I am a new member and didn't realize that there is a 10 image limit per post. Since I have 20 photos in my write-up, I will split it up into two parts. So here is part 1:
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As background, I had a 2007 Dodge Power Wagon with a 5.7L HEMI gasser that did not work out for hauling a slide-in camper (long story), so I ended up trading it in for a 2007.5 Ram 3500 with a 6.7L CTD. While the 3500 had the better load carrying capacity and pulling power that I wanted for my Outfitter Apex 8 (particularly in demanding off-road conditions), it lacked the undercarriage skid plate protection that came with the Power Wagon. Since I was going to be using my truck and camper for fairly rugged off-road use, I wanted to find a way to equip it with the array of skids from a Power Wagon. However, this took quite a bit more effort to make happen than I first thought.
While I was trying to figure out how to add a fuel tank skid and the skid rails, I first purchased and installed a Defiant Rock Shield. This was a straightforward install and here are some pics of that:
I went ahead and purchased the Power Wagon fuel tank skid (P/N 52121265AB) and skid rails (P/N 52121534AA), along with what I was told was the fuel tank crossmember (P/N 52121444AC), but that latter part turned out to be something of a mystery skid plate looking part. Here are pics of these parts:
There is a long story behind this (corroborated by several Dodge dealerships and on-line Dodge parts sources), but as odd as it may seem, you cannot purchase the actual fuel tank crossmember from a Power Wagon as it is apparently a non-orderable part associated with the Power Wagon frame assembly. Here is a pic of that needed part from a Power Wagon:
This situation forced me into fabbing-up the crossmember in question so the front of the Power Wagon fuel tank skid and the rear of the skid rails could be appropriately bolted down. Since I no longer had my Power Wagon, someone who owned one was a big help in that he was good enough to carefully measure and provide me with the dimensions of the Power Wagon's fuel tank crossmember.
As long as I had to fab-up the crossmember, I decided to improve upon the factory's design. Instead of employing the stock Power Wagon's J-shaped end brackets (which only allow for a small contact point against the bottom of the frame rails), I decided to go with simple 90 degree end brackets and spacers. This allowed for a full contact patch under each frame rail. I also increased the wall thickness of the crossmember, brackets, and the main spacer from the factory's 1/8" to 3/16" thick steel. Here are some shots of the welded-together crossmember before and after painting:
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End of part 1 ...
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