Im buying a ram 1500 soon as I sell my jeeps. I am lookin at the 3rd gen trucks. Gonna go with the hemi for sure. Now what is the difference besides the front ends between 2nd and 3rd gen?

 

I'm looking at the 06-08 years... What's the Major difference between these years and 03-05

 

1500 Have IFS, while 2500 and 3500 have SFA. Also we have 5x5.5 bolt pattern, they have 8 lug.

06-08 have the facelift, different headlights, grille, and bumper in the front, and new tail lights. Also, they have a different computer system (CANBUS) Your HEMI will have MDS 06-Newer

Each year has seperate problems. 02 Has a 5.9 Magnum, no HEMI. 03 the HEMI valve springs bust. Not sure about 04, but 05 was IMO the best year of thus truck, so that's what I bought, haha

 

The front suspension is different also isnt it?

 

I'm going to assume we are talking 4x4s here.

All 2nd Gen 1500s were SFA, although the Dana 44 isn't exactly the stoutest front axle it sure beats the hell out of IFS. Rear axle is Chrysler Corporate (AAM) 9.25".

'03-'05 Hemi 1500s have the same AAM 9.25" which is VERY stout for a half ton axle BUT the factory LSD has MAJOR ISSUES (do a search). Front is AAM 8" IFS that utilizes a torsion bar system. Pluses of the torsion bar system is it tends to be stronger than a coil-over IFS, leaves more room for wider tires and allows a "free lift" by simply adjusting the key bolts. Down side is that it tends to have a rougher ride than a coil over front end.

'06+ 3rd Gen 1500s have the same AAM 9.25" rear and 8" AAM front IFS but a coil-over design replaced the torsion front end. Plus is that it yields a more car-like, comfortable ride. Negatives is that the coil width limits tire width and it tends to not like coil spacers - many report bad vibration problems with spacers with no other front end modifications.

3rd

 

Love my 04, wouldn't trade her for the world.

 

I gotta agree and with all I've put into it in mods, I really can't afford to trade it in.

But IMO it's the '05 that's the class of the 3rd Gens. I ain't fond of MDS nor the coil over fronts of the '06+ trucks, but the '05 is a lot more tuneable than the '04s. Matter of fact if I had an '05 I would have installed the CAM I had custom ground and not sold it off. The tuning for it with the '04 PCM was my obstacle...

 

What mileage do u guys get with the hemi's 1500 and 2500s

 

I'm getting 9.9mpg running 93 octane.
I drove normal and got 16mpg, but my model is a "sport", so I treat it as such.

 

I've undoubtedly got the heaviest 1500 (non-Megacab) on the site weighing in at just a hair under 7000 lbs., run on 35" tires, don't have MDS and I average about 13 in all-around driving.

I took a little trip this morning to surf fish, some interstate, some coastal 55 mph speed limit highway and a few back roads. Not many lights to stop at except when I left and just before I got there. Gassed up last night and reset everything.



Now granted I have a mod or two that along with power give me a little better fuel economy when I'm not on it. Also, when I hand calc I find my overhead is usually between 2&3 tenths "optimistic". I should also add that I'm a maintenance junkie - got laid off in November, so EVERYTHING is changed out EARLIER than the book calls for, LOL...