This will be my first diesel and the 2003 models with around 150k is in my price range. Truck will be used to tow about 3-5k lbs on a daily basis with occasionally much heavier loads. I have read that the automatics are garbage... Im looking for a good reference as to how much they can take. I need a truck soon and the autos are fairly common around here. I also know what I am towing is nowhere near what you some of you guys are pulling. Just curious when yours started giving you issues and what you were throwing at it....

Also, what are the things I should look at changing/adding with that many miles?

 

Just plan on rebuilding your trans when it goes out.

 

Autos garbage? Service them, don't overheat them and go easy with the mods and you can get a long life out of them.

 

They aren't total garbage, although I would prefer a manual for a pickup that tows a lot. Put a transmission temperature gauge on it, and keep it under 200 degrees and it should last you a while. If you wish to address the issues before they happen, an aftermarket torque converter and valve body go a long way in extending the life of an automatic transmission that tows a lot. I would look to Goerend Transmission or Suncoast Transmissions if you are interested.

 

or just get a 6-spd manual, overfill it on synchromesh oil, put a good clutch in it and throw as much power as you want at it...

as for the truck/engine...steering will likely be toast..dodge steering sucks...just the nature of the beast. you can upgrade to 08.5-2012 steering like I did and greatly improve it...

and make sure to have a good lift pump on there so your rail pressure does not go up and down in pressure too much. too much bouncing in rail pressure can cause a cracked injector on the common rail trucks which is a catastrophic failure if not caught and fixed ASAP.

don't let that scare you, common rails are good trucks. just want to keep an eye on stuff like that, so a set of gauges wouldn't be a bad idea.

my truck series has weaker injection pumps which can also be kept alive by good aftermarket lift pumps. but injection pump failure is not really catastrophic...as in it won't damage the engine if it fails...it'll just stop running. cracked injectors can melt pistons from fueling uncontrollably...

with gauges and a good lift pump you can make sure it never happens, and if it does, you can prevent damage by shutting it down when you see rail pressure jumping or dropping rapidly.

just some basic info from ya...they are great trucks and will pull anything you want. maintenance is minimal on them. just oil changes, fuel filter changes, air filter changes, coolant and trans oil changes.. bout it..don't have to worry about rebuilding the motors or anything like that with high mileage...

 

With an 03, there is a good possibility that you have a 47re trans instead of the updated 48re. Nothing major, but something you might need to know if/when you need something. Either way the 47 & 48re's are good trans and long as you dont abuse them by hot rodding and adding much more power than stock. Keep the fluid changed and dont abuse it, and your likely to get alot of miles out of it. With 3-5k, you probably wont even know its back there and that shouldnt cause any problems with the trans.