Moving to the rear, Atlas Spring built a 10-inch Multipack leaf spring pack to bring the tail end level with the nose, while Sway-A-Way RaceRunner reservoir rear shocks cushion the ride. To increase the towing performance and help the truck handle the load of the boat trailer's tongue weight, a pair of Chassis Tech rear airbags with billet upper and lower spring cups were installed. Chassis Tech is a division of AIM Industries, located in Phoenix, Arizona. Keeping the rear axle in check are a pair of custom flamed traction bars built by the Custom Truck Shop and chrome-plated by Decore Plating in Gardena, California. Once the 10-inch suspension lift was in position, 20x12-inch Weld Racing Dakar wheels were selected and mounted on Interco TrXus tires measuring a shocking 39.5x13x20 inches. These massive rollers make a strong contribution to the Ram's aggressive visual attitude, and with a matching set of Weld Dakars on the boat trailer, the style points keep rolling in. Enhancing handling is a custom-built steering setup fabricated by the folks at Off Road Unlimited in Burbank, California.
Completion of the nosebleed stance and the addition of the land-tromping wheel and tire combination brought the Truckin' staff to analyzing performance additions for the Hard-Chargin' Hemi. The factory 5.7L Hemi engine was blessed with a GCA Industries True Flow air intake system, along with a set of Gibson Performance Exhaust 2-inch ubular headers and a Gibson 3-inch after-cat exhaust system capped by a Gibson flamed exhaust tip. To put all of this newfound power to the pavement and the boat ramp, Drivetrain Direct in Corona, California, was contracted to re-gear the rearend to a 4.88:1 ratio. The gear swap really improved the driveability of the truck and made it exceptionally stout for towing, even while pushing the 39.5-inch-tall tires.
After pouring so much energy into achieving the right lift for this project and backing that by some performance upgrades, the staff of Truckin' was not about to skimp on the exterior. The Hard-Chargin' Hemi needed to match Truckin's project 24-foot AfterShock in order for the whole rig to make an impact at the boat ramp. Enter L&G Enterprises, which has a reputation in the custom truck aftermarket industry for laying down some of the sickest custom paintjobs around. L&G's Theresa Contreras laid out the design for the flame graphics and combined House of Kolor Tangelo Orange, True Blue, and Platinum for a look that is all too cool.
The envelope was left virtually stock save for a Gaylord's X2000 tonneau and Trenz upper and lower billet grille inserts. Working with a stock white basecoat, Luis Acosta (one of L&G's most talented painters) laid House of Kolor True Blue from the beltline up, following up with HOK Tangelo Orange just below and another layer of blue under the orange flowing into flames, which are shadowed in Platinum. Theresa followed up with all the airbrushing to give the graphics endless depth. The result is a perfect rendition of the graphics present on the 24-inch AfterShock powerboat which is towed behind the Hard-Chargin' Hemi.