1978 K35 6x6

[6 2 Carl]

This truck popped up in my searches a couple months ago for $3000. I couldn't resist picking it up.

It is a full 6x6, that was built back in 1987. It seems to be a very well done conversion, and very heavy duty! The truck came with an appraisal booklet, and details what was done to the truck. The attached photos are from that booklet.

Sadly it doesn't look nearly as good as it did 30 years ago, but I still think it's pretty cool! The turbo 454 has been replaced by an Pontiac 455. The gears in the front axle are missing, so it's currently only a 6x4, but runs and drives fine otherwise.

I haven't had time to do much with it yet, but I thought I'd start a build thread, as I'm going to have a bunch of questions once I start working on it.

[6 2 Carl]

The last pic is the only current pic I have for now. The truck itself weighs over 10,000lbs, so it was quite the load for my Ram 1500, but I made it home safely.

[mongocanfly]

kool find...

[6 2 Carl]

I found a great deal on a set of 4 OEM Alcoa wheels, along with 4 steel wheels off of a late model Ram 3500. I'd like to use them on the back axles of the truck, but I'm not sure if they will work. I've never owned a Dually before, and I'm not familiar with how the wheels typically mount.

The Dodge wheels share the same 8-6.5 bolt pattern, but the wheels are hub centric, and have a larger center bore than the wheels on my 1978. The wheels fit fine, and fit snugly around the lugs, but there is quite a gap on the hub. Unlike on swr trucks, the lug nuts are flat and not conical.

The stock wheels have a metal ring that then uses conical lug nuts to bolt on the wheels. Is this a factory set up?

Do you think I can use these Dodge alcoa wheels on my rig? Or should I just sell them to my buddy who owns a Dodge?

[daddyjeep]

Great find... it is cool to have all that original information. I have heard that you can get adapters for your wheels to take up that gap around the hub. I have seen plastic ones on cars before, but can't tell you where to find them. They do exist at least, you just have to find them.

[6 2 Carl]

Originally Posted by daddyjeep

Great find... it is cool to have all that original information. I have heard that you can get adapters for your wheels to take up that gap around the hub. I have seen plastic ones on cars before, but can't tell you where to find them. They do exist at least, you just have to find them.

I found the rings needed to make these wheels work. US Wheel Adapters has exactly what I need. https://www.uswheeladapters.com/shop...centric-rings/

[flashed]

That truck is so cool ,Im in.

[Dads79GMC]

Excellent! Maybe I missed it, how many miles are on the truck? Thanks Mike

[6 2 Carl]

Originally Posted by Dads79GMC

Excellent! Maybe I missed it, how many miles are on the truck? Thanks Mike

I really have no idea. It only has a 5 digit odometer, and I believe it was showing 48,XXX km. Who knows how many times it has wrapped.

I believe I'm the 4th owner of the truck.

Apparently the original owner built it to haul a huge RV.

The second owner apparently used it to haul logs out of the mountains for his sawmill. He's the one that swapped out the turbo 454, for the Pontiac 455. He eventually tore up the transfercase, and sold it to the guy I bought it from. He found anther transfercase, which is from supposed to be from a 3 ton international truck. I'm not sure if he wrecked the gears in the front end, or if, it was something the 2nd owner did, and never got around to fixing.

The guy I bought it from had it for about 8 years, and didn't put a lot of miles on it, and used it primarily as a fire wood hauling truck, that's why it has the huge ugly cage on it.

I've been working way to much, and the truck as been in storage ever since I got it a few months ago, so I haven't had a chance to play with it at all. I did take a couple pics of undercarriage shots of the truck, in an attempmt to try and figure out what I got, and how everything is set up.

[6 2 Carl]

This pic shows the transfer case. The middle driveshaft comes from a TH400 transmission with a 2wd tailshaft. The other smaller looking driveshaft goes to the front PTO winch. The driveshaft to the front diff, is supposed to be on the other yolk, but has been removed for now. Both the front pto, and front alxe driveshafts appear to be engaged by a pneumatic air cylinder.

[6 2 Carl]

Here's the other side of the transfer case.

[6 2 Carl]

This picture shows the, two rear driveshafts. The second axle is engaged, once again by air, through a signal speed transfer case.