Dodge Power Wagon
Encyclopedia
The Dodge
Dodge
Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....

 Power Wagon
was a four wheel drive
Four Wheel Drive
The Four Wheel Drive Auto Company, more often known as Four Wheel Drive or just FWD, was founded in 1909 in Clintonville, Wisconsin, as the Badger Four-Wheel Drive Auto Company by Otto Zachow and William Besserdich.-History:...

 pickup truck
Pickup truck
A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...

 produced from 1945 through 1980. This early version was based on a military truck and is a predecessor to the many four wheel drive pickups in use today.

History

The Dodge Power Wagon was introduced in 1946. It was originally meant to compete with Ford/Marmon-Herrington 4x4 Military trucks such as the Brushbreaker, as well as Military GMC truck applications, but it was the first to be offered directly to the civilian population. It was based on the 3/4-ton Army truck's chassis with a civilian cab and a purpose designed 8-foot cargo box. It had a 126 inch (3,200 mm) wheelbase chassis and featured the 230 cubic-inch flat head six engine, a two-speed transfer case, a 4-speed transmission with a power take off opening which would send power to the front and back of the truck for operating auxiliary equipment and 9.00/16-8 ply tires on 16X6.50 inch 5-stud wheels. In 1961 the 230 was replaced with the 251 cubic-inch flat head six. The nominal one-ton rated Power Wagon's gross vehicle weight rating
Gross vehicle weight rating
A gross vehicle weight rating is the maximum allowable total weight of a road vehicle or trailer when loaded - i.e., including the weight of the vehicle itself plus passengers, and cargo....

 (GVWR) was 8,700 pounds. Its maximum payload was 3,000 pounds. Big-block 383 V8 engines became an option starting in 1967. From 1961 to 1971 the body was called the "sweptline," then transitioned to a more modern body image from 1972 through 1980 with varied grilles and paint schemes. In 1975 the 4-wheel drive became full-time with a 2-speed transfer case; this was changed back to part-time 4-wheel drive in 1980 due to the energy crisis. A huge boost in sales followed the 1974 release of the extended "Club Cab," popular with families and camper towing. The 4-door "Crew Cab" was far less common and is quite desirable to collectors for restoration. Utility and function was unmatched by few competing models, as the towing, payload, and snow plowing capacity of the Power Wagon equipped with "Dana 60" 8-lug axles was very popular with municipal and regional road crews.

The Power Wagon was sold through the 1980 model year
Model year
The model year of a product is a number used worldwide, but with a high level of prominence in North America, to describe approximately when a product was produced, and indicates the coinciding base specification of that product....

. A number of engineering and styling improvements were made over the years, but the basic package remained surprisingly constant throughout its life and underwent one last major body change in 1972.

The first light-duty Power Wagons came out in 1957 with the introduction of the W100 and W200 pickups (beginning in 1957 1/2-ton 2WDs were D100s and 4WDs were W100s). These trucks featured conventional cabs and front sheet metal and the cargo boxes used on the 2WD models. Their 4WD mechanical components—axles, transfer cases and transmissions—were sourced from outside manufacturers. Chrysler Corporation owned the New Process Gear Company, the manufacturer of all the transfer cases used in the industry and many of the light-duty truck transmissions.

A one-ton W300 light-duty/civilian type Power Wagon was released in 1958. For the next ten years the Power Wagon lineup consisted of the "military-type" W300M, and the W100, W200, and W300 "civilian-type" Power Wagons. Standard models included pickups and chassis cabs only. 1957 Through 1966, W100 Power Wagon Town Panels and Town Wagons were also standard models. In 1961 a W200 Crew Cab pickup was added to the line.

The two-ton W500 Power Wagon (only a chassis cab was built) was introduced in 1956 as the C3-HW, and lasted through the 1971 model year. This was replaced in 1972 with the W600 (also cab and chassis only), which was produced until 1977, when all Dodge medium-duty models were discontinued. To compensate for the loss of the medium-duty W600 a new W400 chassis cab was introduced in 1977.

The Power Wagon nameplate was discontinued in 1981 with the introduction of the Dodge Ram
Dodge Ram
The Dodge Ram is a full-size pickup truck manufactured by the Chrysler Group LLC. As of late 2010, it has been sold under the Ram Trucks brand. Previously, Ram was part of the Dodge lineup of light trucks...

, with the four-wheel-drive models being sold under the "Power Ram" nameplate through 1993. Early 1990s models saw the addition of an optional 6-cylinder Cummins Turbo Diesel engine.

2005–present

For 2005, Dodge resurrected the Power Wagon name on a version of the Dodge Ram. It is a special off-road version of the Ram 2500 with a 5.7L Hemi V8 as the only engine option. Specialties of the model include:
  • Electronically controlled locking differentials (front and rear)
  • Electronically disconnecting sway bar
    Sway bar
    A sway bar or anti-roll bar or stabilizer bar is a part of an automobile suspension that helps reduce the roll of a vehicle that is induced by cornering or road irregularities. It connects opposite wheels together through short lever arms linked by a torsion spring...

     (front and rear)
  • Integrated 12000 pounds (5,443.1 kg) electric Warn winch
    Winch
    A winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in or let out or otherwise adjust the "tension" of a rope or wire rope . In its simplest form it consists of a spool and attached hand crank. In larger forms, winches stand at the heart of machines as diverse as tow trucks, steam shovels and...

     Alcoa
    Alcoa
    Alcoa Inc. is the world's third largest producer of aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. From its operational headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoa conducts operations in 31 countries...

     forged
    Forging
    Forging is a manufacturing process involving the shaping of metal using localized compressive forces. Forging is often classified according to the temperature at which it is performed: '"cold," "warm," or "hot" forging. Forged parts can range in weight from less than a kilogram to 580 metric tons...

     wheels
  • Large 33 inches (83.8 cm) BF Goodrich All Terrain T/A tires
  • Bilstein Monotube Gas Charged Shocks

Upgraded suspension and larger tires naturally give the truck a taller ride height. Clearance lights and fender flares are standard equipment as well. The fender flares assist with tire coverage due to the Power Wagon's wider tires.

Interior configurations remain similar to standard production Ram 2500 models. Six speed manual transmissions were standard, with automatic transmission optional. The configuration was only available as a regular cab with 8 feet (2.4 m) bed (chassis) or a Quad Cab with the 6.5 feet (2 m) bed through 2008. In 2009, the Power Wagon is only available as a Quad Cab Short Bed model.

Weight ratings:
  • GVWR - 8510 lb
  • GCWR - 17,000 lb
  • GAWR (front) - 4500 lb
  • GAWR (rear) - 6140 lb
  • Max payload - 2,250 lb
  • Max towing - 10,600 lb

See also

  • Dodge WC series
    Dodge WC series
    The Dodge WC series was a range of light military trucks produced by Dodge during World War II. The series included weapon carriers, telephone installation trucks, ambulances, reconnaissance vehicles, mobile workshops and command cars. They were replaced after the war by the Dodge M-series...

  • Dodge W-series/Power Ram
  • List of Dodge automobiles
  • Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle
    Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle
    The Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle or CUCV Program was instituted to provide the United States military with a cheaper Light Utility Vehicle to augment the purpose-built, but expensive, Gama Goats and M151 series "Jeeps" approaching the end of their service life. It initially provided Dodge D...


External links

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