My 48 KB-1 on a 96 Dakota Frame


The "Hot Rod" version of the K and KB truck

User avatar

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 678

Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 11:44 pm

Post Tue Feb 18, 2014 5:54 pm

Re: My 48 KB-1 on a 96 Dakota Frame

dragon wrote:Thanks Dean. I see your baby moons. Did you stay with the 6 lug wheels all the way around? I've been thinking of lookin for a 92 so I could stay with 5 lug. Is there much difference thru the yrs in the frame? I had seen a 95 on craigslist cheap(whole truck). It would have been a great buy. Problem is..I am disabled right now & have very little money coming in. I'll just have to wait till I'm back to work. LOL Story of my life. Thanks for your help>
George

I think you are talking to me, it's Bob. I changed out the rear axles to 5 lugs from an earlier year and on the front I changed out the hubs to the 5 lug. I have 5/4.5 all the way around so I would have a better choice of wheels. Cost was very little to do it and easy. Fronts required new rotors but I was putting new anyway. I paid $450 for my 96 Dakota, and sold parts that I didnt need from it. I am ahead about $500 with the part sales so free chassis!

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 609

Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:55 am

Location: Cassville, Wisconsin

Post Wed Mar 12, 2014 9:37 pm

Re: My 48 KB-1 on a 96 Dakota Frame

Bob,
Do you have any more pictures of how you rigged the engine hoist to lift that cab? I would be interested in seeing that since I do most of my work by myself and at the time my cab is sitting on rollers.

Kris
1956 S-102 Short Bed BD240
User avatar

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 678

Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 11:44 pm

Post Thu Mar 13, 2014 6:31 am

Re: My 48 KB-1 on a 96 Dakota Frame

KSever wrote:Bob,
Do you have any more pictures of how you rigged the engine hoist to lift that cab? I would be interested in seeing that since I do most of my work by myself and at the time my cab is sitting on rollers. You can lift it really high.

Kris


Here are a couple. I also tied the arm to the front windshield pillars to keep it from sliding toward the back.

Image

Image

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 609

Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:55 am

Location: Cassville, Wisconsin

Post Thu Mar 13, 2014 9:31 am

Re: My 48 KB-1 on a 96 Dakota Frame

Thanks Bob,
I was thinking of using the lift from the top side but wasn't sure it would go high enough but never thought about from the inside. Then I saw your pics lifting from the inside and said that makes more sense. It's amazing what you can do by yourself and a lift. Built a 30X45 pole barn a couple years ago with my front end loaders help by taking the bucket off and extending the loader arms to lift the rafters 10 feet and then modifying that extension to lift the metal roofing up over the rafters.
1956 S-102 Short Bed BD240
User avatar

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 678

Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 11:44 pm

Post Thu Mar 13, 2014 9:46 am

Re: My 48 KB-1 on a 96 Dakota Frame

I have worked by myself for years and you learn to figure out the best ways. Hope that helps.
Bob

Yard Art
Yard Art

Posts: 89

Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2015 2:26 pm

Location: Eastern PA/Central NJ area

Post Thu Jan 14, 2016 2:56 pm

Re: My 48 KB-1 on a 96 Dakota Frame

Bob,

I'm doing the same swap with a 1940 D2. I really appreciate the photos and Q&A you've been so kind to provide. Here's a questions for ya...I have a line on a 2002 Dakota with good engine. Do you think I could use it as is...without moving the engine back? I have room for a front mounted electric fan in front of the radiator if that's any issue. It would save me a lot of trouble...and I see you've used the stock Dakota mounts for the chev engine. Your thoughts?

Jim T
User avatar

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 678

Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 11:44 pm

Post Thu Jan 14, 2016 5:11 pm

Re: My 48 KB-1 on a 96 Dakota Frame

Hi Jim, glad to help you any way I can. The 2002 chassis is supposed to be mostly the same as the 1996 that I used. I used the short chassis at 111.9 inches for the single cab, short bed and it is within 1/2 inch of the KB-1 short bed...if there is such a thing. I know some beds were longer than mine but not sure if the wheelbase changed.
As far as the engine mounts, the 2002 had a wider variety of engines available than the 1996 did. My 96 chassis had a 4 cylinder. I only had to make a flat adapter plate to fit my small block Chevy. You are trying to use the Dakota engine and I can't tell you how that will work out for you since I don't have any experience or knowledge to pass on. Easy enough to do some measuring though if you have both trucks.
Mounting the cab is pretty easy since the IH cab mounts will drop right on top of the Dakota chassis and if you cut the Dakota front cab mounts off carefully and even with the frame, you can they reuse them for the rear mounts for your IH. Just weld them back on the frame side and the spacing is perfect to match the holes in the IH cab. You can use the Dakota rubber on the mount. I had to space mine up about 3/4".
Keeping the Dakota engine will really simplify the swap since you will have the fuel tank, spare tire carrier and all running gear in place.
Any questions, let me know and I will try to help. Send a private message and we can swap email addresses. I would like to see some pics too!
Bob

Opps, I should have paid attention...you are using an older cab, the D2 and some of the info may not apply.
User avatar

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 770

Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2012 2:29 pm

Location: Thunder Bay On

Post Fri Jan 15, 2016 12:25 pm

Re: My 48 KB-1 on a 96 Dakota Frame

captainbob wrote:I have worked by myself for years and you learn to figure out the best ways. Hope that helps.
Bob


I have considered put larger wheels on my cherry picker at times to make it easier to move on some surfaces..I was dragging cherry picker with my garden tractor with a v8 and transmission hanging off picker down my gravel driveway...those small wheels on picker sure dig in...
User avatar

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 678

Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 11:44 pm

Post Fri Jan 15, 2016 12:33 pm

Re: My 48 KB-1 on a 96 Dakota Frame

windigo69 wrote:
captainbob wrote:I have worked by myself for years and you learn to figure out the best ways. Hope that helps.
Bob


I have considered put larger wheels on my cherry picker at times to make it easier to move on some surfaces..I was dragging cherry picker with my garden tractor with a v8 and transmission hanging off picker down my gravel driveway...those small wheels on picker sure dig in...


Boy, you got that right. They dig into everything except concrete. I have to keep mine outside of the shop due to space constraints. When I need it I use a hand truck to roll it around in the yard. That works pretty good, but you wouldn't be able to have a transmission hanging off of it! lol Putting larger wheels on the two that only roll straight might be a good idea, then one could tilt it up on those to move around. I know they sell fold-up ones but mine is still good so no reason to get another.
Bob

Yard Art
Yard Art

Posts: 69

Joined: Sat Oct 03, 2015 4:15 pm

Post Wed Aug 31, 2016 8:57 am

Re: My 48 KB-1 on a 96 Dakota Frame

I'm planning a similar project ... my 48 KB2 has a 125 inch wheelbase though. Any info on possible donors (with 125" wheelbase)?
So far I can only find 1960's chevy van with that wheelbase and some even came with 238 engines!
PreviousNext

Return to The Modified K-KB

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests

Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
Designed by ST Software for PTF.