Ford To Dodge...

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texasdodge

Junior Member
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Aug 20, 2014
Posts
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Ram Year
2008
Engine
4.7
Hey all.
I've got a 2000 Ford F150 Lariat, ext cab, stepside. 123k on it.
Problem is, my family is growing, first kid will be here in december. And a car seat doesnt fit in my back seat, and the a/c is out.

I'm looking at a 3.7 dodge ram SXT quad cab. I've worked price, numbers look great.

Heres my question, how long will a 3.7 last? Its got 106k on it. I won't be upside down with my trade+down payment.
I just dont want to get into a truck and have it crap out at 150k miles. So how reliable are these motors, and any problems to look for?

Its gonna be a switch goin from a 5.4 v8 to a 3.7 v6, but its a sacrifice i'm willing to make. I just want verification that this motor will last another 100+ if taken care of properly.

My ford gets oil changes every 3k or when i get bored. I'm pretty **** about taking care of my stuff lol
 

NYCruiser

Senior Member
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Location
Yonkers, NY
Ram Year
2014
Engine
Hemi 5.7
Can't comment on the 3.7, but I had a 2000 F-150 with the 5.4. Extended cab 8 foot bed XLT and it was probably the best truck I ever had. I miss it. Sold it running like a top with no rust at all at about 150K miles to get an Expedition that I ended up hating.

Congrats on the kid. Hope you don't end up missing the Ford.
 
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texasdodge

Junior Member
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Ram Year
2008
Engine
4.7
I know i'll miss it, but its just time to upgrade. And thanks, me and the fiance are only 22 so its learning for the both of us. The 5.4 is one of the best ford motors made, imo. This truck is in perfect condition, minus the a/c. but the dodges look soooo good.
 

usaf2006

Senior Member
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Mar 28, 2014
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Location
Augusta, GA
Ram Year
2008
Engine
Hemi 5.7
I had a 3.7 in my '12 liberty. Not sure if its the same but they re peobably similar. Ran great. Its a v6 so youre limited by that standard but as long as you do proper maintenance it should last a while. But as in anything there are always the outlyers. Things happen... perfect motors can crap out. Just my .02
Congrats on the kid. Had my first at 22. Now shes turnin 2 and my second is due about a week before #1s bday haha. If I can give you any advice... use luvs haha. Good diapers and theyre cheaper. Target always has good sales.
 

MegaMouseGW

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Aug 5, 2013
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Location
South Louisianna
Ram Year
2007
Engine
SRT 10 Viper Motor and Tranny
Get a truck with a V8. You will be much happier with it, and the gas mileage is a bit better after a proper tune. The V6 although sounds like a dream doesn't really have what it takes to pull anything. If babied it might last a long time, but pretty much all V8's will outlast the V6 big time.
 

HemiLonestar

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Military
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Location
MD
Ram Year
2016
Engine
5.7 hemi
The 3.7 in a quad cab is one of the worst ideas in the history of bad ideas. Power is too high in the powerband for a truck. A regular cab I could maybe see. Get at least a 4.7, the v-8 won't be working as hard to get it moving.
 

radak04

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Nov 5, 2013
Posts
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Ram Year
2013
Engine
Hemi 5.7
I'd recommend the crew cab over the quad cab with kids and car seats.

I bought my ram when my 3rd was on the way. Got the crew cab and am thankful every day I put my kids back there.
 

jei3us

Member
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May 10, 2014
Posts
47
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Ram Year
2005
Engine
5.7l hemi
You can get a 4.7 or even a 5.7 around the same price. Like others have said a QC full size truck is way too big for that v6 engine and it will wear faster trying to push that big body around and the gas mileage is still bad. I would advise a v8 4 door you never know if you'll end up having 2-3 more kids. My dad has a 01 Triton 5.4 and its been a real trooper never had a serious problem with it.
 

dmacell1

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Nov 19, 2013
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Location
levittown PA
Ram Year
2004
Engine
hemi 5.7 supercharged at 10psi
My old Dakota had the 3.7 in it and when you turned on the AC it was sooo sluggish....and that's a full 1000lbs lighter. Even the 4.7 is a decent motor for these trucks but sad to say the 3.7 will struggle with all that weight.
 

caderoderick13

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Aug 15, 2014
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25
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Location
Windsor, MO
Ram Year
1999
Engine
5.2 318
this is probably no help to you, but since most people are saying that its too much of a truck for the motor, which i would agree but dont know from experience, but i can tell you that the 4.7 is good if you take care of it, mines leveled with 35" bud grapplers and get around 15 mpg average when i drive good, but when i want to hear my loud exhaust then its a little less, yesterday i supposedly got around 19mpg on a flat road only going 50 mph. so i would go for the v8 if it were me
 

Hemi5speed

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Location
Hunterdon County, NJ
Ram Year
2005
Engine
5.7 Hemi
If you like a 5.4 triton you'll probably like just about anything. Those are just about the worst pulling v8 trucks ever. With the one I had I was changing coil packs every six months. If I remember correctly it was two coil packs on each cylinder and they were always going out. The amount of times I drove that darn truck on 4 cylinders was double digits
 

B-g-K

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Location
Upstate NY
Ram Year
2014
Engine
Ecodiesel
If you like a 5.4 triton you'll probably like just about anything. Those are just about the worst pulling v8 trucks ever. With the one I had I was changing coil packs every six months. If I remember correctly it was two coil packs on each cylinder and they were always going out. The amount of times I drove that darn truck on 4 cylinders was double digits


Sounds like you had a lemon, my 09 with the 5.4 was excellent. Not a race truck, but my future brother in law bought it from me and its got 160k flawless miles on the clock.
 

Hemi5speed

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Location
Hunterdon County, NJ
Ram Year
2005
Engine
5.7 Hemi
Sounds like you had a lemon, my 09 with the 5.4 was excellent. Not a race truck, but my future brother in law bought it from me and its got 160k flawless miles on the clock.


Mine was a much much older truck. Early 2000's. Probably why I had more problems. That truck did just about everything wrong. It pushed a head gasket out at 80k and the ac compressor caught on fire right before I junked it.
But in all seriousness I never met anyone who liked those trucks to tow. Next time you see a truck pulling a trailer and blowing a cloud of blue smoke I bet it's a triton engine.

How do you plan to use the truck? My dad has a v6 silverado and the truck does great for what it is. Pulls better than the triton. Id never buy a v6 truck personally but having driven that v6 Chevy I wouldn't say it's a terrible idea for someone who doesn't need the v8
 

NYCruiser

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Location
Yonkers, NY
Ram Year
2014
Engine
Hemi 5.7
I towed a 6K lb boat routinely with my 2000 5.4 triton for 150K miles/10 years. Never did anything to the drive train but plugs and fluid changes. The brakes sucked in that truck and would eat rotors, so I did install after market brakes. No trouble after that. I did follow the maintenance schedule to a "t", including having the dealer swap all the fluids every 30K though.

I think there were a few versions of that 5.4 over the years though, so not sure they were all as bullet proof as mine.
 

jei3us

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Ram Year
2005
Engine
5.7l hemi
Mine was a much much older truck. Early 2000's. Probably why I had more problems. That truck did just about everything wrong. It pushed a head gasket out at 80k and the ac compressor caught on fire right before I junked it.
But in all seriousness I never met anyone who liked those trucks to tow. Next time you see a truck pulling a trailer and blowing a cloud of blue smoke I bet it's a triton engine.

How do you plan to use the truck? My dad has a v6 silverado and the truck does great for what it is. Pulls better than the triton. Id never buy a v6 truck personally but having driven that v6 Chevy I wouldn't say it's a terrible idea for someone who doesn't need the v8

My old man has an 02 that was bought at 100k miles of company truck hard use miles. Its going for 170k now and the truck has never needed anything but the basics.
 
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texasdodge

Junior Member
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Ram Year
2008
Engine
4.7
Well i went and got me a dodge. sad to see the ford go, but i needed somethin bigger. I was in the finance managers office before i backed out of the v6, i just couldnt do it. new dealership put me in an 08, 4 door, with the 4.7
i put 200 miles on it yesterday, dodge makes a damn fine vehicle.
 

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texasdodge

Junior Member
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Ram Year
2008
Engine
4.7
Thankya! and yeah, me too. The 4.7 has more pep than i expected it too, it was a pleasant surprise. Plus the baby seat fits back there, and the girl says the seats are comfier than the fords, so its a win all the way around!
 

TexasRammer

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Location
College Station, TX
Ram Year
2002
Engine
4.7
Looks nice! How many miles on it? The 4.7s can be a pretty good motor

Mine was a much much older truck. Early 2000's. Probably why I had more problems. That truck did just about everything wrong. It pushed a head gasket out at 80k and the ac compressor caught on fire right before I junked it.
But in all seriousness I never met anyone who liked those trucks to tow. Next time you see a truck pulling a trailer and blowing a cloud of blue smoke I bet it's a triton engine.

How do you plan to use the truck? My dad has a v6 silverado and the truck does great for what it is. Pulls better than the triton. Id never buy a v6 truck personally but having driven that v6 Chevy I wouldn't say it's a terrible idea for someone who doesn't need the v8

Im not a ford lover at all but all the 5.4s ive seen ive been pretty impressed with. All early 2000s too. My buddy had one that we beat the living **** out of but never could kill it and he towed with it too. It did have tranny problems though.
 
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