Diesel Power Homepage Diesel Power
Home»Tech»Mega Cab Long Bed - Diesel Tech»bed frame extenders

Dodge Ram Mega Cab Long Bed - Diesel Tech



Dodge Mega Cab Long Bed Rear Half
Clint Hardman, Fausett, and a helper rolled the rear half of our donor truck out of the work area so that the front half of each frame rail could be prepped for the stretch.		 Dodge Mega Cab Long Bed Level
Accuracy is the key in any type of frame-related modification. Here, Fausett rechecked his work to make sure the truck was sitting perfectly level.		 Dodge Mega Cab Long Bed Leftover Bracket
Here, you can see Fausett removing a bit of leftover bracket from one frame rail in preparation for the sleeving process.
Dodge Mega Cab Long Bed Rectangular Steel
Once the frame rails were ready, a section of rectangular steel was added to the truck's front half.		 Dodge Mega Cab Long Bed Frame Rail
One final check gave Fausett and us the confidence that we weren't about to make a $50,000 mistake.		 Dodge Mega Cab Long Bed Frame
Dodge Mega Cab Long Bed Plasma Torch
Out came the plasma torch. Fausett followed his marks and separated the front and rear sections of the frame. We watched nervously from afar. It's one thing when your truck is being modified by someone you don't really know that well. However it's a whole different story when the truck's owner never even had a chance to drive the vehicle, and you cut it in two. needless, to say we were anxious to see the two frame sections joined back together again.		 Dodge Mega Cab Long Bed Sleeve
With each sleeve welded in place, Fausett rejoined the rear section of the truck to the front half. Just to be safe, Fausett triple checked the accuracy of the fit.		 Dodge Mega Cab Long Bed Fausett Welding
Here, you can see Fausett welding the sleeve to the rear portion of the truck's frame. We were impressed with his welding skills. He explained that his background in large steel structure construction gave him a knack for this type of work.
Dodge Mega Cab Long Bed New Extension
Here, Fausett smoothed out the welds joining the new extension to the frame rail. This step was followed by test-fitting the rear bumper, which has mounting brackets that slip over the end of the frame rails.		 Dodge Mega Cab Long Bed Fram Extensions
These are the rear frame extensions fabricated by Fausett for the conversion process. believe it or not, the rear of a long bed's frame is not the same as a short-bed-equipped pickup. As such, these custom extension brackets must be installed to lengthen the rear of the short-bed frame. These extensions are the most laborious part of the conversion process. Completely fabricated by hand, these little brackets are truly works of art.		 Dodge Mega Cab Long Bed Rear Frame Termination
We had Fausett hold up one of the original rear frame termination sections next to his custom-fabricated extension bracket. As you can see from the photo, Fausett's parts are made from thicker material, which should translate into additional frame strength.
Prev  | 1  | 2  | 3  | 4  | Next
Discuss in Our Forums
Get Adobe Flash player
Get no-obligation new diesel truck or car invoice pricing online.

Related Photos

Dodge Mega Cab Long Bed Rear Side View Dodge Mega Cab Long Bed Rear Left View Dodge Mega Cab Long Bed Short Beds
Dodge Mega Cab Long Bed Front Side View Dodge Mega Cab Long Bed Mega Cab Dodge Mega Cab Long Bed Lift

Latest Articles

 
1998 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins extended-cap pickup - Rottin Rhonda - Burnin' Rubber
Read our interview with dodge diesel truck racer Rhonda Kelly!... more

More Related Content

 

Get Adobe Flash player

Car Research Guide