Okay, Dodge CTD guys...

Boomer · Aug 30, 2006

What do you think of this truck?

1997 Dodge Ram 2500 4X4
5 spd manual w/5th gear fix
Newer ball joints and TREs
PW, PDL, CD, CC, Tilt, Power driver's seat
4.10 gears with limited slip front and rear differential
Leveling kit
35" tires on aftermarket wheels
Compression Brake
Chrome bumpers
chrome mirrors and footstep
Leer canopy w/ tinted windows
Sliding rear window
Sun visor
Tint
8' bed
181K miles
Fuel guage does not work
Cracked windshield
Overall truck looks very clean
$10k

Guess I'm just trying to talk myself into it.

Boomer · Aug 30, 2006

Would 35" tires be a concern if hauling an 8' slide in camper and flat towing a Jeep CJ-8?

crash2 · Aug 30, 2006

Boomer said:
Would 35" tires be a concern if hauling an 8' slide in camper and flat towing a Jeep CJ-8?

I like and sounds like a good deal. only thing is with those tires/lift your going to have to really jack the camper up to get it in but thats about it...

NotMatt · Aug 30, 2006

If you don't buy it, I want the contact info.

Lincolnlock · Aug 30, 2006

Looks like a good deal to me.

Bunk1 · Aug 30, 2006

The fuel gage could get expensive real quick if i remember correctly. Plus why a front lsd? And with 4.10's 70mpn is about tops..thats all i can think of. Dont forget about the KDP fix

Boomer · Aug 30, 2006

crash said:
I like and sounds like a good deal. only thing is with those tires/lift your going to have to really jack the camper up to get it in but thats about it...

I think the rear suspension is stock. It just has a leveling kit on the front. So with the larger tires, it should only ride an inch or so higher than stock. I was mostly wondering how well it would handle with the bigger tires.

Bunk said:
The fuel gage could get expensive real quick if i remember correctly. Plus why a front lsd? And with 4.10's 70mpn is about tops..thats all i can think of. Dont forget about the KDP fix

He said the intank sending unit for the fuel gauge is bad and that it's like a $45 part. Just have to drop the tank or lift the bed off to get to it. Don't know about them myself. My be a good time to replace the lift pump as preventative maintenance?

I'm not so sure it has a LSD up front, either. It didn't seem to handle weirdly when I drove it. Or at least no more weirdly than any other 2nd Gen Ram I've driven.

Think 70 will be the max even with the bigger tires? Seems like I was doing that without even trying.

I asked about the dowel pin and he didn't know what I was talking about, so I assume that is one more thing that will need doing.

One other thing I have heard is that the 97 seems to be the best year for the 12 valves. They had more of the bugs worked out of them by that year. Any truth to that?

zig80toy · Aug 30, 2006

Awsome truck, buy it quick before someone else does!!!!

CrustyJeep · Aug 30, 2006

Man that's perfect... 12-valve, NV4500, long bed, long cab, 4x4... Just perfect

Tankota · Aug 30, 2006

Can you confirm the "5th gear fix" is an actualy fix and no the "weld it to the shaft" method I've seen recently? Maybe ask for a receipt for the parts.

Other than that it seems good. 4.10s and 35s will be fine...maybe a bit higher revving than you'd want to be but heck, you don't want to get a ticket for going over 60 with a trailer (that's the law in case you didn't know). 4.10s and the stock 235s would make for a high revving slow vehicle. You may want to add airbags if you're going to put a camper on that thing. Also check your height with the camper on (after you buy it) to make sure you can clear all overpasses (some on side roads get down to near 12 foot clearance).

Bunk1 · Aug 30, 2006

Boomer said:
I think the rear suspension is stock. It just has a leveling kit on the front. So with the larger tires, it should only ride an inch or so higher than stock. I was mostly wondering how well it would handle with the bigger tires.

He said the intank sending unit for the fuel gauge is bad and that it's like a $45 part. Just have to drop the tank or lift the bed off to get to it. Don't know about them myself. My be a good time to replace the lift pump as preventative maintenance?

I'm not so sure it has a LSD up front, either. It didn't seem to handle weirdly when I drove it. Or at least no more weirdly than any other 2nd Gen Ram I've driven.

Think 70 will be the max even with the bigger tires? Seems like I was doing that without even trying.

I asked about the dowel pin and he didn't know what I was talking about, so I assume that is one more thing that will need doing.

One other thing I have heard is that the 97 seems to be the best year for the 12 valves. They had more of the bugs worked out of them by that year. Any truth to that?

I believe 97 has a bigger injector pump and bigger injectors. Check out the 3 grand gov kit, Its WAY easier to drive if you have a bit more revs

CrustyJeep · Aug 30, 2006

Bunk said:
I believe 97 has a bigger injector pump and bigger injectors.

'96 - '98-1/2 as far as I know...

Nuzzy · Aug 30, 2006

Bunk said:
And with 4.10's 70mpn is about tops..

Were the manuals really geared that much lower than the autos? My '00 Cummins auto with 4.10s and stock dually tires will hum along at 90-95 without winding out bad at all... Is that just cause the 24Vs rev higher than the 12vs if they don't have the gov kit?

Binder · Aug 30, 2006

Tankota said:
you don't want to get a ticket for going over 60 with a trailer (that's the law in case you didn't know).

Yup.....
RCW 46.61.410

(2) The maximum speed limit for vehicles over ten thousand pounds gross weight and vehicles in combination except auto stages shall not exceed sixty miles per hour and may be established at a lower limit by the secretary as provided in RCW 46.61.405.

Looks like a nice truck BTW.

Jason C · Aug 31, 2006

that is a steal.... I have the same truck..... 4.10's with 35's will be fine. I have 3.50 in mine but I think shifty(ebp) has 4.10's in his with same tires. welded 5th gear nut is fine. has 2.15 pump with a manual tranny. give that bitch a #10 camplate BFA and 4".. somone asked if manual truck where geared lower.... the answer is it has nothing to do with manual or auto. just depends on how it is orderd or comes from the factory plus if it is an auto it will have d-70 u where as the manual will have d-80 if oyu buy it drive somewhere and have the dowl pin fixed immediatly

Nuzzy · Aug 31, 2006

Jason C said:
.. somone asked if manual truck where geared lower.... the answer is it has nothing to do with manual or auto. just depends on how it is orderd or comes from the factory

Let me clarify... I guess a better question would be, Do the manuals have drastically different overdrive gearing than the autos? Not talking about axle gearing at all.

I was just confused at the comment that 4.10s would have a top speed of 70 mph when my CTD with 4.10s will easily do 90+...

Boomer · Aug 31, 2006

Nuzzy said:
Let me clarify... I guess a better question would be, Do the manuals have drastically different overdrive gearing than the autos? Not talking about axle gearing at all.

I was just confused at the comment that 4.10s would have a top speed of 70 mph when my CTD with 4.10s will easily do 90+...

From what I can tell, the Dodge autos have a .69 overdrive gear, and the NV4500 has a .73 overdrive gear. That translates into a difference of about 165 RPMs at 70MPH with 4.10 gears and 35" tires. The auto (assuming absolutely NO slippage) would be turning 1900 RPMs, and the NV4500 about 2065 RPMs. Whether the 24 valve engines are happier than 12 valves at higher RPMs, I do not know. But I know that the truck in question got up 70 MPH with ease and still seemed like it had a lot left to go.

Nuzzy · Aug 31, 2006

Boomer said:
From what I can tell, the Dodge autos have a .69 overdrive gear, and the NV4500 has a .73 overdrive gear. That translates into a difference of about 165 RPMs at 70MPH with 4.10 gears and 35" tires. The auto (assuming absolutely NO slippage) would be turning 1900 RPMs, and the NV4500 about 2065 RPMs. Whether the 24 valve engines are happier than 12 valves at higher RPMs, I do not know. But I know that the truck in question got up 70 MPH with ease and still seemed like it had a lot left to go.

BTW, since I haven't already said so... I'd jump on that truck opportunity if I were you!!

Then again, I've owned 4 dodges so I'm kinda biased... Mopar or No Car