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Dodge did a lot of things right on these trucks, the oil filter is not one of them. So here are some solutions for the pathetic little thimble they want you to use. The Wix 51515 fits perfectly with no interference. Around '98 or so, I'm not sure, Dodge changed the steering linkage to eliminate the "Y" setup the earlier trucks had. This got rid of some of the bump steer, or change in toe in as the suspension compresses. For those of you running the V-10s built after the linkage change you can run the longer filter I pictured here. If you were to look this up by application it would be for an industrial 413, 426 or 440 from the '60s, same base as the filter the 440 used until it's end, but half again as long. The longer cartridge gets you not only more oil volume, but more importantly, more filter surface area. Most folks don't think about the volume of oil the filter has to handle. When the filter cannot handle all the volume requested of it, because it is dirty or poorly constructed, the pressure rises and the engine simply bypasses the filtration part and recirculates oil to the engine unfiltered. The deep scoring on the main bearings of the last engine you tore down was probably not dirt that passed through the filter.
There are two quality points besides just solid construction about Wix filters that make them superior to most other filters. One is the depth/amount of pleating and type of media inside. More surface area and high quality/flow media means less bypass oil. Second, the amount of open area in the base. Those 6 holes are 5/16". These simple facts mean that the Wix has more filtration capacity than Fram, KN, Royal Purple, blah, blah, whatever, period. The 1773 I bought from NAPA to check the fit on my truck I've had for a number of years, because as you can tell from the photos, the 51515 fits my truck, but until I change the linkage the 51773/1773 will not. Wix made these filters for NAPA and as far as I know they still do, but to get the quality, you now have to opt for their more expensive line. Did not used to be that way. Good luck, Mike.

 

This is very interesting, I have the V10. I also noticed that the 51773 has a 32 micron rating where the 51515 has a 21 micron rating. Is a 32 micron too much for a 10w-30 oil? I have been using the 51452 since I purchased the truck new and not sure why I use it as all the Wix specs are pretty much the same except that it is not listed as a full flow filter, so I better change that !