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Dodge Ram Owners
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Comments
The truck is great! No problems with the transmission, or brakes, or anything else at this point. I know, only 4000 miles, but the impression I get by reading some of these posts is that the trucks fall apart after leaving the lot. If I *had* to come up with something negative to say, it would be the 14mpg I get, and that the front end alignment seems a little off.
I don't regret my decision to get a Dodge at all.
I would also suggest to sweetpea if you aren't having any luck on the Chrysler 800#, ask the rep to forward your problem to the Chrysler regional office in your area. That's what I did back in April when the dealer already worked on it a week replaced 4 different things & wasn't even close to a solution.Also would suggest trying a different dealer for service - I have done that & has been a major improvement.
No problems to speak of here. Ever since "94, all I wanted was a ram. Never did I look at any other american truck-[non-permissible content removed] trucks are out of the question. It is truly unfortunate to hear of all the problems with the transmissions-I do feel for you all. So far, nothing has cropped up(fingers crossed). I realize this is a ram site but I do also own a '91 jeep renegade with 110,000 miles on it and so far I have had no major problem to report-it has been the best vehicle I've ever owned. Yes, I've had my share of [non-permissible content removed] cars/trucks. Truth be known, I like it better than the ram(sentimental). Back to the ram; I do agree the transmission shifts alot with the o/d and lockout torque converter but I feel this is a trade off for gas mileage. The sst is fully loaded with over 6,000 miles on the odometer, I do not regret my buying decision. Good luck all you ram owners, take care of your trucks and they might take care of you.
78k on the 90 and 4k on the 98. Have had good luck with both. The 98 is a neat truck. Fun to drive. Didn't trade the 90 for the 98, anybody want'a buy a truck?
Wow, mharde2, 10k miles already. When do you find time to play on the computer? I think I'm getting the same fuel milage.
So far I love the truck...Headed for Divide Co. with the camper in two weeks. I guess I will find out if I need one of those exhaust brakes then.
Now that the truck is past 36K, the attitude is:"Hey, we've given you lots of warranty work for free (they don't count the dozens of hours I spent), now it's YOUR TURN! You pay for our poor quality parts, and then pay for them again, and again. Why not fix the thing right the first time?
There is a great lacking of a Quality orientation at Dodge trucks, and perhaps Chrysler, in general, from what I've seen. There is also an ethical concern, as they won't stand behind their product when they can charge your wallet.
I'll not buy anything else from Chrysler motors.
Has anyone installed any of the speed goodies such as computor chip,k+n filter asm.,cat back duals. Thx kip
Living in NH, where there's snow a good 4-5 months out of the year, would it be benefiticial to get the limitied slip differential for the 4wd?
Both my driveways have inclines (one being almost 60 degrees). Any suggestions?
I have had 3 different steering columns put in
so far. The problem is a loose rattley feeling
when going over certain bumps. The last one I
had installed was WORSE then the one they replaced.
Does anybody know if Chrysler is using a different
manufacturer for these columns??
As of a couple months ago I heard they were using
the same columns in the 99 year. I know of at
least 10-15 guys who have had the same problem.
I have a 99 Ford SuperDuty on order but if I can
get a column that is good I just may keep the
Ram....Because other than the column problem
I love truck...
Anybody know whats up??
Thanks
wolf2
http://www.borgeson.com/
thats where I got the numbers to use for my Ram order. Also Kelly Blue Book has a sight kbb.com
Good Luck !
You won't find anything on a 3500 V10 diesel because you have badly confused yourself there.
The V10 is a gasoline engine.
The diesel in a straight six.
Which were you really interested in?
Chassis cab prices are at www.carprices.com
You didn't mention if you wanted regular cab, extended cab, or crew cab. The Ford F350 DRW diesel tows 13,800 in a regular cab, 13,500 in an extended cab, and 13,200 in a crew cab. The F450 and F550 up the ante to as much as 18,300 lbs.
With the kind of distance you're planning on going (and the fact that this sounds like a single purpose vehicle), I'd probably go with the Ford F450. You'll get a stronger frame, beefier axles, larger wheels (19.5" rather than 16"), a solid axle in the front, much bigger brakes (14.5" front, 15.5" rear), etc. The F350 or the Dodge 3500 would handle the load, but without as much leeway.
I'd guess (pure guessing here) that the F450 would also maintain its value more than the F350 or Dodge 3500. People expect the heavier duty trucks to get that kind of use and mileage, whereas an F350 with close on 1/4 million miles wouldn't be as attractive to a future purchaser.
You could get the F450 chassis cab, and add on a towing bed, which makes hookups a bit easier than a standard gooseneck inside a truck bed.
If you haven't driven the new FSuperDuty line, I'd give it a look. Take a test drive in the F350 (same body) with the diesel engine... you'll be amazed at how little sound penatrates the engine compartment with the windows up. Its quieter on the inside than my old '89 F250 with the 460 gas engine is. For long trips (especially over 100,000 miles a year) that makes a big difference.
If you have any other questions -- just ask :-)
The thing is that I am just financing ...venture. So I am rather new to the pickups and towing.
But increasing my knowledge exponentially.
I am thinking about Dodge as I am getting 20% break on Dodge.
One more question:
Very rough idea about a difference in prices between Ford 350 and 450 chasis?
Again very rough idea of the worth of a pick up Diesel engine after 1/4 million miles... 30%, 40% 50% of original price?? Or how many miles can RAM3500 or F 350 run. Any estimate? I want to know little bit about actual depreciation of these cars...
A 2 year old Dodge, comprably equipped, has a blue book value of $12,470 in good condition. I don't have numbers for the new SDs yet -- they're too new -- but I'd guess that they'd be comprable. A '96 F-SD is still worth $12,795 -- it looks like the heavier duty vehicles are less affected than the F350s were by the new style coming out. Of course, you'd end up with less than this, but I'd be surprised if you got less than $10,000.
A prospective purchaser can easily get a rough idea of the cost to rebuild a gas engine, so they can factor that into their proposed purchase price for an older model gas engine truck. An unmaintained diesel engine could really start costing you some bucks after you break 100,000 miles. On the other hand, a well maintained diesel engine might not cost you anything other than routine maintenance costs for another 100,000 miles.
Alot of people are scared of diesels. It's going to be interesting when they start dropping them into the SUVs, like Ford and Chevy plan to do in the next couple of years.
Does the Mexican RAM 4000 have a higher GVW than the American RAM 3500? Or, is it the same truck, just rebadged?
Bob
http://www.chrysler.com.mx/99/chr4100-f.html
This is the 4000 - you can see the use of medium duty mirrors here too.
Reference all the posts-they have been really interesting and informative. This Dodge is my second. First one was a '95 1500 standard cab long bed with 318. Both have been really good to me. No major problems to report. Maybe I just haven't worked them as hard (hauling and pulling). If they don't stand up to good heavy use, that's a bad thing. I wish you all luck and satisfaction in getting the problems fixed as I do think the Dodge truck is overall a pretty darn good truck. And I hope Dodge taps into this web and "reads to learn" what they need to concentrate on for building future trucks. Thanks for your returned advice and I'll keep reading.
To get or not to get?:
sure grip axle/4.10 axle ratio/4-wheel ABS/aux rear suspension group/HD engine cooling/engine block heater/shift-on-the-fly transfer case/HD aux trans oil cooler
Please help! Thanks!
in order:
SureGrip - mandatory
4.10 - only if you tow or constantly have a full bed
4WABS - if you don't leave the pavement
aux susp - see 4.10
HD t-case- worth the $100 (all are SOF, this option is really the NV241HD over the NV241)
The engine block heater, HD engine cooling, and trans cooler are standard with the Cummins, so these are coming with the truck anyway.
My brother has the 2500 4x4 v8 and he has the aux springs and the 4.10 ls axle. While riding along on a trip to Maine towing an 18 ft Sea Ray the ride was nice and smooth. Around town the ride is quite brutal and very bouncy. For average towing and everyday use the aux springs are not neede in my opion. The truck is great even with the v8 could use some more pep. To address the cummins option, take a close look at the real reason you are spending the extra money. MPG are not that much different and the cost of operation only goes to the deisel after about the 100,00 0 mile mark. Good Luck with all your decisions.
I am looking for the invoice price from Mopar for
a 1999 Dodge Ram Slt 4wd along with the cost of
different options. Please respond
(no offense, ruz, but they may be in a hurry to buy)
Medium/Heavy lineup:
Right now they have Freightliner, Mercedes and Sterling offering much the same kinds of product. I wonder if they might consolidate the three brands under one name?
Dodge Ram:
This is due for a make over within two years or so. I hope that they offer the 1500 series with a slightly higher GVW - in the 6900-7000 range. Dodge has (rightfully so) abandoned the 2500 (7200 GVW) market, and I feel that has left too big a gap between the current 2500HD (8600 GVW) and the current 1500 (6400 GVW) models.
Dodge Dakota:
If the RAM 1500 moves up a bit as I suggested, that would allow the Dakota to do the same - perhaps fill the old 6400 GVW slot. More important, however, is that I would like the Dakota to offer 49"-50" between the rear wheel wells - to better compete with the upcoming Toyota Tundra.
Other possibilities:
There is talk of Mercedes & Dodge jointly developing a full-size pickup for overseas markets. It is rumored that it could be badged as either a Dodge, Mercedes or Freightliner.
If the Dakota becomes slightly larger, as I suggest, that would leave the possibility of Jeep reintroducing the Comanche pickup, off the next Cherokee platform - which would be smaller than the Dakota. From what I've read, the next Cherokee is supposed to share a lot with the next generation Wrangler. The Wrangler, Cherokee and Comanche would make for a very interesting family of vehicles.
Bob
What constitutes proper maintenance for a diesel?
Is the Cummins diesel available on the Ram 1500?
I am interested in a quad cab, shortbed, 4 door.
Thanks.