What Did You Do To Your 4th Generation Truck Today?

[Dogpatch]

I searched but couldn't find a thread on what everyone did on their truck today like other forums. So...I'll start one!
If one exists...I apologize and either some one will point me to it or oh well, this one will die a quick death.
If there isn't one, maybe this could become a sticky!

In any event, this past weekend I put a new 22" Bright Source LED 10800 Lumen Light Bar in my bumper and Switch in my dash. I bought tow hook mounts for the light bar from Rough Country. Man....removing and re-installing those tow hooks by myself was a Son of a ......

I installed a separate switch and am planning on tapping into my bright light power wire so they come on with my brights or switched off if I want. I like that they will de-activate with my auto dimming feature on my truck so it doesn't affect oncoming traffic on the highway. Nice clean in-bumper install. I installed the switch left of the steering column. I gotta tell ya....my nuts were in my throat drilling a hole in the dash!

I took it it out in the dark last night and tried it. Damn it lights up the road good! I could drive without any headlights on at all!

 

[kthaxton]

I walked past and gave the rear bumper a quick smack before hopping in and driving to work.

 

[Mingoglia]

Looks good. I've been wanting to do this. I can't get out of my head though thinking about blocking airflow. I'll eventually talk myself into it. They're super bright though. I have a 22" light on my buggy. Lights up the whole world.

 

[Grizzly]

Dogpatch, I really like the LED light bar. Do they make them for the 3rd gen? As you know the 05, 3 gen lights suck. I really need better lights for the few occasions I drive when dark.

 

[Dieselnerd]

I had the R46 trackbar recall done. It took them 4 hours to complete.

Fancy bracket, looks plenty strong. Now I can stop inspecting the welds before every trip!

 

[Jonsnow]

I like the lights! I ordered some aftermarket (coyote) lug nuts to replace the garbage "shielded" factory lug nuts that come apart when using a impact gun.

 

[Big MAK]

Left it in the garage , rode the Harley :-laf

 

[Newsa]

I walked past and gave the rear bumper a quick smack before hopping in and driving to work.

Make sure you don't smack the bumper outside of the class V hitch area. It bends easily

 

[Dogpatch]

Dogpatch, I really like the LED light bar. Do they make them for the 3rd gen? As you know the 05, 3 gen lights suck. I really need better lights for the few occasions I drive when dark.

Need to see a picture of the front of your truck. Might have some recommendations from my research on mine. I think your truck will only fit a single row light bar but you can go up to 30" I believe.

My LED Light Bar is Bright Source model 72020E. Got it on sale for $251 CAD
My Tow Hook 20" LED light bar mounts are from Rough Country. Got them local but from Rough Country $35 USD
Here is a link to their site for 03-16 Ram 2500/3500 mount.
http://www.roughcountry.com/dodge-20in-light-bar-bumper-mounts-70568.html

 

[Dogpatch]

Looks good. I've been wanting to do this. I can't get out of my head though thinking about blocking airflow. I'll eventually talk myself into it. They're super bright though. I have a 22" light on my buggy. Lights up the whole world.

There is actually a lower slot below the chrome portion of the bumper that directs air up into the rad chamber behind the light bar. The Rough Country mounts also have a cut out slot to allow air through them. Click on the Rough Country mount link I attached in post #9.

You can see both the slotted mount and the lower bumper slot (black) in the photos below.

 

[Cummins12V98]

NO WAY would "I" do that. You just reduced air flow.

 

[kthaxton]

Make sure you don't smack the bumper outside of the class V hitch area. It bends easily

Sheesh, I'm not into S&M, it was just a flirtatious swat on the backside as I passed by.

 

[JDean]

I had the R46 trackbar recall done. It took them 4 hours to complete.

Fancy bracket, looks plenty strong. Now I can stop inspecting the welds before every trip!

I had this recall done a couple of weeks ago. Took them five days. Started out to be overnight, so I rented a car. Each day I would call and they would bump it up a day, so I'd call Hertz and do the same. When they bumped it out to Friday, I told them I would pick it up the following Monday, a week after I dropped it off. Took the car to a wedding in the next state we needed to be at which saved some miles on the truck. Nice car (a Nissan Altima) but the truck is actually more comfortable for long trips. And it has a better stereo.
- John D

 

[Dieselnerd]

I had this recall done a couple of weeks ago. Took them five days. Started out to be overnight, so I rented a car. Each day I would call and they would bump it up a day, so I'd call Hertz and do the same. When they bumped it out to Friday, I told them I would pick it up the following Monday, a week after I dropped it off. Took the car to a wedding in the next state we needed to be at which saved some miles on the truck. Nice car (a Nissan Altima) but the truck is actually more comfortable for long trips. And it has a better stereo.
- John D

Sounds like a real competent dealer (not)! The service department told me that they had already done quite a few and most took around 4 hours.

I waited while they did it, got there at 7:00 am and was given the truck back at 10:45 and was back home shortly after 11:00 am, about 4 hours total.

 

[Dogpatch]

NO WAY would "I" do that. You just reduced air flow.

Good thing you're not me or you would have done it.

If I see it causes any temperature problems, I guess I'll have a light bar for sale!

Till then.....I'm enjoying the HELL out of it!

 

[14ram]

Make sure you don't smack the bumper outside of the class V hitch area. It bends easily

Got that out of the way in the first month nice golf ball shape dent compliments of a pole in the old work parking lot......
My last truck took 2 years to put a mark on it so I was happy to not drag it out too long

 

[Newsa]

NO WAY would "I" do that. You just reduced air flow.

I'm not doing it either. But on a 2013 that has dual radiators (which were later done away with), those dual radiators will do the trick. In fact the lower radiator takes air coming up from under the bumper.

I'm surprised to see my 660 torque (reduced torque & likely reduced fuel) truck with 2 radiators...... where 900 ft lb torque trucks don't have the second radiator. Well, i live in florida which is a great place to have 2 radiators.

 

[Dogpatch]

I live in Canada. No worries!

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

NO WAY would "I" do that. You just reduced air flow.

This is funny. In no way will this cause heating issues. We have these on five different trucks here that tow heavy all year round and have no issues what so ever with over heating.

 

[TCDiesel]

So what heating are you referring to Coolant? its the CAC that's going to run hotter, When engines are on the dyno (Engine dyno) forget to turn the fan on the Air exchanger and you have air that's 100-200* hotter costing 2-4+% HP, Now couple that with EGR You will be increasing soot, the 6.7 has a tricky EGR setup, it has 3 Thermo couplers, 1 bypass valve, 1 EGR Valve, 1 Throttle valve. ETC.

I think its no problem in cool/cold climates but 85*+ days you will sacrifice Mileage, efficiency, and added maintence costs. More lightings may offset the cost. hitting 1 road animal Deer/elk would cost $1000s in repairs, easily making the addition lighting worth the costs.