Andrew Lowe took his old tow...
Andrew Lowe took his old tow rig and turned it into a weekend warrior and show winner.
Andrew Lowe of Kingwood, Texas, has been around the truck world for a long time. He built an ’03 Ram 1500 that was a cover truck, and he needed something to tow it to out-of-state shows. This ’06 Dodge Ram 2500 filled the bill nicely. A little tinkering was in order, so Andrew had the tow pig lifted a bit and a few custom pieces added.
And that was just fine until Andrew up and sold the cover truck. With this ’06 Dodge all that was left in the stable, the ideas started flowing. Why not a big lift? Why not custom suspension? Why not custom paint? Why not powdercoat everything? It was hard to stop.
Big rig airbags were used...
Big rig airbags were used for a smooth ride.
Early on in the process, however, Andrew found out just how hard (or expensive) it is to put a big lift on a two-wheel-drive truck. He paused (for about 10 seconds) and then turned the truck over to Mark Fehrle at Slaughterhouse Customs, where all the factory suspension was literally cut and shaved off. It was time to start from scratch. In a matter of two weeks, the crew at Slaughterhouse completely plasma-cut and hand-fabricated a new airbag suspension. Andrew figures the crew didn’t sleep for those two weeks, and he points to the bill for the Monster Energy drinks ($150!) as proof.
The truck is now lifted 17 inches when it is aired up and 12 inches when it is aired down. Firestone 18- wheeler airbags and Icon Vehicle Dynamics reservoir shocks make for a smooth ride. There’s tons of fabrication work on the truck: the rear axle is caged, the rear suspension is a four-link, and the front suspension is all custom.
The Stealth front bumper is from Road Armor, but all the holes were welded up and smooth. The rear has a Sir Michaels roll pan molded into the bed. Extreme Customs in Houston did the body mods. The bed of the truck is nicely finished, too—Andrew used Rhino Lining, a bed rug, a Bedslide, train horns, a HiLift jack, and more to spruce it up.
The Cry02 charge cooling system...
The Cry02 charge cooling system keeps the intake charge very cool.
The powertrain has seen plenty of action, too. The stock turbo was modified by Diesel Innovations, which is also responsible for some custom tuning. The carbon-fiber intake manifold is from CFM Plus. A Cry02 CO2 system by DEI cools the intercooler. The programmer is a DiabloSport Trinity. MBRP supplied the 6-inch stainless steel exhaust tip and turn-down at the rear axle while Magnaflow provided the muffler.
The 24-inch RBP wheels are...
The 24-inch RBP wheels are model 96R. The tires are 38-inch Nitto Trail Grapplers. If you look close, you can see the EBC slotted rotors with carbon metallic pads. The truck uses a master cylinder from a Ram 4500 and braided stainless lines throughout.
A PML diff cover caps off...
A PML diff cover caps off the fully caged rear end.
The chassis was powdercoated...
The chassis was powdercoated in a ’70s-era Hemi Orange color with DuPont products.
The interior uses black leather...
The interior uses black leather with lizard print centers.
A complete Clarion system...
A complete Clarion system is state of the art.
U.S. Speedo inserts make it...
U.S. Speedo inserts make it easier to keep track of everything.