I have an 87 RC 318, 2 barrel carb, 727 tranny, 208 transfer, 9 1/4 rear, dana 40 front.  I use this truck for work and hunting and some off road funning.  I would like to increase the engine power and have $650 to spend.  What can I do to get added power?  Second question, the steering coupler is crap.  I know there are after market steering shafts that elimante the coupler all together but costly.  I have read that you can take shafts from newer trucks and adapt them to the RC and elimante the coupler.  Does anyone know what year truck has the shaft that will work and how to do this?  

There are alot of ways to increse engine power. Try performance plugs wires cap+rotor. get a high output coil. try summitracing.com or jegs.com. I think the cheepest to get the most power is change you axle raios. usually about 250-300 for gears and kit. step up to 4.10 or 4.54 or something like that. you will deffently notice more power. as for the steering shaft problem i dont know sorry but go to the junkyard find a newer one and see how it looks compaired to yours.  

Your Ram Charger lifted? Got bigger tires? Gear it. Thats the best way to get  your lost  power back...  

Hey there,
I used to have the same vehicle, and I wish I still had it.  Gearing is a great idea, then talk to an automatic transmission place about getting your slushbox upgraded to an overdrive version.  One other thing - the throttle body injection on that engine was made by HOLLEY!  Perhaps you can talk to them about more power...

As for the steering - (this is why I am replying) - I put a Borgeson aftermarket steering shaft on - I replaced the hideous and idiotic joint at the steering box with a nice needle-bearing U-joint, and KEPT the flexible coupler at the other end.  (It is essentially a disk of tire rubber.)  Anyway, it was like I had an entirely new steering system.  The stock steering coupler did not give the steering slop that the joint at the steering box caused.  Borgeson had those shafts in stock, no special order required, and nothing special required to install it once it arrived.  To get a second u-joint on the shaft doubled the cost, and would have required cutting off the stock coupler.  As I recall, the price of that aftermarket shaft was just a hair more than an OEM steering shaft.

Good luck to you.  Keep the truck.  Dodge has stroker kits for that engine that bump it up into the 400 cc range...  

I have the 250 WD 87 year. simple fixes  to get steering up to those larger tires Borgeson steering shaft and a ARG super box2 will fix that mess. Then to the power Edelbrock RPM intake with there Thunder series AVS 500cfm. I know 500 whats with that it is only stock 318 really if you work it out it needs to be a 450cfm. Get a goob breather on top of that carb. Now you can change those wires, cap ,and plugs an feel some improvement. Not going to be a real big change until you get that Fred Flintstone ign.system ripped out. Then Mallory HyFire 6AL cd box, Pro Master coil Maa-29440,and the Unilite distributor. Now some 8mm wires with E3 spark plugs and you will feel a BIG difference. Also check out your Cat. they get cloged when those air pumps don't work and that o2 senser we all over look. Does not matter with mallory system leave in you will not find a plug to fit it's a o2 thing. As for changing gears scrap that front axel with vaccum motor for a real 4x4 axel. Now you have a MOPAR  

Remember you need air and fuel for power that Carter and fresh system ok back in 87 but the system worked well. It's worn now small vac leaks. Be for you do anything spray some carb. cleaner around intake area you be suprised what happens. Next you need to burn the air fuel thats were cams and ignsystem come in. Now you got to get out waste gases thats were the cat and mufflers come in. Thats just the first stop then get into timing and serpentine and LOTS of $$$$$. Start increase air/fuel and I forgot when doing the intake and carb. change out the stock fuel pump for a holly 80GPH and put a filter between tank and pump remember the year 87 and always before carb. feed line an pressure gauge. Then you can get that spark more consistent and stronger to the plug and those E-3 are great no indexing need by the way they firer. Now waste gases, match that muffler to the motor (stock, street,track) you need some back pressure. The balance from in fresh good burn and then out with as little restriction as possiable. THEN start looking at axels gear ratios. Get the POWER plant running STRONG  

My Ramcharger is a '91. Make sure all of the computer sensors are in good shape. I took the catylitic converter off so the engine could breath alot better. I did add a higher voltage coil to the ign. system.  A dual exhaust system will be added soon  (dynomax) Stock 3.90 gears.:
32x11.50-15 tires. It climbs very well.