of via an AGR steering box, a Rock Ram, and a Performance Unlimited drag link, tie rod, and track bar. Keeping the steering box steady on the frame while pushing all that weight around is a Solid Steel Biz steering stabilizer brace that connects to the box's sector shaft right below the pitman arm.
Underneath Hank's Dodge the...
Underneath Hank's Dodge the Hi-Angle Driveline transfer-case parking brake and fixed tailhousing conversion are mounted on the back of the NP241. Directly in front of that is a Klune-V Goliath Crawl Box to split gears after the 47RE auto tranny. Hank did a little bit of custom crossmember work as well when fitting the Klune in and mounting the Skyjacker control-arm brackets.
Bringing up the rear is the...
Bringing up the rear is the factory Dana 70 rear housing sitting below 5-inch-lift Skyjacker leaf springs that have been relocated on both ends. The front leaf-spring eye mounts have been moved to work with a rear shackle flip (now a compression-style shackle configuration). To keep the Detroit locked, a 4.88-geared rear end from twisting and oscillating too much under throttle, there are relocated Rancho 9000 shocks keeping control, while a TSM rear disc-brake kit keep brake control in check.
While mashing the pedal up...
While mashing the pedal up Potato Salad Hill, Hank gave us a good look at his custom bed that holds everything he needs on the trail. A Jaz fuel cell feeds an Aeromotive EFI fuel pump, filter, and regulator that pump juice to the hungry V-10, while a Hi-Lift Jack mounts on the passenger side of the bed and leaves enough room for a 42-inch Swamper spare that Hank left out of the back on this particular day. The bed itself is 14 inches shorter than the original Dodge box, and 22 inches were chopped out of the frame to make it a little more trail-friendly.
Tech Specs
Vehicle: '97 Dodge Ram 2500
Engine: 488ci, 8.0L V-10 gas
Transmission: 518 four-speed auto tranny
Transfer Case: NP241 (with a Klune-V Goliath Crawl Box)
Front Axle: High-pinion Ford Dana 60, 35-spline axles, 4.88 gears, Detroit Locker
Rear Axle: Factory Dana 70, 4.88 gears, Detroit Locker
Tires & Wheels: 42x15-16.5 Swamper TSLs on 16.5x10 USA 6x6 double bead-lock wheels
Suspension: Skyjacker coils and leaves, custom control arms, rear shackle flip and remounting of front spring eye, Rancho 9000 shocks