Tolson's build thread

I'm going to start a build thread. Probably be a very long time before anything major is completed, but this way as I work on the truck. I will have a thread to ask my questions and such.

I bought a 95 ram 1500 with the 360 and 130k miles.

Body and interior is pretty rough. (Not worrying about that as of right now.) but I had receipts for ball joints, wheel bearing, tranny cooler lines, alignment, and some audio work done before I bought it.

It also has a 3 in body lift. I have many ideas of want I want to have done to this truck but not sure where to start...

So far we replaced brake pads, brake line on front passenger side, and did a oil change (oil was pretty low and truck pulled hard to one side hence the brake work done.)

The exhaust currently is manifolds down to the cat and then what looks to be a glasspack and nothing after that. Good rumble at idle but stinks and sounds kinda crappy driving. 4x4 seems to work fine. Also still has very sloppy steering and seems to bounce a little when stopping . Thinking front shocks or rotors but they looked fine..

All in all if anyone has any advice on what they would do or suggestions on anything feel free to chime in. I'm excited to be a part of the 2nd gen crew and see how I can continue to build my truck!

Yes I know to check about the plenum gasket issue first. Haha.



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If you wanna check shocks. Jack up your truck and disconnect one end of a shock and compress it by hand and see if it extends back out right after at the same rate of compression without the assistance of your springs.

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Yeah, I mean you go over a bump and the truck bounces a few times in the front haha.


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Yea that sounds like time for a replacement

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So I picked up all four shocks. Any advice on doing this job? No spring compressor needed for front ? Seems easy enough just a couple bolts and slide back in a new one


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Okay needing some input. Had to put a new distributor cap due to breaking the old one. Long story short we had to pull the whole distributor cause of a broken screw and had to take care of that.

So we tried to mark and look where everything lined up before taking it out and putting it back in. We moved the distributor around until we found it where it seemed like it ran good. After driving it one day it idles around 1500rpm. And almost sounds like a ticking noise. Is that a sign the timing is off? any way to fix that easily or just try to move the distributor more?

Also. Went off roading awhile back and some vacuum lines were unplugged from somewhere. We couldn't find them and truck runs and shifts fine and 4x4 light comes on and seems to work right. But no overdrive. Do vacuum lines used for controlling overdrive?

Thanks in advance trying to keep the old girl running to get through winter coming up. 95 1500 with the 5.9 magnum.


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Not getting any 4x4 neither. Transfer case is shifting fine and front driveshaft is spinning. Needing advice on this. Anyone chime in please ?


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