Hello I have a 99 ram 1500 with a 318 and five speed. I purchased a pretty decent sized boat last year and in normal driving this truck tows it just fine, but I do have a bit of trouble pulling the boat out of the water on steep launch ramps. The routine has been let the clutch out "briskly", smoke the tires on the wet ramp and slowing pull the boat out. Its the only way to not stall or bog down.

Now i've had the truck long enough to know the joys of changing front u joints, so using 4wd low for this is not an option. I would just love to have 2wd low ONLY to use on the launch ramps. It would be easier on equipment and me...

I guess im just curious if anyone has a simple way of stopping the front axle from engaging. Is there something I can do with the vacuum lines? If not I would assume that pulling the front drive shaft will make the transfer case leak? Can someone give pointers? Thanks!!

 

Get a posi-lock, remove and plug vacuum lines at the CAD, or remove the front drive shaft. Removing the front drive shaft will not cause a leak, the shaft attaches to a flange.

 

so let me get this straight and maybe i've read it wrong...you don't want to use 4wd when you struggle to pull your boat up the wet ramp in 2wd? the way i see it is there are two options, find a less severe ramp to pull the boat up or use 4wd. I honestly don't think your going to harm anything when using 4wd to pull the boat up the ramp, so long as you don't turn real sharp in 4wd on the dry pavement. but again, maybe i read your post wrong?

 

why would the front drive wheel u joints go bad when pulling a boat outta the water??? as long as yr not turning an making a bind on the front steering it shouldnt make the ujoints fail. if it does make those fail then id like to know how and why......never heard of them failing cause your put it in 4 low....




beat me to it haha

 

dont know why you want to do this but If you have that much of a problem lower your tire pressure in rear tires and it will help imensely, and should keep from smoking tires

 

or all else fails why not just disconnect the front driveshaft and put it in 4low, the transfercase will still engauge activating the 2lo in the rear and boom you're fine.

Unless im being a complete dip**** when saying this i dont see why it wouldnt work as long as the transfercase is still going, only difference is you wont have the fronts pulling while in 4x4 just have the rears.

 

use 4 low. it won't hurt it. the wet tires will slip as needed.

 

theres also that thing located by your left foot thats called the emergency brake, apply it fully, let the clutch out till you feel the truck start to pull then release the brake, also another option is use 2nd gear instead of 1st gear can't imagine that your pulling a 35' house boat up a 45 deg. boat ramp. how big of a boat is "decent sized boat"????

 

whats wrong with using 4x4?

 

In all honesty, driving your truck up and down the road in 2 wheel while pulling your boat to and from the launch is puting more wear on the front axle joints than driving 10 ft up a straight ramp in 4 lo.