I am recently a first time owner of a 2004 1500 Ram Truck (just picked it up this week) and couldn't be more excited about it. Here are some quick specs on it before I ask my question:

- 4.7L V8 Engine
- Roughly 80K
- Has been taken well cared of
- Serivce receipts were provided with purchase
- SLT, Quad Cab
- 4x4 with 20" Rims

I was just curious as to what would be good areas to follow up on regular maintenance or things to look out for that might become an issue. I take pride in what I own and would like to keep it in very good condition - just need to know what to look for and/or keep up on.

 

Well since you have the service records, it's a simple thing to match them up against the scheduled maintenance chart in the owners manual to know when things are due.

One thing you can do that is not expensive is to replace all those cheezy clips on the end of your hoses with real hose clamps. Many a guy has had to deal with a leaking rack or evap system leak due to a failed clip.

Another area to look would be at the rear differential if it's equipped with LSD. The stock LSDs are ticking time bombs and will take out the entire rear end if it goes unchecked long enough.

Just make sure you keep the fluids changed at the recommended intervals (preferably with synthetics) as the 4.7s are known to be particularly prone to failures due to sludge build up. Other than that, take care of it and it should give you years of dependable service.

 

Thank you for information Hammer. I'm going to take a look at the rear differential today, if it is still equiped with LSD would it be wise to change it out immediately? Or keep an eye on it as time goes?

 

If it has the LSD, the problem is with the retaining clips. They are cheap and tend to break off and get into the ring & pinion, which can cause anything from a gradual degradation of the gears to a sudden catastrophic failure. You may see some fine metal particles on the magnet or actually see big pieces of clips in the rear.

If you have an open diff, you are exempt from this.

If it were me and I had the stock LSD, I'd just take the summbitch out, even when intact, the thing doesn't operate much better than an open diff. If the funding is available, replace it with a solid unit like an Auburn Gear (about $400) or Detroit TruTrac (about $500).

For more info: https://dodgeforum.com/forum/3rd-gen...p-defined.html