Made the jump from GM

[MidwestRamGuy]

Hi - new Ram truck owner. Just purchased a 2026 Ram Rebel 1500 with the SO Hurricane. Was a GM guy for the last 20+ years and lost confidence after their powertrain issues. No manufacturer is perfect, but they have too much going on for me to stay in the GM family. Came from a 2016 GMC Sierra Denali 1500 - traded in with ~230k miles. Had the 6.2L V8 paired with the 8L90. Top end of the 6.2L had to be rebuilt after a lifter failed in addition to coolant leaking into the cylinders from the heads. Tuned the cylinder deactivation out after that and didn't have any other engine issues. 8L90 had 2 new torque converters put in due to the 'Chevy Shake'. To GM's credit all of these repairs were covered outside of the factory warranty, so I kept the truck a while longer (especially when new and used prices got insane). With all the concerns of the latest 1500 generation though (6.2L cam issues and continued transmission issues) I couldn't pull the trigger on one.

Have a couple buddies with this latest gen Ram 1500 and both are happy. No major issues and the truck has been solid. I test drove a few different brands and to my surprise the Ram had the best interior and smoothest ride of any of them. I never thought I'd buy a 6 cylinder truck, but the SO Hurricane has more power/torque than the Hemi they just reintroduced. It drives incredibly smooth and has power when you need it...so I was willing to give up the beautiful Hemi exhaust sound. With Ram offering the 10yr/100k powertrain warranty I'm not as worried about the Hurricane being newer with more complexity than the Hemi. It's already had 2-3 years to get kinks worked out. The ZF 8 speed seems to be the most reliable transmission out there based on my research.

As far as immediate mods:
1. Spray in bedliner
2. Tonneau cover
3. Running boards
4. Mud guards
5. Incandescent bulb conversion to LED
6. Rear bumper step (on the way and will be installed this weekend)

I'll be poking around this forum so feel free to say hi. I always try to give back as these forums can be very helpful. Looking forward to meeting other members. Cheers!

 

[mikeru]

Congrats on your new truck and welcome to the forum (and to Ram).

 

[Joe w.]

Welcome

 

[smiley506]

Welcome! Nice truck.

 

[Harley Harrold]

 

[BossHogg]

Was a GM guy for the last 20+ years and lost confidence after their powertrain issues. No manufacturer is perfect, but they have too much going on for me to stay in the GM family.

I was GM for most of my life. My first new car was a 1972 Pontiac. I had a 2003 Tahoe Z71 that I retired after 299,000 miles, and my first dip outside of GM was a 2013 RAM Laramie.

I can't believe what is going on with GM. Transmission failure was terrible, only to be outdone by engine failures. I was reading last night that replacement engines are failing. I don't know how widespread GM's powertrain problems are; it is hard to get a grasp on them without getting access to the warranty claim data.

You will enjoy your new RAM. You will discover, as I did, that the RAM is really a better vehicle than the GM twins. It all starts with the quality of the interior. Even after GM's refresh, the RAM still wins and wins big.

 

[Rayzr]

Nice rig.

 

[crash68]

I was reading last night that replacement engines are failing.

You can probably thank Mary for her relentless push to an all electric fleet for this, lots of ICE powertrain engineers were kicked to the curb. You know the automotive industry they start from the top down being those engineers cost the most.

 

[PolarisCobra]

Always nice to see a refugee from GM joining us.

 

[turkeybird56]

 

[Sherman Bird]

I was GM for most of my life. My first new car was a 1972 Pontiac. I had a 2003 Tahoe Z71 that I retired after 299,000 miles, and my first dip outside of GM was a 2013 RAM Laramie.

I can't believe what is going on with GM. Transmission failure was terrible, only to be outdone by engine failures. I was reading last night that replacement engines are failing. I don't know how widespread GM's powertrain problems are; it is hard to get a grasp on them without getting access to the warranty claim data.

You will enjoy your new RAM. You will discover, as I did, that the RAM is really a better vehicle than the GM twins. It all starts with the quality of the interior. Even after GM's refresh, the RAM still wins and wins big.

A 1972 Pontiac and a 2003 Tahoe are light years apart. While your assessment might be dead on, it seems that all cars manufactured today are no longer "durable" as opposed to those vehicles of decades gone by!

 

[Papa Red]

Welcome to the forum.

Red

 

[Nick@GotExhaust]

Hi, congrats on the new RAM and welcome!

Let us know if we can help with any mods. We offer just about everything not just exhausts, like bed covers, suspension items, side steps, intakes, catch cans, lighting and much more. Just message me with what your looking to do and I can help with product recommendations and pricing!

 

[crash68]

it seems that all cars manufactured today are no longer "durable" as opposed to those vehicles of decades gone by!

You have to ask yourself, have car become less durable or is there just that much more to go wrong? A 1970 car was "great" if it made 100K miles, nowadays that's when the first tune up is suggested!
The other thing is knowledge of problems with cars, back in the day it was word of mouth. Now you multiple forums and vehicle platforms that you can find out just about any problem every vehicle out there.

 

[HEMIMANN]

Welcome - lots of us GM converts here. Dumped mine in 2012.

 

[Sherman Bird]

You have to ask yourself, have car become less durable or is there just that much more to go wrong? A 1970 car was "great" if it made 100K miles, nowadays that's when the first tune up is suggested!
The other thing is knowledge of problems with cars, back in the day it was word of mouth. Now you multiple forums and vehicle platforms that you can find out just about any problem every vehicle out there.

Well, all the bull$ht on the 'net is overload information after a certain point. Since the 1970 car cost much less than today's transmission overhaul, and we got along just fine with the "100,000 mile" magic self destruct theory, I personally choose an older car for myself, and these newer vehicles have a massive amount of TOYTALLY unnecessary entertainment crap, not to mention that, on top of the entertainment, MANY people also distract themselves with having their noses crammed into their cell phones while driving.

Maybe the old days WERE better, in that we held cars in a more utilitarian bent. We went from point A to point B, and didn't just HAVE to distract ourselves from the TRUE chore at hand..... driving.

Just over the past few days, I've been driving way more around my vicinity to run chores, because momma is sick. The dim-wits who shove their noses into their cell phones is astounding. The maniacal drivers are also ubiquitous.

BTW, my family did maintenance on their own cars and routinely got 150,000 trouble free miles out of their chariots!
Even in the event something DID happen, such as a major engine or transmission breakage, it didn't bankrupt anyone to have those repairs done.

We DID of drain the radiator into the street storm drain; it wasn't illegal back then, but is today.

As far as knowledge goes, I'm sitting next to my 1965-1972 Chilton's repair manual. It has sections in it which teach the repairs, discuss the theory and operation of systems.... stuff that simply VANISHED from publications in 5 decades. This Chilton's book has been my Bible for repairs so many times, I can't count them. The exterior is ragged, the pages are all yellowed and rife with greasy fingerprints. It has dwelled in leaky damp trunks, out in the humidity of the garage, yet, it still is with me. Had it since it was brand new.

Well, I gotta go now! I need to put mothballs in the gas tank!

 

[BossHogg]

You can probably thank Mary for her relentless push to an all electric fleet for this, lots of ICE powertrain engineers were kicked to the curb. You know the automotive industry they start from the top down being those engineers cost the most.

Spot on, the average time directly employed by one of the big three was 8 years, for me at least. I was at GM Powertrain until I got wacked in 2008, due to cost-cutting. I was offered a very nice early retirement package, and I'm still collecting my pension. Before that was Ford, collecting that pension too. Never worked for Chrysler, my son did, same story there. The stories I could tell, as I think back, were almost hilarious. As a cat lands on its feet, so do experienced engineers. Never went more than six weeks unemployed. This is a good time to tell the younger folks, regardless of your career path, always keep your resume up to date and document your contributions.

Imagine being the manager of a focus group, say engine controller development, with stated milestones (the group I was in). Unknown to the group's manager, the group just lost 10 or 12 percent of its senior engineers. Yep, GM's bean-counting silo doesn't tell the engineering silo they are cutting your staff until you see them cleaning out their desks and saying their goodbyes.

After 2008, I started working for a Tier 1 supplier, Lear Corporation. I was treated much better, rose through the ranks faster, and was paid far better. I did miss powertrain, but worked on many electronic systems, just about everything outside of safety restraints, ABS, and infotainment.

When a company loses its knowledge base and its senior engineers, its recalls go up, and up a lot, as we see happening in today's automotive world. Despite all the efforts processes like CMM have made, no system has yet figured out how to capture and reference lessons learned.

 

[BossHogg]

Since the 1970 car cost much less than today's transmission overhaul

My 1972 Pontiac Lemans Sport with AC was $3,200 out the door. In today's dollars, that is right around $25,500.

 

[Sherman Bird]

Yup, and conversely, a transmission overhaul by a professional shop back then was $250.00. So, while your perspective is right-on, it DOES have 2 sides! Today, transmission overhauls can and do approach 9 grand on the more complex units. Mere 4 and 5 speed units are dwelling in the $3500 to $5000 range. 250 dollars in 1970 isn't even close to those figures, figuring inflation.

My parents' mortgage was a whopping $78.00 per month on a 30 year, 4% mortgage. It ran from April, 1956 thru 1984. They paid it off a couple of years early.

THAT very house was egregiously damaged in the 2021 Texas freeze. Inasmuch as Dad had passed on in 2015, and Mom was 87 at that time, she let the insurance company gut the house, and basically made the whole thing new inside, including ALL plumbing and electrical wiring replaced, to bring it up to code. (The electrical outlets never had ground prongs, for instance, and well, nearly 70 year old plumbing is what failed in the first place.

The prices of homes skyrocketed during that time, so she sold it and is, at 91, living the life in assisted living. She still has her car and drives.

Lastly, the average cost of a CAR today is 49 grand, last I read. So, the cost of cars has outstripped inflation, AND they are STILL a net-zero financial liability.... NOT an asset, like the fibbers of the financial world like to make unwitting consumers believe.

The Ivory tower bean counters knew and still know these dynamics. They are also keenly aware that most people are myopic when someone says "It is only $600.00 a month". I wonder just how many folks read the truth-in-lending disclosure on their contract and see how boffed they really are.

That is one thing that EVERY financial guru from Jonathon Pond to Dave Ramsey got dead right.

 

[CanuckRam1313]

Welcome from Ontario, Canada.
Great looking rig, too!