Hey all -

I'm getting started on doing some 3/4 ton truck research, and was hoping ya'll could get me up to speed as I start reading through the forum archives.

I'm curious what suggestions you folks you have for my situation:

I have around $6K I'm looking at putting into a 95-97 or thereabouts truck. I'm set on a 3/4 ton, extended cab, 4x4.

I'll be regularly towing an enclosed race car trailer - probably 16x7 or 16x8, but not larger for the forseeable future. The race car weighs about 1000#, so the total weight would be about 4,000# maximum, with the car, trailer, and all of my associated junk.

I'm located in Colorado, so we are a bit down on horsepower, and that also means I have to contend with I-70 in the Rocky mountains from time-to-time.

So, my questions basically are surrounding which of the three engines would be a good choice within those parameters, and which of the two transmissions would be a good idea as well.

I've no opposition to gas or diesel, but I find gas motors to be more livable on a day-to-day basis, and gearbox-wise, I love to row my own - I've never liked automatics much.

But, I'm curious to know which motors are known for towing well, getting good mileage, being reliable, and the same for the gearboxes.

Similarly, I'd be interested in hearing any problematic years, trouble spots, and things of that ilk to watch out for.

Thanks for any beginner info you can share to get me up to speed, and in the meantime, I'll be shifting through the archives!

Thanks all,

-Jake
mrjones@holly.colostate.edu

 

My 5.9L Magnum pulls well and gets decent mileage while doing it. The V10 gets horrible mileage, and I've been seeing some reliability issues lately with the piston rings failing prematurely. The diesel is really the way to go. Great pulling power, good mileage, very reliable. Biggest downside is that you'll be lucky to find one in your price range, especially an extended cab.

If you're going to work the truck, which it sounds like you're gonna, stay the hell away from the auto trans. It is JUNK on a work truck, especially in the years you listed. The manual is the ONLY way to go in a work truck.

Good luck with the search.

 

I too have a '97 Ram, extended cab, that I can't think about living without. It's turned into quite the money hog, especially after hitting 50,000 miles, but in all reality, I've gotten so used to having that truck, and being able to go anywhere and haul anything, that I can't think about getting anything else. Not to mention that I have 3 kids, so it's a bit more roomy than the wife's Monte Carlo.

Since I've done nothing but my OWN work on this truck, I've gotten to know it very well.

If you want a good mix of towing power and driving torque, then a 360 with a NV4500 and a NP242 transfer case is THE way to go. My wife had am '01 with a 318, and a NV3500 manual tranny. Don't even consider it. That truck is gone, traded in, nothign but problems. Transfer case leaking at the housing, no power, ect.

If you're going to be travelling large distances (from one end of the state to another) regularly, then, but all means, try to find a diesel. But if you want a good driving truck during the week, with the power to pull your racecar on the weekend, then by all means, look into the gasoline engines.

And snafu is right, V10's are absolute garbage. From what I understand it, Dodge has NEVER been able to get those V10's to work right. Rings on the last 2 pistons ALWAYS fail within very low mileage. They've really got some engineering issues with those engines...

...which is one of the reasons why I think they decided to bring back the Hemi... it's easier to tune the intakes than get two extra cylinders to work right!

 

Having lived in Denver for many years and driven the entire length of 70 through Colorado with both gas and diesel Rams, I wouldn't wish a gas truck on my worst enemy.
I know, it's only 4000lbs. , but once you pass 470 and start the uphill, you'll see exactly what I mean. IT SUX with gas.
The turbocharged diesel will compensate for the altitude with boost and you will have power to spare.
Diesel's didn't come with auto trans until 2004, so it makes that choice easy.

But,
6K won't get you what you need.

 

What are you smoking? Diesels have always had the auto trans available.

 

You could always get the auto w/the diesel. When they started offering a High-Output version of the diesel, you could ONLY get it w/the 6 speed until 2004.

 

Puff, Puff Pass. lol
Dunno what I was thinking, I was always under the impression that since I couldn't get a auto with mine (which was HO) that none of 'em had them.

 

Thanks for the pass, at least ya ain't bogarting it.

Yah, like RCBandit said, it was just the HO option that didn't have the auto. The diesel did have the beefier 47RH and 47RE (depending on year) behind them, so they weren't QUITE as bad as the autos behind gas motors, but are still unreliable at best. Trust me, and the $2,000 missing from my bank account due to my auto dying.

 

My 98 has the 5.9 and I tow 4000-5000 on a regular basis.

My opinion:

Go 2 wheel and spend the 4 wheel money on the diesel.

There is no way you can miss with that combination .

 

Another problem that hasn't been mentioned so far is the "death wobble." We had this problem with a '96 2500 we had. Basically it will just wander all over the road. That is the best way I can think of to describe it. I think the problem has something to do with the tie rod but I'm not real sure. The diesel is great but I really don't think you'll find one for $6 grand unless it has 500k miles on it. There's my 2 cents.