So I went up to the dodge dealer by my girlfriends house because I was bored (she was at work) and took a look at a couple of Hemi Rams. I found a couple I liked, but the payments were going to be too high. Anyway I went and looked at a couple other trucks at my local dealer and they called me a while later saying they had me a proved on a no options Hemi ram regular cab. They agreed to switch me from the steel to the five star wheels (the ones that are kinda flat looking and came out for 04). They just needed a couple grand down.

I was a little flabergasted cause I had basically just been spending time, so when I came back to my girlfriends I went to that dealer and told them I had a deal working back home. Well they said that they would see what they could do. Thye ended up saying they could get me in a red hemi single cab wih the same wheels but with remote keyless, power windows power mirrors, carpeting and te package with the body coloured billet grill and bdy colour bumpers that look similar to the SRT-10 and rumble bee peices.

So pending an insurance quote and my finding a copy of my divorce decree I should take delivery on tuesday.

Here are my questions...

1). How hard is it to switch from the 3.55 to the 3.92, specifically how does one reprogram the speedo.

2). How does going up to 20's affect the second part of question 1, I know my local dealer put 20's on a lot of their base hemis last year and recalibrated the speedo... how is this done.

3). Do y'all know of anyone who sells a 18 inch or higher wheel that looks like the SRT-10. My girl hates the stock 20's cause she thinks they look like daiseys. I kinda sorta like them but...

4). My truck sits at an odd angle. Anyone know of a relatively inexpensive and preferably reversible way of lowering the rear end (other than 3000 lbs in the bed). Sorry if this seems dumb but my trade in is a camaro, which has obviously a completly different suspension, and on my lincoln all you hve to do is move a sensor...

Thanks 4 the help.

 

1. Pretty difficult if you don't know what your doing to change the gears and get it right. The speedometer is changed via the computer.
2. It's done by changing the diameter or calibration number in the computer.
3. Can't help you on the wheels. Sorry.
4. Someone is bound to make a lit that lowers the rear or raises the front.

 

1). How hard is it to switch from the 3.55 to the 3.92, specifically how does one reprogram the speedo.

Switching from 3.55 to 3.92 gears would be better off left to a professional. If you don't get things properly set, you'll have problems. It's not cheap to do either. Reprogramming the speedo has to be done at the dealership. They have to reset the computer for the gear ratio.

2). How does going up to 20's affect the second part of question 1, I know my local dealer put 20's on a lot of their base hemis last year and recalibrated the speedo... how is this done.

Going to 20s with a 3.55 differential is not done by the factory. Simple reason is the low end power loss that results. You can, however, put 20s on, if you are willing to live with it. It's almost not noticeable. Keep in mind that the 20s do not ride as smooth as 17s, and replacement tires are $$$.

3). Do y'all know of anyone who sells a 18 inch or higher wheel that looks like the SRT-10. My girl hates the stock 20's cause she thinks they look like daiseys. I kinda sorta like them but...

I have not seen any yet.

4). My truck sits at an odd angle. Anyone know of a relatively inexpensive and preferably reversible way of lowering the rear end (other than 3000 lbs in the bed). Sorry if this seems dumb but my trade in is a camaro, which has obviously a completly different suspension, and on my lincoln all you hve to do is move a sensor...

I believe there is a lowering kit for the rear that drops it 2". Not very expensive, but I don't have the specifics on it.

Insurance is going to be sort of high. I went from a 2001 GMC Sierra SLT Ext Cab 4x4 to a 2004 Dodge Ram SLT Hemi Quad Cab 4x4, and my insurance went from $305 every six months to $595 every six months. OUCH!

 

Ground Force on the lowering kit for the rear end. As far as insurance goes, when I went from my 2003 dodge ram quad cab to the 2004 rumble bee, it went down $180 a year, its with GEICO.

 

So in answer to one of m own questions... I asked two truck accesory stores and a dodge service department and they all said that you do not have to reprogram your computer for a rear gear change... the VSS reads wheel RPM not transmision RPM so is not affected by rear end gears, or for that matter what gear your tranny is in or if you have a broken driveshaft... it just reads how fast your wheel is turning, in a manner similar i belive to how most ABS systems do. You still have to change the computer for switches in wheels and tires. The service department I talked to said that would run about $85.