# How's the Dodge Truck re-design holding up??



## johntwist (Feb 10, 2004)

I love my 2000 Ram and I also had a '99 1500 that was great. I upgraded to a 2500 for plowing and towing purposes.
Even though I'm planning on keeping my truck for at least 3 or 4 more years, I am curious as to what the new ones, the '02's and newer, are like. I don't know anybody who has the newer style, so I thought this would be the place to find out about them. So, if you own a new Dodge Ram and feel like talking about it, that's fine, but.......

More importantly I'd like to know how the new trucks compare to mine. Ideally I'm looking to hear from those of you who've owned the 94 to 01 Ram and now own an 02 or newer Ram and can give me a good comparison. I'm interested in all the details, interior layout/comfort, ride, handling, acceleration, reliability and of course, how they have performed as plow vehicles. Now please, if you're not a Dodge owner, please don't respond. I'm not starting this as a Dodge bashing thread, I'd like serious input from people that drive these trucks, not how they compare to other makes.

Thanks!


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## johntwist (Feb 10, 2004)

I'm bringing this thread back because at the time I posted it, I ended up not getting any answers.

I'd still like to hear some input, somebody out there must be a repeat Dodge customer. Thought I'd give it another try. My apologies to those of you who hate old threads being resurrected.


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## BIGREDDODGE (Nov 16, 2003)

I owned a 01 Ram 2500, and replaced it with an 03 2500. It's really nice that it has the full four doors, and a little more room in the cab. I haven't had any trouble with anything, I've got a 9'2" Boss poly vee, and the truck is a animal.


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## rtm038 (Jan 23, 2002)

I had a 2001 2500 Quad Cab CTD that I replaced in July 2003 with a 2004 3500 Quad Cab, CTD, short bed. I have an 8' X-Blade and it plows great! No major problems with the truck itself either.


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## dforbes (Jan 14, 2005)

*dodge truck*

I have a 1994 dodge 3500 flat bed, cummins deisel, 4wd. 5sp manual trany that I still use as my work truck. I also have a 2002 dodge 2500, Cummins deisel,4wd, automatic trany, ext. cab. Not a whole lot of differance as for as interior if compared when new. I think the 2002 is more comfortable but it is probably due to more leg room with ext. cab. Ride empty the 2002 definitly has my 94 beat but put 1500lbs on the back of the 94 it rides like a cadilac.
I feel both trucks have been reliable. I have put a new trany in the 94 and a new clutch twice, but it is very rare that this truck is not loades down with rock, topsoil, plants, mulch while pulling a trailer loaded with a bobcat and attachments or a backhoe or some kind of equiptment. Also gets a new set of brakes every year. To me this is maintenace. So for no problems with 02. Handling probablly the only thing I don't like about dodge. It seems the front end requires attention. I have rebuilt the front end of the 94 completly 2 times and extra parts here and there. yearly front end alignments a must. when everythings tight it handles great but I think things where out faster than the should even given how hard I work it. The 02 handles great hasn't had time to mess up yet I guess. Accelaration both the 94 and 02 have good acceleration I think the automatic in the 02 is the way to go. The 94 has been a great plow vehicle, I sometimes wonder how many hours of just plowing I have on it. Guess I could research in the computer and figer it out. Overall I have to say that the 94 is my favorite but its kind of like an old friend. I'll drive her till she dies. Can't tell you about 02 as a plowing vehicle, havn't tried it yet. Ask again next year and I'll tell you about my 06 dodge 2500, 4wd, deisel,club cab, 4door, automatic. Maybe then I can tell you about the 02 as a plowing vehicle.

Hope this helps
Dennis


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## johntwist (Feb 10, 2004)

Thanks Dennis, that's really helpful, just what I wanted to know.

Thanks!


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## justme- (Dec 28, 2004)

FWIW the 02+ Rams have done away with the track rod design that plagues the 94-01 models- front ends will not wear out as fast and no more Death Wobble. I don't know anyone personally with a newer Dodge, I am still lovin' my 96 and will also drive it till it dies (then probabily rebuild it  and drive it some more). I don't like the body style of the 02+, not so much as to say "hate" because I have gotten used to it but I won't own one. I have an inkling the 06 will be a major body change again and if they are doing what I think they are I'll buy one of them to replace my Chevy.


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## Bayrat (Oct 11, 2004)

You need to post your question on the Dodge truck forum. 


Dodgetalk.com


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## justme- (Dec 28, 2004)

Did you hear about the ball joint recall of all dodge rams 2000- current? 600K vehicles recalled.


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## crashz (Jan 12, 2004)

I thought this was only on the Dakotas and Durangos?


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## dodgerocks (Oct 17, 2004)

My previous truck was a '01 2500 Cummins Sport. No plow package on it just an SLT quad cab. I had a Western 7 1/2 ft Poly Pro on it and the only problem in 4 years was the track bar needed replacing but that was most likely due to me hitting a curb which I couldn't see in the snow while going for fuel. That truck was just awesome. Now I have and '04 3500 Cummins. This truck has the plow prep on it and I just love it. I also have a Western 7 1/2 ft Pro on this with Pro wings. and a salter. I can load the hell out of this truck and it is performing flawlessly. We have had a couple major snowstorms here with the last being 12+ inches and the truck moved snow like a champ. The electrical system seems to hanle the load a little better than the '01 with lights and everything on. I am a Dodge lover and will never switch to something else. :redbounce


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## justme- (Dec 28, 2004)

crashz said:


> I thought this was only on the Dakotas and Durangos?


There was a blurb in a magazine I read that said it applied to the Ram-


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## HD61CUIN (Dec 21, 2001)

It looks like for 06 Dodge returned to a coil front end for the 1500, what does that say about the 02-05's


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## SnowGuy73 (Apr 7, 2003)

I went from a 2001 to a 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 CTD...and I like it.


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## CARDOCTOR (Nov 29, 2002)

justme- said:


> FWIW the 02+ Rams have done away with the track rod design that plagues the 94-01 models- front ends will not wear out as fast and no more Death Wobble. I don't know anyone personally with a newer Dodge, I am still lovin' my 96 and will also drive it till it dies (then probabily rebuild it  and drive it some more). I don't like the body style of the 02+, not so much as to say "hate" because I have gotten used to it but I won't own one.
> 
> my 04 2500 still has the track bar design. matter of fact the undercarriage is the same except for rear disc brakes
> 
> john


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## bikeluver43 (Jan 3, 2005)

I can only comment on the gasser 1500's not the 2500's. As far as that goes, the 4.7 and HEMI are far better motors than the 318 and 360. The 360 still gets the nod for towing as it has tons of low end grunt, but as a daily driver/all around work truck the HEMI is much nicer. As for the 4.7 it is hands down a great "standard" V8 compared to the old 318. Those things were dogs with bad gas mileage, my 4.7 gets up and goes and if I keep it at 60-65mph on the highway I constantly get 20mpg or better. I have a quad cab short bed and the ride is a lot nicer than the old setup. A little more stiff, but "reacts" better in that it absorbs bumps better and doesn't do the caddy bounce. Also the brakes are 100% better and the steering is much lighter and more direct on the newer trucks. My old 97 Sport with the 5.9 was a great truck but like everyone else needed a good amount of work and I sold her with 97k miles. My 02 currently has 91k miles and hasn't had anything go wrong except for a computer flash,brakes and a new driveshaft that was covered under warranty. The guy who owned it before me did a lot of towing with a 5th wheel also, although I don't know why he'd choose the 4.7 for that.


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## LwnmwrMan22 (Jan 20, 2005)

Okay.... prepare for a longer post here, as I'm definately a Dodge guy, and have had new / newer trucks every 2-3 years since '94.

In '94, I was one of the first to buy the - then new body style. It was a 1500 4x4, reg. cab, shortbox, 318 gas.

I used that for mowing, no snowplowing. Rear end dropped at 70k miles, traded truck at about 75k miles.

I then had a '96 Dodge 1500 ext. cab, shortbox, 360 gas, 4x4. Again, no plowing, just using it for mowing and "clubbing". I was 24 at the time. I had it for 8 months, along with a motorcycle and both got me tickets, 4 in those 8 months, so I sold it for a beater truck because I could no longer afford the insurance.

I then bought a '95 Dodge 4x4 with 50k miles on it. It was a 1500, with the 360, reg. cab. We put an 8' Western plow on it and used it for 5 years. The tranny went out at 140k miles, and we sold the truck / plow in 2001 for $8,000. 

I then bought both a 2002 - the now "old" body style, since in 2002 the 2500's were still the old body style.

I also bought a 2001. The '01 was the 360 gas and the '02 was the older diesel, not the high output. Both were 2500's as I previously stated, both 4x4's and both extended cabs.

I put 8' Diamond plows on both and used the '02 for 3 years, and put approx 60k miles on it before I traded it in on a new '05.

The 2001 I traded in 2003 for an '03 and this year we've put an 8' straight blade boss on the '03, and an 8.2 V-plow on the '05.

The '03, this summer, we replaced 6 u-joints, basically every one in the truck, along with the front driveshaft.

The '05, a week after I owned it, with about 500 miles on it, the doors would no longer unlock, and it turned out that it was intertwined with the guages, and they had to replace the whole guage cluster.

As for engine noise, the '02 was the loudest. My '03 and '05 are also both diesels, and I'd never own anything else again.

The '03 and newer are considerably quieter than the previous diesels, and the '05 will GREATLY out perform even the '03. Both are it's generation of high output diesels, including the '05 being the then new "610" diesel.

As for mileage, in the summer time, every day, 7 days / week, from late April until October, I'm pulling a 24' aluminum enclosed trailer. I average about 12-13 mpg.

The 2003 pulling a 26' flatbed, averages about 15.

The 2003 has lighter rearends, I believe 355's. Without a trailer, it'll get 24 mpg if you're driving along at 60 mph.

We just went on a 1800 mile round trip from MN to western NY to pick up a mower, and pulling a 16' flatbed, we averaged 17 mpg going out, and pulling a 4000 lb mower home we averaged 13 mpg, doing 65-70 there and back.

As for plowing, I've used an '88 F-350 and a 2001 F-350. Both had their problems, one being a transmission / transfer case and the other didn't want to start if it was below 35 degrees.


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## justme- (Dec 28, 2004)

CARDOCTOR said:


> justme- said:
> 
> 
> > FWIW the 02+ Rams have done away with the track rod design that plagues the 94-01 models- front ends will not wear out as fast and no more Death Wobble. I don't know anyone personally with a newer Dodge, I am still lovin' my 96 and will also drive it till it dies (then probabily rebuild it  and drive it some more). I don't like the body style of the 02+, not so much as to say "hate" because I have gotten used to it but I won't own one.
> ...


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## Journier (Aug 23, 2005)

quite a few of the 3rd gens had Vibration issues.

Mine did, and many on the dodge diesel sites also had them. mine was fixed, but sometimes dodge refused to fix it, atliest thats what people complained about 

it was caused from the front driveshaft being unbalanced and causing a vibration between 65 and 70 mph.

past 70 you couldnt feel the vibe anymore.

Lift pumps on the diesels are still problems up until they issued a TSB in 05 to put the lift pump in the tank 

(Finally only took 6 years of failing lift pumps and injection pumps from low fuel pressure.)

My lift pump went out at 22,000 miles...  had it replaced with the in tank design and hopefully no more problems.

The 4 door design is nice though.

My only gripe with the interior on the 3rd gen dodges, is the seats, the seats have super cheap foam in them that I have had replaced 1 time now, and they are going to be replaced 2 times coming up.

24,000 miles, and my seat foam is all wearing out again. it feels like im sitting on a steel plate sometimes because the seat foam is so far gone...

Also, on the 3rd gens, the door seal has a tendency to be ripped up by the doors, leading to extremely loud leaks in the cab.

thats about all i know of the 3rd gens, my trucks a 04.5 diesel 4x4 auto.

the new auto trans is supposed to be "beefier" and so far it does seem so.


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## dieseltroop (Nov 13, 2004)

Journier,
I have a 2001 diesel. It's been awhile that I have noticed this vibrating too in my truck. Thought it was unbalanced tires. Thought it started happening about the time that I bought new tires. Brought it back to the place that I got the tires installed at, and a couple of them didn't balanced. Replaced them w/ new tires for free, but the truck still vibrates in the 35-40 mph range, and then about 63, 64'ish up to 70 mph. How did you finally figure out that it was the front drive shaft? Have you had any other vibrations since you had it fixed. What did it cost to get it fixed?


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## Journier (Aug 23, 2005)

Well heres what i know.
Some dealers couldnt figure out the problem and some guys did lemon law on there trucks for the vibe issue.

its not a recall or anything, its just if your complaining of a vibe between 65-70 on the highway.

bring it to the best dodge dealer around you for the work, hopefully a 5 star.

TSB's are meant to be free, to help with the defects that any vehicle gets.

The only reason I knew what it was, is because I visited www.dodgetruckresource.com ALOT before i bought my truck, and i heard of this vibe issue quite a bit. So as soon as i got on the highway, and felt the vibe i knew what to do.

I called the dealer up and told them exactly what it was. Had it fixed 2 days later. My front driveshaft was replaced.

Im still under warranty so i didnt pay anything, but if you want to take a stab at it, try bringing it to the dealer first and complain to them about the vibe issue. You should be fine if you just complain about an annoying vibe issue between those speeds.

HOpe I helped.

Also, I havent had any problems with vibration since.

go to www.dodgetruckresource.com for help with the problem its free, and make a post in the forum.


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## kgb (Jul 24, 2004)

NO DDDDeath Wobbbble on '05 Cummins (yet?), just got it 2 month ago. Had 96 12v. Missing loud noize sometimes from the old one, so as MPG, use to get over 22hwy and 18 city. But MPG shold improve later.
BTW NO MORE 7/70 warranty on 06! Also, to change headlight bulb is the biggest pain [email protected]#$, I don't know about gassers, but I probably killed 12 pack (when I was installing my plow) when I had to get them out and connect the harness through. (Tip: Passenger side: may get through air filter housing or remove well liner; Driver side- remove well liner. There's a plastic locking clip that holding light housing, must be unplugged from behind, dont try to take 3 bolt's out and pull- won't work!:realmad: ) 
Maybe someone has better way of doing it?
If you in colder climate and getting diesel, get it with heater block cord. Cost only 9bucks when buying new truck but will cost 40+ to get it later?! 
So far nice truck!
Happy holidays!!!
Let it snow!!!!!!!!!


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## rjm022 (Dec 3, 2005)

i own a 2004 dodge ram diesel 4x4 with 40,000 miles and my dad has a 2003 dodge ram diesel with 83,000 miles. neither truck has a squeak or a rattle. both trucks have been to the dealer once!! for a tsb on the door weatherstripping.


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## dieseltroop (Nov 13, 2004)

Well thanks for the information Journier. I'll have to run by a Dodge dealer some time when I get a chance now.


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