Preventive maintenance - things that fail with age

[dmklever]

Hello all. I have a 2003 Ram with a 4.7. I have owned it since 2007. It has about 52,000 miles on it, mostly just driving in the local area. I have kept up with the basic servicing. Now I may need to use it for some long-distance runs, perhaps with a trailer (e.g. U-haul). Are there any age-related things I should be replacing now? I'm thinking radiator hoses for sure - those are original. Anything else? Thanks.

 

[Daw14]

Heater hoses ,transmission filter and fluid change ,rear end fluid change ,brake fluid change, any grease fittings you might find .water pump is old if not yet replaced .

 

[Hanover Fiste]

^^^^Agreed. I did all that on my 2005, and it's still running great at 148k miles. If it has a sunroof, I recommend cleaning out/replacing the drain tubes.

 

[Runaround]

Serpentine belt

 

[Dean2]

1996 Ram V10, 156,000 miles. On its second serpentine belt, brakes replaced once, one set of transmission hoses, one new fuel pump, new front steering parts like tie rods, ball joints etc at 145,000 miles, and one power steering pump and high pressure hose. The rest has been all regualr maintence done on time. I do not replace stuff proactively unless it shows cracking, damage or some other signs of deterioration. Keep the truck clean, including the engine compartment, greased, fresh fluids and stuff lasts a REALLY long time.

 

[Brando_SLT]

Belt tensioner, if you're doing the serpentine belt. Also, radiator cap - cheap to replace.