2011 Ram Heavy Duty Overview

The 2011 Ram Heavy Duty trucks now have the Cummins 6.7 liter diesel engine available as an option. The 2500 series trucks come standard with a 5.7 liter V8 Hemi gasoline engine. They are available in three different body styles that include the Regular Cab, the Crew Cab and the Mega Cab. When the Cummins engine is selected, the truck comes standard with the G56 manual six-speed transmission with overdrive. The 545RFE automatic five-speed transmission is standard on the 2500 series, incorporating the Hemi engine.

Electrical System Specifications

All variants within the 2500 and 3500
series trucks will accept the optional 160-amp alternator. A 180-amp
alternator is included when the optional Snow Plow Prep Package is
selected. Gasoline engine versions come with a maintenance-free, 600 CCA
(cold cranking amperage) battery, while the Cummins diesel versions,
incorporating either the Heavy Duty Snow Plow or Trailer-tow packages,
will come standard with a maintenance-free 750 CCA battery.

Engine Variations 

Standard on the 3500 series of trucks is the Cummins
diesel engine. This is Cummins’ most powerful and clean-burning engine
ever produced. It is a 6.7 liter, inline six-cylinder engine with
over-head valves and solid lifters. It is constructed of cast-iron, and
can produce 350 horsepower at 3,000 RPMs, and 650 ft-lbs. of torque at
1,500 RPMs. An advanced catalyst NOx design allows this engine to
operate without the need for urea (diesel exhaust fluid). The 5.7-liter
Hemi engine burns gasoline, and is capable of producing 383 horsepower
at 5,600 RPMs and a torque output of 400 ft-lbs. at 4,000 RPMs. Block
construction is cast-iron, and the heads are aluminum alloy. It
incorporates eight cylinders with push-rod operated over-head valves.

Cab Dimensions

2500 series Regular Cab vehicles have a wheel-base of
140.5 inches, a length of 231 inches, an 8-foot box, SRW (single rear
wheel), and an approximate 7.5-inch ground clearance front and back. Regular Cab variants are available in 4×2 or 4×4 configurations, with
the 4×4 configuration bringing the overall height of the vehicle up by
about 1.5 inches.

Crew Cab vehicles have a wheelbase of 149.5 inches, a
length of 237.4 inches and a ground clearance of approximately 7.2
inches front and back. It comes in two box sizes: a 6-foot 4-inch
version and an 8-foot version. Selecting the 8-foot box increases the
wheelbase by 20 inches, and selecting the 4×4 option increases the
height by 4 inches.

The Mega Cab has a wheelbase of 160.5 inches, a box
size of 6-foot 4-inches, a length of 248.4 inches and a ground clearance
of about 7.9 inches. The 4×4 option increases the height from 74.1 to
78.3 inches.

The dimensions for the 3500 series of trucks are almost
identical to the 2500 series. Ground clearance in all instances is
increased by about five inches, and all the cab variants provide an
optional DRW (double rear wheel) configuration. The 3500 series adds a
6-foot 3-inch box option to the Mega Cab variation.

Ram’s new 2011 lineup of trucks is power-packed, and has enough options to suit a variety of tastes.

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