Hey 3rd Gens, I have a question!
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Captain
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 609
Likes: 1
From: Grand Rapids, MI
Hey 3rd Gens, I have a question!
Proud 2nd Gen owner here, but I might have a chance to upgrade within the next couple of months. So with that said, I know you guys are the experts and I have some questions:
Hemi over the Powertech? I'm thinking yes because there's not really much difference in mileage (if any) but a lot of difference in power. I'll be towing with it (about 5,000lbs) and my 5.2 Magnum struggles a little as it is now.
Any specific problems or issues I should be looking for before I decide on one?
Anybody on here happy from upgrading from a 2nd Gen?
Thanks, any and all info is appreciated! You guys rock!
Hemi over the Powertech? I'm thinking yes because there's not really much difference in mileage (if any) but a lot of difference in power. I'll be towing with it (about 5,000lbs) and my 5.2 Magnum struggles a little as it is now.
Any specific problems or issues I should be looking for before I decide on one?
Anybody on here happy from upgrading from a 2nd Gen?
Thanks, any and all info is appreciated! You guys rock!
Professional
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 121
Likes: 0
From: North, Ga.
I had a 99 2500 deisel 5 speed, and now own a 04 1500 hemi auto. I miss the pulling power of the deisel and the 5 speed but am satisfied with the hemi auto so far. I know that isn't exactly the question you had though. The 3rd gen to me is very close to the 2nd gen, with the exception of the crew cab versus the quadcab design which is a great improvement for me. I even have the cracked dash in my 3rd gen just like the 2nd gen. I wish the 3rd gen 1500 still had the solid front axle, but for what I do with it the IFS is fine. https://dodgeforum.com/forum/3rd-gen...e-posting.html Here are the common issues with them. IMO if you are happy with the second generation you will be happy with the third gen. also.
Administrator
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 24,686
Likes: 21
From: South Georgia/East Florida
I had a '98 1500 RCSB 5.9 with a 3" body lift and a level and 35s. I loved that truck and never had a single issue with it, not even the plenum up till 68k miles when I traded it on an '02 Avalance (BIG MISTAKE)! The thing was a tank and the only thing I wish it did was get better than the 9 mpg over-all. Best I could do on trips was just nip 12 mpg. But then again, it was a truck, a 4x4 AND I lifted it, so it was what it was.
The Hemi has it beat in every aspect. 100 more HP and about the same torque and even with 4.5" of lift, 35s and so many mods that the pig weighs in at 7000# now, I'll still easily average 12.5 mpg or so all-around and have gotten 16 mpg on trips.
If you can find a Hemi, I'd jump on it over the 4.7, not that the 4.7 is a bad engine, but again, the Hemi stomps it by over 100 HP while getting about the same fuel economy if not a bit better.
The only thing I liked in the 2nd Gen 1500s vs. the 3rd Gens was the SFA, even though the Dana 44 is considered a weak axle, it's got it all over a spindly CV. If you plan to lift the 3rd Gen if you get one, it's a PIA on an IFS truck and you are really limited to height and tire size if you don't want to be snapping CVs all the time.
Now an '02 1500 is really a 2nd Gen with 3rd Gen wrapping as the 5.9 was retained for that year in addition to the 4.7 which made it's debut in the Ram. I'd also not look seriously at an '03 Hemi as it had some first year issues like weak valve springs and it's not very tunable. Also, the '03s were the last year Chrysler used the same manufacturer of the 2nd Gen dashes, and I don't need to tell you about those dashes!
'04s were/are solid, I've not had a single issue out of mine save a blown shock when it was still stock height. The '05s IMO are the cream of the crop, more tuneable than the '04s due to a different PCM, but everything else remained the same. I say it's the cream of the crop because it's also the last non-MDS Hemi and I'm not an MDS fan, in a full size truck, anyway. Although you can disable it on '06-'08 1500s with a tuner.
It's also the final year that 4x4s came with torsion bar fronts which I like to work with better than a coil over and more importantly, do not seem to have the front end vibration issues that the coil over Ram 4x4s have, especially when lifted. The torsion front also will clear a considerably wider tire than the coil over fronts will.
'06-'08 Rams are pretty solid, have a couple things I'm not crazy about which I mentioned above, but still are pretty problem free. They all ('02-'08) use non-greasable components up front, which to me is asinine, so plan on replacing tie rod ends and ball joints, etc. sooner.
The '98 truck:
The Hemi has it beat in every aspect. 100 more HP and about the same torque and even with 4.5" of lift, 35s and so many mods that the pig weighs in at 7000# now, I'll still easily average 12.5 mpg or so all-around and have gotten 16 mpg on trips.
If you can find a Hemi, I'd jump on it over the 4.7, not that the 4.7 is a bad engine, but again, the Hemi stomps it by over 100 HP while getting about the same fuel economy if not a bit better.
The only thing I liked in the 2nd Gen 1500s vs. the 3rd Gens was the SFA, even though the Dana 44 is considered a weak axle, it's got it all over a spindly CV. If you plan to lift the 3rd Gen if you get one, it's a PIA on an IFS truck and you are really limited to height and tire size if you don't want to be snapping CVs all the time.
Now an '02 1500 is really a 2nd Gen with 3rd Gen wrapping as the 5.9 was retained for that year in addition to the 4.7 which made it's debut in the Ram. I'd also not look seriously at an '03 Hemi as it had some first year issues like weak valve springs and it's not very tunable. Also, the '03s were the last year Chrysler used the same manufacturer of the 2nd Gen dashes, and I don't need to tell you about those dashes!
'04s were/are solid, I've not had a single issue out of mine save a blown shock when it was still stock height. The '05s IMO are the cream of the crop, more tuneable than the '04s due to a different PCM, but everything else remained the same. I say it's the cream of the crop because it's also the last non-MDS Hemi and I'm not an MDS fan, in a full size truck, anyway. Although you can disable it on '06-'08 1500s with a tuner.
It's also the final year that 4x4s came with torsion bar fronts which I like to work with better than a coil over and more importantly, do not seem to have the front end vibration issues that the coil over Ram 4x4s have, especially when lifted. The torsion front also will clear a considerably wider tire than the coil over fronts will.
'06-'08 Rams are pretty solid, have a couple things I'm not crazy about which I mentioned above, but still are pretty problem free. They all ('02-'08) use non-greasable components up front, which to me is asinine, so plan on replacing tie rod ends and ball joints, etc. sooner.
The '98 truck:
Last edited by HammerZ71; Jul 25, 2011 at 04:19 PM.
Banned
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,739
Likes: 8
From: MD
I had a '98 1500 RCSB 5.9 with a 3" body lift and a level and 35s. I loved that truck and never had a single issue with it, not even the plenum up till 68k miles when I traded it on an '02 Avalance (BIG MISTAKE)! The thing was a tank and the only thing I wish it did was get better than the 9 mpg over-all. Best I could do on trips was just nip 12 mpg. But then again, it was a truck, a 4x4 AND I lifted it, so it was what it was.
The Hemi has it beat in every aspect. 100 more HP and about the same torque and even with 4.5" of lift, 35s and so many mods that the pig weighs in at 7000# now, I'll still easily average 12.5 mpg or so all-around and have gotten 16 mpg on trips.
If you can find a Hemi, I'd jump on it over the 4.7, not that the 4.7 is a bad engine, but again, the Hemi stomps it by over 100 HP while getting about the same fuel economy if not a bit better.
The only thing I liked in the 2nd Gen 1500s vs. the 3rd Gens was the SFA, even though the Dana 44 is considered a weak axle, it's got it all over a spindly CV. If you plan to lift the 3rd Gen if you get one, it's a PIA on an IFS truck and you are really limited to height and tire size if you don't want to be snapping CVs all the time.
Now an '02 1500 is really a 2nd Gen with 3rd Gen wrapping as the 5.9 was retained for that year in addition to the 4.7 which made it's debut in the Ram. I'd also not look seriously at an '03 Hemi as it had some first year issues like weak valve springs and it's not very tunable. Also, the '03s were the last year Chrysler used the same manufacturer of the 2nd Gen dashes, and I don't need to tell you about those dashes!
'04s were/are solid, I've not had a single issue out of mine save a blown shock when it was still stock height. The '05s IMO are the cream of the crop, more tuneable than the '04s due to a different PCM, but everything else remained the same. I say it's the cream of the crop because it's also the last non-MDS Hemi and I'm not an MDS fan, in a full size truck, anyway. Although you can disable it on '06-'08 1500s with a tuner.
It's also the final year that 4x4s came with torsion bar fronts which I like to work with better than a coil over and more importantly, do not seem to have the front end vibration issues that the coil over Ram 4x4s have, especially when lifted. The torsion front also will clear a considerably wider tire than the coil over fronts will.
'06-'08 Rams are pretty solid, have a couple things I'm not crazy about which I mentioned above, but still are pretty problem free. They all ('02-'08) use non-greasable components up front, which to me is asinine, so plan on replacing tie rod ends and ball joints, etc. sooner.
The '98 truck:
The Hemi has it beat in every aspect. 100 more HP and about the same torque and even with 4.5" of lift, 35s and so many mods that the pig weighs in at 7000# now, I'll still easily average 12.5 mpg or so all-around and have gotten 16 mpg on trips.
If you can find a Hemi, I'd jump on it over the 4.7, not that the 4.7 is a bad engine, but again, the Hemi stomps it by over 100 HP while getting about the same fuel economy if not a bit better.
The only thing I liked in the 2nd Gen 1500s vs. the 3rd Gens was the SFA, even though the Dana 44 is considered a weak axle, it's got it all over a spindly CV. If you plan to lift the 3rd Gen if you get one, it's a PIA on an IFS truck and you are really limited to height and tire size if you don't want to be snapping CVs all the time.
Now an '02 1500 is really a 2nd Gen with 3rd Gen wrapping as the 5.9 was retained for that year in addition to the 4.7 which made it's debut in the Ram. I'd also not look seriously at an '03 Hemi as it had some first year issues like weak valve springs and it's not very tunable. Also, the '03s were the last year Chrysler used the same manufacturer of the 2nd Gen dashes, and I don't need to tell you about those dashes!
'04s were/are solid, I've not had a single issue out of mine save a blown shock when it was still stock height. The '05s IMO are the cream of the crop, more tuneable than the '04s due to a different PCM, but everything else remained the same. I say it's the cream of the crop because it's also the last non-MDS Hemi and I'm not an MDS fan, in a full size truck, anyway. Although you can disable it on '06-'08 1500s with a tuner.
It's also the final year that 4x4s came with torsion bar fronts which I like to work with better than a coil over and more importantly, do not seem to have the front end vibration issues that the coil over Ram 4x4s have, especially when lifted. The torsion front also will clear a considerably wider tire than the coil over fronts will.
'06-'08 Rams are pretty solid, have a couple things I'm not crazy about which I mentioned above, but still are pretty problem free. They all ('02-'08) use non-greasable components up front, which to me is asinine, so plan on replacing tie rod ends and ball joints, etc. sooner.
The '98 truck:
Administrator
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 24,686
Likes: 21
From: South Georgia/East Florida
It's great you haven't experienced either, some people with '03s never do and I hope in the end you are one of them. But because of the likelihood, it bears mentioning when someone asks about our trucks.
Some people NEVER have a clip break with the stock LSD, but I think it would be unfair to not mention it to someone who is looking for a 3rd Gen with LSD...
Oh yeah and OP: The stock LSDs suck *****!!! LMAO...
