2nd Generation Dodge Reliability / Performance

Yet another topic that needs to be written up into an article for those of us unlucky enough to have emissions tests. please add any tips or correct anything I put in. Up until this point I have had a pretty much stock truck. I turned the box off and passed without issues. In el paso county Colorado Springs we are required to pass a couple of tests. Snap test at 35mph and 55mph I think with opacity of %30 or less. ( what does %30 opacity actually look like) A snap test means that the person will go from idle to %100 throttle and watch for smoke output. What I wanted to do is put together some things you can do to help pass with your diesel. in my c…

Just wanted to see if everybody is using 65 psi front and 50 psi rear when empty on a 2000 dually. What is the recommended tire pressure when hauling 15k lbs?

Door sticker is inflation for max weight capacity. Kind of like my truck 65 PSI in the front then 80 PSI in the rear. Now doing it correct. Front axle is 4,440 pounds, and 2860 pounds in the rear. Tires are Es with 3,042 PSI at 80 PSI. (4,440 / 2) = 2,220 / 3,042 = 0.72 × 80 = 58.3 PSI Front inflation (2,860 / 2) = 1,430 / 3,042 = 0.47 × 80 = 37.6 PSI Rear inflation Smooth ride and no impact on performance or economy.

I am looking at some wheel/tire combo's on Craigslist. Looking to go to 17" wheels for eventual 3rd gen brake conversion. Question in the short run is...can I use the spare off of my old 16" rims as long as I've not made the brake conversion? According to tire calculator there is a 1" difference between the same tire size from 16-17" rims. I don't have posi rear axle. I'm kinda cheap. Rebuilt my rears a year ago with new rotors. So I want to do the front conversion first. Is it ok to do the fronts now and rears at a later date? Some good deals on Craigslist for takeoff wheels and tires. Like $400 for tires with 75% tread. I paid $1,000 for my last set of tires al…

Ok guys I am looking for a set of 285/85-16 tires to try out on my truck and I cant seem to find them? So who knows where I could look for these? I have searched discounttiredirect and tire rack and did a google search and nothing?:banghead:

tires tires tires, what tires do we like?I used to be a die hard BF Goodrich fan, i share the name sake. my last name is Goodrich,but the last set of tires i purchased for my Toyota were Cooper AT3, LOVE them. they are a great tire. i would like to get a USA made tire. BFG's are not anymore. Toyos are, i get a great deal on those from running them in the Baja 500. So. maybe what i'm asking is what's ya'll's thoughts.i would create a pole if i could.BFG AT,Cooper Toyo, Yoko,Goodyear. i want all terrain tires no mudders i would like to see 50K out of them. i've had BFG's go 63K befor needing replaced.i need a tire with good snow and off road maners as well as nice highway r…

I'm progressing on my streetrod build and am running into space constraints with where the engine sits relative to the 1950's body. I know I CAN move the engine back with new engine and tranny mounts, but would prefer to not go that route. I've already decided to use a different RAD with electric fans in place of the stock fan for space, but need more if I want to not move the power plant. I've got 4" to work with. So a few questions for the great minds than mine leaving the power plant in place and having room for the RAD and AC condenser up front where they belong: 1. I could forego the stock CAC and do a liquid/air cooler and tuck that up under a fende…

I was considering changing my setup for more performance. Fuel Pump, performance computer etc. My question is, with 90K on the ODO, is this an unwise path? I was basically considering Moparmans setup as I have the same truck, but I am (slightly) concerned on modding the almost 100K motor. Thoughts?

Any one ever use one of these if so whats your opinions ? Torque Converter Lock-UP The TS Performance Torque Converter Lock-UP allows you to lock and un-lock your torque converter at the speed of your choice. Most factory converters lock up at high speeds, and un-lock when off the throttle. This can cause increased temperatures due to friction between the converter and flywheel. It will also inhibit vehicle performance and fuel economy lock at high speeds. The converter can work in conjunction with an exhaust brake to help slow the engine speeds instead of relying completely on the brakes to slow the truck. By programming the conv…

First off hey all! First post and coming over from CR. Seems to be the more techy minds here. Ok my question is with tm and the smarty. Hopefully I can explain in words what's going on in my mind. Best way for me to describe smarty is it seems to shorten the pedal distance for the ECM to determine wot. My concern is with the auto trannies. Being that more power/tq is produced at less pedal movement, would the tranny not suffer from less tv pressure meaning less line pressure and lower clutch holding ability? The first years of 24v did not have tm so how did the transmissions deal with this? Is the bellcrank for the tv cable different or the lever on the tranny indexed dif…

What is the correct answer? Compressor nut BW S300 Compressor nut BW S400 This should be fun to see, .....but is that the right answer? I'm old school, show me proof. I was asked this & can't find a definite answer.

Alright guys, I need some opinions on two mirror options. I'll start by saying I'd really to get the 4th gen mirrors from 1aauto but as of now, i can't convince the wife to let me spend that much on mirrors! I'm going to start towing more often as crab and salmon season just opened up, I usually volunteer to tow my friends boats so I don't have to own the money pit! lol but I'd prefer to tow safely aka be able to see my trailer and other cars and things around me! Are there any cheaper alternatives? Or should I just start pulling in the early Christmas present excuses and get the mirrors?!

I've got a 2013 Rzr S LE , I'm thinking with fluids etc 1500lbs or less, I normally tow it behind my pickup on a 6x10 trailer. Heading down to Pocahontas for the 4th of July weekend ( which is approx 520 mile drive ) and wonder if it would be better to just put it in the back of my truck. Looking at safety issues as well as fuel economy. Truck is a 97 Dodge 2500 4x4 12 valve diesel with an 8 foot bed. It has helper springs and Timbrens. The truck... http://www.rzrforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=77849&d=1372129755

I have a 21' toy hauler that I estimate to weigh about 6k loaded. The question is: is it ok to tow on relatively flat ground with the tranny in OD?

Hey all Got a 2001 4x4 TCD 5.9 auto 3.55" with new injection pump and airdog and BHAF and hypertech chip. Getting 17 mpg around townGetting 19 mpg on long haul interstateBut only get around 10 mpg towing 5000 lb 5th wheel. Any one got advice on how to get my towing experience and numbers up :O) Curious in your own numbers and weights. thx

Long story short, I'm rebuilding my 5.9 due to chronic head gasket failure (deck had issues.) Cracks were discovered on the edges of my cam lobes. Any real world experience with the Hamilton 178/208 cam? Hamilton recommends upgrading the valve springs and push rods. Realistically, is that needed when my maximum boost is 40 psi? This truck pulls 17,000 lbs worth of recreational toys (5th wheel & rock crawlers) and I'm not out to win any races. Looking at turbos down the road. My HX35 does good, but runs out of steam around 2600 RPM. 50 HP 7 x 0.008 injectors with an Edge Juice (changing to Quadzilla.)

Hello and good morning, I recently bought a 33' toy hauler. and I quickly found out that my rig is not set up for towing that kind of weight. wondering if I can get some recommendations for solving this dilemma. truck is all but stock with a juice with attitude programmer. set up is as follows, 01 3500 dually HO 5.9, 6 sp man NV5600, front axle dana M60 f/ 248mmFBI, rear Dana 80 (hybrid) ( not quite sure what that means ) with 3.55 gear ratio, currently running LT 245/75R17 tire n rims. I work this truck 6 days week as a union pipeline welder, time is precious and I only want to have to do this once. does anyone have experience with the gear vender product? Anyways it ti…

So I tow a 10,000# camper with a stock 3500 rwd. I have read that dual turbos afe better for towing. Why is this the case and wouldn't a larger turbo accomplish the same thing? Just trying to wrap my head around some of the concepts. Thanks

So just wondering if anyone's heard of any problems towing with the xzt on level 3? Reading through some of the manuals for the edge ez and it recommends NEVER towing on level 3 and with these two boxes being quite similar it got me wondering. Not sure if that's just a legal/responsibility thing that they use to cover themselves when people try turning up the power and towing and causing damage to their trucks or what, but just wanted to see what you guys thought.

Y’all will see me posting a little more than usual over the next few weeks. I have time away from work and need to get some things done on this truck. This is where I’d like to hear opinions: With good tuning and 7x.010’s can I get better top end for towing grades? To be more specific, I’d like to maintain speed (65 mph) on sub 1 mile 6%-8% grades towing 9K without having to downshift. Subjective I know, but can this be accomplished through tuning, injectors, and my hx35w, or do I need more turbo? Off the highway I tow with od locked out, and if it’s really steep in the mountains somewhere I use 2w low. The problem I’m looking to solve is specifical…