1999 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins Turbo Diesel - Project Baja Bomber, Part 4

Gears, lockers and some added axle beef.

By Robin Stover

photographer: Robin Stover

Project Baja Bomber - Part 1
Project Baja Bomber - Part 2
Project Baja Bomber - Part 3
Project Baja Bomber - Part 4
Project Baja Bomber - Part 5
Project Baja Bomber - Part 6

Our vision for this project seems simple - build a desert-worthy chase truck while demonstrating the value of the Cummins engine through the high-adrenaline exercise known as diesel drag racing. However, turning our vision into reality has turned out to be a much greater challenge than we originally thought.

Maybe it's because the more trips we take to Baja, the more we learn about what it takes to survive down there. Or maybe it's a simple desire to have the "do it all" vehicle. Whatever it is, we've come to realize that despite our project being in its fourth segment, we have a long way to go before we are ready for race day.

For instance, the KORE (formerly T-Rex) suspension system shown in Part 2 of the buildup (Aug. '04) would pretty much take care of any washboard roads we encounter while in Baja. But what happens when the washboard turns into deep sand? How about when that same sandy wash turns into a riverbed chock-full of boulders? What good is a quality suspension setup if you can't maintain traction?

At some point, our open-diff'd Dodge would be left spinning its wheels and quite possibly stuck. We certainly wouldn't want that to happen, so we turned to the pros at Rockstar Engineering of San Jose, California, the Bomber's official build shop. These guys know what it takes to conquer the rigors of Mexico, and with their help, our '99 Ram will eventually have everything it takes to handle south-of-the-border torture. In this segment, we'll focus on axle tech. So follow along as we prep the Bomber's Dana axles with some very high-quality equipment.

1. First, we installed a set of 4.11:1 gears from Precision Gear to help offset the increase in tire diameter afforded by the KORE suspension system. Originally, the truck had 3.55:1 gearing and puny 245/35/16 tires. With these lower gear ratios, the truck should perform much better on the 35-inch Toyo Open Country MTs.	2. Next, the guys at Rockstar installed a pair of ARB Air Lockers in each housing. We chose these selectable lockers because they provide favorable traction on both pavement and dirt.	3. Luckily, we found a convenient spot to mount the switches for our new traction aids. All three fit nicely just below the steering column on a removable plastic panel.
4. The ARB air compressor fits perfectly between the driver-side fenderwell and the master cylinder. We attached it to the cowl with four self-tapping sheetmetal screws.	5. On the subject of axle upgrades, we decided to throw in a pair of Mag-Hytec diff covers to aid in preserving our new investments. These covers are made from cast A356-T6 aluminum and are powdercoated black with machined cooling fins. Each cover has a magnetic drain plug to help trap worn gear material, as well as a magnetic dipstick to aid in maintenance. Each unit is fitted with a special O-ring that provides leak-free sealing, as well as several ports for temperature sensors. We also like that all the hardware provided with each cover was made of 303 stainless steel. With these covers installed, our gears should remain cool, even under extreme conditions.	6. Since we plan to jump the Bomber from time to time, we had the guys at Rockstar Engineering fabricate this custom three-dimensional front axle truss, which ties together all the components of the front axle assembly. Once completed, SRS Industrial Coatings of San Jose, powdercoated the housing gloss black for easy cleaning and superior surface protection.