# Advice on my 3500 Dodge



## HozayBuck (Jan 27, 2010)

Howdy all, I'm new here, not to prepping but to this site, I have a 08 3500 dodge diesel 4x4, it has those shiny 20 inch wheels and the tires cost $250.00 each, could I change the wheels out to 16 inch 8 lug wheels and use a less expensive tire? also if they were taller then the factory tire and wheel would it screw up anything as far as the running gear? 

I don't mind spending the money for top quality tires but wonder if this change would make the effort less painful..

I was thinking that by using taller tires it would gain a bit of clearance, as for gaining any MPG I haven't a clue, some say yea some say nea...I'm not a gear head and have no idea..

This is my primary vehicle and I use it to pull my 25 ft arctic fox TT which is also part of my GOOD plan.. ( I ain't going far and I'm mostly outta Dodge as it is..)

I had planned to put an 8 K winch on the truck but WTH it's not a real off road rig... 

I do love this rig because it's so comfortable for us bigger then a grizzly types.. the seats lay back like a good recliner ... 

Anyway, thanks for your help

HB


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

For your truck, you wouldn't want anything less than a 12,000 pound winch and I would suggest a 15,000 pound unit. For your truck, I would also suggest going hydraulic power for the winch as well. They might be slow, but, as long as the engine is running, you will never stall it out.

The reason why I suggest the heavier winch is due to the rule-of-two. Take the average weight of the vehicle with load and multiply by two to get the rating for your winch. In the case of my 2006 Jeep Unlimited, because I built it as an adventure touring vehicle, I went with an 8,000 pound Warn winch. My 1988 YJ is highly modified for extreme off-road adventures, it runs a 9,500 pound T-Max winch on the front.

As for your dilemma about your wheel / tire combination. A lighter wheel / tire will increase your gas milage and a larger / wider tire will lower your gas milage. Because you run a diesel, you could compensate for the power / fuel-milage loss by installing a propane-boost system (think nitrous for a gas engine, but without the damaging properties). If I remember my numbers right, the '08 one-ton runs the big-break rotors and the smallest rim possible is a 17" due to the size of the rotor and the space that the caliper uses.

Tire-style also has an impact on gas-milage. Aggressive Mud-Terrain will use up fuel faster than a mild All-Terrain style tire. If you need aggressive tires, consider some of the hybrid tires where they take a Mud-Terrain and tame it a bit with All-Terrain styles. The RoughRider brand tire (available here in Canada) have that kind of style. I have heard both good and bad reports about them (one of my co-workers has them on his 3/4 ton Dodge and hasn't complained).

Not sure if I missed anything ... if I did, I am sure someone else would chime-in :beercheer:


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## HozayBuck (Jan 27, 2010)

NaeKid said:


> For your truck, you wouldn't want anything less than a 12,000 pound winch and I would suggest a 15,000 pound unit. For your truck, I would also suggest going hydraulic power for the winch as well. They might be slow, but, as long as the engine is running, you will never stall it out.
> 
> The reason why I suggest the heavier winch is due to the rule-of-two. Take the average weight of the vehicle with load and multiply by two to get the rating for your winch. In the case of my 2006 Jeep Unlimited, because I built it as an adventure touring vehicle, I went with an 8,000 pound Warn winch. My 1988 YJ is highly modified for extreme off-road adventures, it runs a 9,500 pound T-Max winch on the front.
> 
> ...


Thanks NaeKid
I looked at the propane set up, looks like a cool unit, whats scary is that my truck seems to have all the power I could ever need, when I drop the hammer to pass the damn think goes into Launch mode! it can jump from 65 to 100 so fast it's scary..to me anyway.. I can't say I've ever felt a lack of power when pulling my TT, the Arctic Fox is heavier then most but moves along very well.

My main question is that at the cost of Propane is the MPG gain worth the effort?..I can see the power gaine would be great on some of the Mountains one would be pulling...

I have a good friend who's on of the top Diesel wrenchs in MT and have asked him to look this unit over...

The wheel and tire issue is one that I think I'd spend money on first...

I really do love this truck!! I call it the War Wagon when it's fully load with my toys.. 

I'd love to see some pics of rigs like mine that have been tricked out and made into "TUFF Trucks"...Anybody?


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## HozayBuck (Jan 27, 2010)

One thing I am really thinking about is selling the TT, then I will have no need for the big truck and could get a smaller rig and fix it up for my main do all go anywhere ( hopefully) BOV.. I still want a diesel tho..have thought about an older suburban with a diesel, and fix it up.. My buddy in MT has an older IH Scoout with a diesel eng, one of the few they made for a couple of years.. wonder if he would sell it to me..hmmm.he bought it new years ago...

Regardless I'll work it out...


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## Turtle (Dec 10, 2009)

I think Vance hit all the major points.

In regard to the wheels, I would bet that 17" would be as small as you could go; I know that on my '08 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (JK), it had 16" wheels on it, and I know that the Rubicons came with 17"s, because they also have bigger brakes and 16"s won't fit. I'd guess with the bigger vehicle, it would also the bigger brakes.

One option would be to swap the 20" rims for a package deal from an offroad supplier. You could find a package deal that has the wheels and tires together. Found this one, just as an example:
Pro Comp Tire Package 35x12.50x17 Xterrain Tires mounted on 17x8 American Racing Mojave Teflon Wheel at Carolina Classic Trucks
I realize that 35" tires are way bigger than you would need, but it was the first example I found. I'd guess that 31" tires would be good on a stock pickup.

but if getting rid of it is an option . . . sell it and get a TJ or an LJ.


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

You can see my trailer that I pull behind my Jeep LJ (TJ Unlimited) that has a 3500 pound tow-rating in this thread about Travel Trailers.

If you were to consider selling your ArcticFox, might I suggest a BOV-style camper on the truck instead? AdventureTrailers has released a camper called FlipPac that mounts to a truck-box and when down does not impact fuel-milage significantly but still has all the storage capacity of a normal truck with topper. You can build it to be your work-truck with sleeping-zone or build it to be your extreme-travel-system.

Talking about a WarWagon. One of my co-workers (welder) had an idea to put a winch on the back of his Dodge PowerWagon (built-in front-winch) and just couldn't figure out a good way to do it. I climbed around under it for a while and then sat down with my AutoCAD and designed up a winch-mounting system that the winch-cable passed through the center of the rear-bumper ... with a flip-down licence-plate to cover over the winch-hook when he didn't want anyone to see it. The flip-down licence-holder came from the wreckers ... remember the old cars that hid their fuel-fill-spout behind a licence-plate? Ya, that's what we used :2thumb:


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## HozayBuck (Jan 27, 2010)

Turtle said:


> I think Vance hit all the major points.
> 
> In regard to the wheels, I would bet that 17" would be as small as you could go; I know that on my '08 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (JK), it had 16" wheels on it, and I know that the Rubicons came with 17"s, because they also have bigger brakes and 16"s won't fit. I'd guess with the bigger vehicle, it would also the bigger brakes.
> 
> ...


Thank Turtle I did look at those wheels and tires, and after getting out of surgery for the heart atrtack from the price I didn't have any $$ left to buy them!!!!...WOW !! they like their stuff !!! guess 500.00 for a whole new set of tires ain't so bad after all ...

I have my BOL now and just want a tuff truck for running the highway which I do a lot, I was looking at new Toyota trucks a few days ago and they cost more then my 3500 and don't get as good of MPG.....if I run at 65 in flat country I have averaged 20 mpg..IF you can trust the puter read out..

Guess I'll keep the War Wagon!


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## HozayBuck (Jan 27, 2010)

NaeKid, I had seen your TT rig, my neighbor had one, it's a tuff looking rig, but I travel alone and can sleep in my very comfy truck seat which is like a good recliner, or wherever, 

I'm like a lot of guys who get Truck, Gun, or wife trade fever..  but I usually think it over real well before jumping..

I'm not into rock climbing or ruff 4 wheeling so those rigs don't interest me..age does this to some of us..

Thanks for all the good ideas and the great site!!..I'll try to chip in some $$ to help with the costs...

Hozay


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

I got into extreme trail-riding and built a Jeep for that purpose, then I got into Adventure-Touring and I am almost finished building another Jeep for that purpose. The Adventure-Bug has bit me hard, so, I am in the process of acquiring another adventure-vehicle in the form of a motorbike so that I could tour with one of my oldest buddies ... 

What you have in your 3500 would be an amazing Adventure-Touring vehicle and I think that with very little work, you can start touring FSR's (Forestry Service Roads) to find little known places off the beaten-path.

If you do a :google: search on "Adventure Touring" you will see some of the vehicles that people have customized for it. The one site that really got me started on Adventure Touring was from a couple that do what they call the "Turtle Expedition" ... check out their stories if you have time.


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## HozayBuck (Jan 27, 2010)

NaeKid
man that Turtle thing looks fun but those folks are touring thru some very dangerous countries and I would assume unarmed, I don't have the guts for it..I'll tour in good ol US of A and even then avoid the 3rd world countries of Kalipornia and the entire eastern seaboard..well hell and most of the western coast... Washinton and Oregon are police states compared to the central states..

Guess touring my way will be limited


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## pdx210 (Jan 8, 2010)

I have an 04, I don't know about the 08's but cumins 5.9L had high rates of lift pump failures so look into after market fuel pump system like the FASS? 

I always keep extra ..fuel filters, power service diesel fuel treatment in the truck i'd consider an extra fuel tank in the bed


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## HozayBuck (Jan 27, 2010)

I've not heard anything about fuel pump failures but who knows? My extra tank is the kind that's part tank and part storage box the tank it's self is "L" shaped .. I can get ammo and 4 to five long guns in it and a few hand guns in the small spaces... the tank is 75 gals and is hooked into the fuel spout where it gravity flows in when I turn the butterfly valve to open... it works great... I do need to think about adding a set of filters but I have mine changed out pretty often when I'm getting regular service done..


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## pdx210 (Jan 8, 2010)

i added the modified cam position sensor on mine i picked up about 2 mpg on the highway didn't notice any improvement in the city

Performance items


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

HozayBuck said:


> I've not heard anything about fuel pump failures but who knows? My extra tank is the kind that's part tank and part storage box the tank it's self is "L" shaped .. I can get ammo and 4 to five long guns in it and a few hand guns in the small spaces... the tank is 75 gals and is hooked into the fuel spout where it gravity flows in when I turn the butterfly valve to open... it works great... I do need to think about adding a set of filters but I have mine changed out pretty often when I'm getting regular service done..


One of my buddies is a mechanic. I believe that the fuel-pump is a $2500 hit if it goes out of warranty (well, that's the price-tag here in Canada). Ball joints are another quick-wear part, but, CarliSuspension has come up with a heavy-duty fix for that as well.


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## HozayBuck (Jan 27, 2010)

NaeKid said:


> One of my buddies is a mechanic. I believe that the fuel-pump is a $2500 hit if it goes out of warranty (well, that's the price-tag here in Canada). Ball joints are another quick-wear part, but, CarliSuspension has come up with a heavy-duty fix for that as well.


I looked their site over, looks like it's all very high tech and high $$$... I'd still like to sell my 3500 and get something older and fix it up, I don't need a fancy looking truck, I want a damn good dependable truck...

Soon!!...very soon... I'd like to look into that Diesel Jeep too!


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

Here is a fun video show-casing the DodgeRam T-Rex 6x6 truck ... you could really bug out with this beast!

:bullit:


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## HozayBuck (Jan 27, 2010)

NaeKid said:


> Here is a fun video show-casing the DodgeRam T-Rex 6x6 truck ... you could really bug out with this beast!
> 
> :bullit: YouTube - Dodge T-Rex 6x6 Music Montage


Damn man them dudes got wayyyy too much time and moneyon their hands!! I'd prefer it with Quad 50's mounted on it!!! 

But yea it do go!!..

I found a 98 Dodge 3500 4x4 listed on E bay it's a quiggly conversion... gasser, nice shape 8+ K... that could become a really good BOV...boy do I have some ideas!!...

But not at this time...best wait a while


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