Hey guys recently just bought a 98 ram 1500 with a 5.2L 4x4, its got 120k on it and i need to get it ready for a 2000 mile trip and was just wondering some things i should do before i take off, i was thinking

air filter
oil
plugs
plug wires

anything else i should do just to be safe? ive made the trip before in a car and towards the end the car started struggling, so this time i want to be able to get the truck home and not need to wrench on it to get it running right

any suggestions?

 

Change your oil.
Check your air filter and plugs- replace if dirty/worn out.
Check level and condition of transmission fluid. Change if brown or smells burned.
Inflate your tires to about 40PSI.
Check coolant level.
Keep an eye on engine temp and oil pressure gauges when on the trip. If equipped with an auxiliary transmission cooler, you have a transmission temp light just below your A/C controls. If this comes on while driving, stop, put the tranny in neutral and rev up to get the cooling fan spinning faster so it pulls more air through the tranny cooler untl the light turns off.

 

check your 90w in axles.
if you change your 90w some trucks require a additive in the rear axle. GM vehicles do don't know about Dodge. rear ends hold about a gallon each.
check your spare tire while your at it. Make sure its not FLAT or dry rotted.
Check brakes, brake fluid, belts, hoses, transfer case fluid
everyone else hit all the others I was just putting my two cents in
thanks Pizzo

 

Check serpentine belt, I'd bring a spare for a trip that long, also spare radiator hoses, and the tools to do basic repairs on the road.
Wouldn't hurt to drop the spare and check condition of the thing that holds it up, mine fell apart a few weeks ago and dropped the spare in the road.
I'd get an oil change and flush radiator, and bring along a few quarts of oil, some brake/tranny fluid, and 50/50 coolant.

Of course, you'd prefer not to wrench on the road, sometimes theres no choice.

 

Only Chrysler gear box that requires an "additive" are ones that are equipped with LSD. Those just require like a 1.5 ounce of friction modifier.

I'm shocked that no one else has said this, but here goes....

With 120K on the clock, I'm going to assume that you have never changed the cap and rotor. If you haven't you need to.

 

only air the tires up to 40psi if they are 44 max. i like to run 41psi in the front and 38psi in the rear tires because when i had all of them at 41 the rears wore out in the center indicating that they were overinflated because i hardly ever have any weight in the bed.

 

Check all the lights. Headlights, tail,brake,running etc.. If for no other reason than one less reason for "local" law enforcement to pull you and you out of state tags over.

 

change to sythetic oil
change wires,plugs,spark plugs cap and rotor
maybe run seafoam before doing plugs threw brake booster
make sure all fluids are good tranny rear brake steering ext have fun

 

2000 miles @ avg 15 MPG=133 X avg $2.65 a gal for gas = $353.00. Add up all of the $$ for premaintenance, wear/tear, food and hotel you may want to consider flying there.

 

i cant fly there as im moving back, i have a lot of stuff to take, and im not sure about seafoam ive heard good stories and horror stories so ive never risked it, plug i dont even know how the hell you use it