Big horn question

[Johnny Blaze]

So I’m looking for a Ram truck with the way the market is any vehicle really is hard to come by nowadays.the only pickup I‘ve had was a Dakota years ago!with that being said I’m moving on from my 04 Yukon she’s still running good but the mileage is stacking up and it seems like every month or so I’m changing something else this week was the water pump my cat is on the horizon so before I start sinking more and more money into it I think it’s time to move on from her.I’ve always wanted a full size pick up and absolutely love the look of Ram trucks with their big bold stance so I’ve been looking and looking and came across two that are within my price range.

Before I get into what I found I have to say I want a truck well just to have a truck!It’s going to be my weekend vehicle really no hauling or towing to speak of unless I need to.Living in the northeast we have our share of winters where I need to drive in snow nothing like way up north but we get our snowstorms living in NY!I know A Ram is more than capable of hauling just about anything and handling some inclimate weather but it’s more of my daily driver and that’s the sole purpose not pulling or hauling it’s more to drive and enjoy.I love the look of Rams I am looking at crew cabs as I want the extra room in the second row to haul around my daughter her friends and on occasion the big goofy Shepard.



So I found two Rams if someone can chime in on Them and if you think I would notice much of a difference between the two.I’m coming from a heavy 4 speed Yukon 5.3 I have 33’s on it with 3.93 gears so I know how it drives and what kind of umphh it has.It’s a beast of a vehicle but big boxy and heavy I will tell you it handles like a beast in the snow even did some towing with her a few times easy peasy!

The two Rams I came across appear to be in very good shape from the pictures! I know I need to go see them in person but they both look to be in good shape.They are both the same $$ which vehicles are inflated right now but it is what it is I’m not overly concerned with the mileage as it’s going to be mainly my weekend driver as I use my company truck to travel to and from work

truck #1 2013 Bighorn 121k miles loaded with options Silver 5.7 6 speed it Has step bars looks very very clean well maintained car fax had a nice long history of maintenance on it.the gearing on this rig is 3.93’s same gearing that’s in my Yukon!

truck #2 2015 Bighorn 107k miles quite loaded as well no step bars though that’s something I would need to add on later Granite metallic 5.7 8speed looks pretty clean as well maybe not as well maintained as the 13 but still maintained carfax has a pretty lengthy history of maintenance as well.not sure of the gearing on this truck.

The silver is on a bigger Chain car dealer lot the gray is on a smaller used car lot not sure if this is good or bad anything you buy used you are taking a chance.You are rolling the dice a big chain dealer I may have more negotiating room possibly and support not quite sure they are both pretty local to me though so it’s not like I’m driving 5 or 6 towns away to look at vehicles!

when I compare the two the one thing sticking out is the 6spd or the 8spd I know I really need to test drive them both!coming from a 4spd either one will probably feel like a rocket ship with some get up and go compared to the Yukon so I am not quite sure if for my purposes a 6 speed or 8 speed will suit me better it may not make much of a difference especially being I don’t live in a hilly area,tow or haul.I live more rural so there is traffic but far from city living traffic.I know a big truck like this is going to be a gas hog so if I’m worried about gas I should have no business buying a truck especially a Ram!

without going to see either one yet or driving them my first gut instinct leans me towards the 2013 I know it’s 2 years older with 14k more miles on it the silver just looks so sharp and clean.I’m not quite sure not driving either a 6spd or an 8spd if I would notice much of a difference between the two the 6 or the 8 speed either one would be a step up from my 4spd Yukon!

Other than the transmission is there anything else I may be overlooking between the 13’s & 15’s all the features look pretty much identical other than color and transmission.Though the silver one seems to have more add ons listed on It’s profile page.

Did one year have more or less problems than another?

What are some common problems with these vehicles anything I should be looking for when I go to look at them other than the normal routine inspection of under carriage engine,fluids.what may be some problem areas?

Are there common rust spots to look for where these trucks start to rust though both of these vehicles are less than 10 years old!

I know with Tahoes and Yukons they are notorious for rotting on the passenger side door rocker they rarely rust on the driver side always on the passenger only spot on my Yukon that is showing rust the rest of the vehicle is clean.

Just putting some feelers out there for some of you Ram guys as I’ve always wanted one but have never owned A Ram this is probably going to be my last rig for a bit so just wanted to do my due diligence and research.

I appreciate any input you Ram people may have positive or negative I don’t want to make any hasty decisions especially with the price of vehicles right now I need to be absolutely Sure before pulling the trigger

Thank-You

 

[GTyankee]

If you are going to have people riding in the back seat, do yourself & them a favor & if one of the Rams is Crew Cab, choose it.
Don't buy a Quad cab, there is hardly any knee room in the quad cab's back seat area

 

[Murphy Slaw]

I'd go with the 8 speed.

 

[Johnny Blaze]

Have to look back through my Novel Not sure if I mentioned it or not they are both crew cabs which makes the decision a little more tough it comes down to 6 speed vs 8 speed really!

 

[huntergreen]

That’s an easy choice for me, pick the 8 speed.

As always, have it checked by a mechanic. Specifically, manifold bolts and see if there is any stored codes. Research lifter and camshaft issues.

 

[Loudram]

I would go with the '15. The 8 speed is much nicer. Since you're not towing it'll do you fine. The Rams with the 8 speed come with either a 3.21 or a 3.92 rear. As far as the color goes the granite crystal is the way to go. My last Ram was silver and my current one is granite crystal. When you get the granite crystal all shined up, it will glow. You'll never get that on silver.

Both '13 and '15 were minor transition years for Ram. More so '13. If I remember '15 was some electronics where '13 were electronics and suspension. I believe that was the year they ditched the hydraulic steering and started using electronic steering as well.

Look them both over carefully. As mentioned earlier, lifter failure is the most common major problem with the Hemi where the 8 speed transmissions are almost bullet proof.

Happy hunting.

 

[Johnny Blaze]

Thanks guys I’m heading out in a few to go look at both vehicles and take them for a test ride

 

[MADDOG]

Get the VIN for each truck and run it through the VIN decoder to get a build sheet. I'd vote for the 8-spd if it has the 3.92 gear set.

Here's a link to the VIN Decoder:

Equipment Listing

 

[indept]

Get the VIN for each truck and run it through the VIN decoder to get a build sheet. I'd vote for the 8-spd if it has the 3.92 gear set.

Here's a link to the VIN Decoder:

Equipment Listing

^^^This^^^ with 1 exception, I'd go with the 8 speed with either 3.21 or 3.92 rear. The ZF 8 speed is way better than the 6 spd. Another member, Verndiesel, has the eco diesel with the 8 speed, he delivers trailers as his job with it and if I recall correctly, got almost 500,000 miles on his original Trans with just regular fluid / filter changes.

 

[crash68]

Another member, Verndiesel, has the eco diesel with the 8 speed, he delivers trailers as his job with it and if I recall correctly, got almost 500,000 miles on his original Trans with just regular fluid / filter changes.

I think it was around 700K miles when something in the valve body started messing up. Most of those miles were towing Airstream trailers across the country. He swapped transmissions as he found one for cheap. His trans maintenance is fluid and pan change every 100K miles.

Another vote to go with the 8spd truck. Very few problems reported with the ZF 8 spd. Probably one of the best things Ram did was change to ZF transmissions.

 

[Johnny Blaze]

A quick update both trucks were a bust

I looked at the 13 first it was ok there were some spots that were showing some underneath rust someone already put a deposit down on it and having had your guys input on the 6 speed I was not wowed to even pursue it so I passed on it

The 15 bighorn was an even bigger bust the body of the truck looked tired after a couple of minutes of running the check engine light popped on the interior seemed tired and it had a couple of rust spots so this was a pass!

I made my way down to the dealer where we bought my wife’s highlander from a few years back the guy did right by us gave us more than expected on her trade in and really did right by us a real stand up guy for a car salesman he’s been doing alright for himself and opened up another lot that his son runs that he sent me down to where he sent me down to all they mostly sell there are trucks!

The market is so inflated right now but I took a look on the lot most of what he had was out of my price range but he showed me some vehicles he had a

16 Silverado crew (white)133k which did not really grab me 25k

12 F-150 supercrew platinum (white) 99k I’m not really a Ford guy to me fords have always been a hit or miss 26k


13 Sierra crew (light blue metallic) 125k I was going to take a look at this one for 26k but he immediately steered me away from it he said he’s sending it back it does not sound right to him and he has not had time to diagnose it so that to me was him being a stand up guy

He had other vehicles on the lot but most were out of my price range the rams he did have were quad cabs he had a 15 sport that literally just came In with only 70k miles on it which was a beauty all jacked up a beauty of a truck unfortunately it was out of my reach

So I thanked him left him what I was looking for and went on my way.

About 20 minutes after I get home I get a call from him about a vehicle he forgot about that just came in the mileage was a bit high but he knows the vehicle was in mint condition and very well maintained it came from someone he knows it did not check really any of my boxes but He thought I may like it.

I went down to look at it and what a beauty

Yes it has 140k on it but you turn the key and the truck just purrs it has a bit of a lift to it the truck just looks bad ass

13 sport granite metallic the interior was mint the body pristine you could tell this vehicle was very well taken care of you could just tell

A couple of issues

High mileage not a deal breaker as it’s my weekend ride I’m not going to put a whole lot of mileage on it

It’s not a quad cab but it’s not a crew neither it’s an extended cab I really wanted a crew cab but it’s not as tight as a quad it could be something I can live with,with the truck being in such good shape

Immediately I noticed the floor shifter with it being a 13 this happens to be a 6spd not the 8 ugggh such a nice sounding ride sharp looking with just the right lift to it!

I did not get a chance to drive it,it was in the back of the lot and it was late in the day I’ll probably take it for a spin tomorrow and open it up see how it feels

I hate vehicle shopping it’s fun but not fun if you guys know what I mean especially now with prices being so inflated!

 

[Jeepwalker]

You've put your finger on one issue about these Ram trucks (in the salty North), they do kind of have a rust problem. I wouldn't say it's terrible ...I've seen some vehicle that were a lot worse, but it would be a wise move to get whatever you buy, rust-proofed asap ...or squirt oil in the rust-prone areas (works just as well or better). I suspect that '13 you're looking at has wheel flares to hide beginning rust around the wheelwells. Maybe not, but a lot of guys do that. That's ok though, so what?.. If you buy it just do a good job washing the salt off frequently in the winter (and underneath) and rust-proof the common rust through areas. The 8-spd might be the more comfortable, but the the 6 speed is tried and true as well, been around forever. It's not perfect, but for your needs I doubt it's that big of a deal-breaker. They don't crap out. Plus it's got a dipstick.

What are some of the problems?: Exhaust manifolds heat-warping and breaking studs at the head. Chances are the '13's manifolds have been dealt with already. Roller lifters that take out a cam (if that tk made it this far it's probably in the 'clear'. Large centeral LCD delmaninating (later years than yours), starting to see some electric steering racks flaking out (your years -- expensive$$$), Fuel pump relay on the TIPM (you could just solder in a new relay), Rust in northern salt states (per above). Anti-sway links break (cheap fix). The cam issue is the most dreaded, but then again you find guys who have 200k who haven't have any problems at all, mine's got ~170k.

2013 was a refresh year and starting in '13 several things were changed/ enhanced. Primarily for the good. Better electronics, updated the tranny, etc. However, if you found a 2012 in great shape, they're simpler, hydraulic steering, slightly less electronics. Easier to maintain some might say. For an occasional use truck that might be a really good choice as there's less to go wrong and probably more reliable ..if you didn't need/want some of the enhancements. One other nice thing about Rams is there's a diagnostic software called AlfaOBD for about $50-60 that goes on Android devices (you need to buy a cable) which is a great diagnostic tool that does a lot. You can tweak a lot of things.

A neighbor of mine has a silver Ram and I personally think it looks great. Everyone has their tastes tho...

 

[jws123]

Check under those fender flares for rust/rot 90% of people and dealers put them on to hide it lol Looks nice otherwise never a issue with my fathers 6 speed has 200k on it but like everything else depends how it was maintained.

 

[Johnny Blaze]

Jeep walker thanks for all the pointers I looked this rig over real well that’s the first thing I inspect when looking at the body and the body is surprisingly very clean it was well kept for a northeast truck possibly garaged as the under carriage is surprisingly clean for a truck up here in the north It was easy to really get under it with the lift it has and no step up bars I got way under it and it was pretty darn clean so the fender flares may or may not be hiding rust judging by the rest of the vehicle I would venture to say the wheel wells are probably as clean as the rest of the rig!

I really need to take it for a run and open her up to see if it fills my needs I won’t be towing or hauling with it and like mentioned coming from a 5.3 4spd in a big heavy Yukon though it’s not an 8spd the 6 will probably feel like a big step up as this rig is meant to be a weekend fun vehicle!

Thanks again for all the pointers to look for after starting the other two rams and hearing them then hearing this rig this rig definitely sounds like it was well maintained very smooth purr to it the other two did not have any real obvious bad noises they just did not purr like a hemi should purr if that makes sense!

 

[Jeepwalker]

Due to the potential cam issue, I would ask the dealer and explore the possibility of a used-vehicle drivetrain warranty, esp if they have something for like 2 years or # of miles (since you don't drive that much per yr). At least get the details/pricing so you can weigh the costs. You'd want to read the fine print word by word with a magnafying glass to ensure something like a cam/engine replacement (worst case) would be covered (fully), if a failure did occur. Warranties can be worded in sneaky ways.

That's not intended to scare you, these are great pickups, just something to look into. You might also snap a picture of the vin and IDK, if you can find out what work's been done to it through Chrysler.

 

[Murphy Slaw]

140K is just broken in for Mopar...

 

[Johnny Blaze]

Murphy you think?140k would not have you second guessing even though it’s only going to be a weekend vehicle 23k is a big chunk of change to be paying for a vehicle with 140k on it

The lift and look I wanted is already done but it does not check two main boxes

It’s not a crew the guy called it a extended cab but in reality it’s a quad cab

It’s 140k I really did not want to go anymore than 120k

If I were to get a ram I wanted an 8 spd vs a 6spd

It’s a little bit more than I was looking to spend

The three glaring pros is it has the look I was looking for I’ll save money on tires and the lift I was looking to achieve

The body is really mint from what I can see I really feel this vehicle was garaged judging by how good the body and undercarriage looks

Even though the engine has 140k on it,the engine purrs and sounds really smooth and good

I’m so on the fence right now

 

[RLJ10X]

I would broker the deal and then say the deal is contingent upon their servicing the transmission first. (You may be able to pull that off, lol) The 6 speeds are more reasonable to service than the 8’s. Also, you really ought not settle on any other ratio than 3.92 with the 6 speed.

Addendum: a fellow member, W1, posted a link to a 5.7 Hemi in a Challenger that was ruined by an incompetent mechanic. The heads surface was damaged by a die grinder used to remove gasket material. But the jest of the story was that there was very little internal wear on that particular engine, which has 240,000 miles on it.

 

[indept]

I would broker the deal and then say the deal is contingent upon their servicing the transmission first. (You may be able to pull that off, lol) The 6 speeds are more reasonable to service than the 8’s. Also, you really ought not settle on any other ratio than 3.92 with the 6 speed.

Addendum: a fellow member, W1, posted a link to a 5.7 Hemi in a Challenger that was ruined by an incompetent mechanic. The heads surface was damaged by a die grinder used to remove gasket material. But the jest of the story was that there was very little internal wear on that particular engine, which has 240,000 miles on it.

Why the 6 speed? It has issues with valve body warping and not as reliable as the ZF 8 speed. Also the 8hp70 8 speed 1st gear has a 4.71:1 ratio versus the 6 speed 1st gear is 3:1 from what I've found so the 6 speed with the 3.92 diff has an overall 11:1 ratio and the 8 speed with the 3.21 diff is 15:1 in 1st so the OP is better off with the 8 speed period.

 

[Johnny Blaze]

As far as my driving style goes I may or may not be able to tell the difference or let’s say know any better between a 6 & 8 never having had one I’m coming from a 4spd Yukon so even going to a 6 speed I would think would be a step up from the 4 speed.

The higher mileage and it only bring a quad cab has me more on the fence than it being a 6 spd having never driven either a 6 or a 8 I think I would not be disappointed in it.I am yet to drive it.

Getting away from Ram for a second I just test drove an 11 Silverado z71 with a 6 speed and it had some get up and go it felt definitely different than my Yukon I liked the feel of it I may take another look at it,that vehicle had 117k on it I just love the look of this Ram though

On a side note I’ve heard and read about quite a few issues regarding the dial shifter is this a common theme with the dial shifter