Hey everyone, i have been a Ford guy for along time-----then last year I bought a 2005 F-350 with the 6.0 diesel, biggest nightmare ford ever built. I had had enough of the high maintence costs and repair bills (over $3000 just in the last month) and traded it in on a 2012 Dodge Ram 2500 with the 5.7 ltr. So far (only driven it less than 50 miles) I really like it. Seems well built and overall a good truck. Any advice on this truck??? upgrades, things to watch for etc. ?
Thanks, Scott.

 

Pretty much all of us on this forum love their Dodge trucks. I think mine is just great and wouldn't change a thing as far as options, gear ratios etc.

I'm told that you should avoid drag racing a Ford Ecoboost though.....

 

Some nice 285/70/17 BFG all terrains are a good place to start.

 

My thoughts exactly. Those tires than come with it look a bit to small, the bad thing is I had just put a new set on my Ford to the tune of about $1400. I have to get that bill payed off before I will be able to put some good tires on this truck (kind of sucks that somebody else will be driving around on tires I am paying for LOL)

 

Everyone talks about the ecoboost...how it's the fastest on the road... start looking at every f-150 you pass or in a parking lot. On an honest guess I'd say I see 25-30 regular f-150's that are naturally aspirated to 1 ecoboost. The ecoboost badge is on the lower driver and passenger door. I doubt every ecoboost is de-badging either. Look at dodge you see the HEMI in 85% of the trucks on the road....

 

I can't see a turbo charged 6cylinder gasoline engine lasting or giving you the really feel. LIke they are putting a 2 liter 4 cylinder turbo in the Explorer...come on, I can see a turbo system coming online soon for the hemi, not from the factory I mean after market, I would like to do like the Vettes do and put a dual turbo at the very rear of the truck just move the spare tire into the box since I rarely put stuff in there anyway LOL. I wonder if that would help our Hemi.

 

Pretty sure you can get it done now if you really had the money to do so. I remember there was a thread on here and some guy had twin turbos on his 4th gen, it was pretty bad ***. Personally if I won the lottery I would throw a supercharger instead. Just go on YouTube there's a few vids out there.

A good upgrade worth saving money for scott I would say a superchips tuner, also if you have an android phone or tablet you can use that, one day I'll go that route once I get rid of my flashpak. Also what kind of gear ratio do you have on your new ram?

 

To be fair, don't compare a diesel to a gaser than you will really like the hemi.

Dodge rams have pissy u joints on the drive axles, as far I know they havent changed from 06.

If they happen to go under warenty, get servic able ones installed as mopar now makes replacements.

I too was in the ford camp and than went to dodge in 2006, the fourth gen truck body and over all fit and finish is a quantum leap forward over the third gen dodge.

Spark plugs don't last long in the hemi, you may get 40,000 miles out of a copper set of 16 plugs and mileage will be better than a F-150 even in 3/4 ton hemi trim, Ford trucks are fat basterds.

I hope dodge meets your expectations.

 

Right on guys, that is just what I wanted to hear, if I asked the same questions on a Ford 6.0 diesel forum they would tell me I needed to be prepared for all kinds of problems, ranging from coolant leaks to blown head gaskets ($4,000 to $5,000 to fix). Like I said, mine has cost me over $2700 in just the last month alone.
I am going to do a few things to my new one when I get the chance, I would like to get a spray on bed liner, a matching canopy (damn they don't give those things away do they) and a better set of tires. So far I am 100% satisfied with Dodge, looks like they make a outstanding truck.

 

For what it's worth.

I worked with a fellow who bought a F150 with the EcoBoost engine about five months before I retired. He said it was much faster than his previous 5.4, but he also said that on the one occasion he was towing his boat he thought the EcoBoost was sorely lacking on hills. He also said it was much worse on gas towing than his the 5.4, which as I remember wasn't very good on his older truck either.

According to the October 2011 issue of Motor Trend, a 2011 EcoBoost F150 SuperCrew, two-wheel drive, six-speed automatic, 3.55 gears weighing 5528 pounds:

0-30 = 2.2
0-60 = 7.4
1/4 mile = 14.8 @ 95

According to the July 2010 issue of Car & Driver, a 2010 Ram 1500 Crew Cab, 4WD, five-speed automatic, 3.55 gears weighing 5840 pounds:

0-30 = 2.8
0-60 = 7.4
1/4 mile = 15.7 @ 91

I think the twin turbo EcoBoost V6 is an interesting package that may offer increased efficiency for trucks when used as unburdened daily drivers. Turbo or not, you still need power and torque to do work and although it's only one anecdota report it would be intertesting to see how an EcoBoost and a Hemi Ram compare in an unbiased load test.

Everything I've read indicates that F150s with V6 engines are outselling the V8s, but like another poster I've haven't seen but two EcoBoost models since they've been out.

Regards,
Dusty
2010 Ram Big Horn 1500 Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 545RFE, 3.92 LSD, dual exhaust, 20” wheels