Name a DIY situation you did to your Ram that went horribly wrong

[Informal]

Wasn't on my current truck... But while de-badging my 2012 Express, I got a little too anxious with my plastic trim tool (a combination of not enough heat, and over exertion with the trim tool)

While removing the last "0" on the passenger side "1500" emblem, I found out exactly how thin the sheet metal is now days.
Laid a 3 inch vertical crease right near the edge of the door skin.

I owned the truck for about 2 hours at this point.

 

[Padilen]

Not horrible but took way to long yesterday to rotate tire's. All were seized on. I did manage to get right rear loose by hitting it with rubber mallet. The rest weren't coming off. So took it off the jack stands and drove it around my driveway. That did it.
And Friday I dented my tailgate, working on my CTC. Had wrenches on rear bumper which I knew were there. I was watching as I opened tailgate to check clearance of trailer Jack. But didn't see my 1-1/8 impact socket [emoji35]

 

[Ram Man]

Wasn't on my current truck... But while de-badging my 2012 Express, I got a little too anxious with my plastic trim tool (a combination of not enough heat, and over exertion with the trim tool)

While removing the last "0" on the passenger side "1500" emblem, I found out exactly how thin the sheet metal is now days.
Laid a 3 inch vertical crease right near the edge of the door skin.

I owned the truck for about 2 hours at this point.

I always found fishing line to do the job! Much safer too

 

[xrsman]

Not horrible but took way to long yesterday to rotate tire's. All were seized on. I did manage to get right rear loose by hitting it with rubber mallet. The rest weren't coming off. So took it off the jack stands and drove it around my driveway. That did it.
And Friday I dented my tailgate, working on my CTC. Had wrenches on rear bumper which I knew were there. I was watching as I opened tailgate to check clearance of trailer Jack. But didn't see my 1-1/8 impact socket [emoji35]

I did the same thing last night, except it wasn't a socket. Luckily there was no dent!

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[KahneFan]

I notched out below my cigarette lighter to run some power cords and now it won't seem to sit tight anymore. It will sit, but even the slightest nudge pulls it out. That's about my extent of DIY.

 

[xrsman]

Since I seem to have so many of these I'll tell the most recent..lol

So a month ago I snapped off the air fill valve off my airlift 1000. I guess the aluminum caps siezed on. Same morning that I had to drill out my locking pin to switch the hitch. I was so pissed that day lol.

Anyway since I'm trading the truck in I figured I should fix the valve. Since I wouldn't be able to get one from airlift quick enough I had to Jimmy rig one with parts from the local auto shop. (Lucky me right, lol)

So Thursday I did the install. The old valve would come out. I had to cut one end and smash it out with a hammer and Robertson screwdriver. After that I had to drill a bigger hole to fit the new valve. Well out of the 30 different sizes of drill bits, not one is the right size. I decided to make do with what I had, and just wiggle the bit until I got the hole to the right size. In doing this the outside edges were big enough, but not the middle. Well ****. I tried to use the drill bit to grind the middle down but failed. I used a file, but that failed too. I tried to hammer the valve in, but that also failed. Eventually I figured out that a dremel with a stone bit should work. I wore the first one out quickly, it was too soft. The second one worked. Finally I got the valve in.

Next issue became that it was a son of a ***** to get the 1/4" air line over the male end of the valve. After 10 minutes I managed to get it on. Well now the clamp that airlift provided won't go over the little bump that holds the airline in place. FML

So I decide to fill it with air anyway and check for leaks. I fill to 30 and it holds it no problem! Then I fill the other side...somehow over the course of the month, the covered valve that didn't have any air pressure on it gave out. The wh*** leaked all the air out! So I gave up and that's the way it's going to be..lol

Wasted about 4 hours on it. Here's the new valve. Thinking about it now, I may just use the T and run both bags off the new valve.

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[SitKneelBend]

I notched out below my cigarette lighter to run some power cords and now it won't seem to sit tight anymore. It will sit, but even the slightest nudge pulls it out. That's about my extent of DIY.

Next time, just pull the plug and put it behind the dash with whatever it is you are powering. Then just flip the lid closed and no more hole!

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[RR7_905RAM]

I was doing a diy color match on my stock mirror caps, they came out great so good that I was so excited to put them on the truck I could wait for them to dry so I had this bright idea to "oven bake them " at the lowest temp of my oven 7 mins later. They were a melted mess. ended up buy new mirrors

Sorry dude but I laughed out loud!

 

[Backwoodsram]

On my 98 1500 I tried to cut off and rotate the rear axle leaf perches to get a better drive line angle and didn't do a very good job of welding them back on so the first time I hit the gas the rear pinion went straight up and cost me a few hundred dollars for a new drive shaft.

 

[AustinB]

Best thread ever.

 

[Road King]

Great thread! Oh the lessons I have learned...

But most recently an embarrassment more than a disaster:

First time I swapped out my front/rear fuel filters (dealer wants like $300 to do it... I buy filters for about $100), I managed to spill diesel fuel friggin' everywhere... through a combination of assuming the 'drains' would expel all fuel, and buggering up the seal on the front filter.

So this last time, I got smart, and knew what I was getting into, so was well prepared and didn't spill a drop. I was so proud of myself! (Oh how pride goes before the fall...) Got all done, and did the start/stop procedure to prime the filters as recommended, but the dang truck just wouldn't start. Kept cranking and cranking and cranking... Nothing! It was only after a solid 2-3 minutes of cranking that I got out of the truck and noticed the river of diesel fuel flowing down my driveway...

I forgot to close the front filter drain.



Good news is, I haven't had to use Round-Up to kill the weeds in the concrete joints since then...

 

[polcat]

After I removed the OEM fender flares, I used an eraser wheel to remove the sticky residue. I didn't realize the filler panel below the headlight/above the bumper is plastic. Went through the paint and melted some plastic. Had a shop paint my replacement panel and if the lighting is right, you can tell the color doesn't match.

 

[Booms]

I haven't had to use Round-Up to kill the weeds in the concrete joints since then...

 

[RAMRUNNER89]

Ok this is an interesting one. Tell me what went wrong with the wiring...

I really have no idea what went wrong only thing I can think of its I ended up crossing wires somehow


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[AustinB]

Tried to hard wire a radar detector in my truck. Ran the wire under the dash (pulled the dash to hide nicely) once all that was done hooked up the wires to my toggle switch turned it on and my detector started smokin smh


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I did that before.

Best to leave the 12v plug on there.. Then just wire in a hidden 12v socket.

 

[xrsman]

Bump to keep this thread alive?

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[Rustycowl69]

Accidentally remote started my truck in the driveway while changing the oil. A lot of oil comes out of that filter hole!

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this story reminded me of an incident that happened to a Mopar buddy of mine and his 67 B'cuda SB V8. I had told him that I increased the oil pressure on my 340, by putting in a Direct Connection high pressure oil pump relief spring. He ordered the Hemi relief spring by mistake. I don't know how he fit it in there, it must have been near coil bind. Anyway, he started it up and he said the 100# oil pressure gauge needle took one full lap around and was near the second full lap, when the filter exploded and there was 5 qts of new oil over everything in his engine compartment, the floor, and much of his garage . It still gives me a chuckle to this day.

 

[SitKneelBend]

I would have loved to see the look on his face as the gauge needle did laps!

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[lagerstout]

My first car was a '09 Dodge Caliber. I was trying to pull the carpet to track down a water leak. Well I start pulling near the center console and shifter and hear a "ding." Next thing I know the car won't shift out of park. Had to get it towed to the dealer where they put a new shifter on under warranty.

 

[silver surfer]

I did that twice in 2 months on a brand new 1500. I bought the dent repair insurance on purchase. They said the dents were too low on the tailgate to do the covered repair. They couldn't guarantee no paint damage.