Doing cooling system maintenance on the big white beast today. Replacing the 22 year old OEM upper and lower radiator hoses and water pump. After another winter if not quite getting up to normal operating temp, I'm also replacing the t-stat with a higher quality unit along with the lower t-stat seal. Long day ahead, but i should be ready as I'm going to get for towing season.

 

Yeah - quoting yourself is kind of tacky, but what a difference changing the water pump has made in the operating temp of the truck. I've always thought the old girl was running warmer compared to what most folks with the V10 were reporting, but man what a difference a new water pump made. I'm still working the last of the air out of the system, but by what the gauge says, I'm running much cooler than I had been prior to changing the pump. I did have to change out the coolant temp sensor to the computer, so I'll slap a scanner on it to see what it's reading to confirm it. The lower thermostat seal was definitely not sealing so now I'm also coming up to temperature sooner which will be a big help next winter.

 

Hitched up and headed out to the lake.

 

Since they finally arrived, I put on the last of the badges this morning.

”SPORT” to go with the RAM 1500....
And, to keep with my show the magnums some luv, I found a different “V8 magnum” badge that kind of works with the other 3rd Gen badges I've used.
This is from a 2011 Dakota.
Last time I just used “magnum” from a magnum car.

 

Replaced the right front wheel bearing hub assembly for the fourth time.

 

You using only Timken and torquing them properly? I'm on my 3rd but also at 252,xxx miles and the last time was simply because I wanted new ones. They should last at least ten years and well over 100k.

 

I’m still on the originals from the factory, at over 220k.
Front end bearings still seem fine, but the rear is getting ready for a change... taking an on ramp at speed you can hear them.

 

Funny you guys are discussing wheel bearings. A while back I replaced my drivers side hub/rotor assembly and instead of using a press, I pulled them together with a bearing style lug stud installer. About a week ago I started getting a popping sound when I would back up and brake and then again at my first stop going forward. I figured that the installer tool didn't do a sufficient job so I went and bought a shop press, took the other hub/rotor assembly I had put together for the passenger side but had not installed on the truck yet, and run all the lugs through the press. I was surprised when I got between 3-4 pumps out of the press before the lugs where now really tight. Took the one off the drivers side and put the correctly pressed one on. Well, the pop sound is still there, so I have something else going on (maybe control arm bushings), but I can confirm to anyone wondering if you really need a press to do this job right, you do. I think if that popping sound had not alerted me to redo it, it probably would have worked play in it, but everything seemed to be ok on it.

 

You noise may be the pads moving in their mounts. I haven't looked at mine yet, so, not sure if there are any anti-rattle clips, or shims, or whatnot. Don't remember what my 96 had on it.... Been a while since I have had to deal with it.

 

I've had two sets of pads on it since I've owned it and never noticed any shims or clips on the truck or with any of the pads I've bought. Is that something I would buy separately? Also wondering if the pad slap is something that would happen right away with new ones or would it be something that happens as they get some miles on them. I had the same issues about a year ago that lasted 3 or so months and it just went away on its own. Neither this time or the last time I put new pads on did the noise start right away.