Hello everyone.

I am a new comer to this side of the forum. I am usually over in the first gen dakota section. I recently purchased a '98 ram 1500 5.2 5 speed.

I do have a question for you all. The fuel light came on at 1/8 of a tank so I filled it up. Now, Chrysler gave me the build sheet for this truck and its supposed to have a 35 gallon fuel tank. From fuel light to brim full I could only get 21 gallons in it.

I suspected maybe someone swapped out tanks or something so I looked underneath and I saw that there was a large concave dent on the bottom of the tank in front of the front band and another by the rear band. Is this normal? Or is this where all the extra room went?

Thanks so much for the responses.

 

Is your gas tank metal? I have a 96, and mine is plastic...... My build sheet shows a 26 gallon tank, and an optional "additional 5 gallons", whatever that means.....

Of course, my build sheet also says I have rack and pinion steering....... Erm. No.

 

If it took 21 gallons from 1/8 tank then you definitely have a 26 gallon tank.

 

ya thats a 26 gallon tank !

 

Yes its plastic. At least it has some minor scratches on the surface. And I would think that plastic 1. wouldnt dent and 2. would punture or rip if it was hit hard enough.

HAHA Yes my build sheet says rack and pinion steering as well :P

 

on my 26 gallon tank the light come on and take 6 gallons.........

 

Duke did you buy a long bed or short? The long beds came with the 35 gal tanks, not short beds.

 

Its a long bed.

 

Mine is a long bed and it has the larger tank. Im not sure if it was standard on all long beds, but I think it was. I guess it could be possible that it rotted and someone changed it out somewhere along the line. And im sure it was easier to find the smaller tank as a replacement than the 35gal.

 

That was the general idea around here too.

This truck had the CKJS Black Vinyl Floor Covering and RDDP Fixed Long Mast Antenna out of the factory and has been used as a work truck pretty hard for the last 264000 miles. But dispite the scratches and dents it still looks decent and runs / drives like a champ. I personally didnt want to get something that I would freak out about if it got a new dent or scratch. But that doesnt mean that I am going to go ape SH@T on it with a sledge or anything. I can get about 350 miles out of this smaller 26 or whatever gallon fuel tank and thats good enough for me.