Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) need some new buyer advice on truck selection, towing

[Bug1]

I need some advice about buying a Ram turbodiesel, so hopefully I have come to the right place!



I am looking for a truck to fill an all-purpose vehicle role, it will be my primary "good" vehicle for when my beater projects arent running, it will be our camping rig (yearly backcountry camping in Nevada/Oregon desert, this is why I want the 12-valve for reliability) and it will be used to tow between 8-10K, sometimes for long distances (i. e. from Washington to California or Utah, in the summer heat). I am looking for a Ram because I have had good luck with a 1994 2500 gasser, but I need a bigger cab and a sturdier motor for towing. Since this will replace my diesel Mercedes as daily driver it has to get at least the same mileage (around 23mpg)



Here is what I think I want: an early 1998 12-valve 2500 4-door short box 4x4 with auto transmission and 3. 55 gears in the rear.



I want the 3. 55 gears so I can keep it at 75mph/2000rpm for fuel economy at speed. I want the short box so I can have the extended cab and still get into parking garages and other tight spots, as well as for light-duty off road travel. I dont need a big bed, I have big trucks for that stuff.



I know I get penalized in GCVW with pretty much everything I list above, so I am wondering if I need to change my wish list if I still want to be able to tow. I already assume I will need to replace the auto transmission with a beefed up aftermarket unit, get load-range E tires, etc. I would also be open to an over/under aux transmission, but I dont know how well they play with the automatic. As far as the trailer goes, I am looking at a custom-made bumper pull tandem axle for hauling my Unimog around, so it will be properly balanced as far as tongue weight and all that goes...



What do you all think? Any real-world advice is greatly appreciated.



-Zach

 

[ndurbin]

I'd go with a manual if I ever buy another dodge/cummins. But if you want the auto I would do some upgrades and get a Trans. temp gauge. Torque convertor and vavle body atleast. I'd also get the timing bumped upto about 15. 5*, gets ya a bit better mpg. might not get 23, but with my setup I get 20-21. If your gunna do any power upgrades, pop the afc housing off and move the cam plate forward. if ya do that then ya need to get and EGT gauge. You can also disable your wastegate and pop the silencer ring out of the turbo.



The 4-door 98 12 valves are pretty rare from what I have heard.



and they have 3. 54s not 3. 55s

 

[Matt42]

A Few Thoughts & Observations

Hi, Zach. Starting from the top, I don't think you will be able to attain 23 MPG, especially not with an automatic transmission. My 5 speed gets no better than 21 on the highway, not towing. In town, it'll get 17 to 19 MPG, depending on the season. You should be able to tow the load you mention without much difficulty. I can't comment on automatic transmissions. Others undoubtedly will. I concur with your choice of axle ratios. However, you will likely find that your most economical cruising speed will be 60 to 65 MPH. Load range E tires were standard on mine, and I think also on the 1998.

 

[Bug1]

ndurbin, Matt,

Thanks for the advice. .



I will definately be investing in a trans temp gauge, and probably other upgrades as well in the future, although it would be nice if I could get a few years out of the stock transmission before upgrading. .



21mpg would be OK, I sort of wanted to stay with the automatic but if the mpg hit is too big I will consider the manual trans. . I dont expect to get in the 20's while towing, only while cruising along (relatively) unloaded.



How many RPM are you turning at 65mph?

 

[TPCDrafting]

Unless my left leg falls off, I'll always have a standard transmission for truck purposes. You will lose 10-20% of your power through the auto transmission, not to mention the Cummins is detuned in the auto configuration. Like many of us, you will soon get the bombing bug and adding power with the 5 speed, you'll have cheaper problems to deal with. Also, if your pulling, it's less expensive to add an exhaust brake. First thing to do before adding power, you'll wanna be able to stop. To me, the '98 12 valve Quad cab 4x4, short box isn't too hard to find, but you will spend some time looking. It did take me a while to find one, but back then (2000), there weren't too many used ones for sale. As far as mileage, mine jumps around, but on a good day, if I keep my foot out of it I can get 20 mpg on the highway keeping it under 80 mph. I'm not sure what rpm I'm at running 75, but I know its more than 2000. More likely closer to 2300-2500. Good luck in your search, I think your mostly on the right path.

 

[ndurbin]

never really looked @ 65. but 75 i'm turnin 2000 rpm

 

[Loren]

Zach,



I’m sure that you know that there is no such thing as an all-purpose vehicle. You will need to decide what your priorities are for this truck, just as you did with all your other vehicles.



As far as reliability is concerned, any of the Dodge diesels will prove very reliable. The engine is the strongest point, and you don’t need to get a 12-valve to ensure reliability. The 24-valves have also proven themselves.



You won’t get 23 mpg, especially with the automatic, and REALLY especially at 75 mph. My 1995 auto gets about 17-18 mpg at that speed. The 6-speed does a little better, perhaps 18-19.



If you will be towing a lot, I also encourage you to get a manual transmission rather than the auto. It’s your choice, of course, but you will absolutely need to upgrade the auto. My 1995 auto transmission has been rebuilt already, mostly because of damage from using an exhaust brake (before I knew about the torque converter lock-up switch).



If you want to install an exhaust brake, you will prefer the manual. My exhaust brake is the best accessory I’ve added to my truck, and it’s a long list of accessories. Towing in mountains is no fun without it.



These trucks come with load range E tires, but the first owner may have traded down when the factory rubber wore out.



I don’t know what a Unimog weighs, but are you sure that the trailer plus the load will be in the 8,000-10,000 pound range? That sounds a bit light for the combination you mention. These trucks can handle a certain amount of overloading, which is not sanctioned by Dodge, TDR, or me, but a manual transmission will accept more abuse than the automatic. If you plan on a lot of towing, I’d urge you to reconsider the transmission.



I agree with your logic regarding axle ratios, and also the extended-cab, short-box. If you are considering an over/underdrive, the two units normally used are made by U. S. Gear and by GearVendors. Only U. S. Gear makes an underdrive (despite GearVendor’s ads), but you probably would rather have an overdrive anyway. The U. S. Gear allows overdrive use when in 4WD, while the GearVendors must be in direct drive only during 4WD. I hope to have an article discussing auxiliary transmissions to Robert (TDR editor) for publication in the magazine soon, perhaps a couple of issues from now. I hope he’ll print it.



The 47RE automatic (4-speed) will turn 1805 rpm at 65 mph with Goodyear Wrangler RT/S LT245/75R16 tires. The NV4500 (5-speed) will turn 1939 rpm at 65 mph with the same tires. Those tires turn 683 revolutions per mile.



You may like some of these trucks better than others, but you won’t go wrong with any of them.



Loren

 

[Bug1]

Loren,

Thanks for the advice. I know there is no such thing as the perfect vehicle, but going into the Ram/Diesel world blind I figure I can throw some unreasonable demands out there and see which ones get shot down by those who know more than I do! :^)



Regarding reliability and 12 vs. 24 valve, I believe that the 24 valve is fundamentally a good motor, but judging by the quantity and quality of posts in the 24 valve forums it sounds like the computerized motors arent quite up to par, and for something that will be used for remote desert camping and maybe trips to Alaska and such, the 12-valve is the way to go. I am keeping an eye toward the 24-valve though, and may reconsider. .



I know the automatic is a mistake as far as mileage and durability go. . Not much to be done about fuel economy I guess but from what I read about durability it sounds like worst case I am out $3500 for a upgraded transmission? (I do all my own work) Thats not great, but its not the end of the world either. . As I stated in my first post, if I get an auto I pretty much plan on replacing it with a better one. As far as the 5-speed goes, I had not really considered it because I just dont like the way my gasser ram drives with the 5 speed. I guess I really need to drive the diesel with the 5-speed before i can really judge...



THe Unimog is about 6K curb weight (its a small one!) plus another 2K for the trailer and up to 1k in gear either in the truck on on the trailer. . You said "sounds a bit light for the combination you mention", not sure what you meant. .



Thanks again for the advice!



-Zach

 

[midwestdually]

this what you are looking for?

not my truck and i am not a huge fan of white but still seems like a good truck... a 98 12 valve quad 4x4 is kinda rare ... but they are out there... a 5spd is even harder to find... i had a 98 12valve 3500 auto quad that is wish i still had



here it is



http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&category=31831&item=2439618051