Dodge Ram

[nsmilligan]

I,m looking at replacing one of my plow trucks with a 3/4 Dodge Ram V10 Heavy Duty Pkg, Snowplow Pkg etc. It will carry a Fisher V. Anybody had good or bad experiences with Dodge? Anything I should pay particular attention to?

Bill

 

[Michael F]

Everyone I know who has run dodge has had major tranmission problems, even if they don't work the truck.

 

[GeoffD]

The trans problems are because the trans doesn't allow oil to go through the cooler while in park. However i belive dodge has fixed this problem.

Geoff

 

[DaveO]

Bill,

I have a '01 2500 QC SB 4X4. Love it!! Bought in March, already have 19K on it. It is loaded with everything except the heated leather. For some reason the heated seat is unavailable with the plow prep. Also no plow prep with Sport pkg, due to front air dam.

Truck is AWESOME. I bought the diesel, and will NEVER buy another full size pickup with a gas engine. The V10 has good power, is thirsty at the pump.

Dodge changed the brakes in '00. Fronts are dual piston calipers, rears are 1 ton drums. I believe the '01.5s are going to come with rear disc. My truck has the drums, and stops NOW.

The tranny's were also changed a little on the '01, or at least on the diesel. The pump pressure has been raised, and there is a thermostatic valve on the cooler. Previous models did NOT circulate fluid in Park, so when you thought you were cooling the tranny down, you were baking it!(thanx to THE LAWN GUY/JOHN D. for this info) Plow prep has an "overheat" light. Trans shifts firm/quick, hope it stays that way. I have been towing a 5Klbs trailer with ease.

Truck rides well, interior comfort is exceptional. Fit/finish has been very good. I was leery of buying the Ram after all the bad I had heard/read about them. The problem areas have been brakes/steering/auto trans on the older Rams. Dodge seems to have cleaned these up, althought I did adjust my steering box, it was loose from new. Took all of 5 minutes...BUT you should NOT have to do this on a new truck.

I almost purchased a new SD F350 Ford, but back to back test rides, and Ford's unwillingness to negotiate, made the Ram a better choice for ME.

I have not yet installed a plow, plan on using the Ford this season. The front axle rating on the Ram is 5200lbs, will carry Vplow easily.

My only complaints are the paint chips too easy, and my wife is always stealing the keys....LOL. She loves driving it!!!

Dave

[Edited by DaveO on 11-01-2000 at 08:33 PM]

 

[thelawnguy]

I own a 95 2500, bought new in sept 94, 8 foot Fisher, I plow commercially since winter of 94 with this truck. Soon after I bought it I got a letter from Dodge asking me to bring it back for a trans mod seems 94 and early 95 models needed some trans beefing if you wanted to plow snow but the V10 and diesel already had the heavier duty trans.

After six years and 60k miles I have not had any problems which have left me stranded, actually thinking back the truck has been quite dependable. The paint is peeling from the front fenders, underside is covered with rust but hey what do you want from a worked work truck?

I know of nobody with Dodges who had transmission problems, but it seems everybody has a "friend of a friend" with a Dodge with a bad transmission.

 

[slplow]

I have a 96 1/2 ton Dodge Ram with a 7.5 Boss Plow and the only problem I have had with this truck is the fuel pump let go at 60,000 miles. Otherthan that, no transmission problems, and I myself have never heard anyone else having problems with the transmission exept for the diesel. I would go with the 360 if you are going with the gas motor instead of the V10. A friend of mine has had to replace two oil pumps and it does only get to 8 to 10 miles per gallon. The 360 is a better and more reliable motor. Although, it doesn't have the torque. I would rather have the reliability and better gas mileage.

Hope this helps.

 

[philt]

I just traded my 95 ram 2500 (78,000 miles),5.9 liter engine, everything hd, with an 8' fisher for a 2000 ram 2500 with an 8' fisher. The 95 was purchased new. I never had a problem with the transmission or drive train. I did order the 4:10 rear end for the new one as plowing long hilly roads had to be done in low range to keep the rpm's up. I did have 5 fords before the dodges and still have a f-350 dump with 7.2 diesel 8.5 diamond plow. For a pick up I like the dodge better than ford but dump trucks are fords over dodge.

 

[John Allin]

Our last 5 brand new trucks have been 1 ton Dodge's and we had one tranny go. Tranny shop told us that someone plowed with the overdrive still on and cooked the tranny. Sounded plausible to me, and we have tried to educate our people about how to keep that from happening again.

Other than that, we like our Dodge's.

 

[Chuck Smith]

Not to keep bringing it up, but my brother is VERY hard on equipment. We all thought for sure he would blow the trans in his 95 Dodge Ram plowing with it. When he first got it, like Bill, he got a recall notice on the trans. He took it in to the dealer. He then plowed with it for 4 years, and put 100,000 miles + on it, before the trans went out. Not bad at all. When he had his truck at the dealer (for the recall), the lot was full of trucks with wasted transmissions. The mechanics there were all saying the same thing... guys are shifting from forward to reverse without coming to a full stop. That is what is blowing the transmissions. I imagine heat was not helping matters...

The guy at the trans shop I use told me the same thing, most plow trucks that come in needing transmissions are from the drivers shifting from fwd to reverse without coming to a full stop. He had a Dodge there that the transmission caught fire from overheating. The top of the bell housing was caked with grease, and the truck didn't have an aftermarket trans cooler on it. Oh, and it was a 79 Dodge, not a late model.

~Chuck

 

[npswi]

I traded in my 95 3/4 ton Ram for a 00 3/4 ton in May. I would not own anything but a Dodge. Never a Trans problem.. I always plow with overdrive OFF.

Whichever truck you buy thier will be some "quirks". It always seems to happen. This is why you get a warranty.

I was dissappointed that Dodge know longer offers a extanded warranty for commericial use.

Buy a Dodge and you will love it...

 

[mlc]

I have a '98 3/4 ton Dodge truck with a diamond plow. So far the transmission has been fine but the truck is still not that old. I was unaware of the fluid not circulating through the cooler in park. Has this design been changed or are all the post '94 era Dodges like this? thanks.

 

[nsmilligan]

Thanks for all the help. I did find out on another forum devoted to dodge rams that most transmission problems were with the 46re transmissions, and the 47re on the V10 has been pretty trouble free. I'll let you know.

Bill

 

[rats5656]

ihave 01 'dodge 2500 ram diesel extra cab long bed with a easy dump ( dumping ) in t he bed can i plow with this truck ?

 

[slplow]

RATS, The answer is yes if you have the plow prep pakage.

 

[diggerman]

But if you don't have the plow prep package you will need to trade the truck for a new one with the plow prep package.Oops see that it is a new truck you will now take a $5000 hit and get a truck that will work sooo much better than the one you got.On second thought save the $5000 buy a plow, mount it for $3800 and make money with it,then take a vacation on the money you saved and will continue to save.

[Edited by plowking35 on 11-03-2000 at 11:28 AM]

 

[GeoffD]

You will need to fly in a chopper to find me, my shop and house are deep in the woods. The big airplanes tend to fly to high.

Depending on the dealer you bought the truck from, you may void warrenty service to parts of your truck with out the plow prep package. Chances are you will probably be fine, its just a game of chance, to you are out of warrenty.

Geoff

 

[thelawnguy]

LOL on a Dodge diesel xtra cab the only extra with plow prep is the front springs, $200 in parts and 1 hour labor.

If it was a gas truck, however...

 

[iowastorm]

. . . we really need some snow.