63 w200 firewood getter

[DeltaColo]

This picture is of my boys and I on the Grand Mesa about 12 or 13 years ago, we heat our home 100% with wood, so it’s imperative that we have a reliable wood getter. Back then it had 37” buckshot mudders 10 ply radials, those were the best tires!, too bad they don’t make them anymore!
Here it sits now waiting patiently for me to give it an axle upgrade.
Weekend before last I went down to Pagosa springs and picked up a Dana 70 rear out of a 74 dodge RV, and this last weekend I went to Denver and picked up a Dana 70 kingpin open knuckle, I want to retrofit these to her.
Right now it is a 63 W 200 poly had 318 with a Dana 44F in the front and a Dana 60 in the rear drum brakes all around they are tired and broken so I thought I’d make her a little more stout it’s going to be a little bit of a challenge to fit these new axles underneath her.

[BigBlockTrucks]

Super cool truck and glad to know that it is still working it’s a?! Off. Mine is still moving firewood around. When it turns 65 I may let it retire.

[DeltaColo]

It has been a good truck, it has come along way since I first bought it in 1995, eventually I would like to put a 12v Cummins in it, that would work well with the Dana 70’s that I will be putting under it in the near future

[PwrWgnDrvr]

It has been a good truck, it has come along way since I first bought it in 1995, eventually I would like to put a 12v Cummins in it, that would work well with the Dana 70’s that I will be putting under it in the near future

The usual challenge with the Dana 70 rear is the distance between backing plates is too narrow for the 100/200 frame, which is about 9" wider than 300 and up trucks. Maybe the 74 RV axle is different?

[soopernaut]

What are the chances the RV axle has the same gear ratio as the Dana 70 truck front you picked up?

[DeltaColo]

The RV rear 70 is 4:56, the front is 5:13, I’m not sure which way to go, the rear didn’t have the powr Lok, no complaints, it was only $100, mainly this truck will be Offroad Mtn driving (fire wood, fishing, camping, gold prospecting, general 4x4, no rock crawling) both axles are dually, I’m not sure if I should convert them to single? It would be muy macho as a dually!!

[DeltaColo]

It has been a good truck, it has come along way since I first bought it in 1995, eventually I would like to put a 12v Cummins in it, that would work well with the Dana 70’s that I will be putting under it in the near future

The usual challenge with the Dana 70 rear is the distance between backing plates is too narrow for the 100/200 frame, which is about 9" wider than 300 and up trucks. Maybe the 74 RV axle is different?

I measured the spring perches on the rear 70, just about a 2” difference it will be easy to relocate them to fit that axle on the backend, the front axle will be where most of the work is, I will have to bring the leaf springs hangers outboard of the frame to mate up with the perches, I would rather do that than relocate the perches in on the axle housing because it would involve cutting into the passenger side of the Dif. Housing, the front is 35 spline inner and outer 1.5” axle shafts, kingpin open knuckle, high steer, it’s so much bigger and stronger than the 44 I have up there now!

[DeltaColo]

Super cool truck and glad to know that it is still working it’s a?! Off. Mine is still moving firewood around. When it turns 65 I may let it retire.

I’ve been waiting to bring this truck back, just married off my last daughter, so now I will have time and money to work on it! lol