# 03 Ram 3500



## MarkEagleUSA (Nov 27, 2005)

I'll be picking up an 03 Ram 3500 SLT Quad Cab with a 5.9 Cummins this week. Coming out of a 97 Chevy K2500, I'm wondering if there are any "secrets" to plowing with the Ram? In the Chevy the trick was to go Rev to 1st (or 1st to Rev) in one smooth motion. Is there a similar trick for the Ram? Any other hints or things to watch out for?


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## seville009 (Sep 9, 2002)

"Rev" to "d" to go forward; reverse the sequence to go back.....

(sorry....couldn't resist)


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## MarkEagleUSA (Nov 27, 2005)

seville009 said:


> "Rev" to "d" to go forward; reverse the sequence to go back.....
> 
> (sorry....couldn't resist)


 I got that part nailed down... 

I'm just trying to learn all the advantages and pitfalls the Ram may have.


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

Don't shift while you are moving, that is one thing that can damage the transmission. Was it already a plow truck?


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## MarkEagleUSA (Nov 27, 2005)

Randall Ave said:


> Was it already a plow truck?


Unknown for sure, but there are holes in the front of the frame that make me think it had a plow on it.


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

MarkEagleUSA said:


> Unknown for sure, but there are holes in the front of the frame that make me think it had a plow on it.


You would see some outline of the plow frame. How many miles, and that's s common rail?


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## MarkEagleUSA (Nov 27, 2005)

Randall Ave said:


> You would see some outline of the plow frame. How many miles, and that's s common rail?


I honestly couldn't tell if there was a mount there or not. It has 143,200 miles and is a common rail.


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## seville009 (Sep 9, 2002)

I don't think you'll have any specific Ram issues. As with any truck, after you use it a bit, you'll have a better feel for it and how you have to run it in the different conditions.


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## scottr (Oct 10, 2013)

You may have to increase the front coils depending on the plow you install, they sit noise down a little in stock form. Add lots of ballast, my buddy uses 12-1,400 lbs in the rear of his, with a Blizzard 810 up front. I run about the same in my Bronco. Good slow dozer effect with plowing deep snow.
The fuse panels under the hood are known to have issues with corrosion, I had to pull mine and solder some bypasses on the printed circuit board where it was bad. Some searching will show you more about it, ( Im off topic ).


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## MarkEagleUSA (Nov 27, 2005)

scottr said:


> You may have to increase the front coils depending on the plow you install, they sit noise down a little in stock form.


For now I'm going to use my 7-1/2' Western unless I run into a deal before next winter.



> Add lots of ballast, my buddy uses 12-1,400 lbs in the rear of his, with a Blizzard 810 up front. I run about the same in my Bronco. Good slow dozer effect with plowing deep snow.


I was running about 500 lbs in my Chevy and will be using at least that much in the Ram. Adding more is easy enough if needed.



> The fuse panels under the hood are known to have issues with corrosion, I had to pull mine and solder some bypasses on the printed circuit board where it was bad. Some searching will show you more about it, ( Im off topic ).


Haven't actually come across that yet. Still reading everything I can find though.


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## ktfbgb (Jan 31, 2016)

X2 on the front coils. I did them on my 14. Higher rated spring that also provided the front level. I couldn't be happier. The truck looks better, handles better, and if anything the ride improved with the heavy front coils, it certainly didn't degrade the ride. You could even go front airbags. Oomkes runs them on his Ram and really likes them if I remember right. Is it SRW, or DRW? If you have the dually you're gonna hate a 7.5 blade.


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## MarkEagleUSA (Nov 27, 2005)

ktfbgb said:


> Is it SRW, or DRW? If you have the dually you're gonna hate a 7.5 blade.


SRW.


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## ktfbgb (Jan 31, 2016)

I gotta say for being a 15 year old truck, it looks like it was taken care of. Looks sharpThumbs Up


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## hbrady (Oct 28, 2003)

Good looking rig!


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## MarkEagleUSA (Nov 27, 2005)

ktfbgb said:


> I gotta say for being a 15 year old truck, it looks like it was taken care of. Looks sharpThumbs Up


Thanks. She is clean. Lots of minor scratches in the paint but overall very good. Chasing a few gremlins but otherwise mechanically sound as well.


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## Precedence (Oct 3, 2008)

Watch for death wobble and the pitman shaft on the power steering box might start to leak after you've had the plow on for a while.


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

Precedence said:


> Watch for death wobble and the pitman shaft on the power steering box might start to leak after you've had the plow on for a while.


On a customer's 03 2500. I put on a lower support for the steering box to stop that wear. And a heavier aftermarket trac bar


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## MarkEagleUSA (Nov 27, 2005)

Precedence said:


> Watch for death wobble


Can you explain this further? What are the symptoms?



> the pitman shaft on the power steering box might start to leak after you've had the plow on for a while.


Is the pitman arm seal a serviceable part?



Randall Ave said:


> On a customer's 03 2500. I put on a lower support for the steering box to stop that wear. And a heavier aftermarket trac bar


Is that support bracket something you can buy over the counter or is it custom made?

Any recommendations on an aftermarket trac bar?


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

MarkEagleUSA said:


> Can you explain this further? What are the symptoms?
> 
> Is the pitman arm seal a serviceable part?
> 
> ...


Don't no where he got it, and he's on his way to California. It bolts onto both frame rails where the sway bars bolt up. The pitman arm nut on the steering gear is replaced with a special shoulder nut. The bearing fits over that giving it much more support. Just Goggle it.


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## ktfbgb (Jan 31, 2016)

Genos garage sells the steering box stabilizers to fix the death wobble.


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

ktfbgb said:


> Genos garage sells the steering box stabilizers to fix the death wobble.


This will not kill the death wobble. This tightens up the steering box. The death wobble is caused by the track bar.


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## ktfbgb (Jan 31, 2016)

Randall Ave said:


> This will not kill the death wobble. This tightens up the steering box. The death wobble is caused by the track bar.


Oh ya. You are correct. I forgot most the guys do the track bar and the steering box stabilizer at the same time. Good catch. Thumbs Up


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## Precedence (Oct 3, 2008)

We had a death wobble show up on our 03 2500 dodge from a combination of bad ball joints and hub on one side.


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)




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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

I had it happen on my 01 Ford. The track bar bracket rotted clean off the axle.


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## ktfbgb (Jan 31, 2016)

1olddogtwo said:


>


Is that on your new truck!?


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

ktfbgb said:


> Is that on your new truck!?


 Yea in 2010, that was my 2011.

Drove back from Binghamton New York to Chicago like that. The Trac bar wasn't tight enough on factory suspension.


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## ktfbgb (Jan 31, 2016)

1olddogtwo said:


> Yea in 2010, that was my 2011.
> 
> Drove back from Binghamton New York to Chicago like that. The Trac bar wasn't tight enough on factory suspension.


Wow. Gotta love it when they come messed up from the factory.


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## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

Holy crap Pat!!! What a ride that must have been!

never had anything like that ever happen on one of my GM's...


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## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

Precedence said:


> Watch for death wobble


I am glad that this got brought up... This was a quite common one!


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