Dodge Big Rigs
Although there were a large number of vehicles made by Dodge in low
tonnage form, there were also a great deal of interesting trucks that were
built specifically to handle large loads. This includes Medium Duty
D-series trucks, as well as Medium Duty Low Cab Forward (LCF) trucks,
L-series compact rigs and Heavy Duty L-series tilt cabs and LCF vehicles.
These could be configured with an unlimited supply of options, engines and
transmissions to fit various wheelbases and load requirements. Since
these trucks could vary in so many ways, only a brief overview of each
type is included on this page. If you would like more information on
Medium and Heavy Duty Dodge Trucks, be sure to consult the book Dodge
Trucks by Don Bunn.
I also highly recommend Kyle Youngblood's "OldDodges.com" website.
Kyle's site is a salute to Bighorn, Medium Duty, and Heavy Duty
Dodge Trucks from the 1960's and 1970's. The photos and historical
information on his site are breathtaking.
Looking to repair your truck? Check out this international truck parts supplier for all your needs.
Medium-Duty D-Series Trucks
Image from
Dodge Truck Sales Literature Most of the D-series trucks
we are all familiar with are of the D-100 through D-200 designation along
with the occassional D-300 one ton. Any Dodge Truck rated over one ton
was considered a Medium Duty Truck, and these trucks were available from
D-400 to D-700 in size. Below is a chart which details the actual tonnage
of each designation:
| Series Designation versus
Tonnage |
|---|
| D-400 | 1 1/2 ton | Max GVW:
14,000lbs |
| D-500 | 2 ton | Max GVW:
19,500lbs |
| D-600 | 2 1/2 ton | Max GVW:
22,000lbs |
| D-700 | 3 ton | Max GVW:
25,000lbs |
In order to allow the proper proportioning for the asthetics of Medium
Duty D-series trucks, filler panels, a different bumper, larger fenders
and running boards were added to cover the exposed frame and make the
trucks look larger. Vehicles D-300 and up were built on straight frames,
leaving the engine lower in its compartment. Big D-series truck cabs were
identical to Sweptline Era pickup cabs but were set up differently to
accomodate the heater, accessories and chassis wiring.
Images Submitted by Steve Dreibelbis
One exception is that the D-800 Conventional cab truck was considered to
be a Heavy Duty vehicle. With Dodge gasoline V8's for power and wheelbases
from 133" to 197", the style and excellent features of the conventional
cab trucks could be had as a heavy duty model. GVW on this truck was
available as large as 29,000lbs with GCW at 55,000lbs. A `69 D-800 is
shown below. 
Image from Dodge Truck Sales Literature
D-series Sweptline Era truck bodies were prevalent in the Medium Duty
category clear through to late 1973 when the new Life-Style Era cab was
utilized in place of the older body style. These replacement Medium Duty
vehicles included a front nose which looked nothing like their light duty
pickup counterparts. Nonetheless, the light duty pickup cabs from the
current design were utilized as they had been in preceeding years.
| Engine Specs - Gasoline Engine Usage `61-`71 Medium/Heavy Duty
Trucks |
| Truck Models |
Standard | Optional | Optional | Installed |
|---|
| D-400 | 251-3 L6 | 318-2 V8 | |
`61-`62 |
| D-400 | 225-2 S6 | 318-2 V8 | |
`63-`71 |
| D-500 | 251-3 L6 | 251-4 L6 | 318-2 V8, 361-2 |
`61-`62 |
| D-500 | 225-2 S6 | 318-2 V8 | 361-2 V8 |
`63-`71 |
| D-600 | 318-2 V8 | 361-2 V8 | |
`61-`71 |
| D-700 | 361-3 V8 | 361-4 V8 (`69-`71) | |
`62-`71 |
| D-800 | 361-4 V8 |
| | `61-`71 |
| W-500 | 251-4 L6 | 318-2 V8 |
| `61-`62 |
| W-500 | 225-2 S6 | 318-2 V8 | |
`63-`71 |
Note: Since Dodge Medium and Heavy Duty Trucks were available with a wide
range of engines, it is difficult to positively state that one engine was
optional while another was standard. Use the table above as a general guide,
and don't be surprised if there are minor discrepancies in the data.
A D-Series Diesel?
Shown below is a link to the spec sheet on PD-500/600 trucks, which were a
D-Series Conventional Cab and Chassis with the availability of a 354ci six
cylinder Perkins Diesel engine. Bet you never knew these existed! The picture
shown on the linked image is obviously retouched; but, did they actually paint
the hoods black as shown?
Aaron Arnold's W-300 Diesel (PW-300?)
Images submitted by Aaron Arnold.
Aaron Arnold of Boerne, Texas, owns this one of a kind Perkins Diesel powered W-300. The truck
is the only Perkins Diesel powered W-300 known to exist and one of a rare few W-300 Crew Cab
Trucks. Although originally equipped to haul horses, the truck now has a Utiline bed on the
rear of the chassis (see photos below). This unique truck has the following specifications:
- 354 ci Six Cylinder Perkins Diesel Engine, English built (Eng. # 8044081)
- 146" wheelbase
- NP 420 Transmission with special bellhousing
- NP 201 Twin-Stick Transfer Case
- Dana 70 Front and Rear Differentials (4.88:1 gears)
- Dual Rear Wheels
- MU-2A Braden PTO Winch (10,000lb capacity)
- Dual Batteries
- Dash mounted Throttle Pull Handle
- Mechanical Tachometer with hours meter
- Medium Duty Truck Steering Wheel
- Full Length Running Boards
- Power Brakes with Vacuum Pump and reserve tank
- Diesel Fender Emblems under Dodge Emblems (same script)
- Cold Weather Start decal, pull knob and ether bottle on firewall
- Pull to Stop Engine decal with knob
- Use Diesel Fuel Only decal along with 20 gallon tank behind seat
- Chrysler Perkins Industrial Diesel decal on valve cover
- Bostrom Viking T-bar seats (possibly a dealer installed option)
Interesting Statistics: PW-300
- Curb Weight: 6,860lbs
- Gas Mileage: 17-18 at 65 mph
- Engine Oil Capacity: 16.5 quarts
Medium and Heavy Duty Low Cab Forward Trucks
Image from Dodge Truck Sales Literature
LCF trucks were available in a variety of configurations, both gasoline
and diesel. Medium duty trucks covered C-500 through C-700 trucks, while
heavy duty was reserved to desiginate C-900 and C-1000 trucks. These
trucks all used the `56-`60 Dodge pickup cab and were fitted with a set of
special front body panels. All LCF trucks were mounted on straight frames
and featured swing out front panels along with the flip ip hood for total
engine accessibility. The mechanic could actually stand in between the
frame and front wheel to service and maintain these trucks.
Image from The Saturday Evening
Post, 6-16-65
These trucks were first built in `60, replacing cab-over "Forward Look"
bodied trucks from the late fifties. Dual headlights set these earlier
trucks apart from trucks built after `67, when the single headlight system
was adopted with the familiar aluminum trim rings seen on A-100's and
Sweptline Era Trucks from `65-`67.
Gasoline or diesel engines were available, with the smallest gas engine
being the Polysphere 318-2 available as standard on the C-500. Optional
engines were available, including the big block 361 and 413 engines. All
were installed with premium components which generally referred to the
high quality of the cranks, rods, bearings, and other internals.
Compression ratios were also raised as the level of each engine increased
(413-2 vs 413-3, for instance).
| Engine Specs - Gasoline Engine Usage `61-`71 Medium/Heavy Duty
Trucks |
| Truck Models | Standard | Optional | Optional |
Installed |
| C-500 | 318-2 V8 | 361-2 | |
`61-`71 |
| C-600 | 361-2 V8 | | |
`61-`71 |
| C-700, CT-700 | 361 V8 | |
| `61-`71 |
| C-800, CT-800 | 361-4 V8 | 413-2 V8 (CT) |
413-3 V8 (CT) | `61-`71 |
| C-900, CT-900 | 413-2 V8 | 413-3 V8 |
| `61-`71 |
|---|
| C-1000, CT-1000 | 413-3 V8 | IH 477 (`70-`71) |
IH 534 (`70-`71) | `61-`71 |
Note: Since Dodge Medium and Heavy Duty Trucks were available with a wide
range of engines, it is difficult to positively state that one engine was
optional while another was standard. Use the table above as a general guide,
and don't be surprised if you find minor discrepancies in the data.
Diesel engines were provided by Cummins for installation into heavy duty
LCF trucks. Both inline and V-type engines were available. 1963 marked
the first year for the Cummins V6 engines and were just one of the many
available engines for these trucks. Virtually any engine, transmission and
drive axle configuration was available since these trucks were suceptible
to such hard working conditions and built in far lower quantities than
other Dodge vehicles. In most cases, LCF Diesel trucks are easily
spotted in traffic due to their exterior mounted air cleaners and oil
coolers. In some rare cases, the oil cooler was mounted within the
body but the exterior air cleaner is still present.
Image from Dodge Truck Sales
Literature
Primarily designated as "C" series trucks, various letters were added to
the name and used to describe whether these trucks were tandem or diesel
models. For instance, a CNT900 would be a C900 with tandem axles and a
diesel engine. "T" stood for "tandem axles", "N" was used to designate
the inline N-series Cummins diesel engine and "V" represented the V-type
diesel engine.
Images submitted by Steve Dreibelbis
1975 marked the last year for production of LCF trucks sold in the
domestic U.S., but a few hundred heavy duty CNT-800s and CNT-900s were
exported in `76. Throughout their production run, LCF trucks were also
available under the Fargo label in Canada.
Medium Duty L-Series Tilt Cab Trucks
Dodge's resourcefulness continued with the Medium Duty L-Series Trucks which
utilized partial A-Series compact truck bodies to make a versatile hauler.
Learn more about these unique trucks on the A-100's
Page.
Heavy Duty L-Series Tilt Cab
Trucks 
Image from Dodge Truck Sales
Literature
L-series Tilt cab trucks by Dodge were the most "Big Rig" like vehicles
that they had ever produced. These cab-over-engine, aluminum and
fiberglass bodied trucks were short and manuverable while being well
designed with driver comfort and convenience a first. More specifically,
the upper tilting cab body was of aluminum while the lower portions of the
truck including the headlight panels and wheel surrounds were of
fiberglass. A whopping 2,087 square inches of lightly tinted windshield
glass allowed for excellent visibility. Large air actuated windshield
wipers kept the view clear when the weather got rough. The initial
purpose for building these trucks was to supply the market with a
competitive cab-over, high tonnage truck.
The first year of L-Series Tilt Cab production was `64 when small trim
rings surrounded the headlights. Early production trucks from 1964 can be
differentiated from later production trucks by their painted trim rings.
After `67, these trucks also gained the parts bin aluminum headlight trim
rings from light duty `65-`67 pickups and `64-`70 A-series compacts. Cabs
were available in standard or sleeper configurations, along with the
choice of Cummins, Caterpillar and Detroit Diesel powerplants. Tandem or
single axles could also be specified from a variety of manufacturers. Much
like Dodge LCF trucks, the L-series tilt cabs were designated by letters
which stood for various configurations. "N" stood for the six cylinder
diesel engines, while a "V" was added for a V8 diesel. "T" still
represented the fact that the truck had tandem axles, much like with LCF
trucks. Cast spoke wheels were standard on these trucks with ten stud steel
"Budd" wheels as optional equipment.
| Diesel Engine Usage - Medium/Heavy Duty
Trucks |
|---|
| Truck Model |
Engines Available (*=`69 and Up) |
|---|
| CN800 | C-175 |
| | | | |
|---|
| CN900, CNT900 | NH-180 | NHE-195 |
NH-230 | NH-250 | Detroit 8V-71NE |
|
|---|
| CN1000, CNT1000 | NH-180 |
NH-220 | | | |
|
|---|
| CVT900 | V6-200 |
| | | |
|
|---|
| LV1000, LVT1000 | V8E-235 |
V8E-265 | NH-280* |
NH-335* | V-903(`71) |
Detroit 8V-71NE |
| LV9000, LVT9000 | V6E-196 |
| | | |
|
Note: Due to the wide range of configurability in Heavy Duty Dodge
Trucks, there is no simple standard to describe which engines were available.
Listed in the table above are engines which are known to have been available for
each truck model. Limited resources prevent a more specific description.
1974 was the last year for L-series tilt cab trucks; this was due mostly
to the reasoning by Dodge management that the big truck market was no
longer lucritive. In `75, they ceased production of the LCF and Big Horn
trucks and settled with steady production of light and medium duty trucks.
Image from Dodge Truck Sales Literature
Shown directly above is a Dodge LNT1000 tractor with four axles (three are
driven). It is pulling two trailers in tandem, having nine axles as well. If
you were to count all the wheels, the grand total would make the truck a fifty
wheeler. What is notable about these trucks is their design features and cab
construction. In order to reduce weight, the cabs for these trucks were made
out of aluminum while the lower body panels (grille and fenders) were fabricated
in fiberglass. These trucks were also called Michigan "centipedes" due to the
large number of axles they had.
Images Submitted by Steve Dreibelbis
| Pre-History | A-100's | '61-Mid '65
Trucks | '65-67 Trucks | '68-'71 Trucks |
| CSS\Adventurer Trucks | Sweptline
Power Wagons | Medium/Heavy Duty Trucks
|
| Main Page | Online Response |
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