moparker
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Thinking about buying a 85 Ramcharger. The only negative I hear about them is the gas mileage. How much would lockouts improve the gas mileage?
Ramcharger question
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318 or 360 ? 4x4 or 2 wheel drive ! They are heavy ( Ramchargers and Trail Dusters ) .
Oh ! I thought you was talking about a lock out converter #-o
Lock outs on the front hubs, does it have full time 4 wheel drive ? if so, I would say yes !
Oh ! I thought you was talking about a lock out converter #-o
Lock outs on the front hubs, does it have full time 4 wheel drive ? if so, I would say yes !
moparker
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I'm assuming it has full time 4 wheel drive. Never had one and haven't looked at it yet. I thought that's yhe only way they came.
Yea, there pretty much pigs on gas. You will probably love everything about the vehicle except gas mileage. It is a lot like that with the trucks as well.
Locking out the front wheels from driving will help mileage a little. Take not on what they were listed at when new. You can probably do about the same except for the weight penalty of the 4 wheel drive system. Other little things can help give you an edge like pedestrian tires over off road nobbers, enhanced ignition and better breathing equipment. But it will still be hard on gas.
18 hwy if you are lucky.
sireland67
Well-Known Member
It will maybe get an extra mpg with the lock outs, the largest benefit will be it makes the steering easier because it frees up the front end. Also front end parts will last longer.
My 88 w150 you have to manually shift it into 4wd, but the front is always locked. I should put locks in it.
GAMoparMan
Well-Known Member
85 would have been auto hubs operated by vacuum when you moved the transfer case into 4 wheel drive. So no savings there, But switching to a cable driven or locking hubs would give you the ability to have 2 wheel low. Which I tend to use alot. I have a 86 ramcharger 4x4. I love the thing. Gas mileage is buhh though...
Mine was originally a 318...worn out, no power...So I rebuilt it with some torque goodies...Still didn't like it.
So I sourced a 360 roller out of a 91 ram and rebuilt it. Night and Day Difference.
mileage is about the same..But way more power on the table to use....
Stupid huge knobby tires....Changing them soon.
Mine was originally a 318...worn out, no power...So I rebuilt it with some torque goodies...Still didn't like it.
So I sourced a 360 roller out of a 91 ram and rebuilt it. Night and Day Difference.
mileage is about the same..But way more power on the table to use....
Stupid huge knobby tires....Changing them soon.
!!!!EIGHTEEN!!!!! BAAAAAwahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Maybe off a cliff!!
I can show you skads of those, never broke 14 in their "existence"
barracudadave67
Well-Known Member
I have a 91 RC, that I bought brandy new. Can't get over 15 MPG with it, with a stiff tail wind. Was my every day driver for 20 years, on and off road. Mine is a 318 TB auto. Never had any power, but I never got stuck in it either. went down lots of loneley logging roads in it, deer hunting in northern Wis.
I put lockouts on it when new, and never noticed any mileage difference. The little 318 has over 225000 miles on it now. The only major engine parts I had to replace, were the water pump, and timeing chain at 125000 miles. I replaced the computer, distributor, and the fuel pump, along with some sensors, and t-stats, and a few universals, and the speedo head at 172000. I take care of the ole girl.
I re-did the body in 2010, scouring 2 full factoy quarters, (very rare), and repainted it, new carpets, and some other interior stuff. I love the ole girl, I would never get rid of it. It rides like an old buckboard.
I have allways wanted to get rid of the computer controlled TB, and put in a 360 with a carb, and do away with the electronics, bur some of the components wont work without a computer. Heres a pic after re-duing the body.
barracudadave67
My son said he is going to convert it over to a Cummings Diesel, when I croak.
I never bought mine for mileage. I bought it for 4x4, and durabuilty.
I put lockouts on it when new, and never noticed any mileage difference. The little 318 has over 225000 miles on it now. The only major engine parts I had to replace, were the water pump, and timeing chain at 125000 miles. I replaced the computer, distributor, and the fuel pump, along with some sensors, and t-stats, and a few universals, and the speedo head at 172000. I take care of the ole girl.
I re-did the body in 2010, scouring 2 full factoy quarters, (very rare), and repainted it, new carpets, and some other interior stuff. I love the ole girl, I would never get rid of it. It rides like an old buckboard.
I have allways wanted to get rid of the computer controlled TB, and put in a 360 with a carb, and do away with the electronics, bur some of the components wont work without a computer. Heres a pic after re-duing the body.
barracudadave67
My son said he is going to convert it over to a Cummings Diesel, when I croak.
I never bought mine for mileage. I bought it for 4x4, and durabuilty.
barracudadave67
Well-Known Member
Fred
Thats a nice RC you have there. How much trouble was it to convert it. 91-93 trucks, and RCs are like hens teeth around here in the junk yards.
To Moparker
Get the RC and have fun with it.
barracudadave67
Thats a nice RC you have there. How much trouble was it to convert it. 91-93 trucks, and RCs are like hens teeth around here in the junk yards.
To Moparker
Get the RC and have fun with it.
barracudadave67
I had one, single digit MPG. pulled a 23 ft car hauler, same MPG as without. LESS the 9 MPG. Stock sized tires, was almost new at the time. Lost it when an axle broke when it was pulling a trailer that my friend owned. He rolled it. :burnout:MT
dozer556
Not old school. Just old.
'85 was the first full year of the CAD D44. As already stated, gas mileage is going to be poor, no matter what you do (short of a diesel conversion).
I get about 11-12mpg in my '78 with the a 360/727/NP203 combo on the highway, on a good day.
I get about 11-12mpg in my '78 with the a 360/727/NP203 combo on the highway, on a good day.
you got that right , and 14 is with a tailwind .
You got a Ramcharger and you're talkin about mileage. That's sorta like marryin a total ho and expectin her to keep that stuff at home.
But yeah, it "should" have those crappy automatic hubs mentioned earlier.....but I have never known them to work right even after only a few years and low mileage. Just not a good design. If it does not have them however, then yes, you could pick up a nice gain by changing to lockout hubs. If it has the factory crap ones, I would change them anyway.
But yeah, it "should" have those crappy automatic hubs mentioned earlier.....but I have never known them to work right even after only a few years and low mileage. Just not a good design. If it does not have them however, then yes, you could pick up a nice gain by changing to lockout hubs. If it has the factory crap ones, I would change them anyway.
moparker
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What is the problem with the factory ones? Do they not engage?
WildCat
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Loved my 84 360 4 barrel auto best mileage was 12 mpg
Pulled a 16' open trailer with expanded metal gate to New York to get a 69 Coronet convertible, got 9 mpg thought how in the hell am I going to get back home with a 20 gallon tank. Removed the gate so the car would fit and was back to the 12 mpg with the car on the trailer.
View attachment image.jpg
Don't remember if it had lock outs, might be able to see in the picture. Sold it in the early 90's price of gas wasn't a big deal then for me.
I would like to have another and think the cummins would be the way to go.
Oh for the boat, had a 460 -320 hp jet drive, it really liked the fuel!
Pulled a 16' open trailer with expanded metal gate to New York to get a 69 Coronet convertible, got 9 mpg thought how in the hell am I going to get back home with a 20 gallon tank. Removed the gate so the car would fit and was back to the 12 mpg with the car on the trailer.
View attachment image.jpg
Don't remember if it had lock outs, might be able to see in the picture. Sold it in the early 90's price of gas wasn't a big deal then for me.
I would like to have another and think the cummins would be the way to go.
Oh for the boat, had a 460 -320 hp jet drive, it really liked the fuel!
ramenth
Gratis persona
There isn't. My '89 had almost 190k on it when I scrapped it. Still had the factory auto hubs on it and never failed to engage or release when I needed 'em. The biggest draw back is all the vacuum lines running to the hub forks to lock 'em in and the vacuum canister itself. Under hung where all the **** on the roads likes to abuse 'em. Even then, in over 15 years of ownership, I replaced the vacuum lines just once and that was "just 'cause" as I was already under it replacing fuel and brake lines.
Best I ever really saw in fuel mileage was roughly 15 mpg highway. Went 450 miles on one fill up (30 gallon tank took 29.5 when I finally hit a gas station) in one sitting going to Maine from the Southern Tier of NY and that was running roughly 68mph. 318/NP435/205 set up with 3.20's in each end and 31X10.5 tires.
It was, though, the most reliable, bulletproof vehicle I've ever had the pleasure to own. The weakest link I ever had was the pot coupler for the steering column. Rebuilt twice until I finally replaced it with a U-joint set up modified from another car (don't remember what I snatched it out of).
Unfortunately, Upstate New York finally killed the body.
sireland67
Well-Known Member
My old Ramcharger got awesome gas mileage...........LOL
sireland67
Well-Known Member
Nice 77, looks like old Jackman 10" white spokes.
My current 78 PU has factory Jackman 8" "road wheel option when new"
My current 78 PU has factory Jackman 8" "road wheel option when new"
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