Dodge Ram

mharde2 · February 1999

rockfive0, Actually the Cummins should get a little better mileage than the Ford...On average most are getting 16-18 around town and 20-24 on the highway with the Cummins.

stanford · February 1999

From what I can tell from talking to real people, the Cummins and the Powerstroke are getting about the same mileage when driven the same. The Cummins seems to have a bit of an edge when driven carefully and unloaded, the Powerstroke seems a little better when loaded down or in the city. For the most part though, your driving style will make more of a difference than the engine you pick.

ladyblue · February 1999

It's HERE!!! My truck is being prepped at this moment and I'm picking it up after work today!! I've already made an appointment for tomorrow morning to have the cap, bedliner, steps, window guards and bug shield put on!! Oh happy day!!

Sorry, just a little excited...

KCRam · February 1999

Congrats, ladyblue!!!

goldrush · February 1999

LadyBlue,

Congratulations!

dave40 · February 1999

Thats nice !
Ladyblue

nuwo · February 1999

Ditto ladyblue!! Dave40, you're not all bad!!

sd99 · February 1999

Congradulations Ladyblue. Let us know how you like it.

wilbro · February 1999

Great news - finally.

I'm sure you'll enjoy it as I do mine - but even more so because I won't finish with topper for another week (after finally getting boards and guards)

ENJOY!

ladyblue · February 1999

Everyone:

Thanks for your congrats and patience during my wait. I picked up my Ram 1500 tonight and it's BEAUTIFUL!! It had a whopping 3 miles on the odometer and I added about another 40 by evening's end. Unfortunately, it was dark out by the time I drove it away from the dealer, so I have to wait 'til morning to stare at it in daylight. The Intense Blue is stunning! I can't wait to see it with the cap and chrome steps on it.

This truck has a very different feel from my F150. Tighter steering and a softer gas pedal, and plenty of power under the hood. A very nice ride so far.

I love all the gadgets! I feel like a little kid who's gotten the coolest Christmas present and can't wait to play with every button and knob.

kcram:
I took it on the Parkway and 280W, so I could try it out on the "big hill," that long incline that's been known to slow down even the best engines. The trans shifted smoothly and I took that hill doing 70 without any hesitation. :-)

Very sweet truck! Stay tuned for more rantings from one very happy Ram owner!

dodgeram · February 1999

Anyone having problems with the goodyear wrangler RT/S on there rams. At 6000km i had to get all four replaced, because they started to crack along the sidewall.It was done under warranty, thank god, beccause it's $223.00 cdn, each tire. Now Im at 15000km, (And yes it is a 94'), and at hiway speeds the truck shakes like crazy. It's been along time since it last was on the hiway, and it turns it it was the tires. The steel belts had shifted over. At first goodyear wanted 60 a tire, as for tire were, but we told him we wern't going to pay a dime, the manager called the main headquaters, and they finally agreed to put the new tires on for free. It is nice having free new tires put on every couple of years, but shouldn't good year give us a diffrent type of light truck tire. There losing a lot of money, oh well!

P.S all shaking is gone truck works like a dream.

KCRam · February 1999

ladyblue,

I LOVE that hill on 280W through West Orange. I once took a loaded F150 up that hill in the left lane at 70mph (in third, not OD); my dad's 1988 Thunderbird Turbo once climbed it at about 98.

Since my Ram is a dually (and a federal Class 3), I'm doomed to obey the "No Trucks In Left Lane" signs, but I have taken my Ram up that hill well above the 55mph limit

Actually, it was cresting a hill on route 208 in the mountains here in Bergen County that I hit my Ram's top end (it was at midnight, little traffic to worry about) - got the thing up to 94, and it felt like there was still some pedal left, but I chickened out... something about getting 7000 pounds of truck to a stop in case an animal went for a stroll.

I'll keep an eye out for an Intense Blue capped 1500 - if you see a black Ram dually blowing the horn and waving, that would be me!

KCRam · February 1999

dodgeram,

the factory Goodyear tires on Rams are awful. Mine were shot in less than a year. You will have much better success with BFGoodrich, Michelin, Cooper, and Bridgestone/Firestone. I have Coopers on now, and they have been fabulous. In the same time frame that my Goodyears were in bad shape, the Coops are wearing evenly, and have plenty of tread all the way across.

To replace the Wrangler RT/S, I would recommend the Michelin LTX M/S or Cooper Discoverer AST. To replace the Wrangler AT, the BFG All-Terrain TA, Michelin LTX A/T, and Cooper Discoverer LT (what I have) are infinitely better, and feel like they were what the truck should have had in the first place. For heavy duty use, the Firestone Steeltex series and Bridgestone M773 work very well.

ladyblue · February 1999

kcram:

Great story! I know 208 - it's got some great hills! My next test will be RT23 up in Sussex County, that last killer hill just before you get to High Point State Park. What a pair we are - black and blue with lots of punch!

On the tire issue, I almost went for the upgraded tire option when I ordered. The tires on my F150 were so whimpy that I was afraid to go with the standard tires on the Dodge. Now I'm glad I didn't waste my money. I'll give these some time to see how they are and probably upgrade in about a year. I need something that will grip the road a little better when the bed is empty, which is most of the time. It's embarrassing spinning out at stop signs and traffic lights, not to mention dangerous when you've timed a turn and you lose precious seconds playing "Dukes of Hazard" while the left turn signal changes to red.

ladyblue · February 1999

Just a little plug for the dealer who got my Ram for me. If you're in NJ and looking for a straight deal, Linden Dodge in Linden has the best team I've ever encountered. Jay, my salesman, and Mike, the AGM, are terrific guys who have been honest, helpful and supportive all the way.

The morning after I took delivery, I had just come home from having my cap, bedliner, chrome nerf bars and other toys added, when the phone rang. It was Mike, telling me they'd found a mistake in my lease contract and could I come over right away to sign a new one. Turns out they'd put the wrong charge for excess mileage, which would cost me at lease-end if it had slipped through. I would never have known the difference and they could have just let it go, but that's not how they do business. Pretty cool, huh?

These guys are great, and I recommend them highly.

cdean · February 1999

hey guys

What kinda mileage are ya'll getting out of your Cooper Tires? are they lasting over 50K, or what kind of life do you expect to get out of them?

ron35 · February 1999

I was on the Dodge Ram DiRT mailing list but dropped off about 7 months ago. This past weekend I tried to rejoin, but all I got was an error message saying my request could not be delivered. Can anybody out there fill me in on what is going on and if there is a new mailing list, how do I get on it.

dodgeram · February 1999

Thanks for the advice Kcram, I think I will go with the michelins. On my vans two caravans, I have the michelins, and they have been flawless, tread wear is even and they look good to.

Another question, Right now I have the 245/75R 16 goddyears on. Can I put the 265/75R 16 on this truck. What affects do you think it have on the truck, e.g gas milage, performance etc. I feel that the 245's are to narrow for this truck, plus when plowing, I could use the extra traction. We don't use the truck much for regular city driving
only 15000km and it's a 94.

KCRam · February 1999

ladyblue,

I have no real problems climbing 23 to High Point, but I'll say this: I come down that hill toward Port Jervis in second gear. Skyline Drive through Oakland and Ringwood is another great hill. As for the wheelspin, you haven't lived until you've chirped all 4 rear tires on a dually.

cdean,

based on my treadwear, I can get 30-35K on the front, and about 50-60K miles out back (I don't rotate). The other thing I truly love about them is they required almost NO weights to balance. By comparison, the factory Badyears had weights on both sides of the wheel.

ron,

Been a member of DiRT and its predecessor RTML since May of 97. The server had hiccupped this weekend, so you might want to try resubscribing today or Monday. For those interested in subscribing (warning, you will get 30-50 posts in your e-mail on an average day unless you go for the digest version), click here for subscription info.

dodgeram,

The 265s will fit - they are a factory option, and you will need to change your speedometer gear. I would caution you about using them to plow. Narrow tires do much better in snow than wide ones, because the weight is concentrated in a smaller contact patch, and sinks through to the road easier. Wider tires tend to float on snow because of the wider contact area. You probably notice mud tires tend to be very tall and comparatively narrow for this same reason.

ladyblue · February 1999

Okay, you may have to shield your eyes from all this beauty! Here are some pics of my new truck. <<A HREF="http://members.aol.com/ldembo6220/romance/index.htm">http://members.aol.com/ldembo6220/romance/index.htm>

dodgeram · February 1999

That's one nice looking truck ladyblue. Especially how well the truck cap fits, and matches the truck overall look, good job. Im to getting a new quadcab ram (intense blue), but with the cummins, and all the bells and whistles.

goldrush · February 1999

Very pretty truck, LadyBlue! I ordered the Light Driftwood. Hope it looks as good when it gets here.

ladyblue · February 1999

Thanks dodgeram and goldrush!

I've gotten so many compliments aready. I just have a few more modifications to make to the truck bed and I'll be all set for the camping season. Watch out guys - Ladyblue is comin' through! :-)

Dmat · February 1999

Awesome looking truck, I could use you to match my wardrobe. Love the color.

I hope that you get many years of enjoyment from it.

Matt D
http://members.xoom.com/99overNvoice/Index.htm

ladyblue · February 1999

I've noticed one slight problem with the new truck - there's some creaking noises coming from where the rear and front doors meet. This only happens if I hit a hard bump or turn into a driveway on a slant. It's not truly "bothersome," but it is noticable. Anyone else with a quad cab hearing these noises? Should I complain or learn to live with it?

KCRam · February 1999

ladyblue,

Sounds like bodyflex, especially the turn into an angled driveway. If the four tires aren't on the same plane, the body will suffer some torquing - the previous generatiopn Fords (1980-97) were notorious for this. As long as you don't really leap into a driveway or take an obvious NYC-sized pothole at 70mph, you should be ok.

606zp · February 1999

ladyblue,
I've seen that complaint posted somewhere before recently. I think they solved it by spraying a silicone lubricant on the rubber door seals.

dodgeram · February 1999

Actully ladyblue, my 97 caravan has the exact same problem. It was tough to find at first where the creaking came from but I opened all the doors except for the front door that I thought the creaking was coming from. And sure enough thats where it was. So I carefully examined the door, and I noticed a part of the door where the paint looked acratced or marked. So I put grease on it, and where it contacts on the vans body. And it worked. No more creaking. 1 year later, it came back, no problem, this time a small peice of foam tape, painted it red, and creaking is gone for good. Any way, your ram probably has the same problem, look for it on the inner edge of the door, you should be able to find a spot where there is metal to metal contact, if not grease the edge form top to bottom, if the creakin stops, you know where it is coming from. Ethier you take it to the dealer to fix , it or do what I did foam tape ,it works good. Make sure you get it flat as possible. It isn't the rubber sound proofing, trust me it's not, it's where the metal gets close or is already touching, the body, and when you hit bumps, or turning in your driveway, the door moves ever so little, causing it to creak. Hope this solves your problem, because I can't stand creaking, or any type of rattles, I do whatever it takes to get every squeak out.

ladyblue · February 1999

kcram, 606zp and dodgeram:

Thanks for the advice. I'm hoping dodgeram is wrong and it's not metal to metal contact. From what I can tell, it sounds like the rubber where the doors meet. Since the truck is so new, I'm a little unsure about trying to correct it myself. I may just mention it to the dealer when I go to pick up my plates, and let them decide what to do.

dodgeram · February 1999

Ladyblue, didn't mean to scare you oabout that metal to metal. It's just a ever so faint mark, that may appear in the paint. The dealer will adjust the door, and the creaking should stop, or at least be not as noticable. Because in cold weather, my 97 van doors would creak, but when warm the creaking stopped. That means there is shrinkage somewhere, which causes the doors to creak. So the dealer adjusted the doors, and the creaking for the most part is gone. Only in extreme cold tempretures does it start again.

sd99 · February 1999

Ladyblue

I believe you should have the truck looked at by your dealer. Under normal driving conditions, there should not be any metal to metal contact or strange creaking noises from the body flexing. Besides, this will give your dealer a chance to show what he or she is made of. How the service department treats your concerns will have a lasting effect on how happy you are with your purchase. I'm sure it's a minor problem, and your dealer will have you back on the road with no noise in no time.

earsonly · February 1999

Congrats on your great looking Ram, LadyBlue. I hope someone can find an answer to this question. It seems that the 99 2500 Q-cab 5.9L Cummins Diesel 5 speed, 356 gears should get better than the automatic, everything being the same. A man told me that the automatic is more of a miser. Anyone know? Thanks and happy trucking, Earsonly

KCRam · February 1999

ears,

Surprisingly, this is true for one reason and one reason only - the automatic has a taller overdrive gear than the manual, so as you said, all other things being equal, the automatic truck will be turning at slightly fewer rpms than the stick in overdrive. The 5 speed's overdrive ratio is 0.75:1, the automatic is 0.69:1.

tjsa · February 1999

Hello everyone. I'm new to this group, having found it just a few days ago. I'm impressed by the amount of useful information and good will that is exchanged here. I hope some of you can offer me your opinions on the following.

I am going to buy my first truck in about a month. Of the Big Three, I like the Dodge Ram the best. I am considering either a 1500 SWB QC 4X4 5.9L or a 2500 SWB QC 4X4 5.9L (or maybe 8.0L V10)

After pricing them out (similarly equipped) here at Edmund's, I was surprised to find that the 2500 was less than $300 more. And the V10 (only available on the 2500) was only a $400 option.

Here then are my questions:
1) Does the 2500 QC SWB 4X4 ride significantly harsher than the 1500 QC SWB 4X4?

2) Why does the 2500 seem to come only with 6.5 inch wide wheels while the 1500 comes with 7 inch wide wheels?

3) What is the difference in real world gas mileage figures for the 2500 with 5.9L vs. the 8.0L?

4) How come you can get a 34 gal. fuel tank on the 2500 SWB QC but not on the 1500 QC SWB?

Thanks in advance for any help.

cotleur · February 1999

Hi tjsa,
I'm considering the same thing you are and have the same questions that you do, plus I am also considering the Ford SD as well, so if you or anyone else out there can help it would be great.

p.s. I'm new to this site also, thank you Dan.

tjsa · February 1999

A correction to my earlier post...

The price difference between similarly equipped
1500 SWB QC 4X4 and 2500 SWB QC 4X4 is a little over $1000 (not the less than $300 I had stated.)

I had mistakenly compared a 1500 SWB QC 4X4 to a 2500 SWB CLUB CAB 4X4.

Sorry for any confusion.

earsonly · February 1999

TJSA, I would stay away from the V-10, unless you own a gas station. If you can stand a little noise, the Cummins Diesel is the only way to go. Happiness always. Earsonly.

dodgeram · February 1999

TJSA, I agree with earsonly, that the cummins would be a better choice. The interior noise level is quite quiet, and actully less road, noise, because they have to heavyly insulate the truck, to keep the dieel engine quiet on the inside. If your looking for performance, and not to worried about gas, go for the 5.9l, I got it right know in a 3/4, and it plently fast, and tows great. The ride, is a bit bumpy, but hey it's a 3/4 ton truck. But corneres, like a sports car, but the wheels need to be wider, to hold on to pavement at high speeds. The engine is quiet, and has a great bass'y, exaust note under acceleration, the best I heard between the big three.

tjsa · March 1999

Thanks to earsonly and dodgeram for the responses.

I don't really have a definite need for the capabilities of the Cummins or the V10. I was comparing the price of the 1500 vs. 2500 and kind of got caught up in the mind set that "Hey if I get the 2500, why not get the V10 and be a REAL man!"

In truth, I think for power, gas mileage and ride quality, I'm probably better off with the 1500/5.9L combination.

I just don't want to someday regret getting the lighter duty truck when for $1000 to $1500 more I could have had a heavy duty one.

For what it's worth, I currently have nothing to tow (maybe someday a I'll have a ski boat), and I don't want the long bed (so there's no camper in my future.) In other words, I have no good reason for wanting the 2500 other just "MORE POWER!! OOH OOH! (imagine Tim Allen...)

Thanks again and keep those responses coming.

cabover · March 1999

I have a question to pose to all of the knowledgeable people in this topic section.

I am interested in buying a Dodge truck to commute to and from work every day, about 50 miles roundtrip mostly highway. I will also pull a 3000 pound boat about 20 times a year. In addition to the boat I will put a 3300 pound (fully loaded) cabover camper on the truck about 5 to 10 times a year and will pull it up into the mountains.

The question I have is will a 2500 be enough to handle the 3300 pound payload? I see 3/4 ton trucks with campers on them all of the time, but in the limited research that I have done the Dodge 2500 would be at or above it's payload limit. Is there after market products that these people are installing on their 3/4 ton trucks to increase their payload?

Also, will a 5.9 liter be able to pull the camper and the boat up a 7% grade or would I be at a crawl? The V10 is not an option due to the daily commute which leaves me with the Cummins.

cabover · March 1999

Oh, I forgot to mention that the truck I would be buying would be a 1996 to 1998 club cab I haven't decided yet on two wheel or four wheel drive yet.

KCRam · March 1999

cabover,

Definitely sounds like a Ram 3500 Cummins for you. I'd also recommend the 4 wheel drive if you're using a boat ramp to launch and retrieve. On a highway commute, you'll easily see high teens (depending on your right foot). Sans camper, you could easily get mid 20s. With the boat and camper in place, you will still be well above what a gasoline engine could do, and the torque will easily take you up that grade.

As long as the truck you are looking at had the towing and/or camper package, you shouldn't need extra suspension gear. You are correct that the camper will come close to maxing the payload, and will be furthere reduced because you will have passengers and gear.

Coincidentally, I have a 3500 Club 4x4 Cummins. With me and some junk, it weighs about 6800-6900 pounds. The GVWR is 11,000, so that leaves me an honest 4000 pounds of payload, and even with the 3.54 axles, I still have a tow rating of 5000 pounds - plenty ofr your boat (GCWR is 16,000).

dodgeram · March 1999

Cabover,

The 3/4 will be able to handle the payload, and the 5.9l engine will easilly climb the hills. Just recently I loaded my 2500 ram 4x4 will 3200lbs, of salt in the bed. I have to say that my truck is equipped with timbrens ( a rubber suspesnion that goes between the frame and the axle). They cost about 200 a peice cdn. Im not sure if there available in the states or not. But they work really good. You can load an extra 2-3000lbs in the truck if you really wanted to, plus they keep the truck level when loaded down. Without the timbrens the truck will still be able to handle the weight, but it might slouch down a bit more. When I loaded the salt in my truck, I had a hr's drive home, and many hills on the way. The engine barley noticed the weight in the back. The 5.9L has most of it's usable torque at low rpm's, so when loaded down the engine doesn't really rev all that high to move. The cummins would be a good choice ( My next truck this summer), it will give you better gas milage, a bit more noiser, and expensive, but if you don't mind forking out the extra for the diesel its well worth the money. Plus they soon will have the allision 6spd auto transmission in the diesel making it even more of a better buy.

cabover · March 1999

Thanks for your response. I just got a copy of the payload/GVWR/Trailer Towing info for the 1999 Dodge Rams. It looks like a two wheel drive 2500 with the cummins can only have 2780 pounds of payload and the four wheel model will only carry 2400 pounds. I don't really want the one ton because of the duallies so the four wheel drive 2500 club cab with a cummins is my preferred truck. But I still have to haul that camper. What if I put the after market timbrens or a similar product on it? Do you think I would have any trouble with overloading the 2500?

KCRam · March 1999

cabover,

The weak link on the 2500 is the tires. You would have to get larger tires to support more weight - on a Cummins-equipped truck, the axle itself is the same as on the 3500. Since your camper will be a constant load, I'd suggest a stronger spring pack - the 3500 rear springs might be a reasonable swap.

cdean · March 1999

go for the Cummins, Cabover. With the kinda weight you'll be pulling around all the time, it will be worth the extra money you shell out at first.

ladyblue · March 1999

cabover:

I have to agree with kcram and cdean. You would be better off with a little more truck than you need, as opposed to less. Although dodgeram was able to load his truck to the max and it still performed well, as someone else pointed out earlier, that kind of overwork will eventually lead to your truck losing years off it's life. Personally, I'd rather have the peace of mind knowing that my truck was equal to the task, than sweating it out wondering if I was overloaded.

daveorozco · March 1999

Anyone know anything about the introduction of a 6-speed manual transmission for the Ram Cummins, beginning in March? A factory rep at the car show said that it was planned, and I wonder if anyone has any info about it. I pull a 9,000 5th wheel now with a V-10 Ram, and want a bit more economy for the future. Power is not a problem, but with the automatic trans, it shifts way too much when the torque would easily pull the load.

daveorozco · March 1999

cabover:
The Cummins is probably the better engine for your situation. I have a V-10 A/T in a 2500 HD 2wd now, and it will definitely pull a 9,000 5th wheel at 70 plus on the highway, but gets only 13 mpg unloaded ... 8-9 loaded.

I have also blistered 2 rear tires pulling at speed (OEM tires) running 50 psi. I desire to trade up to a '99 cummins (six-speed when available) dual wheel 3500. The engine will pull at low rpm (right on the torque curve) but the trans insists on shifting down at the slightest rise in the road. If I stay out of overdrive, the gas mileage goes down sharply.

I hope that the 6-speed will solve my problem and allow the engine to use its vast torque instead of fuel-consuming rpm.

cabover · March 1999

Thanks for all of the helpful input!! Since going 20 mph up a hill while pulling my boat and camper does not fit my "type A personality" I'm definitely going with a Cummins.

Since the 4x2 2500 Club with the Cummins can carry 2780 Lbs I'll need to strengthen my tires and suspension by about 600 Lbs. Can this be done? If I want to go with a 4x4 I would have to strengthen the tires and suspension by about 1000 Lbs. Is this possible?

Ideally I would like to have the 4x4 but don't know if 1000 Lbs increase is possible. Also, what type of device would I be able to turn on/off or adjust when unloaded to soften the ride back down to normal?

Thanks for your help.

Dodge Ram

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