Mike's RamCharger

Welcome to the home of my '84 RamCharger. I bought her from my friend Keith, whose grandparents used it as a tow vehicle for their travel trailer for many years. My original plan for this rustbound rig was to make an ultimate trail vehicle out of it. Run a mild lift and huge tires and cut most of the rust off. Maybe chop the top, probably clear out the back and throw a matress in for camping and have a sweet trail ride. Then I accidently built the shit out of the dakota..... So now I've got an ancient Meyer plow hanging off the front and it's on its stock tires for the moment, doing snow clearing duty.

The Truck:

As-Purchased Specs

• 1984 RamCharger SE Royale Prospector
• 360 LA
• 4x4 via an NP 208
• TF 727 3 speed automatic
• D44 front w/ flattop knuckles; Chysler 9.25" rear - 3.23 gears
• Black/Silver two tone
• 15" steel wheels with 235/75-15 pavement pounders
• Power windows
• Power locks (inop.)
• Huge hitch
• Running boards (falling off)
• Broken radio
• purchased from Keith Mullin in December 2003 with 192600 miles
• Approxamately 200,700 on the clock now

Current Additions:

Capability:

• Had 35x12.50 SuperSwamper SSRs on the stock rims for a while. worked GREAT. back to the stock tires now, 235/75r15 Michalin somethings.
• removed running boards
• removed GIANT hitch
• front bumper is off, tow hooks are on, also plow frame for now.

Utility:

• Cobra CB w/ sprung FireStik II antenna
• does a broken radio count as utility?
• Anything I steal from the Dakota
• Unplugged power lock motors and replaced driver's side power window motor to fix power windows operation and flake-factor. Passenger power lock motor seized, physically unbolted motor, moved to the 'unlock' position, and bolted it back down. p-side door no longer locks...

What's Broken?

The radio, a front driveshaft has been broken and replaced, the power locks don't work, I keep forgetting to replace the radiator cap.

Future Plans

• might put on a set of 34" TrXus M/Ts on 16" alloys, but the center bores are too small and we lost our lathe connection.
• Get the plow pump working, so the Meyer is fully functional instead of dead straight, and I don't have to get out of the cab when I'm done pushing to use a chain binder to lift the blade up :)

Anecdotes:

35x12.5 SSRs fit fine on a stock height RC. They rub on the fronts of the front fender wells when turned a bit - a hammer fixed that. They rub on the inside of the rear fender wells when twisted up. I don't think that will cause a problem. They do require crossover steering to be able to turn all the way to the right, though - I don't have that yet, and I'm restricted by about 1/3 of a steering wheel revolution unless I want to beat on my pitman arm and the draglink's TRE.