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1999 Dodge Durango Mud Truck Build - Heavy Metal Mudder

The Durango Teardown
By Ali Mansour
Photography by Ali Mansour
1999 Dodge Durango On Lift
1999 Dodge Durango Side View Forest
It's painfully purple, has... 
   
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1999 Dodge Durango Side View Forest
It's painfully purple, has less than 100k on the odometer, and, at $3,000, was too good a deal to pass up. Our '99 Dodge Durango was a capable wheeler from the factory, just not enough for the deep mud pits and tough wheeling we have in store.
1999 Dodge Durango Engine
1. Starting off with a healthy... 
   
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1999 Dodge Durango Engine
1. Starting off with a healthy and powerful engine is always a plus. Though the 360ci 5.9L is no Viper-eater, it is a solid starting point and a V-8 more than capable of powering a set of Rockwell axles.
1999 Dodge Durango Interior
2. Though the black leather... 
   
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1999 Dodge Durango Interior
2. Though the black leather and carpeted interior isn't quite ready to be hosed out, it does have a simple set of gauges, a floor-mounted shifter, and plenty of room for tools, gear, and equipment. Not to mention seating for seven, which is a definite plus when you're stuck in the mud, as you can always make one of your six buddies hop out and hook up the tow strap!
1999 Dodge Durango Gas Tank
3. Similar to the new Jeep... 
   
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1999 Dodge Durango Gas Tank
3. Similar to the new Jeep Wrangler JK, the gas tank resides inline under the side of the vehicle instead of directly under the rear cargo area. Having the tank offset will allow for more room for the massive 2 1/2-ton third member, and though it may limit a few of our multilink options, it does give us more room to place the axle and additional suspension members.
1999 Dodge Durango Brace Frame Crossmember
4. As soon as we yanked off... 
   
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1999 Dodge Durango Brace Frame Crossmember
4. As soon as we yanked off the factory front bumper, we knew that the factory front crossmember had to go. Before we took the torch to the front member, we braced the frame to prevent it from twisting. This will give us more room to position the axle and open up our steering options.
1999 Dodge Durango Limit Travel
5. The biggest challenge so... 
   
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1999 Dodge Durango Limit Travel
5. The biggest challenge so far is to keep the Durango low and still have enough uptravel so we can really romp around in the mud. With the oil pan in the way, and not wanting to push the front axle obnoxiously forward, we're thinking we will limit the uptravel to about 31/2 inches until bump. This will make the rig a touch taller than we would like, but with the projected width and wheelbase, we don't think stability is going to be a huge issue.
1999 Dodge Durango Steering
6. Steering is always a hot... 
   
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1999 Dodge Durango Steering
6. Steering is always a hot topic of conversation among guys running Rockwells. Do you run a single-ended ram, a double-ended ram, or scratch both and try and stick with a traditional steering gearbox and possibly tap it for hydraulic assist? Our '99 Dodge Durango sports a traditional rear-swinging steering gearbox from the factory, and for now we'll set it to the side until we figure out what's going to be the best steering setup for our needs.
1999 Dodge Durango Rear Axle
7. From the factory the Durango... 
   
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1999 Dodge Durango Rear Axle
7. From the factory the Durango sports a spring-under configuration in the rear which keeps the 9 1/4 axle in place. An independent front suspension supported by torsion bars cradles the differential...
1999 Dodge Durango Torsion Bar
...Though a relatively stout... 
   
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1999 Dodge Durango Torsion Bar
...Though a relatively stout combo in factory form, they're no match for the massive size and strength of the 16-spline 2 1/2-ton axles.
1999 Dodge Durango Transmission
8. The original Durango owner... 
   
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1999 Dodge Durango Transmission
8. The original Durango owner told us of a few problems that he had been having with the 46RE transmission, so rather than taking any chances, we pulled it out and sent it to our buddies at B&H Transmission in Granbury, Texas...
1999 Dodge Durango Transfer Case
...Not knowing the extent... 
   
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1999 Dodge Durango Transfer Case
...Not knowing the extent of the problems, we're going to let the experts tear into the transmission and see what they find.
1999 Dodge Durango Label
9. One of the surprises we... 
   
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1999 Dodge Durango Label
9. One of the surprises we found was the NP 242D transfer case. Why is this a big deal? Because it has 2WD, 4 part-time, 4-high, and 4-low, the key feature being 2WD! We're not sure how many of the 5.9L had the 2WD option, but it definitely makes us rethink tossing the case-but how long will it survive?
1999 Dodge Durango Disc Brakes
Next Month We continued our... 
   
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1999 Dodge Durango Disc Brakes
Next Month
We continued our build at Old Town Customs in Texas and begin the rebuild, starting with our 2 1/2-ton axles. While we don't want to spoil all of the surprises, a hub-mounted, bolt-on disc-brake conversion is just one of the few rock'n items that will get our Heavy Metal Mudder ready for the muddy roads ahead.
B&H Transmissions Old Town Customs
www.oldtowncustoms.com

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