Owned since June this year

Done:
Oil & Filter
Tranny Fluid & Filter
Fix overcharged AC
TPS Sensor
Front brake pads
Misc. Vacuum Lines & fittings
Fuel recovery lines
Muffler
several light bulbs
Stereo swap

Purchased but not installed yet:
Hughes plenum plate
180 degree thermostat
tranny overdrive & tcc solenoids

Other things needed:
Tires (airing up one every week)
SCT Tuner (goodbye death flash) - after hughes plate is done
Finish replacing exhaust from muffler back

 

may be a lot of work but hey i do all my own repairs, and always will....and this truck is EASY to work on.

 

Ok for the 4 years and thousands of miles of abuse-
-6 wheel bearings
-2 tie rod ends
-2 balljoints
-2 ect sensors
-plenum gasket
-air raid intake
-2 axle shafts
-2 u joints on drifeshaft
-4 axle joints
-Radiator
-2 thermostats
-Trac bar
-Brakes
-Water pump
-Clutch fan
-oxygen sensor
-3 sets of tires
-Oil pan
-stering box
-shocks
-steering links
-steering stabalizer shock
Ill do it all again because me and this truck have done some crazy s#!t togeather and it makes me almost cry just thinking about gettin rid of it!!

 

Got it feb. 2004

Intake manifold with an airgap.
Stock gears with 4.10's and Detroit Truetracs.
Stock programming on the PCM with a program from Superchips.
Rocker arms with HS 1.7s.
Throttle body with a spare the I bored out to 50mm.
Rebuilt transmission.
Plenum gasket with Hughes plate before upgrading.
Both u joints on the front axle.
Both axle seals on the front axle.
U joints on the rear drive shaft.
Valve cover gaskets.
Timing chain.
Water pump.
Windshield wiper blades a few times.
Spark plugs a few times trying to find some that i like.
Spark plug wires twice.
Distributor cap/rotor twice.
Headlight bulbs.
Fog light bulb.
Headlight lenses.
A bunch of oil/transmission/transfer case fluid/filter changes.
Radiator.
Thermostat three times.
Bottom radiator hose.
Gear oil changes.
Rear main seal.
Driver mirror-cracked when i hit a bump in cold weather
A bunch of touch up paint-that 4x4 badge ain't just for show.
Catalytic converter with a Magnaflow.
Muffler with glass packs and a y pipe to split into duals. Then straight pipes. Then a single glass pack before the split into dual pipes.
Horns.
Battery - didn't need it but the original didn't put out enough amps for my liking.
Transfer case input shaft seal.
Transmission output shaft seal.
Rotors.
Brake pads 3 times.
Brake shoes 3 times.
Wheel cylinders.
All the springs and the adjuster in the back right drum.
Heater core.
Head unit.
Third brake light- sealed up the old ones leak then got an led replacement shortly after.
Drop in bed liner with Herculiner.
Tires twice.
Fog light relay with a little piece of wire.
ASD relay.
IAC.
TPS.
PCV - 5 times, the last time with a Mopar PCV valve.
PCV valves hose.
RWSS.
CPS.
Upstream o2 sensor.
Fog light fuse after I grounded the wire for the lights.
Exhaust manifolds with headers.
Stock air box with free k&n CAI then with a mr. gasket 14x3 with a k&n filter.
Belt tensioner pulley.
Belt tensioner.
Idler pulley.
License plate light wire harnesses with nothing.
Rear seat belts with nothing.
Belt.
Battery clamps.
Negative battery cable.
Front license plate bracket - mud ripped the old one off.
Dash cover to hide the gaping hole.
Cruise control servo.
Check valves for the wild vents.
Tie rod boots.
Sway bar end link bushings.
Shocks.
A couple fuel injector locking tabs (the red things) with zip ties.
The hood liner with nothing.
A few clips on the bumper and plastic fender liners with nuts and bolts.
Welded a crack in the driver side header.

 

I'm adding my 3rd set of U-joints to my 'replaced' list this weekend. Hopefully new front rotors, pads, steering box, steering shaft, and lower column bushing will be added to it soon.

 

same here. i love working on my truck even though i may get pissed off at it some days when something stupid happens. like right now the truck has an electrical gremlin in the main wiring so sometimes it will start and sometime you need to give the wires a bit of a shake to get it to start.

 

Humm, well
In the last 4 years.

Normal maint. stuff. Water pump a couple times and pullys, belts, radiator.

Headlights
Taillights
Wheels and tires 5 times
Complete suspention
Both axles
Both axles internals Twice
Both drive shafts
Intakes ( Air gap, Aem cold air)
Bumpers
Center consol for a speaker box center consol
Rear window
Drive and Pass door
Mirrors
Radio 3 times
All speakers
Transmission Twice
Dash
and Tailgate.

O and i forgot the stearing wheel cover.haha

Sitting in the garage ready to go on when im not so busy:
408 stroker needing built
Built trans
Crossover stearing
NV241 transfer
Clocking ring
Rear bumper
My wallet.

 

K&N FIPK Cold Air Intake
Gibson side exit exhaust
Pulstar pulse plugs
Superchips Flashpaq
AirRaid TBS
4 terminal battery - top terminals for accessories
Advent Rearview Monitor Mirror for back-up camera
35x12.5R18 Mickey Thompson MTZ Baja's
18" KMC XD Monsters
Bilstein shocks
Ready Lift Levelling kit
Ready Lift 1" rear blocks
Pre-Runner light bar
Autopage remote start alarm
heated seats
Beltronics GX65
Everblades heated wiper blades
4 150 watt off-road lights
White Night back light kit
SoftTopper camper topper
Bestop bed carpet
Smittybuilt Rear Bumper Guard
tinted windows
Wheelskins steering wheel cover
replaced the following that were damaged when I bought truck:
right front fender
rear bumper
in dash cd player with OEM NAV system
front driver door panel
rear passenger door panel
center console top and bottom

 

I was planning on buying a '98 Ram 1500 off craigslist soon as my first truck, but these lists are starting to tempt me away towards something else! Are these trucks really that problematic?

 

Honestly, yes they can be. But most guys here wouldn't sell their truck. Every brand has it's own problems, that's just how it is. But in my opinion, I think the Rams have the most... But that still didnt stop me from buying one. Just know what you are getting into. And it all depends on how the PO maintained it.

BUT, that WILL NOT stop me from lovin' my RAM!!! There's just something about 'em....

Back on topic:

Within a Month of ownership;
-plugs, cap and rotor (felt a miss)
-xzilion paint treatment
-New driver's side Cylinder Head ( <-found my miss.. lol)
-Cold air intake (Found stock air filter housing was cracked, sucking unfiltered air)

No problems since then (going on 7 months without an issue)

JT