Here I am

Pick your Brain!

Attention: TDR Forum Junkies
To the point: Click this link and check out the Front Page News story(ies) where we are tracking the introduction of the 2025 Ram HD trucks.

Thanks, TDR Staff

Fuel guage sending unit/ Not drop tank??

Poor Fuel Mileage

Status
Not open for further replies.
Please help me with the inside SCOOP on what to look for and to avoid when shopping for a used Dodge diesel. Yes, I have joined TDR (and this is my First post) even though I don't even own a Ram yet. I have decided to go with the Dodge, over the "other brands" after lurking in the background and reading some of the posts over the last 2 months.
I am in the market for a 1994 to 1997 (has to be quad or extra cab). I tow a 31ft. camper about 1 or 2 times a month (I
have a super nice '87 Suburban now, but it Just not doing the trick), other than that it will be a daily driver. I need
help, because when it comes to Diesel's or "Dodge's I have no clue what to watchout for and what are some of the
quirks with the Dodge.
Sorry for the LONG post, but I need all of your wisdom and knowledge that you may supply, so I can make a wise
choice when I do find "The Ram".
A Pre-Thank You and Happy to be a "TDR Virgin"
LOL.
 
First thing, find out if it's been BOMBED. If it has don't buy it, (takes half the fun out of owning a Cummins). seriously though most of us who Bomb, whether we want to admit it or not, are looking for one thing. MORE POWER, which in my case at least, has been tested as many times as I can find an excuse for. I think any Ram that has a good service record and less than average miles would be a great investment. I here pros and cons about all of them. You should buy the one you feel will do what you want, be it an auto, stick, 4x4 or two wheel drive. When you do buy,enjoy it and post it on the site so we all can read about it.
Don

------------------
96 2500 4x4 5spd 3. 54 grs,#10 TST plate,AFC spring kit,16 cm turbo,CUSTOM 4" exhaust, (turbo to tail),K&N RE-0880 filter,TST guages,370HP injectors,3800 rpm governor spring kit, Mcleod dual disc clutch(street),305/70r16 Goodyear Wrangler MT tires
 
Be sure to take it for a test drive and look for any of the common problems. For example: alignment, steering, and pulling while braking. If it's an auto transmission check for cooler line leaks. A lot of trucks don't show any sign of these problems so it doesn't make sense to buy one that does.

------------------
Joe George
Eureka, CA

'95 2500 CC auto 4X4,Combo EGT/boost guage,custom switch panel,PacBrake,TST #5,BD valve body,Automatic motorhome steps on both sides,Foldacover hard bed cover,Cummins chrome kit,Black steel grill guard,Front hitch receiver

[This message has been edited by Joe G. (edited 08-25-2000). ]
 
Another thing to look for is year & transmission. The best 12v pumps are in the non-California type 96 & 97 5 speeds. Father Bosch put in a different pump here, according to TST. Really sensitive to plate position.

Look on the front of the motor @ the sticker for a 215hp version. You'll get the bigger injectors & pump to start with. Also, the 5 speed versions get you the Dana 80 rear pumpkin.

If you're going to tow a 5th Wheel, look for a rear anti-sway bar. They really help the side to side roll of the beast with the 5'er hooked up. A really heavy 5th Wheel likes the rear overload springs on the camper special suspension options. Keeps the rear from squatting down too far.

& if you're me, the only cab is the extended cab. Plenty room to chuck your stuff like coats & the family muttzoid.

------------------
Money Sink - 96, 5 speed, Injectors, 280/685 & AFC housing slid.
4" CAT back & CATless, 4" chrome turn down straight out back.
ISSPRO Pillar, Delvac 1 & Amsiol, K&N, Monicas silencer ring removed, Exhaust brake, Mag-Hytec, 3:54, 235s.
HX35s days are numbered, HX40-16 is here.
Un-Bombed = Boring
 
Don't be scared off if you find a clean truck at a good deal that has 100,000 miles or so. On these babies (if they've been taken care of), they're just getting broke in. It's been my experience that if the previous owner didn't care about taking care of the rest of the truck, he probably didn't care about taking care of the engine/drivetrain. Usually, if they cared enough about the truck to keep the appearance up, especially after 4 or 5 years, they probably cared about how they took care of the engine/drivetrain, too.
 
Just like Forest said. 96&97 5sp are 215hp& Dana 80. If you don't get the overload package,the airbags are great for an add on! The dealer told me that 97 had brake&clutch improvements. Mines been fine with the exception of having to manually adjust the rear brakes. The autos are 180 hp and aren't as bomb friendly. 3. 54 and 245 tires is good gearing to pull all but the biggest loads. 3. 54 and 265 tires is stretching it. If you want to put on really tall tires,I'd look for a 4. 10. Craig

------------------
97 3/4Ton, 2WD, 5SP, #11 Plate, 14 Housing, AF942M Air filter, Gutted Cat, 4"From Turbo, Shortened Frame, Custom Bed, HEY FORDBOY POWERSTROKE THIS!
 
Where grungy clothes. So you can look underneath the truck.
Pull dipstick and smell the oil. Smear the oil between your fingers. If its sticky maybe additives in the oil.
Check air filter. That can tell you how well the previous guy took care of the truck.
Check fluid levels. Steering,cooling & transmission.
Open and close doors, tailgate also.
Look at tires. Tells you for alinement problems.
Chanches you have looked at many vehicles before. So if some thing is wrong or suspicious you'll notice.
 
If you take the VIN to a dealer service writer they can tell you every repair or maintence that any Dodge dealer has preformed on the truck. Saw an ad for dotcom that would do the same thing for a price,but don't remember the URL,maybe someone else does.
 
If possible, jack up the front to take the weight off the front end for checking wear. If the interior is carpeted, lift any floormats to check for moisture damage. Look along the sills also. Bend down and smell the carpet too. Look for "high end" filters as opposed to cheapies. Same for tires, shocks, drive belt. Include flat and crowned roads in your test drive.
 
In addition to the usual items, I would check the track bar and the ball joints. I recently purchased my truck and wish I had inspected the front end more closely, I discovered a week after buying it that the lower ball joints, track bar, and steering stabilizer were all shot. I would also recommend checking the shocks and steering stabilizer (as well as everything else) for leaking after a good long test drive, as dealers typically steam clean the engine compartment and undercarriage and you may not see any fluid before the test drive. Good Luck.
 
pcorssmit,

Don't feel alone, I made the same mistake. Jeff H made a good point with the grungy clothes. The day I bought my truck, it had rained and I barely grabbed ahold of anything on the steering. My bill was about $1,100! My truck had just come in and was not detailed and I could see all the grunge, etc. so I was more focused on oil leaks.
 
Thanks to everyone so far.
Give me More, More, More!!!!!!
I can see the look on their faces now when I pull out all the print outs from you all.
 
Besides looking for the Dogde flaws and Diesels plusses or minus, look for the basic things. Like accident free. Stand at angle to front or rear of truck and look down side this method usually shows telltale signs of body work( bondo and/or bad paint macth up). Also look at door,hood and tail gait jams for mismatched paint. Good painters will paint these areas to match new exterior paint,but some don't so you can tell if the inside of door paint is older(duller) than exterior. Look for masking tape pieces on widows,lights,chrome trim and bumbers (Especially bottom of bumbers).
Of course wear and tear on brake pedal(clutch pedal)and if its been bombed wear and tear on accelerator pedal. I would look for un bombed truck, that way you can bomb it the way you want to.
 
If you are towing a trailer consider a dualie-they have a tendancy to tow easier when trucks pass. You only give up about 1 mpg but having both truck I like towing with the 3500 much better.
 
I'd go for a 5-speed, myself. I owned both.
I agree with what everyone above says. Get a non-California truck without the EGR system (my first truck was a California truck). You can't put an exhaust brake on an EGR equipped truck, unless you remove the EGR parts.
'97's had an improvement in brakes over the '96's. That's when they switched from vacuum-assisted to hydraulic-assisted (using the power steering pump).
If you're looking for a 4X4 2500, the heavy duty transfer case was an option on those (standard on the 3500). Look for "NV241HD" on the tag on the transfer case, versus "NV241". The heavy duty transfer case has 6 planetary gears inside of it as opposed to 4 in the regular duty one. Also, it has a wider chain.

I'm sure you're already doing this, so forgive me for pointing it out, but are you keeping an eye on the classifieds on this website? If you buy a truck from a fellow TDR member, the odds are it was very well maintained and lovingly cared for. It might already have a few of the expensive "gottahaveits" installed, like an exhaust brake, better shocks, etc.
Andy
 
I'm shocked that no one has recommended the basic engine review of checking the compression. My looking for a Dodge Cumming didn't leave many choices because most owners will not sell there trucks. I finally found one because this guy needed cash quickly because of his business plan, otherwise I would still be looking and asking for a used truck and getting the hell no I won't sell. So I recommed a compression check on what ever truck you can find. Take a look at TDR's classified you might find one out of state that will work for you. Oh I almost forgot to direct you to look inside the drivers door side is a factory description of gears, gross vehicle weight etc. that is different on each truck. You just can't assume that one Dodge Cumming is the same as the next one. There are difference in there capacity. Good luck on your selection.
 
BG Dummy:

Welcome Aboard!

You do not live far from me. I am down here
in S. Eastern N. C. I was recently up in
Reidsville, N. C. at a training seminar.
There is a dealership there by the name
of "Smith-Stokes Dodge. " They had a very
good selection of new Dodge Diesels as well
as several nice used trucks. I don't have
their telephone number but I'm sure you
can get it from directory assistance or the
TDR might have it. I believe they were
listed as a "Five Star" dealer recently.

Good Luck!


------------------
Red '96 4x4 2500 Auto 3. 54, TST #5, Pump Mods, Banks Exhaust, Prime Loc, Cummins Chrome Kit, Pro-Torque Converter, BD Valve Body, Sendel 16" Alum Wheels w/ 33" BFGs
 
As you are looking for an extended cab, a '94 is out 'cuz they didn't build 'em. I would stay away from a '95 with an automatic trans as there was a change made in (I think) '96 which fixed the failing O/D sets (about $1,500-$2K to fix). Also, check up on the 5th gear nut saga and drive properly (no lugging in 5th).
Engine wise I'd look for a 215 hp, change the oil a couple times at 5k miles and go with a bypass filter set-up and your favorite synthetic oil. Have your oil tested to see when to change. I was skeptical at first but I haven't changed oil in 42,000 miles. #ad

I would also look for something fully optioned, especially the power driver seat. Makes looong trips much easier, just drive the seat around 'til everything is happy.
Duallys are a much better bet, especially in crappy weather. If you do manage to get the trailer swung accross a couple lanes, you have a much better chance of recovery.
If the truck you're looking at has a plastic bedliner, look under it. They hide unbelieveable amounts of damage.
If you get an automatic, ask the former owner how often they changed the fluid. Frequent fluid changes (12k miles) are spec'ed because the torque convertor clutch slips on engaging (to keep from twisting off shafts) and that material is in the fluid.
Good luck and happy hunting!

------------------
'94 3500 4x4, 196,000 miles, Auto w/shift kit,3. 54 Gears, TST #5 plate, 235-85-16s, Rancho 9000s w/remote, Isspro gauges inplace of cupholder & Amsoil Bumper to Bumper. NRA member.

[This message has been edited by Extreme1 (edited 08-28-2000). ]
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top