2014 RAM 1500 Express Crew Cab

[ram1500rsm]

Loaded the truck up almost to the roof and went for a little desert vacation.

20240623_103028 by RAM RSM, on Flickr

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[RealTruck]

Hot summer fun! These are spectacular shots.

 

[ram1500rsm]

Gave her some rub with oil down there She loves it at 137k miles.
I keep making the mistake of buying 2 quarts of fluid for the front diff. It only takes one. And now with this new Valvoline pouches the job is stupid simple. Way to go Valvoline.

20240704_102852 by RAM RSM, on Flickr

 

[ram1500rsm]

Enjoying a saturday outdoors
20240831_134735 by RAM RSM, on Flickr

 

[ram1500rsm]

Playing with the toys in our Socal desert, our mountains are a little frozen because of the winter so it's nice to have options when we go out on vacations.
Untitled by RAM RSM, on Flickr

Also it's about time to replace the RAM tires. I was going to replace my old KO2's with KO3's but damn it BFG made them porkier in 315/70/17's. The tire went from 63lbs to 71lbs. AT4W's are now 74's, i think my AT3W's were 72lbs in the same size so new ones got even porkier.. I did a quick deeper dive into AT tires last week to see what was out there. This will be the first year i won't buy BFG AT's. First time i'm going to say BFG messed up the pouch with that extra weight on the KO3's in the 315/70/17 size.. Cooper Stronghold AT's are 64lbs in the same size and they look nice for AT's, Toyo AT3 are 67lbs, Nitto Terra Grappler G3's are 64lbs, Destination XT's are 60lbs, Grabber ATx are 68lbs, MT Baja Boss AT's are 71lbs, Kumho Road Venture A/T52's are 60lbs and 3PMS. I'm opting for the last as they check my onroad oriented attributes and will cover the offroad oriented ones in this application, best of all i found them price matched from Americas tires at $252 each instead of their regular price. I'm getting them mounted next week.

 

[hodge-xj]

Nice looking forward to hearing an update on them. I was also looking at a few new options and the tire weights have become excessive. Currently running Michelin Defenders on my stocks for winter and waiting to see if 2025 brings more new releases.

 

[ram1500rsm]

Nice looking forward to hearing an update on them. I was also looking at a few new options and the tire weights have become excessive. Currently running Michelin Defenders on my stocks for winter and waiting to see if 2025 brings more new releases.

Man long time no see. How is everything in Jersey?. It's incredible how fast time moves on. yes I wonder what's up with new tires getting heavier. I'm running Nitto Trail Grappler MT on the Jeep in 35x12.5x17 but those are built like tanks. I keep running more aggressive trails so I need tough tires and i don't mind their weight, 79lbs lol.

 

[hodge-xj]

Man long time no see. How is everything in Jersey?. It's incredible how fast time moves on.

Time has evaporated in the blink of an eye! Things are awesome on my side of the country. Became a father, and am expecting a second this July, otherwise still just hustling trying to find a house before than. Its all been amazing but.....time is not easy to come by. Took the truck back to basic which is painful to look at but I'm driving so much (230k plus on it now) I was just murdering the coilovers and stuff. Salt Brine out here wreaks havoc on all things. Lol.

Oh and drones......those things have been interesting too!

How are things in the California? I see the jeep and there's a new toy?!

 

[ram1500rsm]

Time has evaporated in the blink of an eye! Things are awesome on my side of the country. Became a father, and am expecting a second this July, otherwise still just hustling trying to find a house before than. Its all been amazing but.....time is not easy to come by. Took the truck back to basic which is painful to look at but I'm driving so much (230k plus on it now) I was just murdering the coilovers and stuff. Salt Brine out here wreaks havoc on all things. Lol.

Oh and drones......those things have been interesting too!

How are things in the California? I see the jeep and there's a new toy?!

Yeah man likewise, congrats on the family. We have 2 kids in college now and our 3rd will go out next year. I've done more mods to the Jeep but like always still a work in progress. Stopped the mods since the stage I'm now is done. Famous last words Bought an SXS for my son and now we're both having fun with it as well. Just waiting to pay off the Jeep (2 more years) and see if I want the big axels with the big tires or i go for another Sport car.
As for the truck I've rebuilt the Kings 3 times already and that's has been it. Now she'd getting tires. We're using the truck to haul the SXS or go on trips for vacation, it's not our daily anymore. Only repair I've done to it was an aftermarket clock spring (Kept getting airbag service something messge on the screen) and that's been it knocking on wood. We're close to 150k miles and she hasn't asked for literally nothing. No leaks no squeaks and now I use it at times to chase the kids in the desert behind that SXS

 

[hodge-xj]

Yeah man likewise, congrats on the family. We have 2 kids in college now and our 3rd will go out next year. I've done more mods to the Jeep but like always still a work in progress. Stopped the mods since the stage I'm now is done. Famous last words Bought an SXS for my son and now we're both having fun with it as well. Just waiting to pay off the Jeep (2 more years) and see if I want the big axels with the big tires or i go for another Sport car.
As for the truck I've rebuilt the Kings 3 times already and that's has been it. Now she'd getting tires. We're using the truck to haul the SXS or go on trips for vacation, it's not our daily anymore. Only repair I've done to it was an aftermarket clock spring (Kept getting airbag service something messge on the screen) and that's been it knocking on wood. We're close to 150k miles and she hasn't asked for literally nothing. No leaks no squeaks and now I use it at times to chase the kids in the desert behind that SXS

That's awesome! I do get envious of the desert fun you guys get out there. I spent a day in Barstow years back in a buddies rig and it was wild. We just bounce off rocks and trees out here and destroy things.

I would say if the jeep is plenty capable and you're not eating axle shafts or blowing ring gears, leave it be and get the car. The progression into bigger axles is a trajectory that turns things into a full crawler, which is cool, but every one of my buddies that has gone into that realm has quickly sold the rig shortly after since it ended up a one trick pony of sorts. Yours currently looks like it still drives nice and likely rocks off-road.

I wanna get the icons freshened up but shipping is gonna be killer. Otherwise it's been a lot of regular maintenance at 200k. The crew cab is also amazing for kid hauling! Just need to sort bed storages out better and it's the perfect dad mobile.

 

[ram1500rsm]

That's awesome! I do get envious of the desert fun you guys get out there. I spent a day in Barstow years back in a buddies rig and it was wild. We just bounce off rocks and trees out here and destroy things.

I would say if the jeep is plenty capable and you're not eating axle shafts or blowing ring gears, leave it be and get the car. The progression into bigger axles is a trajectory that turns things into a full crawler, which is cool, but every one of my buddies that has gone into that realm has quickly sold the rig shortly after since it ended up a one trick pony of sorts. Yours currently looks like it still drives nice and likely rocks off-road.

I wanna get the icons freshened up but shipping is gonna be killer. Otherwise it's been a lot of regular maintenance at 200k. The crew cab is also amazing for kid hauling! Just need to sort bed storages out better and it's the perfect dad mobile.

Yep Trucks now days can be saviors of the world. I couldn't live without one. It's the most functional vehicle we have in our household. At one point I though getting into a big suv but damn they're expensive, and you dont get the functionality of having a truck bed. Our kids are also in the 6ft heigth range including us as well and nobody complaints for space when we are in truck. I bought a 23 VW Jetta 1.5L Turbo with only 6K miles couple of months ago. That's our new daily driver. $40 full tank and it last the entire week city driving, I think its 32/41 mpg, 8 speed trans and it's damn peppy for such a small engine. I still have to move the front seat slightly forward when the kids are in the back, but nowhere near what I had to do to fit them in a little Kia Rio we had before that one. We became contorsionists in that one for sure. Hahaha

 

[hodge-xj]

Yep Trucks now days can be saviors of the world. I couldn't live without one. It's the most functional vehicle we have in our household. At one point I though getting into a big suv but damn they're expensive, and you dont get the functionality of having a truck bed. Our kids are also in the 6ft heigth range including us as well and nobody complaints for space when we are in truck. I bought a 23 VW Jetta 1.5L Turbo with only 6K miles couple of months ago. That's our new daily driver. $40 full tank and it last the entire week city driving, I think its 32/41 mpg, 8 speed trans and it's damn peppy for such a small engine. I still have to move the front seat slightly forward when the kids are in the back, but nowhere near what I had to do to fit them in a little Kia Rio we had before that one. We became contorsionists in that one for sure. Hahaha

We are currently shopping 3 row SUVs and I want to vomit at the price. Heck, a 5th gen Ram Tradesman or F150 XL work truck with a few options is pushing 50-60k right now. So needless to say I'm more than happy with my truck and will absolutely have it for the foreseeable future. Wife gets a vehicle and I'll just keep the ram. Id like to pick up a daily as well, but that circles right back to needing something bigger since I get the kid/s as after work most days. Ohhhh the conundrum lol.

 

[ram1500rsm]

Got the Kumho AT tires installed. Will have the truck and the Jeep out this weekend for KOH 2025.
20250128_104703 by RAM RSM, on Flickr

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[hodge-xj]

They look good. Will be interesting to see how you like them.

 

[ram1500rsm]

They look good. Will be interesting to see how you like them.

So far they're smooth, they pick a lot of rocks and pebbles cause the tight gap in the tire tread, they're predicatable in the corners when driving on dirt/sand so far.
First time with them out at KOH 2025. Wife got stuck once but thats because she didn't know where to engage 4x4, not counting we didn't air down so the truck was running 38psi cold

Kids were having a blast with all the toys.
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[hodge-xj]

They look so tame next to the trail graps lololol. I'm between these and the Continental ATs when it's time so slap my fuels back on. Picking gravel up has become the bane of my existence on job sites. These Michelins end up "stone studded" by the end of the week from work. Drives me nuts.

Truck looks good man! I bet KOH is a blast as always.

 

[ram1500rsm]

They look so tame next to the trail graps lololol. I'm between these and the Continental ATs when it's time so slap my fuels back on. Picking gravel up has become the bane of my existence on job sites. These Michelins end up "stone studded" by the end of the week from work. Drives me nuts.

Truck looks good man! I bet KOH is a blast as always.

KOH never dissapoints man, but you have to go and drive away from the zoo of vehicles, too many fellas having "refreshments" early during the day so speed and stunts increase exponentially as they day goes by. Its super fun though just have to be aware of your surroundings and have eyes everywhere
Picking up stones with AT's is almost always a given because of the gap in the tire tread combined with their depth tread. you can see the difference between the Kumho AT and the Nitto MT, i grab some big pebbles from time to time with the Nittos though but nothing remotely even close to what i was getting with the KO2's, i used to go out with a screwdriver and go tender all my KO2's to free them from a lot of little rocks that were mating with the tires. I'm sure it'll be the same with the Kumhos

20250129_101534 by RAM RSM, on Flickr

 

[hodge-xj]

KOH never dissapoints man, but you have to go and drive away from the zoo of vehicles, too many fellas having "refreshments" early during the day so speed and stunts increase exponentially as they day goes by. Its super fun though just have to be aware of your surroundings and have eyes everywhere
Picking up stones with AT's is almost always a given because of the gap in the tire tread combined with their depth tread. you can see the difference between the Kumho AT and the Nitto MT, i grab some big pebbles from time to time with the Nittos though but nothing remotely even close to what i was getting with the KO2's, i used to go out with a screwdriver and go tender all my KO2's to free them from a lot of little rocks that were mating with the tires. I'm sure it'll be the same with the Kumhos

View attachment 55987720250129_101534 by RAM RSM, on Flickr

I will say pics def don't do the Kumhos justice. They look like a nice compromise of road and dirt for a DD type build. I ran those nittos exclusively on my Cummins and they're fantastic in their own right.

Pebble picking is just one of those things that comes with it like ya said. Tedious at worst lol.

I've seen videos of KOH, it gets flat out WILD by the time the sun sets

 

[ram1500rsm]

I have the truck in the trans shop getting the diff repaired. Hopefully i should have the truck back next Monday.

Rear end noise

This started around 5-6 months ago, i really though it was because the tires i had were in my Jeep before and have seen a lot of rock abuse, then when i ported them over the truck and started racking miles i thought it was just used tires issue. I bought brand new tires yesterday and the noise...

www.ramforum.com

 

[hodge-xj]

What was the prognosis?