Anybody see Dateline?

[Tilesetter Too]

Anybody see Dateline? Guess which fullsize truck got the worst crash rating from insurance companies for the most expensive repairs. Dodge averaged $2000 in a 5mph crash. Crashes were performed from 4 different angles. Out of the seven vehicles tested (4trucks,3 small suvs) only the Toyota rav 4 faired worse than the dodge and that was only beacause of a poorly placed spare tire on the rear tailgate that stuck out past the bumper and caused most of the damage. The dodge rear bumper just folded like paper in a rear pole impact. Front impact toasted the radiator support and and damaged the a/c, grill and cracked the hood.
Shawn

------------------
1998. 5 4x4 quad LB, Rollnlock, 5spd.

 

[Jumbo Jet]

Didn't see it!

But I did perform a 2 mph test on the rear bumper. It folded like it was made of aluminum foil.

I saw a Ford with a rear bumper that was made in San Antonio, TX.

Gotta have one.

I leave a receiver hitch plug in to catch the cars.

 

[Bad340fish]

Easy solution, Don't wreck your **** truck lol
Clark

 

[R.ebel]

I saw Dateline, I'm in the market for some real bumpers!

------------------
1997 2500 SLT 4X4,5 spd,3. 54's,Pacbrake,Rancho 9000's,Centerforce,K&N,Isspro,BD 300 HP pump, Jardine 4", 370's and 16cm housing.

 

[radixr]

I've got my rear bumper off to rustpruf it and was dismayed to find out how light it is. #ad
#ad

 

[mr plow]

well boys n girlz, i can report that I took omy one ton into a wall at 60 mph, and walked away with a mere bruise from the seat belt. Black Ice sucks. But hey, I'm on my third dodge. Cummins rules.
------------
2000 2500 hd, 4x4 fisher ez-v, **** kit, k&n and dreaming of a plug n power.

 

[mr plow]

sorry meant shift kit - got to get to typing class...

 

[mbrolin]

Show was somewhat misleading. It was not for safety but an independent test for cost per collision. I should add that we have not seen that many Dodge trucks in our bodyshop. Didnt get a 94+ bodystyle in till about 96. Statistics will show that Ram trucks overall are on the low end of the cost scale for insurance companys. Premiums are based on the average cost per repair and also on the frequency. This means that a Toyota Corolla could actually cost more to insure versus a Ram truck based on cost per repair. Also anyone who has invested,as we have,in an expensive piece of equipment tend to take better care of it. As well as drive it more carefully.

------------------
2001 HO 6spd,Quad cab,LWB,4x4,Flame Red,all options except for leather,Westin Brushguard/Push bar,Painless wiring,Radio Shack CB,my own design CB mount,Smittybuilt nerf bars,NW Custom rocker covers,Custom built stainless rocker light bars,DeeZee bedrails,Isspro pyro and boost gauges,Jacobs ebrake,Reese 20k 5er hitch(more to come)

 

[pwr2tow]

I would rather be sitting behind the wheel of a 7,000 lb truck then a 3,000 lb tin can in a head on collision at any speed.
Ron

------------------
1999, 3500, 6x6, slt, auto, 3. 54, Qd cab, ISB cummins, towing 2001 26RKSS Tahoe 5th wheel, 1999 120hp 1800 bayliner.

 

[MHindman]

Before i got this truck, i drove a 1998 toyota tacoma trd. It was a nice little truck, but it cost more to insure that per year than it did to insure a 1997 Dodge Ram 2500 V8 extcab long bed, with everything. And it cost me the same to insure a 1999 f250 superduty diesel. (BTY Its was a total piece of **** )

------------------
(Silver Bullet)1999 Ext Cab 4X4 5SPD, All options. Power Max 3(adjustable), K&N Filter, no muffler, Pyro,Fender Flares, Toolbox, bedrail covers, 450 watt Kenwood Sub, 33 12. 50 16. 5's, 3. 54's... Soon to have: 4inch, DDIII's, Southbend clutch.

 

[tmacc]

I think Michael has it right. We tend to take care of our trucks, as can be seen by the interest in this site. Also, if you've seen the "ram owner age" thread, we tend to be a little on the "mature" side of life. Not that bombing doesn't bring the little kid out in all of us.

 

[illflem]

I saw the 5 mph front and rear crash test results for passenger cars and vans, the only thing worse than Chrysler products was a Mercedes Benz and that was because the parts were expensive. The Grand Caravan had over $3000 in damage from a front impact, it even knocked the engine off it's mounts. The best was a Kia, it had no damage from a low speed impact front or rear. Showed the Kia hitting the post, it just bounced off like it was made of rubber.

 

[95REDRAM]

Yes, the bumpers are junk. They are for looks only and I have to say they really do look good. I have a '73 Power Wagon that came with a chrome steel bumper in front and painted step bumper in the rear. The material is thicker but they still fold like aluminum foil when hit. I remember when the insurance companies pushed the energy absorbing bumpers (for cars) on us back in the early 70's. I think 72 was the first year. I remember reading a magazine article about comparison tests of different cars with and without these bumpers. Just for kicks someone got the idea to test a Model T or it might have been a Model A. It survived a 12 MPH straight on crash with zero damage. Doesn't really mean anything but I thought ya'll might find it interesting. Also, when the step bumper on my '73 got destroyed by about a 5 MPH rearender I decided to try something other than a factory bumper. A friend had a bumper made from 6" channel w/3" channel mounts and 1/4" plate on top. He decided not to use it and sold it to me for $60. 00. A fair amount of money back then but less than a factory bumper. I figured if I got hit again that one of two things would happen. The truck frame might buckle where it curves up over the rear axle or whatever hit me would be destroyed. As luck would have it, about 15 years later I got rearended again. I was stopped and the car couldn't have been doing more than 5 MPH. The hit was so light that my 2 kids didn't even realize we had been hit. Damage to Power Wagon - $6. 00 for new tag light. Damage to 85 Thunderbird - hood, bumper, grill and radiator support wiped out. I didn't laugh at the other guy's misfortune in front of him but you can bet I've enjoyed telling this story over and over. That same rear bumper literally ripped the right fender off of a Dodge Aries at about 20 MPH. Damage to Power Wagon - $0. 00. Damage to Aries - $2000. 00. (My fault that time) The point is, build your own bumpers if you want something that won't fold under a little pressure.

 

[hank]

Tilesetter:
You're right the stock bumpers on our Rams are for decorative purposes only. Get yourself a Ranch Hand 4" pipe rear bumper with the 7" drop for access to the stock receiver hitch. These things are oilfield-tough. I backed into one of those concrete trash barrel holders at a campground, knocked the barrel 10' back when I hit it at 5 mph. Damage: a small rough spot on the bumper I dressed up with a file and a couple of shots of semigloss Krylon. As far as the front goes, that's a little costlier. Ranch Hand makes a steel monstrosity that looks at home on a cement mixer and weighs almost as much. After I hit the 4-point muley at 65 mph and wiped out the stock tin foil bumper, AC condenser, grille, left headlight asmbly, left fog lamp, intercooler (only the mounting tabs were slightly bent)and radiator bracket, I looked around for a better deal. Found a heavy gauge aluminum bumper-bull bar combo at 4-wheel Drive Parts Warehouse made by TJM in Austrailia (kangaroos). It's light, looks good and has wrap around coverage. It even has a cutout for a winch. I haven't seen them in the last couple of years but the ARB bull bar bumper might be equivalent. Good luck.

------------------
'97 5-speed longbed cc, 4x4, 4:10 lsd, Horton, GearVendors, Ranchos, tow hooks, 255/85 Dunlop Radial Rovers (33"), Ranch Hand rear and TJM front bumpers, cab-high ARE topper, 6 CD Changer, no Cat, no muffler, EGT/Boost gauges, Dual Optima Red Tops, Bright Box. 19. 5 mpg bobtail, 14 mpg towing 25' TT.

[This message has been edited by hank (edited 04-11-2001). ]

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Quoted by Mr. Plow

"sorry meant shift kit - got to get to typing class... "

Mr. Plow, did you leave the "f" out of "shift kit"? LMAO #ad


Reminds me of a Lawn Boy riding mower ad I saw once, touting their new hydramatic drive: ". . . featuring our new 'I TRIED TO BY-PASS THE CUSSING FILTER On The Fly' transmission!" #ad


Vaughn

 

[GLedwig]

I saw the Dateline show and it got me to thinkin... . If a person put heavy duty bumpers in the front and rear, wouldn't that entitle him to a cut in insurance cost? If it does, I've been cheating myself for a long time.

------------------
2001. 5 4X4 24v ISB. Reg. Cab SLT 5-speed 3. 54 Dark garnet. BFG Mud Terrains on all 4. Gooseneck hitch. Grill guard. Not equipped enough to be my official ranch truck-but gettin' there

 

[FMcClaren]

The only thing you worry about is something
bigger then you smacking you. I got rearended in S. C last year ,the guy was driveing a Honda doing about 15 mph. His head broke his windshield and he totaled his car. I got a small dent in my bumper. His lesson learned was always wear the seatbelt.
My lesson was always have a trailer hitch even if you never use it. I had tranfer flow tank instead of a spare tire. (GAS)
Enough said.
Mac B

------------------
01 2500 Bright silver QC A/T 4x4 LB 3. 54

 

[apkole]

Perhaps the most disappointing item in the purchase of my 99 was the bumper. We do replace the rear bumpers with custom systems for the rear plow blades. The wife and I watched the report on tv, and I commented that I would like to replace the front bumper as well, but clearance considerations for the rapid attach Boss snowplow probably will preclude doing so. I do find that the black painted steel channel rear bumper tends to get the tailgaters to back off once I give em an upclose and personal look. LOL Andy

------------------
1999 2500 4wd auto 3. 54 difs, std cab,forest green/driftwood Rhino liner, Boss 8' front & custom 7' rear blade for snow removal
1991 W250 4WD auto/no od. , 3. 07 difs 155k mi same as above for plow set up

 

[Tilesetter Too]

Yeah, I really love those trailer hitches. I had a Bronco that I got rearended in at 45mph, that had a hitch. The CRX that hit me was totaled at the scene, had to be towed off. I was ****** cause he left blue paint on my pretty black hitch, the jerk! LOL


------------------
1998. 5 4x4 quad LB, Rollnlock, 5spd.

 

[Archive]

I think that there is a break even point on beefier protection on the front and back. At velocities under say 10 mph your probably going to have less $$$ damage. Anything above that speed more major damage is going to happen further back from the initial point of impact. This includes the frame and body panels that are effected by brush guard tubes and the like, esp. in the front.

I had a '87 4Runner that had a twin tube Smitty rear and a Bull-Bar front. I was rear ended in Tucson by a full sized Ford van while I was stopped at a light. She (driver) locked-m-up from about 30mph and was going under 10 at impact. I expected the whole rear to be crumpled and tailgate shot as I got out to examine the damage. Nothing more than two small dents to the tubes. But she did hit me square.

Fast forward a couple of years to Seattle when I did the same thing to a VW Bug at about 25mph. Bug did a 180 and slid forward some 35 feet. Bull-bar did a good job on the Bug (totaled), but also ruined the hood and BOTH front fenders, lights and turn lamps, radiator and bent the front frame. Damage over 3k and that was in '91.

At this point, I'm going to leave the front alone, as that is up to me (big game is a crap shoot, mule deer is one thing, Bull Elk you better be in a Class 8 tractor), and let the receiver hitch and Tommy Gate deal with those from behind.

------------------
'99 4x4 • SB • QC • 3. 54 • LSD • AT • Leather • Mag-Hytech • Westach Guages • Line-X • Tommy Gate