Welcome to you Travis;
You have a great truck there. . I recently purchased a 97 2500 CTD myself and I can tell that it's going to be one of my favorites !!
The TDR site is loaded with great folks and great information... from your description of yourself, I would suggest that you tread lightly. Lots of the members on the site have had a ton of experience with Dodge and the Cummins. So much so, that it is second nature to them !! If you are like me, you need specifics (just as a good carpenter would use a plan when building a house, etc. ) What I think was my best move was to order the Cummins engine manual and Dodge Ram service manual. Now when I get advice from my TDR buddies, I can open the book and see what the "whatsis" is that they were talking about !!
You may receive several good answers for each question you ask !! I like those answers that include the site links. BTW. . there is a wealth of helpful information available in Cummins and Dodge sites as well as in the sites by aftermarket suppliers themselves.
Congratulations to you on your new arrival and
watch out. . these darned trucks are addictive Dick S