In Norse mythology, Thor was the god of thunder. He had incredible strengths and his main tool of choice was his hammer. The hammer that Thor used was named; Mjolnir, which roughly translates to “that which smashes.”

That which smashes is an interesting name for a vehicle that can traverse a wide range of terrain. Diesel Power Products decided to name its latest creation Mjolnir. The build is based on a 2013 Ram 2500. As with its past build, the company wanted a vehicle that was extremely capable but still pleasant to drive around daily.

“We wanted to improve the ride and handling characteristics of our Ram 2500 all the while keeping it as low as possible to clear at least a 40-inch tire,” according to Cooper Rasmussen, General Manager at Diesel Power Products. 40-inch tires are a long ways from the 31-inch factory tire.

Photos courtesy of Diesel Power Products (DPP).

In the front, the project started with an Eibach progressive rate coil as part of the leveling kit added. Then opted Synergy Suspension’s fabricated shock towers, long arm kit (not yet released), adjustable track bar, and steering box brace were added. A set of Offroad Power Products (sister company to Diesel Power Products) Black Edition Fox 3.0 12-inch smooth body shocks with DSC (Dual Speed Compression) remote reservoirs were next. These tuning for low speed and high speed independently of one another.

In the back, the factory leaf springs were replaced with a set of Deaver Suspension’s Long Travel leafs and paired with modified shackles. Fox 3.0 14-inch smooth body shocks were added in the rear. To give the suspension more travel, the right shock was re-position to the rear of the axle. This aids articulation and traction and with the 17.5 inches of travel (without contacting the bed of the truck)!

For rolling stock, Diesel Power Products opted for a set of Maxxis Trepador Competition M8060’s that are bead locked to Trailready Racing Wheels. With meats this large and aggressive, something had to be done to help ease the load on the engine and transmission. So ARB air lockers were installed front and rear along with some 5.13:1 gears from Nitro Gear and Axle. While this combination makes driving in a straight line easier on the engine, without He-Man strength, the driver was not going to be able to make it around the first corner he came to. That is why the installation of PSC Motorsports’ hydraulic assist steering cylinder was a must.

With the truck rolling again, they took it over to Bob Jutila at Perfection Autobody in Pinehurst ID. He reworked the Fiberwerx Offroad Fiberglass front fenders and cut into the firewall, “just a touch” said Rasmussen to make clearance for the wheel locks to lock. In the rear, the fenders were opened about 4 inches, and then the factory lip was welded back to give the truck a more factory look.

To help with departure angles coming off of rocks, Perfection Autobody also reworked the rear quarter panel (dovetailed it) to remove some of the unnecessary sheet metal. Since the truck is a long bed, this helped tremendously, but it still needed some custom bumpers to handle the abuse it would see while rock crawling.

Offroad Power Products created some bumpers that fit with the “minimalistic and industrial style we were looking for,” mentioned Rasmussen. A Warn 16.5ti winch part of the plan, so the front bumper was built in such a way as to support it, while still offering the most protection to the truck it possibly could. In the rear, the bumper was formed around the remaining sheet metal ensuring that all factory wiring would/could still be used.

This meant the truck still needed to be able to tow which puts a lot of stress on the bumper. So, while it is a little more substantial than one might think for a minimalistic bumper, it does the job rather well. Rasmussen reports that at a recent trip to Moab, Utah, “the bumpers worked flawlessly in the rocks.

To give the truck a little extra power, an aFe Power cold air intake system was installed along with an Edge Products CTS Juice with Attitude. In addition, the EAS system was opted for to gain control of multiple accessories (like the lockers and compressors) from the CTS. With the wheel and gear ratio the truck runs, Edge Products did make some modifications, so the speedometer could be adjusted properly.

The truck has only been finished for a short period of time and already its getting lots of attention. So, much so, that Diesel Power Products is thinking of bumping the tires up to 42-inch to make it stand out even more. Pretty crazy considering the truck really only has a leveling kit on it!