I'm not slaming the dodge Ram, nor am I critical of the hemi, but as the miles roll on I find my 06 ram is not invinsable to bad design, non servicable u joints on the drive axles are my pet peave now and for a 4x4 thiers no skid plate for the plastic flue tank...

I ask what issues the 4rth gen Rams are going to have 4 years down the road, esp the 2500 Rams that still use the same drive line and suspension as my 06 2500.

So, what ideals do you have to add to building the perfect truck?

I really doubt dodge, Gm, Ford build better than what I all ready have ...

 

I think you hit the nail right on the head. EVERYBODY is cutting costs, building a cheaper product with nowhere near the quality they used to have. Unfortunately this is the case with just about everything, not just trucks!!!

 

Skid plates are a $50 option. Non grease-able front end parts and u-joints go back decades. All 3 makes are like this, not just Dodge. 90% of owners never greased them anyway.

 

I have used all the newest trucks both 1500's and 2500's (new Ram, silverado, and F-Series) for my job which requires heavy loads and offroad driving and none of the trucks are that great. Happily the new Ram diesel is very sweet but still as cheap as the others in the structure. So I can tell you right now these new trucks are no better than ours.

 

I have owned nothing but brand new Ford trucks prior to my 06 Ram, and I drive GM 2500 trucks at work, my Ram was a work truck until I was laid off and forced into a new job.

With Ford, I never had issues with u joints, axle shafts, but I had problems with ball joints, tie rods on 02 F-150 and on the 04 F-150 dam truck was cursed with random stalling, dead batteries and rear axle seals leaking, and a 5.4 3 valve that liked blowing up cam phassers, timming chains.

With GM, I like thier trucks, but of late the work trucks are having issues with the rear main seals leaking, transmisson case's leaking and a lot of die hard GM co workers don't want to drive a New Gm truck.

I thought a 2500 drive train in a Ram would be bomb proof and a hemi had no chance of over powering a CTD drive train ( yup CTD have bigger axles ) I'm surprised to find I'm having issues four years in to ownership with items that in the old school trucks were maintance items.

Its only because I care and I like my truck, I ask thease questions.

The truth is I own a great truck, clutch, 6speed manaul and the hemi have never caused a issue, But I'mt verry skeptical in the the fourth gen Ram 2500 with the identical drive train componets, I can live with what I have, but to go new again scares the crap out of me.

 

My truck has had a lot of stupid things go wrong that annoy me for instance.

Headlight started leaking at 35k causing bulbs to blow.

rear pinion seal 40k

Blown power steering hose at 15K

driver hub at 75k

passenger at 80k

ignition switch at 70k

ac compressor locked up at 80k

heater core went bad at 90k

Dash cracked so bad from the sun it shattered and had to replace half of it. Mind you the truck is only parked in the sun 20 percent of the time.

I love my truck but the little things kill me.