A Look Into The 2nd-Gen Dodge RAM Pickup

Pickups, SUVs, and muscle cars are the three top things to describe American culture other than Hollywood. With the first pickup, the 1925 Ford Model-T pickup, officially launched by the Blue Oval, it quickly became a major part of the economy. With the Big Three automakers having the lion’s share in this market, a few overseas brands also introduced some pickups to compete and have become successful too.

Coming to the truck now, the second-generation Dodge RAM was the game changer for not only Chrysler but also for the entire pickup truck’s history. With the van-like design of the previous generation models, both Bob Lutz and Phillip E. Payne decided to turn things around. After that, a new design approach was formulated and the first big-rig-styled design entered the pickup truck market. And the 2nd Dodge RAM series was the one to get it first.

What About The Truck’s Design?

Prior to the 1st-generation Dodge RAM pickup heading for its end of life, the successor model was already in the works at Chrysler’s hub. However, a couple of top personnel from the brand, Lutz and Payne, decided to give the truck something different. They went back to the drawing board and a complete redesign was done. The primary point of attraction was the truck’s exterior design which resembled a mini big rig that has always managed to turn heads. The minivan-like trucks in the early days were quickly getting unpopular and people were losing interest in them as well.

Starting with the exterior design, the truck’s cabin was given a massive space too. It was aimed to achieve two things, adequate space for multiple occupants and enough room for the driver. Other than these, the cabin was made with solid quality materials and also received some first-ever features such as reclining front seats and rear-hinged rear cab doors.

Engine And Capacity Of The Truck

After making the truck look completely different and practical, then it was time for the powertrain. While the existing engines and the transmissions weren’t too outdated, the new management wasn’t impressed with them. Even the Cummins turbo diesel failed to impress them as well. There was a need for a gas motor with plenty of oomph and stout towing capacity.

This is where the all-new and the mighty 8.0L V10 entered the scene. It was developed from the ground up and was built from steel block as compared to the aluminum V10 from the Viper. The motor delivered a solid 300 horsepower and a whopping 450 lb-ft of torque, just the right numbers for towing. The motor offered a maximum towing capacity of 13,400 lbs along with a maximum payload capacity of 4,000 lbs. It was paired with two transmissions, a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed automatic.

What About The Truck’s Downsides?

Since the 2nd-gen RAM pickup was a completely new vehicle, it did end up having some issues that were faced by several owners. It is still a common occurrence where a brand-new or completely upgraded vehicle would face some reliability problems during the initial stages. We have listed below the common problems stated by the owners over the years about the truck.

• Rusting: Rust is kind of inevitable for iron pieces if not taken care of properly. While modern vehicles see negligible amounts of rusting, old vehicles didn’t have the quality of paint like now. The rocker panels of the RAM trucks were prone to rusting easily and rectifying them depends on the amount of rust. For most parts, sanding it or applying a fresh coat of paint does the job. However, in worse cases, the panel needs to be replaced.
• Steering Ramble: This is another common issue with the 2nd-gen RAM. Several owners complained that while driving, the truck would refuse to stay in a straight line and go adrift sideways. As such, continuous corrective inputs were required to keep it straight.
• 4x4 Disconnector: Trucks equipped with the 4x4 drivetrain faced this issue commonly. It emerged from leakage in the disconnector’s supply lines. To deal with this, several owners replaced the cables or cleared the accumulated dirt and debris followed by fixing the holes on the intake.
• Transmission Regulator Valve failure: Trucks with the optional automatic transmission faced this problem. The regulator valve inside the transmission would break off easily. As a result, while reversing, the transmission would make a whining noise. Dodge rectified the problem from the following models though.
• Dashboard rupture: There were plenty of cheap quality plastic bits inside the RAM’s cabin. And after parking the vehicle in the sun for too long would make them dried up and brittle. As such, the dashboard would break after cracking and you’d need to replace the entire set.

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