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Dodge Ram - III
This topic is a continuation of Topic 865....
Dodge Ram - II. Please continue these discussions
here. Thanks!
Front Porch Philosopher
SUV, Pickups, & Aftermarket and Accessories Host
Dodge Ram - II. Please continue these discussions
here. Thanks!
Front Porch Philosopher
SUV, Pickups, & Aftermarket and Accessories Host
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I have a 98 1500Quad 2wheel drive. I am experiencing a vibration/shutter when traveling in OD between 42 and 58 MPH. I was originally told that this was a "feature" of the lockup Torque converter and that if I took it out of OD it would be fine. Well a year has passed and the problem seems to be getting worse. It is now even there with the OD off. Any thoughts?? I went through the whell balance, tire rotation thing but no luck. The dealer insists this is normal and I shouldn't be concerned. I am heading to the dealer soon to have an oil leak (possible rear bearing seal) checked. Of course I wonder if all this shaking has anything to do with it
Thanks
As for the vibration, I don't have it, nor have I seen any one else complain about it.
Good luck
Wildman
I checked this myself the lo-tech way. I put the truck up on jack stands and dropped the trans into neutral. There was enough friction within the limited slip rear to keep the wheels spinning at a good pace. I then took a straight edge and placed it behind the spinning tire on a small step ladder so I could see how much the tires wobbled. The tires were out of round by a good 3/16". It doesn't matter how much you balance an out of round tire, it'll still wobble.
By the way, if anyone does try this, be careful. This is not the safest operation.
When the redesigned Rams begin to appear next winter, look for AAM axles (formerly the GM axle division) in place of Danas, and the Allison 1000 automatic with the Cummins and tghe new V10 ayear later, also a GM product. The new OHC V8s are also expected to see high-torque-capacity Mercedes 5-speed automatics over the Mopar units, but that of course is now an in-house switch..
kcram
Co-Host - Smart Shopper & FWI Conferences
edmunds.com Town Hall
I recently bought a 2001 Ram 2500 Cummins 6-speed and now intend to purchase a compression brake for it. Question is: which one to go with? I like the Jacobs reputation but the BD is about half their price. What say you?
Thanks
I need to verify some rear-end/final drive ratio
information. My understanding is that when Dodge
increased the tire size on the 3/4 ton's for the
2000 model year, that they also changed the actual
tire diameter. The last information that I had was that a 4:10 rear end in this truck with the new tires would give you an effective final drive ratio of 3:77 to 1. Is this true?
Thanks,
rk
I am referring to the Cummins powered 3/4 ton with the Auto ( 47 RE ) transmission. I believe kcram has the specs for this. I'd be interested to know the RPM of the cummins with the auto trans and 265 tires, if anyone has this information. Reason is that I may order a new one, and I currently have a 3500 with Cummins/Auto 3:54 rear end. If I order a 3/4 ton with the same stuff except for the 265 tires, then this will drop the rpm of the cummins down even further, which IMO is too low. If the effective ratio is now 3:77 to 1, or somewhere in the neighborhood, I would opt for the 4:10 instead.
Thanks,
rk
At 70mph I'm turning around 1800 rpms. I don't have any complaints so far. My rationale for going with the 3.54 over the 4.10 was that I thought it would be the best overall choice for me. I consider the auto trans. to be the weak link in the drive train. When I pull a heavy trailer, I figure I'll be out of overdrive at least some of the time if not most of the time. At highway speeds, the 4.10 would be revving too high for the diesel, in my opinion. Even with the 3.54, it screams pretty good out of OD at 60mph.
The down side is I lose some kick off the start (but it's not a dragster anyway), and I have a lower towing weight rating. If I were towing a lot in the mountains or if it were a work truck that towed all the time, the 4.10 (with a stick)may have been more appropriate. For me the 3.54 works well since I run empty most of the time.
By the way, recently while towing my little 2000# trailer (in OD), I had to pass a car on a 2 lane state highway. I simply popped the OD off and I had all the power I'd ever want to blow right past the car, then I put the OD back on to keep the revs down and for maximum fuel economy.
Good luck.
nascar6
How's it going? I sent you an e-mail last Thursday. Did you ever get it? How's the big dog running? 1600 miles on mine as of today (5 weeks old). Washing it is a real job - up and down the 6' ladder! I put mud flaps on it on Sunday. That should slow down the stone chips.
Dave
Give me a minute or two to dredge the comparative numbers. I had posted them in a previous chapter way back when, and just need to find them.
davids1,
Short commutes will not hurt the Cummins at all. I'm just 6 miles from work, and I have almost 60,000 on my 96 3500. The engine has been bulletproof after 4 years, even when I miss an oil change schedule.
Wow - just 12 more payments, then I can stash some bucks for a 2003... moles from inside DC's Jeep/Truck Engineering say the new HD Ram (2500HD, 3500, and yes, 4500) will have crew cabs, higher GVWR, and mega-duty 5-speed automatics - the Allison for the Cummins, and a heavy duty Benz unit for the gasoline engines.
kcram
Co-Host - Smart Shopper & FWI Conferences
edmunds.com Town Hall
Don't forget about me now..:-) I think I'm going to list my truck on the AutoTrader site and buy a 2001 3/4 ton Cummins. The truck has been beautiful, no problems, 16.5K miles and rides like a dream. Problem is, it's just a little too big for us. The wife won't drive it 'cause having to watch the fenders, the additional length, and general narrow lane driving makes it a constant chore for her. So we're going to get something with 4 wheels and standard length frame.
I'm going to miss it though, it's a beautiful running machine, no doubt about it.
Thanks,
rlk
kcram
Co-Host - Smart Shopper & FWI Conferences
edmunds.com Town Hall
Ihave a 1998.5 ram QC 2500 4x4 diesel with auto trans. and 4.10 gears.Ihave had it to my local 5 star dealer in AZ 3 times for tranny surges over 40 mph.I have had it flashed ? twice and cable and or connector tightened STILL DOES IT .Any help or recourse before I trade for a Chevy Duramax ?
Johnc12 Thanks in advance .
kcram
Co-Host - Smart Shopper & FWI Conferences
edmunds.com Town Hall
Once again Thank you for your quick response.
I'am not sure what more details would help ,but here goes some.
Over the last holiday I pulled my 5W up in the mountains in AZ.Most of the time o/d off. However,
on one occasion pulling a hill and speed dropped off I turned off the o/d and the truck or tranny
seemed to shutter for a couple of seconds then caught . I told this to my 5 star heroes.
Now today I went out as soon as I got your response. And yes I got it to act up around 40MPH.
Then turned off the o/d and it did it around 25 - 30 MPH . I have also had it do it a 75 MPH on the interstate with or without cruise.Does any of this help ? And how do I get a dealer to help fix it?
Thanks johnc12
Is this a good deal on this truck or should I stay with my '94 Chevy Z-71, 1/2 ton???
Thanks for your unbiased input....
You may want to ask a tech to come on a test drive with you, and duplicate the conditions for them. You may even wish to do this at a different dealer or transmission shop for a second opinion. From what you have described, it definitely sounds like a TC issue.
cattle1,
Sounds like you found a good truck for your purpose. The only two suspect areas are the steering and transmission. Have them thoroughly inpected for corrosion, excess wear, and leaks. If you and a trustworthy service center are satisfied, the body, chassis, axles, and engine will hang in there for another 100K miles without too much attention other than regular maintenance.
kcram
Co-Host - Smart Shopper & FWI Conferences
edmunds.com Town Hall
I too have a bounce at around 48mph. I didn't have it at first with my factory tires. But it came on strong with my winter tires I put on. I posted a message about this around December, and I got no responses on it. I went through 12 different tires, all with a certain amount of bounce. All configurations had been balanced and rechecked (my tire guys spent a lot of extra effort on this). The only thing my dealer has said is that they will check a few things out when I bring it in (like wheel balance), but they are being clueless beyond that. I have put the summer tires back on and now I have a slight bounce with those too. I am slightly perturbed by this. When you spend over 30k for a vehicle, you definetly want a better response to a problem like this. I bought a 2500 SB SLT+ with the 5.9 engine and 3.54 rear end LT265 tires.
My own feelings on this are....It is not totally the tires. It is not the transmission. I have a feeling it has a lot to do with the cheap shocks they put in these rigs. I asked them about the shocks (as mine are seeping from the top already) and they said they will "look at them". I believe since they are seeping I will make them put on new ones and see how that works out.
Does anyone know if I can get MOPAR gas shocks at the dealer?
I would strongly recommend Monroe Gas-Magnums (full-time on road use) or Rancho RS9000 (even limited off-road) over the factory shocks.
kcram
Co-Host - Smart Shopper & FWI Conferences
edmunds.com Town Hall
A few days later I decided to change the oil and the front brake pads. While I was doing that I realized that I had an air filter that a friend of mine had given me, so I figured that I would change it. The metering device on the air cleaner did not indicate that the filter was used up, but the foam was quite black and dirty. The problem with the bouncing went away. It has been almost two weeks and I haven't had a problem.
On the same day I also had my tires switched back to the original set that I took off last fall, but as I recall the problem still existed on the way home from the tire shop.
Try changing the filter and see what happens. Let me know if the problem is fixed.
I have a '01 2500 diesel Quad Cab SLT SB with auto and 3.54 gear. My friends with Cummins Dodges tell me I should be able to tow my 30 ft 5th wheel in OD with no problems, but I find I can't do it without constant shifting in and out of OD. Running at 65 with OD off is a noisy pain, and the mileage sucks at 9.5 mpg. Am I being led down the garden path by these people who say they can do it or do I have a problem with my truck?
Also, has anyone had any experiences with air deflectors when towing 5th wheels? I'm considering going that route to make the tow easier and increase my fuel mileage.
Just a note to say I think my tranny woes are over. Took your advice and went to a different dealer and road test. It acted up with them on the road test . They dropped the pan and found metal in it. Funny the other dealer who supposedly did a service 6 months prior didnt see it ? Any way 10 days later and a basicly rebuilt tranny and it works better than new!Now to decide whether to take Cummins up on the free offer to remove E-brake or not?I pull a 5W. Or, maybe up grade to a 3 pedal ? Well,again thanks for your help !!
johnc12
Glad I helped some. As far as the E-brake, I have no experience with it, but before you yank it, talk to the Cummins techs about the way you drive, what you tow, and how you use the E-brake. They may be able to give you some tips on how to make it work better for you if you really want it.
kcram
Co-Host - Smart Shopper & FWI Conferences
edmunds.com Town Hall
Do you know whether or not the Ram QC 2500 4x4 is going to get 4 wheel disc soon ? And,were can I get towing specs. with the HO diesel ?
Thanks !
As for towing, the GCWR with the Cummins is now 20,000 on all 2500s and 3500s, regardless of transmission or axle ratio. This results in trailer weights ranging from 14,150 on a 2500 regular cab 4x2 to 13,000 for a 3500 Quad 4x4.
kcram
Co-Host - Smart Shopper & FWI Conferences
edmunds.com Town Hall
kcram
Co-Host - Smart Shopper & FWI Conferences
edmunds.com Town Hall
He also said the 2001 Cummins has more pollution controls that may limit it's performance.
A 4 year, 40,000 mile extended warranty would cost $1,000 ($50 Deduct). This is a Daimler Chrysler warranty and I don't expect to exceed the 48,000 miles at all. Is there a better price for this elsewhere??
Is this a problematic tranny? I understand it costs 1500 to $2000 to rebuild this tranny. The warranty sounds like a bargin if the tranny is going to go out.
Your comments were most welcomed as I need to decide in the next few days whether to purchase it or not.
Dave in Pierre, SD
You probably should invest in the extended warranty for the transmission, especially since the vehicle has towed in the past. As for price, you can shop around to any Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep dealer - all are authorized to sell you the factory plan, and some go out of their way to NOT sell the plan at list price.
kcram
Co-Host - Smart Shopper & FWI Conferences
edmunds.com Town Hall
kcram,
Can you offer any details about this and any possible time frame for a release of the restriction?
Only restriction I can find is for the paint, and that was scheduled to be lifted this past Monday (7/24). It is indeed possible that the leather seats or one or more of the components of the Off Road package could be delayed by the suppliers involved.
kcram
Co-Host - Smart Shopper & FWI Conferences
edmunds.com Town Hall
Do those things really improve the performance?
What's the exact specifications of those parts?
And what about prices?
Thanks for your help, guys!
PS- Like every Ram owner I also have problems with rough idle. And my truck has less than 100 miles!