2008 Dodge 1500 06 CR Swap

M

maxwedgehead

Member
I've already built one half ton cummins truck and it is literally hands down the best thing I could have done. I built it with a 12 valve because I had never personally had one. Lately I had gotten the itch to swap the 12 valve for a common rail, BUT couldn't bring myself to do it because I spent so many hours making everything work with the 12 valve. All the gauges are functional, it also has full functioning a/c and cruise control.

Enough about that, one of my friends sent me an ad for an 08 electric blue shortbed with 125k miles, it was too perfect, it's my favorite color and would go along with my fourth gen. So I went and picked it up. Next I was on the hunt with a donor truck. I found an 06 3500 truck with a new engine, new injectors, and a built auto. Literally everything on this truck is new and I have all the receipts for it.

The plan is to swap the dash, all the wiring, the motor and trans into the half ton. That way everything will be factory and OEM appearing. This truck is meant to be a daily driver and take over my other short beds spot in running the 11.90 index class. The other truck will get torn down, freshened, caged and four linked rear so that I can move forward with it. On to some pictures of what I started on saturday. I'm hoping to have this completed within the next 2-3 weeks.

Heres a shot of both of the trucks.

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The 08 by itself
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Engine bay completely gutted including all wiring gone.

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Dash and interior wiring gone

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This is the donor truck!

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xcumminsxx said:
looks great. what do you do with the front suspension with add weight? been wanting to do this.
Click to expand...

The 03 one I have has 2500 2wd springs with one coil cut off. I'm going to probably keep the factory springs this time to try for better weight transfer onto the rear tires for launching because they are not as stiff.

I finished up all the fabrication yesterday, I'm not a perfect welder but it will work! Couple shots of everything mounted up.

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If anyone has any questions feel free to ask and I'll answer, already pulled the wiring harness and dash from the donor truck and I'm putting it back in. It's all moving along quickly.
 
Haven't had time to update this post but did finished the truck last saturday night. It is completely 100 percent completed, I have been daily driving it since saturday. Everything functions and works like factory.

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So with the donor is it mostly a drop in swap like the 2gs were? Did you use the donors interior harness?


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Had to fabricate new motor mounts, trans mount, suspension stiffener, and cut the frame up front and box it in to make the coolers fit, the rest was bolt in for the most part. Used all dash harness etc, modules the whole scenario. Only harness I didn't change was the harness that runs the tail lights, fuel pump assembly and rear speed sensor. Also swapped the lift pump assembly out of the donor truck into the original fuel tank.
 
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The trucks look great! would a manual trans swap be any easier? I've wanted a shortbed diesel regular cab stick shift forever. lol
 
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