Ram 2500 XL for overland / expedition trips
- Thread starter Ravenmad
- Start date
ttengineer
Adventurer
What gears are you running again?
Might need 5.13s if you plan on the 42s full time.
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Might need 5.13s if you plan on the 42s full time.
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Grump E-Vet
Active member
@Ravenmad As a big Ram truck fan myself I love your build and feel your pain on having to get an engine replaced early on to “get it right”. Mine just happened to be a 5.7 Hemi and it was at 1100 miles basically my wife hit the push button start and it kept trying to start it by itself over and over since the alternator was had melted down leading to grenadine the whole thing.
Have you ever thought of switching the grill to the PW one or taking off some of the chrome trim to get more of that look? I know that the Patriot Campers guys did that with a 3500 Dually build they did at Exploration Outfitters in Oklahoma.
Then did another using their PCOR line with a diesel 2500 that was c9nverted to right hand drive
https://pcor4x4.com.au/
If you watch their Patriot Games show on YT they showed part 1 of the build this week
Have you ever thought of switching the grill to the PW one or taking off some of the chrome trim to get more of that look? I know that the Patriot Campers guys did that with a 3500 Dually build they did at Exploration Outfitters in Oklahoma.
Then did another using their PCOR line with a diesel 2500 that was c9nverted to right hand drive
https://pcor4x4.com.au/
If you watch their Patriot Games show on YT they showed part 1 of the build this week
Explorerinil
Observer
Yeah I agree, that chrome grill needs to go.
EMS WJ 2000
Observer
Have you look at Thuren Fabrication?
Don does some great custom valving for his 2.5 and 3.0 king shocks. His alien arms are pretty ************** as well.
https://www.thurenfabrication.com/products/dodge-ram/2014-18-2500-2013-18-3500/components.html
Ravenmad
Observer
I agree, just has not been a priority yet. I am getting closer to replacing the girl with a power wagon grill. I was thinking I would have it painted to match the tan in the graphics though, instead of black.
Ravenmad
Observer
Quick update on the truck. I broke the front axle housing, seems as though I managed to twist the short side axle tube in the housing. Over the last few weeks I had noticed when I articulate the front suspension it was making a "significant Popping sound". I put it in the shop several times, re-torqued all the suspension points, checked all the usual stuff and it still continued. I had also noticed the truck was beginning to pull to the left and it was slowly getting worse and worse, so into the alignment shop it went (for the third time). It was here that we realized the front axle tube had spun about 5deg. The plug welds had been broken and were pushed out of the casting by about an 1/8". Side note: I will never take my truck to Les Schwab tire again (I took it to them twice before going to a specialty alignment shop and they told me it was within factory specs). Anyways....... I am going to drop the truck off at the local dealership in Bend Or. for the slightest of possibilities it will be covered under warranty.
I spoke to DPP yesterday, in fact, it is a common problem with RAMs if you remove the front sway bar or replace it with a Carli sway bar. The front radius arm design does not allow the suspension to articulate and puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the front axle housing when you articulate the suspension.
I will be building a new front axle assembly for sure (with the axle tubes TIG welded and a Carli truss). I still have a "not to be disclosed" front axle being put together, but its in the developmental stages and won't be ready for several more months.
Also, a quote from the service manager of a dealership with 5 prospectors sitting out front "is the truck lifted with oversized tires" ummmmmm, yes, its a Prospector XL, you sell them......
I spoke to DPP yesterday, in fact, it is a common problem with RAMs if you remove the front sway bar or replace it with a Carli sway bar. The front radius arm design does not allow the suspension to articulate and puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the front axle housing when you articulate the suspension.
I will be building a new front axle assembly for sure (with the axle tubes TIG welded and a Carli truss). I still have a "not to be disclosed" front axle being put together, but its in the developmental stages and won't be ready for several more months.
Also, a quote from the service manager of a dealership with 5 prospectors sitting out front "is the truck lifted with oversized tires" ummmmmm, yes, its a Prospector XL, you sell them......
Copperhead14
Observer
Be interested to see what they say about warranty.
Explorerinil
Observer
I’ll be shocked if they warenty it but you never know. I’m gonna give carli a call about their sway bar as I run one. I’ll be surprised if carli has an issue, they do their homework.
Ravenmad
Observer
I will be interested in their response. My suspension has the same amount of shock travel as stock (crazy but true), AEV just moved everything down a bit. My front shocks are only 10" of throw. I would be interested in swapping in a power wagon radius arm with the extra link / bushing. Power wagons are not prone to the same issue Im told.
Explorerinil
Observer
I can see how extreme flex would cause that as these radius arms don’t allow for that unless you have that joint that power wagons have. I have the carli arms, they allow for some flex, but not much more than stock as they run a different joint at the frame end not a pressed rubber joint.
I really feel that with any extremes flexing these trucks need a truss. I’ll let you know what carli says, they are usually
very straight forward.
FYI I wasent doubting you.... I just don’t want a bent axle either and want to stay ahead of it.
Ravenmad
Observer
Absolutely agree with you. Wasn't being defensive, just a little frustrated with the circumstances I have found myself in. Its crazy to me, that if you actually use the truck within the perimeters of its stock suspension, it will break... Well, the milk is already spilled, no sense crying over it any more. Now to fix it...
ttengineer
Adventurer
I’m also curious to what Carli says.
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silvrzuki77
explorer
Has anyone really investigated swapping power wagon arms in? I can’t find anything searching online?
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Adventurous
Explorer
Won’t trussing the axle without addressing the radius arms just transfer the stress to the radius arm frame brackets? Soon you’ll be ripping those off.
Maybe I’m not comprehending the physics right, but it seems like a Johnny joint at the frame side (like Carli does it with their spherical bearing) would allow rotational movement there that the bushings don’t. Or are we talking a spherical bearing at one of the radius arm axle mounts in addition to the one at the frame side? Perhaps that would send those lateral stresses onto the track bar alone, but I’d wager it’s easier to reinforce that than deal with the other issues.
That’s too bad, sorry you encountered it.
Going with a completely new axle if they deny warranty? Or gonna have yours re-tubes and trussed? Seems like it’s still salvageable.
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