Gray Man build thread ver 2.0

This is going to be a work in progress where I document all mods, big and small, providing pics and my impression of the mods I put on my truck. I will be more than happy to answer any and all questions people have regarding the mods. I think a build thread should be more about sharing the build process with others, which includes the knowledge gained...not just slapping a few pics of the finished product up and calling it a day.

I was going to wait until the Ram EcoDiesel came out but it won't be out until spring 2014 and I have to commute a bunch over the next 8 months. I didn't want to buy winter wheels and tires for my Lexus ISF...or add a bunch of miles and wear and tear on the car. So...

I bought a 2014 Ram 1500 Sport Crewcab 4x4 (love the Hemi/8 spd combo):
Granite Crystal Metallic - Leather - Convenience Group - Remote Start & Security Group - 3.92 gears - LSD - 32 Gallon Gas Tank - Navigation - Tow Package - Spray-in Bedliner

While I would love to have a Ramrunner or even a Ford Raptor, I felt a more reasonable and "slightly" less expensive vehicle was in order. I am already creating a laundry list of mods.

I installed the first mods today after having the truck for 10 days or so.

- Vararam Air Grabber intake
- Moe's 87mm throttle body

I haven't driven it yet, so I'll give initial impressions later. I can say I am impressed with everything I see so far except two things...
1) The Vararam installation instruction definitely leave something to be desired. There are multiple steps missing and the pictures are useless. It was still easy to figure out, but if you aren't used to an engine bay or tinkering it may be a little frustrating.
2) The holes don't line up very well to put the two intake pieces together. I don't think it will really matter performance wise, as it is only the plastic piece that scoops air from the top of the radiator. But still...it should really fit properly.

I bought an Icon Vehicle Dynamics Stage III suspension with tubular upper control arms. I will post a review and pics once I receive and install it. The system should provide vastly improved feel on and off road, a little increase in suspension travel, and increase load capacity thanks to the dual stage springs. It will increase height approx 2.5" front & 1.5" rear. I am still not sure what tires I am going to mount, but I do know I am going to mount them on the stock wheels (which I will plastidip matte black, but more on that later).

Edit: I am annoyed. I ordered this suspension more than a week ago and just found out it isn't scheduled to ship from Icon until mid December...BS!!! I hate waiting.

I ordered Matte Black Plastidip a few days ago. I am going to do my factory wheels once I get the lift on and new tires. I also plan to do the emblems that I decide to leave on. At this point I think I will take off the Hemi and 1500 emblems and just leave RAM on the sides. What do you guys think?

I think I have narrowed down my tire choice to the Toyo AT II tires. I'm still not sure which size I want to go with. I have narrowed it down to 275/65R20 & 295/65R20, which I will mount back on my OEM Sport 20x9 +19 wheels. I don't think the smaller size will look to small, and I know it will reduce fuel economy less than the 295mm wide tires, which are 1" taller and 0.8" wider. What do you guys think?

I will update this post with pics & reviews once I get this stuff done.

Um, yes please. I will take 1 of each of the vehicles in your sig...haha.

Very nice rides.

Ok, so I am debadging my truck right now. The first side I did the WRONG WAY, heating the badges with a hairdryer first. The second side I did a much better way. If you are considering debadging please see the link below first. I'm pretty sure I am going to be scrubbing with GooGone on the first side until my hands fall off. It definitely looks better debadged with the taller & more aggressive tires. Now I just need that suspension to arrive!!!

http://www.ramforum.com/f75/how_debadge_right_way-4221/

Yesterday (12/27/13) I finally got the adhesive residue off of the one side. I used Goof Off Professional and some elbow grease. It worked much better than standard Goo Gone. I immediately washed everything that had been touched by the Goof Off, and the paint looks fine. Bottom line, remove your badges properly the first time using the link above.

sweet truck man! whatd ya have 2 give for that if ya dont mind me askin

Just a humble FYI to posters on this thread. I don't think of the suspension I ordered as a lift, but more as a suspension upgrade. Yes the truck will be higher, but my goal is a vastly superior suspension. Most truck "lifts" are equal or inferior to the stock suspension over the long run. My goal is a suspension that can handle fast daily driving over @^&*ty roads and high speed off road driving with ease. Standard suspensions with single rate springs and 30 year old shock technology just won't cut it. DMV (DC,MD,VA) roads require a little bit more capability. 6 of the pot holes I avoided on the freeway today were 6"-12" deep. I'm glad I bought the truck and garaged the ISF this winter.

Well, I finally installed the Icon Vehicle Dynamics stage IV suspension today and plasti dipped the wheels at the same time. It took my buddy and I much longer than anticipated, but everything is on and the truck floats over bumps now...The difference is extremely noticeable. After I get a chance to get an alignment and test the suspension in a variety of environments, I will do a full review.

More install pics

More install pics

Earlier posts edited today with mod plans and requests for advice...thanks

Gymkata,

First thanks for starting the build thread! I have a similar thread on other forums (Dedicated Home Theater, and a Mod list/build thread for my boat as well) so based on your thread inspiration I'm going to create one here as well. Although my list will probably develop much more slowly than yours.

For your question on "At this point I think I will take off the Hemi and 1500 emblems and just leave RAM on the sides. What do you guys think?"

Take the RAM off too, everyone know's it's a RAM, no reason to advertise more. I will preface that statement by saying that I purchased the Express Black out, which only has the RAM emblem on the grill and tailgate plus the 4 x 4 logo on the tailgate. (I posted pics in my thread, and will post more) I like a clean look, and I am sure other people will disagree.

Thanks,

Mike

Gymkata said:

I think I have narrowed down my tire choice to the Toyo AT II tires. I'm still not sure which size I want to go with. I have narrowed it down to 275/65R20 & 295/65R20, which I will mount back on my OEM Sport 20x9 +19 wheels. I don't think the smaller size will look to small, and I know it will reduce fuel economy less than the 295mm wide tires, which are 1" taller and 0.8" wider. What do you guys think?

Click to expand...

I have the AT/IIs in 275/65/20 on stock wheels. LOVE it, but I did get some spacers for them, as I wanted them flush with my fender flares. Had 295/60/20 Trail Grapplers before (on +18 wheels) and it rubbed a little at full lock. Beefier for sure, but I love the AT/IIs.

0212353 said:

I have the AT/IIs in 275/65/20 on stock wheels. LOVE it, but I did get some spacers for them, as I wanted them flush with my fender flares. Had 295/60/20 Trail Grapplers before (on +18 wheels) and it rubbed a little at full lock. Beefier for sure, but I love the AT/IIs.

Click to expand...

Could you please post some pics of your ride with the 275/65R20 AT IIs? I would appreciate it.

Gymkata said:

Could you please post some pics of your ride with the 275/65R20 AT IIs? I would appreciate it.

Click to expand...

before wheel spacers















and after



















2010 4x4, in those pics I had:
2" Hell Bent Steel level
1.25" RCX Body lift

^^^
That looks great!!! I'm glad I just ordered tires in that size. I was going to get Toyo A/T IIs as well, but ended up ordering GoodYear All Terrain Adventure w/Kevlar in 275/65R20. I will get them mounted on Friday. I was surprised I was able to get them so quickly...many places are out of stock until Feb/Mar 2014. I will post a full review of the tires later, as they are very new to the market. They should be the best A/T tire for fuel economy and wet handling, while providing semi-decent off road ability. They come with a 60,000 mile warranty too. We'll see.

Well, just got the tires installed today (11/29/13). I can't really give my impressions yet as I only have 2 miles on them. Here is a teaser photo until I get my suspension delivered and install it. I am currently working on debadging the truck as well.

Hello friend,

I have bookmarked your thread, as I have just purchased the nearly identical truck (Great minds think alike as they say). I couldn't buy black, as my Brother has a 2011 Sport in black, and it always seems to look dirty. The new granite metallic seemed like the perfect option.

Admittedly, I have been driving leased vehicles (Company-provided) for the last 15 years, and as such, I couldn't make anything my own. What a bummer that has been, as I really love cars/trucks. Anyway, I finally bit the bullet, and I am so pumped. I pick up my new truck on December 3rd.

Since I live in Canada, with a cold climate and plenty of snow, my first quest will be to pick up some floor mats. I'm debating long and hard about whether to go with the more expensive WeatherTechs, or the Husky's. I like the idea of the apparently more 'rubberized' WeatherTechs, but the Husky's are quite a bit cheaper, and have gotten really strong reviews. I'll make my decision tonight, and order them accordingly.

After that I need to decide on winter tires, and that for me, seems daunting. I have no idea where to start. I need to research the effect of different sized rims and rubbers, brand/model, price, etc. I always shoot for the best bang for your buck, which is typically between mid-range to high-end, depending on criticality. The other thing I will not sacrifice is appearance - Everything needs to look nice and clean, so no cheap Canadian tire wheels for this guy. I actually really like the black rims you see on the black-out RAM; Not more than the stock rims, which I think are beauties, but I think the black-out rims would be an awesome second set of rims for my winter tires. Can you provide any advice on tires/rims for a newb?

Anyway, congrats on your purchase! Keep us posted!

Good lookin' truck! Can't wait to see the progress.

New tires installed and truck is now debadged. Pics and details edited in first several posts of this thread.