The Boss 72 Chevy 4x4 Cummins Dually

[70rs/ss]

I have an NV 4500 that I might sell if you guys are interested? 2wd? I was going to use it in my 2wd Blazer behind a 502, but haven't gotten anywhere near that goal! LMK

[MrBeast]

Send me a PM, let me know how much you would have to have for it and what not, I am going to be making a couple of cross country trips, so it is possible I could wind up picking it up, how far are you from Havasue?

[MrBeast]

I just wanted to post a quick update, I haven't really done anything note worth with the truck over the past few weeks, just some general tune up type things, K&N filter, New Wiper Blades, ect...

I have been doing a ton of research though, and I have settled on trying to find a Cummins 12 Valve out of a 94-98 Dodge truck. Once I have an engine located I will be installing the adapter plate to bolt it to a Chevy Bellhousing, and stuffing it in the truck with some custom motor mounts.

I do have a pretty good wish list going with the truck, and I have been playing with many more ideas as well, trying to weed out what is and isn't feasible at this point.

What I do know is going to be a for sure is the Cummins Swap, and Air ride Suspension, I will be building a new bed that will be set up for a welding rig, and a Lincoln Ranger 250 GXT welder that should be here around the 1st of the month. Then I am going to be looking at getting the truck painted, and installing the vintage air system, and installing all new wiring.

Outside of that though I am playing with some variables as to what to do, if I want to go for the 19.5" wheels, with the Semi rubber, so on and so forth.

I am hoping that giving the truck a tune up today will help some because the 454 right now is only pulling 8.85 MPG, but it needed this pretty bad.

Also, I have been putting in a lot of time on getting my shop setup, so as this happens I will be doing much more work on the truck out there.

I probably wont get much more done to it before the big Shindig in Austin on April 5th where were all going to the Rod and Kustom roundup. I don't know if I'm going to take the Boss Hoss, or my Blazer yet, we will see what happens.

[frisco kid]

i got the email about bbq so please tell me when and where and if you need any help vwith it i live in austin frisco kid

[texanidiot25]

That's a pretty awesomely massive truck!

Every time you crank it up, how many rain forests does it kill?

[MrBeast]

Originally Posted by texanidiot25

That's a pretty awesomely massive truck!

Every time you crank it up, how many rain forests does it kill?

Hey my truck is environmentally friendly, it eats hummers and $hits Hybrids!

[MrBeast]

Well, I do have some awesome news to report, I found a 1991.5 Dodge Ram with a Cummins 12 valve, This is the inter cooled model, it all looks perfectly rebuildable for 1200.00!

Looks like pretty soon the Boss Hoss may just be blowing black smoke!

As well, I am looking at buying a whole front suspension out of a 1995 1 ton dually as well, if things go right I will be picking that up in Houston after the BBQ/truck show in Austin on the 5th! I will be stuffing this suspension with the Aluminum A-Arms under the front end of the truck with new bushings and what not. I figure it will be the perfect setup because parts for the 95 suspension are going to be much easier to come by, in stock in most cases, and with the hydra boost system out of the truck, it is going to make all the difference in the world.

If everything goes right, I will be rocking and rolling here soon and hopefully by the end of the summer, the truck will be painted bagged, and converted to a diesel, with the frame fully boxed up and an air conditioning system to keep me cool. One thing is for sure, this summer is gonna be fun!

[MrBeast]

So I have been pondering Where to go with this build.

Please chime in.

[MrBeast]

So, I had been having a really hard time figuring out where I wanted to go next with the project. I have stuffed a NV4500 in the truck, and done some other things to get it good and drivable, but really I had not come up with a clear vision of the project until now.

I was looking at putting a longhorn bed on the truck, and cutting down dually fenders, but the problem with this is, I got to measuring my frame, and the back foot or so of my frame was cut off by a previous owner, so it stops now at the rear spring hangers. So it looks like my best approach is going to be to install a flat bed. So along those lines....

A while back I saw a picture of a truck that belongs to a friend of board member Yukon Jack...



I really liked to look of the truck, and I started playing with ideas on my own.



The first genesis of the idea pictured above, all I really did was add some stacks, which would go perfect with a Cummins 12 valve.



Then I got to thinking, what if the truck was all white, with a white flat bed, and the stacks, along with the Cummins? Well as you can see below, I think it is going to look auful slick!



I think with the 19.5" wheels and the 33.6" tires that this truck would really start to take shape and have a pretty aggressive look. So this is what I am going to go with, what do you all think?

[turbohacker]

hey if you end up finding a 12v and then changing your mind, i would gladly take it off your hands!

[MrBeast]

Originally Posted by turbohacker

hey if you end up finding a 12v and then changing your mind, i would gladly take it off your hands!

I actually might have a line on a couple of used engines. I hopefully will know more tomorrow.

[thirdstreettito]

Love your truck, I tell everyone I know about it. Good job!

BTW, Because its a dually get some after market dually rims, Brentz has some really nice ones. They (imo) look much better than the tiny ones you have now.

[MrBeast]

Originally Posted by thirdstreettito

Love your truck, I tell everyone I know about it. Good job!

BTW, Because its a dually get some after market dually rims, Brentz has some really nice ones. They (imo) look much better than the tiny ones you have now.

I am going for Alcoa 19.5" 10 lugs.

[Chris H]

Originally Posted by MrBeast

I am going for Alcoa 19.5" 10 lugs.

I have a set of 19.5 steelies (8 lug) ready to mount on my C30.

Blazerman is running aftermarket 19.5 wheels, I think American Alloy brand? They look great, and he was also able to keep his 8 lug configuration. (see picture of his truck)

10 lug rear ends are easy to find (motorhome, bread truck, etc), and some also came with factory rear disc brakes. I haven't spent much time looking at the 10 lug front stuff, I wonder if the 10 lug rotors and disc brake components would work with 71/72 spindles?

[MrBeast]

Originally Posted by Chris H

I have a set of 19.5 steelies (8 lug) ready to mount on my C30.

Blazerman is running aftermarket 19.5 wheels, I think American Alloy brand? They look great, and he was also able to keep his 8 lug configuration. (see picture of his truck)

10 lug rear ends are easy to find (motorhome, bread truck, etc), and some also came with factory rear disc brakes. I haven't spent much time looking at the 10 lug front stuff, I wonder if the 10 lug rotors and disc brake components would work with 71/72 spindles?

Well on mine what I am planning on doing is making a set of hub asemblys that will mount the 10 lug wheels on the dana 80 I am using in the rear, and on the 60 in front.

[MrBeast]

Well finally I have some more progress to report. First off I want to thank trx450duner for sending me a set of mirrors, he wasn't going to use em, so he kicked them off to me for nothing more than the cost of UPS. You can check out his build here.



Pictured above is his project truck, with the mirrors on it.



Here they were as I got them this morning.



As you can see my truck had Dodge mirrors of all things mounted on it, Well they had to go in short order, as you can see in the picture below they are about as useless as a race style wing on a Honda Civic!





So I got to work bring and early (Ok about noon) I got the old mirrors ripped off and taped up the doors, measured everything out and test hung the mirrors on the doors with masking tape.







As you can see in the photo's they are much better and more functional than the puny mirrors that were on the truck when I bought it.

Also I wound up having to be creative because my arms just aren't long enough to reach all the way around the door.



It is amazing some times what you can do with tape and zip ties!

[MrBeast]

Now that they are all mounted up, I am all kinds of motivated to get more done!

[Jtrux]

I'm all for a 4x4 swap. I would think it would be easier to find a dually D60 front that a srw one. Maybe cheaper too.

[cobb_ben]

Dude awesome build. I love the look of that bed on there why not leave it on there? Kudos to you nice work! Yea I was thinkin while I was readin, the 6bt 12v is the way to go. Its mechanical injection and no computers and can be suped up to build all kinds of power!!!

[MrBeast]

A small teaser, I just spent 8 hours, 4 sawzall blades, and 12 cut off wheels whacking my truck apart. Pics to come tomorrow.

[MrBeast]

Originally Posted by cobb_ben

Dude awesome build. I love the look of that bed on there why not leave it on there? Kudos to you nice work! Yea I was thinkin while I was readin, the 6bt 12v is the way to go. Its mechanical injection and no computers and can be suped up to build all kinds of power!!!

Well the decision has been made, the bed is staying for now, allthough it will never quite look the same after today.

[67_C-30]

Pics???

[MrBeast]

Originally Posted by 67_C-30

Pics???

Here is a teaser, I haven't got many pics because I have been working at night. I will have some tomorrow hopefully that show what I have done, Y'all are gonna be shocked!

Had kind of a bad night tonight with it, a lot of things went wrong, and I blew a tire on the way home, it has really been fighting me.

[MrBeast]

So tonight was another late night, I got a ton done on the truck. I got out to my shop about sunset, got all setup this is about what it looked like.







There was a huge chunk of 1/4" plate that made up the bulkhead on the large box that I cut out to make room for the welder, finally tonight I got it cut out, I have been fighting the damn thing for 3 days, it is one thing to just rip something out, but when you need to do it so as that you can leave everything else around it in tact, well it takes one hell of a lot longer! I think this piece fought me more than any other I have ever had to remove. I couldn't just go grab a torch because I couldn't risk destroying other parts of the bed if the kerf blew out.

So I got that all done, and with that the destruction phase was over, through the course of all of this I removed the large header box and the headache rack attached to it, I also removed the duck tail spoiler that was glassed onto the back of the cap, it was holding in water and created quite the rust garden underneath.



Luckily 99% of the rust is surface rust and the cab is still very well in tact, I am going to get it all cleaned up, some primer and paint on it, and get all the holes filled, and the dents pulled, I am guessing he used about 2 gallons of bondo to make that damn thing and the wing was hollow! It is going to be a chore, but compared to what other people have had to do their cabs, I really don't have a lot to complain about.

Shortly after getting setup and getting the bastard plate out, I got to work grinding up the boxes that are remaining for the time being.







I recorded a video of me welding the plate up. Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuPL55aMIHY

I also had this damn song stuck in my head all night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muP9eH2p2PI

I have a longer video that will be 4 or 5 10 or so minute clips of me welding that plate into the end of the box, also in the morning once I am up and moving I will get pics of it welded in place.

Hopefully tomorrow I will have the other side welded up and the welder mounted on the truck!

[watahyahknow]

thats a great looking truck i keep my eye on this one , verry curious on the 10 bolt thingy you going to do , having 22,5 inch 10 bolt wheels turned down to 22 inch myself with 8 to 10 adapters but looking for a way to make them myself