Good striker kits

[Cams 1st hemi]

My name is cam and my first vehicle is a 2003 Dodge ram 1500 with the 5.7 hemi. I've been looking for stroker kits and all I see in the descriptions are just for hemi challenger, charger, and chrysler 300. Would these kits work on my hemi? And if so what other mods would make my hemi better?

 

[HemiLonestar]

Welcome...probably not looking in the right spots. Of course all of those kits are applicable to similar year Ram engines. You've got bigger worries than where to find a stroker kit. How do you intend to tune a stroker in your crap**** computer 2003?

 

[Cams 1st hemi]

I have no earthly idea to be honest with you. I don't know of any 2003 ram hemi tuners in Texas.

 

[HemiLonestar]

I can tell you're new to this and maybe haven't done a whole lot of research on this; it's going to be extremely difficult to properly tune a 392 in an '03 unless you convert it to a 2005 PCM. The '03 PCM with a separate TCM is terrible for custom tuning.

 

[chrisp2493]

I’m using a Manley 392 kit in my 03. You almost have to change out to an 05 pcm in order to tune it. You can use a handheld tuner and any number of guys who can do custom tuning through email. I would suggest looking into a diablo tuner for getting custom tunes. I have a write up on this forum on changing computers, basically you need to move about 25 wires from one connector to another and add in an oxygen sensor. That’s a very simple explanation but it’s easier then it sounds. Summit racing has several stroker kits from Eagle and Scat, Inertia Motorsports have good products, the did my stroker cam. A good reliable stroker build is gonna run you around $4500 easy and that’s just on the engine side. Good luck on your trans, you’ll need it. Any other questions I’ll be happy to help or point you in a direction of people way smarter then me haha


I Bleed Ram Trucks

 

[Cams 1st hemi]

Ok so my first step will be a PCM upgrade that I get. But is the transmission going to be the thing to bite me in the ass?

 

[chrisp2493]

Ok so my first step will be a PCM upgrade that I get. But is the transmission going to be the thing to bite me in the ads?

That’s a tough one, it depends on how you drive it and honestly luck. Some people have had success with Shardon’s built 545’s, there are a few people trying to test out some ATS built 545’s but it seems to be a fiasco at the moment. My trans lasted very well for a about 6 months behind my stroker before I swapped trans to a built 46re with a reverse pattern manual valvebody. Ran me about 3 grand and I truly think I have a trans that should give me zero problems for a long time. I have some buddy’s running them on supercharged/turbo charged stroker drag trucks right now and they are holding up great. Only problem is the gear ratios suck, I’m rehearing my rear end right now. Your trans may last for awhile as long as you don’t do an hard downshifts out of overdrive. Seems like 1-2-3 gear is pretty strong in a drag racing situation, it’s flooring it from ~50 mph that destroyed the overdrive clutches.


I Bleed Ram Trucks

 

[HemiLonestar]

That’s a tough one, it depends on how you drive it and honestly luck. Some people have had success with Shardon’s built 545’s, there are a few people trying to test out some ATS built 545’s but it seems to be a fiasco at the moment. My trans lasted very well for a about 6 months behind my stroker before I swapped trans to a built 46re with a reverse pattern manual valvebody. Ran me about 3 grand and I truly think I have a trans that should give me zero problems for a long time. I have some buddy’s running them on supercharged/turbo charged stroker drag trucks right now and they are holding up great. Only problem is the gear ratios suck, I’m rehearing my rear end right now. Your trans may last for awhile as long as you don’t do an hard downshifts out of overdrive. Seems like 1-2-3 gear is pretty strong in a drag racing situation, it’s flooring it from ~50 mph that destroyed the overdrive clutches.


I Bleed Ram Trucks

This...OD clutches are the weakest ones in the case and are used for 2P as well. What would help is having the trans tuned (once it can be) to factor out 2P altogether.