2019 Ram 1500

Massive grill, raised hood, fenders are supposed to mimic a semi-truck/original power wagon.

Can see the evolution of it. never cared for it...you can also see there is some of that influence on the 3rd Gen Tacoma, massive grill, hood is a little higher than before, bulging headlights into a more pronounced fender. Why I don't like the looks of the 3rd Gen...Dodge started this massive grill thing (again) wish it would die.











Where-as the earlier Dodges weren't.



Always thought late model Dodge owners probably be better off in one of those mini-semi trucks...

 

Those little trucks are adorable.

 

Is it just me or is everyone trying to look more like the Tundra? Which isn't a bad thing but aside from the Rebel the Ram lineup doesn't look very...Ram.

The 2nd gen Ram will always hold a special place in my heart. When I was a kid (circa 1998ish) my parents would take me on afternoon walks around our neighborhood and there was this Dodge dealership that we always past by on our route. I remember multiple occasions where i'd ask my parents if I could hang around on the lot and check out the Ram trucks on the way home. They looked so new and state-of-the-art at the time. They were all lined up in a row, brand-spanking new. You can image how impressive that kind of display is to a kid.

I now know the 2nd gen Rams had a mountain of reliability issues but that doesn't change how I feel about them. I still think they are one of the best looking full-size body styles ever put out. I love their athletic stance and the lean but muscular body. Most full-size trucks now look like bloated whales but these old Rams looked like heavy-weight boxers.

 

Some interesting stuff with the new Ram:

Tuned mass damper on the frame:


Rear diff cover with heat exchanger:


6-lug axles. Not sure if it'll have the same lug pattern as the prev-gen Dakota or as Toyota:

 

What's the mass dampener do? Stop body vibes and diff howls?

 

^It's to actively damp out vibrations from the V8 when it's in 4-cyl mode. As you know, 4-cyl engines often require balance shafts to damp out vibrations, as is the case with the 2TR-FE.

It's actually meant to heat up the diff oil to operating temp faster, resulting in better fuel economy. Most of the new features are to eck out another mpg. There's an active airdam that deploys below the fixed airdam at higher speeds:



The airdam actuator is mounted to the frame. Also note the double-shear UCA mounts.

 

Other interesting oddities, like composite UCAs:



The "eTorque" motor-generator unit on the V6 is reverse-mounted and liquid cooled. Changing the serpentine belt later will be... interesting:

 

With all this new tech I'm seriouly thinking about selling the taco

 

The risk with any Fiat Chrysler vehicle is ensuring all the new tech remains functional. For example, the air suspension, which has been produced since 2013, still freeze in the winter. Things we Toyota owners take for granted, like a fusebox that doesn't rot from the bottom, is a systemic problem on several FCA and GM models (imagine the electrical gremlins!).

 

That's very true but so far we have 4 Ram 2500 and 3500 and so far they are all doing pretty good

 

That giant iPad on the center console is going to look so outdated in 5 years. It's going to be embarrassing having people in the truck. Just saying, I hate things like that on cars. They look cool now but then you realize how dated they look later.

 

How long have you had them?

 

3 years it doesn't really scare me as my water pump on my taco failed at 5k so anything happens with all brands

 

We just talked about tuned mass dampers in one of my engineering classes today.

 

I like it. If I was in the market for a full size truck I'd be interested

 

What's it do?

 

I had 2010 3500, bought the truck at 40,000 miles and lost the turbo at 48,000. 6,000 grand worth of work at the dealership later, put it down the road for the taco

* I didn't pay the 6 grand, cost me a $100. One time an extended warranty paid off

 

^And that is the supposedly robust Cummins diesel, the powertrain that is reputed to outlast the rest of the truck?

 

Turbo timers ftw.