Richard Rice took his worn-out old work truck and made it into a killer great white machine. After years of the daily grind, this '00 Chevy 3500 was put under the knife to lose the independent suspension and gain the height needed to clear big-kid tires. Now this wild wide ride can be seen cruising central Florida at the front end of a boat trailer, sled pull, or tug-o-war, not to mention buried frame-deep in the sloppiest mud holes. Just because it's retired from the daily grind doesn't mean life got easier. It just got more fun.
Engine: TBI 454
Transmission: 4L80E
Transfer Case: NP203 and divorced Ford NP205
Front Axle: Dana 60, 5.13, Truetrac
Rear Axle: Corporate 14-bolt, 5.13, Auburn Locker
Tires & Wheels: 42-inch Super Swamper Iroks on Eagle Dualie rims with custom rear billet spacers
Suspension: Superlift 9-inch Chevy rear springs in front and rear, Pro Comp remote-reservoir shocks
In stock form, TBI Chevy 454s are slightly more impressive than a Florida swamp turtle when it comes to speed. But Richard treated his big-block to an Air Raid intake, dual Flowmaster exhaust, and a Superchip controller. When we asked what his results were, he said that he wouldn't change a thing since not only does the controller wake up the big-block, but it also allows adjustment of the 4L80E. With the power to spare when spinning big tires in deep mud, we'd be happy too. | 
Up front Richard did a top-notch job with his solid-axle swap. He used Superlift 9-inch Chevy rear springs for plenty of ground clearance as well as a fairly supple ride. In addition to a 3-inch body lift there are also dropped spring brackets resulting in 16 inches of total lift above the front '79 Ford high-pinion Dana 60. Inside that 1-ton axle resides a set of 5.13 gears and a Truetrac for traction. To help keep the axle under control a Panhard bar was added and is kept as close as possible to parallel with the drag link to reduce bumpsteer. |
Out back lives a beefy GM Corporate 14-bolt rear axle stuffed with 5.13 gears and an Auburn Locker. Lift blocks and Pro Comp remote-reservoir shocks assist another set of 9-inch Superlift springs to clear the four 42-inch Swampers. | 
Where the rubber meets the mud, Richard enlisted six 42-inch Super Swamper Iroks. Though designed with rocks in mind, these tires are still packed with years of Interco Tire's mud experience. They're burly without the weight of some mud tires, thus being easier to spin in the slop. Each tire is mounted on Eagle dualie rims with custom 5 1/2-inch billet steel spacers between the back two. |
Upstream from the 14-bolt is a divorced Ford NP205 transfer case. To help in the pulling arena this case is mounted behind an NP203 case that is bolted to the 4L80E, thus doubling the low-range possibilities. To aid that gearing's trip to the dirt and reduce rear spring wrap, Richard also runs a set of traction bars. | |