I am considering the purchase of a 1998-2001 Ram 2500 4WD with a 360 (5.9L) gas V8. What problems should I be aware of before buying. I know that the automatic transmissions are notorious for giving trouble - can this be fixed permanently, or will a rebuild last only 60K miles? What about the manual transmissions? Any electrical, mechanical, or cosmetic problems. What kind of gas mileage can I expect? Thanks.

 

gas mileage??? what's that?????

na dude i would say you'd get in the neighborhood of 10-12 in city and 13-15 on the highway. (lots of dependancys i.e. lead foot). the auto tranny is the typical problem areas. other than that just general maintence and you shouldn't have too much to worry about. you should give a transmission shop in your area that deals with dodge tranny's a call. they would be able to tell you how long their rebuilds last. manuals typically have a better life than the autos do. but depending on the driver of the truck it could be in worse shape.

good luck and happy hunting..

OH and welcome to DF!!

 

The cats tend to clog up also. Mine went at 100k. Also I had to replace both wheel bearings at 100k. Other than that just keep good fluids and take care of her!

Don't beat up that tranny and you'll be find. I have 110k on my truck without a single tranny rebuild!

 

the tranny can be built anywhere from mild to wild and be very durable. your best bet is to get a big tranny cooler on what ever truck you get asap. the in-tank one is never enough. check www.apsprecision.com for info

another thing to look for is a leaky plenum gasket... you can do a quick test by pulling off the breather hose and seeing if there is a vacuum present. if there is, it's leaking.

here's the TSB on it... http://dodgeram.info/tsb/2000/09-05-00.htm

 

i have a 2000 2500......i replaced the tranny... the ac pump and condenser.....had an abs light hell for over 3 months....the shifter has some wierd rattle.....uuhhgg....

 

Another cosmetic problem could be rust at the bottom of the doors. This is really every car though, only really if you have road salt eating your truck up. Mine were rusting, 10 mins with a grinder and $50 for a 1/2 pint of professional quality color match [:@] and its been 2 winters and still hasn't coma back!

Other than that my truck is a 97 and its been through every winter up here in Northern Lower Michigan and no rust!!!

 

i just hit 174000 miles and i have had no tranny rebulids... knock on wood

 

Look at the top of the forum list and see Steve00Ram360 FAQ. It's a work in progress but will give you an idea of what to watch for.

I own a 98 Ram and the most trouble I've had recurring is the transmission parking pawl locking when it cold (it will release after you put it in gear with a accompanying bang), the brake rotors (mines a 1500 and that may not affect your 2500), and the cylinder heads cracking.

But considering how I drive mine (2 speeds-Stop and Warp 7!), I can't complain too much.

 

just hit 90 thou and no tranny problems... my tq converter might be getting old but still sends me down the road... only money ive spent on the truck was basic maintence and super cool upgrades!!!!!!