Opinions please! 1996 Dodge Ram

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franktiregod

franktiregod

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I want a full size truck (maybe) so I found a 1996 Dodge Ram with 91k miles and it looks to be in good shape. The price is great!

However, I went online and read some reviews for this truck and some of them scare the heck out of me. I have some experience with these trucks from a tire dealer I used to work for but they were work trucks with lots of abuse so I cant really say how well they were. I can tell you they were LOTS of trouble. (Heads, radiators, rear end, fuel pump)

For me to get this truck I would have to sell my 2000 Nissan Frontier which has been absolutely dependable and trouble free for 174,000 miles and counting! I have a person already interested and wants to buy it today.

Do you think these Dodge trucks are dependable? It is a 5.9 automatic with power everything.

I know the gas mileage will suck but I only drive to work and I live 15 miles from work. I am more interested in things I read like suspension problems, a/c problems, etc. and what mileage they happend at. Also, how many miles do you have on these trucks?

If this thing is going to be a money pit, I would rather keep my Nissan and drive it into the ground. I only wanted a full size truck for comfort and towing.

So what do you think?
 
5.9 have problems with the intake gaskets sucking oil, and auto tranny's arent the best.
 
they all break. The service deptartment covers the dealerships overhead (method to the madness).
I suggest either keep the Nissan or go for a brand new Ram. It will have its faults / problems too but under mfgrs warrenty and selling today at half price.
My bro just bought a stcickered 36K Ram for 18600 without one dime out of pocket.
 
Are ya mopar people are what? I've got a 96 ram with 248 thousand miles on it been tuned up twice besides the cracked dash no problems it's a 5.2 gets 17 mpg, My wife drives a 99 ram sport 5.9 it just hit 100 thousand mark and never gave me no problems but it needs some balljoints sqeeks only because you can't grease em it only gets 14 mpg in town thou. My wifes boss has a new toyota truck that he bought new never abused motor locked up at 68 thousand miles.You never know
 
There will be problems with any older rig you buy and there is problems with any newer rig you buy. After all they are mechanical. The older 5.9 did have cylinder head issues. If the cylinder heads have been replaced along the line then they are probably the updated heads and less of a concern. If not that might be a expense down the road to look into. Overall the older Rams are decent as anything else. All depends on how it was taken care of.

when reading reviews online keep in mind the people that have problems will voice there "opinions" the loudest. For every pissed off person there is 100 happy people.

Good luck with your decision.


-RPM
 
I had a 96 with a 5.2. Traded it in on my first Cummins (a 95) when the 96 had 47,000 trouble free miles on it. The Cummins had 67,000 on it.


I now have an 02 (late 02) that has 144,000 on it. Mileage dropped when they added the alcohol, but I still get about 16.5 combined. And except for brakes (they DO wear out yanno) I've had no problems with it.....he said knocking on wood
 
That is kinda what I read online. It was a mixed bag. All over the place. LOL

I am leaning toward keeping the Nissan. Better to deal with what I know than the unknown. It isnt that uncomfortable.

I would hate to buy that truck and end up hating it and wishing I had the Nissan back.

i am still thinking about it.
 
My son's a mechanic and always said every other vehicle in his shop was a newish Dodge truck :angry7:
 
Used to drive a '95 Ram 2500 V10 as my daily driver until gas went over $4 a gallon. Got right around 10mpg. Only problem I ever had was an auto trans rebuild at about 60K miles. I'm the 4th owner on this truck. It tows our 32' 5th wheel like a champ.
Oh yeah, with todays gas prices I'm now commuting on my Kawasaki 1000 @ 34mpg. More fun too. Will be back in the Ram whenever the weather isn't right for 2 wheelin' (which isn't too often in SoCal).
 
I just went to lunch with my friend. 5.2 auto. 245,000 miles, Ive borrowed it on occasion. With this many miles it needs some work, Cracked dash, the fan switch is intermittent, and the rear axle is making a bit of noise.
But at 245,000 wouldn't your butt be tired too?
Don't get me wrong I'm sure it has need some work along the way, but everything does.
I have heard that guys that do a lot of towing have had trouble with the O/D getting beat up, the V10 and diesel versions had a beefier O/D trans.

I'd buy one.
 
I've got a 96 - 1500 with the 318 (5.2). Its got 165,000 mi. on it. When I bought it, it was a salvage vehicle with 33,000, it went through a flood. I have replaced the water pump twice. It also got a bunch of leaves down in the Evaporator housing which rotted it our ( they need the screens in the cowl ). I put a timing chain in it at 130,000 to be safe. That's it, it gets 17mpg. I tow with it a lot. It does a great job.
 
I would rather work on my Dodge than drive a Nissan.... You asked for opinions....:munky2:
 
1997 5.2 5 speed that will turn 200K in the next 2 months.
Most of my wrenching falls under basic maintainence:
  • plugs
  • wires
  • cap and rotor
  • etc

I have had some non maintainence stuff
  • Radiator...plastic tank crap that split at seams at 187K
  • gasket between water pump housing/timing cover and block
I replaced timing set while replacing the timing cover gasket also.

For me, realistically, anything that has needed work has been AT MOST a Saturday's worth of work (timing chain and gasket day). For me, I would rather wrench on the stuff myself and save the money, then to be in a payment, or drive something that I cannot fix myself and have to pay shop rates, etc.

The architecture is basic small block mopar type stuff. I would not even be afraid to do the intake plenum gasket if it fails, because it is basic wrenching, not rocket science.

I am spooked about the Auto trans, I have heard that they are problematic, but I also know that 95% of the world ignores their vehicles, and the other 5% of us who maintain our rides, might not have killed the trans via abuse, overheat, or lack of maintainence.
 
FWIW, mine is 1996 Club cab short bed. 5.2 Manual, with 3.55 gears.
I have added shorty headers, Magaflow catalytic converter, and Magnaflow exhaust. K&N filter in stock housing, and electric fans. I have heavy 20" chrome wheels too. Soft vinyl tonneau cover.

I routinely get 18-19 in city, and a little better on highway. If I keep under 65 MPH get low 20's on MPG, and that is with standard driving techniques, I wonder what it would do if was agressively driving for max MPG...25? maybe.
 
I've got an 01 Ram 1500, reg. cab, longbed. No major problems yet, aside from the catastrophic failure of the water pump at about 160,000mi. I'm the 2nd owner, and it came with 143,000. I'm now at 180,000 with very few incidents. Not much has been done to it, I added a class IV hitch, hard tonneau cover, custom grille inserts, remote keyless/alarm/start, and got the windows tinted all around. Still haven't mounted the automated shotgun lock or gooseneck lamp yet. Maybe this weekend.
 
Thanks to everyone. I will let you know what happens.

Btw, to the person that had that rearend noise, let me tell you what happend to me on that.

It was my 1995 Dodge 1500 worktruck. The rearend had made noise for a while.
I got off the interstate one day and when I took off again, there was a louder noise. I let off the gas and it stopped. I pressed the gas again and, BAM, it felt like I had been hit from behind. The pinion came right through the side of the rearend housing!

That was interesting. Of course this truck did have a LOT of abused miles on it so I cant fault Dodge for it.

I will say that these are the most comfortable and roomy trucks that I havee ever been in. And I LOVE that center console!
 
I bought my '96 Ram (318/A518/2WD reg cab short box) new, drove it daily(hard) till about 120K miles; my wife was pregnant with our second kid so I needed something with an extended cab, so built a hot rod out of it.

11-1-04RamFlames4.jpg


Now it has 140K on it and a 487 HP 408 stroker and pulls low 13s :)

Its always been an excellent truck, never had any major issues but like has been mentioned before, stay on top of the transmission and cylinder head issues. If I remember correctly, I did:
water pump at 85K
cat converter at 90K
rotors at 100K
ball joints at 115K
needs a transmission now but Im sure the new engine has something to do with that; it always ran fine with the 318

Gen II Rams are very good trucks but they are getting older
 
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