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Overview
Features
Load Testing
41” tires and 10,000lb payload are the fundamental elements of the Single Wheel Conversion. At Buckstop, the chassis is fully loaded with 10,000 lbs and subjected to extreme articulation and turning conditions to determine suspension and body modifications required for tire clearance.
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Suspension
The Ram 3-1/2" Suspension Lift Kit is engineered to maintain OE coil springs, shock absorbers, and steering geometry. While simple in nature, the key components of the Buckstop Suspension Kit are replacement 4-Link Control Arms coupled with 3-1/2" Coil Spacers that move the front axle forward for greater tire clearance at the door. Buckstop exclusive Heavy Duty 3/8" thick steel Track Bar mount keeps the axle in place under the extreme weight. Around the rest of the chassis are relocation brackets for front and rear sway bars, brake lines, and driveline. This innovative system provides the necessary clearance for the 41" tires without breaking the bank and excessively lifting the truck too high. INCLUDED WITH BASE KIT.
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Fender Flares and Body Modification Kit
In order to neatly fit the monster 41” tires under the body, the internal frame, fender, and body require cutting and trimming. Buckstop’s uniquely designed 8” wide fender flares are a special part of the puzzle that cover the cut-out portions of the body and also completely cover the tire from road spray. The flare is a one-piece design including a return inner wheel liner that integrates with the OE liner. Fender Flares are shipped in raw un-finished fiberglass. Final coating/paint is required. INCLUDED WITH BASE KIT.
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Tires
Ram 5500 rear axle capacities approach 14,000lbs requiring tire capacity up to 7,000lbs each. The 335/80R20 is the most well suited tire to the load range. They include ALL of these features:
- Radial design for optimal handling and wear
- On-road/Off-road traction tread design
- Ideal tread-width footprint
- Ability to be aired down to match the load and/or operate at ultra-low air pressure for extreme traction
Alternatively, traditional 19.5” tires do not offer effective off-road performance. They require a stiff 70psi to 110psi regardless of load, are narrow tread-width, and are not available with a satisfactory off-road traction tread.
Buckstop recommends the Continental MPT81 tire. It is a “military” style radial tire with excellent handling characteristics under load and noise level comparable to a light truck mud tire. Max speed is rated at 68mph under maximum load (6780lbs) and air pressure.
5 CONTINTENTAL MPT81 TIRES ARE INCLUDED WITH THE BASE KIT
Wheels
The front axle on a Dual Rear Wheel truck is roughly 12” wider than the rear axle. A proper Single Wheel Conversion requires that the tires track front to rear, therefore, the wheels or wheel mounts must compensate for the different axle widths.
There are two methods of making up the axle width difference: first, with wheel spacers, and second, with specialty wheels. Wheel spacers, are a large machined boss that is bolted to the wheel studs of the axle. The outside face of the spacer has a second set of studs and creates a new wheel mounting surface at a width equal to the front axle. The problem is not only the expense of the spacer, but adding more components, and more bolts, adds more potential for failure. The second method of making the front and rear tires track is to use a wheel designed with offsets such that the front can me mounted dished inwards and the same wheel can be mounted on the rear dished outwards.
BUCKSTOP 7K PRO HD Aluminum DOT Compliant Wheel
The optimal solution – SIMPLE. STRONG. SAFE. These wheels are constructed using a Forging process in which material is heated and compressed under tons of pressure to add strength far and above the original structure. In a simple cast wheel, molten aluminum is poured into a mold and left to cool. In the process, there is no particular grain strength of the material and a risk of porosity and weak points. Single Piece design requires NO extra bolt flanges, no wheel spacers, and no additional bolts. It is a simple, effective option for the Single Wheel Conversion. The wheels can be installed dished in or dished out and “flip” from front to rear. Tires can easily be rotated front to rear for even wear without dismounting the tire from the rim.
Axle Gear Ratio
Choice of axle gear ratio is a matter of vehicle application contingent on load weight and duty-cycle. Low gear ratios are used in vehicles to overcome a lack of torque from the engine and lack of strength in the transmission. A weaker drive train requires higher gear ratios. As today’s diesel engines produce more and more torque and transmissions improve, gear ratios are decreasing. A rear end ratio of 3.31:1 is now available for a diesel engine truck capable of a Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating (GCWR) of 25,700lbs. This includes the truck, payload, and trailer. A less tangible factor is the duty-cycle of the vehicle. An F250 that tows a travel trailer 500 miles a year is far different from a work-truck that operates 12 to 24 hours loaded to full capacity. Lower gear ratios reduce strain on the system and increase longevity in heavy use, high mile vehicles.
Engineers for Ram 5500 trucks have determined that a 4.88:1 gear ratio is ideal for the heaviest duty work trucks. They are designed to be busses, tow trucks, moving vans, utility trucks, dump trucks, heavy-haulers, etc. covering many miles a year hauling heavy loads. The Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating (GCWR) of a 2019 F550 is 40,000lbs all day, every day.
Considerations for selecting the best gear ratio: A Ram 5500 with 4.88:1 axle ratio on Single Wheel Conversion 41" tires has an equivalent ratio of 3.94:1.
- A Brush Truck or Camper will weigh 19,500lbs at maximum load – half the GCWR of a fully laden F500 and 6,000lbs less than an F250 with 3.31:1 gears.
- A 3.94:1 ratio is between the common 3.73 and 4.10 ratios with 31,000lb and 32,000lb GCWR respectively.
Conclusion: Most Single Wheel Conversion Brush Trucks and Campers will operate at a very light weight relative to GCWR of comparable work-truck applications. They will also see a relatively light duty-cycle not being run 12 hours a day, 365 days a year heavy laden. All considered, most Single Wheel Conversion trucks will live an easy life. The factory 4.88:1 ratio is well within the operating parameters of this application.
Topping off the truck is an extra-wide bumper compensating the increase in front track width. The bumper extends past the fender flares to fend off fence posts, trees, and other obstacles jumping out along the way. At the heart of the bumper are the same features found on standard Buckstop bumpers including winch mount, tow hooks or mount points, trailer receiver, latching winch access door, built-in light mounts, and several options for built-in sirens, speakers, and monitor. INCLUDED WITH BASE KIT.
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Running Board Steps
The truck ends up 7-1/2” higher than stock considering suspension lift and larger tire diameter. This makes accessing the cab a challenge! Buckstop has designed a custom set of Running Board Steps for Conversion trucks that bring the rig back down to earth. The steps are both broader and lower than standard steps. After climbing in and out of the truck a few dozen times, drivers will appreciate the extra boost they get from lower steps. Steps are NFPA compliant using “Fire Tread Plate.”
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Underside Protection
Undercarriage protection is available with Radiator, Transfer Case, and Transmission Skid Pans designed to keep branches and debris from damaging the underside of the vehicle. These pieces are heavy-duty construction and fit tightly to the underside with minimal loss of ground clearance. These pieces are not included with the base kit.
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Compressible Liquid Adaptive Suspension System
Buckstop is very proud to have been
chosen by LiquidSpring to co-design the application of its technology to Single
Wheel Conversion Ford and Ram trucks. LiquidSpring modeled their kit on
foundation elements engineered in the Buckstop design. The resulting Hydraulic
kit is completely built by LiquidSpring and comes as a turn-key suspension kit
backed by hours of painstaking engineering and Finite Element Analysis. The
frame of the truck is greatly enhanced to support the different way that weight
is carried from OE leaf springs to the new Strut system.
The LiquidSpring Compressible Liquid
Adaptive Suspension System is a smart suspension system for ambulances,
commercial, and school buses, RVs, mining equipment, and now Single Wheel
Conversion Off-road trucks. Liquid-based struts and an on-board microprocessor
provide better handling and control when you need it, and a smoother, softer
ride when you want it.
LiquidSpring is a Smart
Suspension
LiquidSpring automatically and
instantaneously changes the spring stiffness and damping at each individual
wheel in response to road and driving conditions. When the road’s rough, the
ride is soft and smooth. When the vehicle makes sharp turns, corners, or
emergency evasive maneuvers, the suspension stiffens to provide superior
stability and eliminates roll. The onboard microprocessor makes adjustments
without driver intervention for a fluid, seamless experience.
Features and Benefits
- Provides optimized, soft ride at varying weight
conditions – water on board or not, camper on deck or not
- Automatically load levels chassis compensating for
imbalance and variations in vehicle payload distribution
- Kneeling and capability to lower stance at stop
- Seamlessly, without driver intervention, automatically,
and instantaneously provides a very soft spring or a very stiff spring
with associated damping as needed for road and driving conditions
- Pump only operational while load and chassis leveling
thereby consuming minimal power
- User-friendly driver interface with graphic display for
drive and diagnostic modes to integrate system control and chassis
leveling while providing means for troubleshooting system
How Does LiquidSpring work?
LiquidSpring uses an optimized
5-link suspension configuration, struts with a compressible fluid as the
spring/damping medium, and a sophisticated on‐board
microprocessor to monitor driving conditions. This microprocessor acts as the
suspension systems’ brain and allows for automatic and instantaneous change of
spring stiffness and damping at each individual wheel. This provides the
ability to reduce ride harshness while increasing roll and pitch control.
LiquidSpring monitors and processes
various vehicle signals and motion at each wheel via its ECU and instructs each
corner strut to change its stiffness and damping characteristics as required to
minimize power transmitted from the suspension to the chassis while maintaining
body control. The strut stiffness and damping characteristics are dependent
upon its effective fluid volume.
LiquidSpring incorporates a rate
valve between the strut and the secondary volume. The rate valve controls the
interaction of fluid between the strut and secondary volume, thereby managing
the effective fluid volume. As shown above, when the valve is completely open,
the strut exhibits its lowest stiffness. When the valve is completely closed,
the strut exhibits its highest stiffness. The valve is proportionally closed to
cause the strut to exhibit transitional stiffness and damping.
