2004 Dodge Ram Review

Specifications

The Toughest Truck Gets Tougher

Its pretty well common knowledge among contractors, bushmen and roughnecks alike, if you want a nice, comfortable ride then you get a Chevy or GMC, if you want something a little tougher you opt for a Ford, but if you have serious work to do theres nothing better than a Dodge Ram.

And theres nothing that can touch the new Ram Heavy Duty for payload or towing, especially if mated to the high-output Cummins turbodiesel. That engine gets upgraded for 2004.5 to an incredible 600 lb-ft of torque available as low as 1,600 rpm and 325 horsepower at 2,900 rpm. In case you were wondering, the Cummins “600″ is once again the class leader.

I drove both the 2,500 and 3,500 Rams when they debuted to the media about two years ago, and once again when a Cummins equipped version came into the press fleet. The standard HEMI engine is sensational, with a no-nonsense 345-hp at 5,400 rpm and equally sober 375 lb-ft of torque at 4,200 rpm. Still, compared to the two diesels the HEMI, equipped with a standard 5-speed manual or optional 5-speed automatic gearbox, is for lighter loads.

For toting heavier payloads or pulling large gooseneck trailers both diesels are beyond capable. The regular output 5.9-L, turbodiesel inline-6 feeds 250-hp and 460 lb-ft of torque down to either the rear- or all-wheels, through either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission. But if you want one youd better act quickly, as its being dropped from the heavy duty lineup for 2004.5.

The new Cummins “600″ only costs a trifle more than the outgoing high-output diesel, however. It gets the 6-speed manual, a fairly easy unit to row through the gears, or optionally the 4-speed automatic with overdrive.

I was impressed with the 2003 H.O. Cummins, which put out a respectable 305-hp at 2,900 rpm and 555 lb-ft of torque at 1,400 rpm. To make the trucks pulling power more obvious, Dodge loaded up a gooseneck trailer with two full-size competitors, a Ford F-350 and a Chevy Silverado 3500. It walked away with its rivals on its back without pulling a sweat, making a great photo op in the process.

Of course a better photo op has the new “600″ towing a Caterpillar 777D Mining Truck with a gross vehicle weight of 155,684 pounds. Just a bit larger than the Ram, the Cat stands 33.1 feet tall and 20 feet wide.

That stunt was to show the world that the Cummins “600″ equipped Ram delivers a best-in-class towing capability. While towing Cats isnt recommended, anything up to the trucks 16,400 pound rating is. Incidentally thats 3,000 pounds more than the Ford F-350 PowerStrokes towing capacity. The top-tier Ram also boasts a payload of 5,020 pounds, a best-in-class Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) of 23,000 pounds and a category-leading Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 12,000 pounds.

Whats more, the new Cummins develops its peak torque earlier than either Fords PowerStroke or Chevrolets Duramax diesels, with an impressive 80 lb-ft torque and 25 horsepower advantage when compared to Chevys Duramax.

Of course, theres more to making a heavy duty truck good than a powerful engine. On that note my experience behind the wheel taught me why industry trades people prefer Dodge. We ran for the better part of an afternoon throughout the winding highways that span Californias mountainous coastline, fully loaded with 3,500 pounds of iron strapped to the center of the bed - the equivalent of a midsize car. The truck was so stable at highway speeds my biggest concerns came after I forgot I was carrying a load at all and suddenly needed to get on the brakes. In comparison, the Chevy 3500 was hardly drivable with the same weight fixed to the identical center position of the box, while the Ford F-350 was better than the Chevy but still not good enough to compete with the Dodge. It was an eye-opener and now should be even better.

On the subject Eric Ridenour, Executive Vice President Product Development, recently stated, “The Ram Heavy Duty has the most sophisticated chassis in the segment, the biggest brakes, excellent handling and class-exclusive safety features such as side curtain airbags.” He added, “It is only fitting that it now has the most powerful diesel engine. This is also the quietest Ram diesel ever and the first High Output Cummins Turbo Diesel that meets 50-state emissions requirements.”

I can hardly wait to drive it! Im sure it will continue to handle just as well, as Dodge carries forward with the Rams independent front suspension and brawny rack-and-pinion steering system in 2WD versions, or heavy-duty beam front axle and recirculating ball steering system in 4WD models. Both front- and four-wheel drive Rams get longitudinal leaf springs in the rear.

Four-wheel drive versions get a part-time system featuring 2WD, 4WD High, (High) Locked, Neutral, 4WD Low and (Low) Locked operating modes, actuated by either a manual shift lever in standard 4WD trim or an electric dash-mounted button standard in the top-model Laramie and optional in the SLT.

Of course these top models feature almost as many top-tier options as premium luxury cars plus a full array of safety equipment, making it possible to build a Ram Heavy Duty up from its modest $24,750 base price to a much loftier $44,075.

Either way it spells value, which along with its class-leading capabilities and robust good looks keeps it a favorite among heavy duty workers.