# unduallying my dually...



## spongebob (Nov 7, 2003)

i have a 86 dually..what exactally do i need to do to get rid of two wheels?
and do it right..i have a friend with a standard 88 1 ton rear end.
is the frame on my truck longer than a regular 1 ton? making it impossible to put on a regular bed?


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## Team_Yamaha (Nov 30, 2002)

If my memory is right, you should be able to put on regular rims on the dualy axle and be ok. The rear track may be just a hair narrower than a standard truck. As far as the frame goes, a standard truck frame is 60" from the back of the cab to center of rear axle. But most cab/chassis trucks are 64" and bigger. So you will have to take some measurements to find out.


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

My truck is four inches longer in the wheelbase than a standard longbox pickup. Take a measurement.

The rear axles are all different widths--pickup single wheeler, pickup dually, and cab&chassis dually. The C&C dually axle is considerably narrower than a single wheeler. The pickup dually is significantly wider.

The '88 1-ton rear end would need to be from the 'old body style' 88 (R/V style), not the newer style (C/K style) as you could have either in those years.

That, of course, still leaves your front end. You need to swap your outer hubs etc. to single wheel stuff.

This is a lot of work and expense to go to--why do you want to?


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## spongebob (Nov 7, 2003)

i use this truck as a service truck, i haul freon and related materials..no towing, so i'd like to loose 2 of 4 wheels..
sounds like more work that its worth.. that longer wheel base is whats screwing up things, can get a regular bed to fit.. :realmad:


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

Well, you can shorten the frame, lengthen the box, or live with a gap. Guys with the even longer wheelbase have even put a tool body inbetween, or a fuel transfer tank etc.

Just FYI, if your truck is a C&C originally, a pickup box just about fits over the dual wheels, they stick out about 1/4" per side without the fender extensions. I've seen this done a few times.

Maybe try mounting a set of single wheel rims on that spare axle you mentioned and measure the outside-to-outside dimension and compare it your front. If it is fairly close, maybe you can just get away with swapping the rear end and keeping the dually style front wheels--just get a set of those 'dually style' hubcaps to fit the rears (they look like the front wheels of a dually) and a pair of the simulators/wheelcovers for the front wheels, it will look somewhat like a matched set.


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## justme- (Dec 28, 2004)

There are adaptors on the market for the front end that slip behind the rims and allow normal front wheels/rims on a dually truck. Our 76 Dodge Motor home has them.

Are you sure you're carrying a light enough load to use a SRW truck? 

How about a flat bed instead of a normal pickup bed? a Box?
you can convert the rear axle to SRW with new axles, brake drums, carriers/bearings- but an axle swap would be easier and probabily cheaper.

Can't confirm or deny earlier statements about running normal rims on dually axle.


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

justme- said:


> There are adaptors on the market for the front end that slip behind the rims and allow normal front wheels/rims on a dually truck. Our 76 Dodge Motor home has them.
> 
> Are you sure you're carrying a light enough load to use a SRW truck?
> 
> ...


I'm curious about these adapters--how would they work? A dually already has big spacers to push the wheels outboard... or do these replace those? I'm talking about the big cast piece that bolts to the brake drums (at least on the 4wd version, I'm not overly familiar with the 2wd setup as I've never done more than taken the wheel off it)

As for the rear axle, I can't see how swapping the ends could help. If you look at a cab and chassis truck, the rear backing plates are very close to the leaf springs. I don't recall the single-wheeler being like that. I have all three configurations here in the yard, I'll take a wander around today and have a peak to refresh my memory.

Speaking of memory, if I recall I read somewhere that the axles from fullsize vans are similar but not the same either, using (again) different lengths and hubs... just FYI in case anyone is junkyard shopping for parts...


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## joe_padavano (Nov 29, 2004)

I have to agree with Derek. The large cast adapters on the front of my duallies (79,86, and 99) look like the are exactly the same thickness as the added offset on the dually rims. If you unbolt them, the hub and rotor look just like those on a SRW truck. have you tried just removing the adapters and bolting on a stock rim? 

Joe Padavano


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

joe_padavano said:


> I have to agree with Derek. The large cast adapters on the front of my duallies (79,86, and 99) look like the are exactly the same thickness as the added offset on the dually rims. If you unbolt them, the hub and rotor look just like those on a SRW truck. have you tried just removing the adapters and bolting on a stock rim?
> 
> Joe Padavano


I guess part of it depends on if it is 2wd or 4wd, as a 4x4 has the locking hub assembly which I can't remember how it differs...


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## spongebob (Nov 7, 2003)

has anyone ever removed the fiberglass fenders?? wonder what it looks like w/o them..


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

I have. There is a lot of sheetmetal cut away for extra tire clearance. Often pretty rusty in there too from all the stone chips.


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## justme- (Dec 28, 2004)

That could be it- I might have it backwards- adaptors to make a regular hub a dualie hub for the front.

our 74 Dodge has dually rears and standard fronts. Makes sense that way better than the other way anyway.

rear axle swap- yeah, true because of the larger drums and stuff they would be closer- not sure how the rear axle is put together in there- been some years since I have had to do rear brakes on the Dump. It was a thought.


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

I had a quick peek at my trucks yesterday. 

The C&C axel you could barely put a finger between the backing plate and the leaf springs.

The single-wheeler you could put your fist inbetween sideways.

The dually pickup you could just about park a Chevette inbetween 

And of course, that backing plate shows us where the flange at the end of the tube is...


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## fast68 (Jan 1, 2003)

if the truck really is factory dually then to go from that to a SRW you need the spring mouting brackets on the frame from a SRW truck and a SRW axle

for the front you need SRW outers, knuckles on out


wishi was close enough to get that dualy rear from you, would love to have a 14 dually for my 71 dually.... so i can dump the 4.57 eaton h072 


good luck


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