Traded 2017 Ford F-250 for first ever RAM - review

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wallacemf

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2500 4x4 Hemi 6.4
Death wobble is inherently possible in any solid axle vehicle due to the design. In fact, I think I just read that FCA is starting a Jeep recall for death wobble on new Jeeps.
 

crazy jerry

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I never had the so-called death wobble on any of my Fords. Frankly, I don't see how it would be any less likely on the RAM...their front-end setup is nearly identical to Ford's.

you may not have experienced but alot of others have , as im sure youve seen the ford forums recently

the front ends arent identical , although they do both have radius arms, track bar and one long tie rod and drag link.

it would be interesting to compare the small details between the trucks, like stabilizer location, radius arm length, joint sizes, trackbar and drag link angles etc

im not trying to talk down on the ford but i think the 14+ ram is as good or actually better than any truck out there as a whole package. no it doesnt have 6 cameras or massaging seats but those things dont make a great truck imo
 
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troverman

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NH
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2018
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Cummins 6.7L
you may not have experienced but alot of others have , as im sure youve seen the ford forums recently

the front ends arent identical , although they do both have radius arms, track bar and one long tie rod and drag link.

it would be interesting to compare the small details between the trucks, like stabilizer location, radius arm length, joint sizes, trackbar and drag link angles etc

im not trying to talk down on the ford but i think the 14+ ram is as good or actually better than any truck out there as a whole package. no it doesnt have 6 cameras or massaging seats but those things dont make a great truck imo

Well, the Ford has a Dana Super 60 front axle which I think is superior to the AA 235, but really they are quite comparable. My observations are that the Ford radius arms are larger but the RAM tie rod is larger. I think the front end design is very similar.

I've had this RAM a week and 700 miles have been put on it by me so far. While I'm quite certain it will do everything I need it to do, I think the Ford is the better truck overall. Just the larger cab with more headroom, leg room, and storage is nicer; the doors shut much more solidly than the RAM and feel thicker, too despite the aluminum. The RAM power windows seem to be weaker than the Ford...they are stopped more easily by ice forming on them that always happens where I live. I will say the RAM has a better stereo than the Ford and can actually offer a few more engine details in the message center than the Ford...such as exact oil pressure and exact coolant temp, battery voltage, etc. Small details like the fact that even on a base Ford dually, all the marker and clearance lamps (roof, fenders, tailgate, etc) are LED. Interior courtesy lamps are all LED. On the RAM, they are old-school incandescent. Just makes it feel like an older design, which it is. I miss the additional bed cleat tie-down points of the Ford...only 4 tie downs in an 8-foot bed isn't a lot. And for all the talk about how much easier it is to work on the Cummins, I see the oil filter is much hard to get at, as are the fuel filters.

That said, I really enjoy the Cummins engine and G56 transmission. Much better sound than the Ford. Much better exhaust brake for sure. The Ford had a supplemental electric cabin heater for cold days, but the Cummins seems to warm up much quicker. The Cummins block heater seems to work better too.

I do think the RAM "switchgear" has a nicer feel than the Ford. Feels higher quality - at least the knobs do for the radio, headlights, 4x4 selector...and the multi-function wiper / turn signal controls. The Ford power window switches felt better though. Ford also lights their power mirror controls fully while RAM does not.

Overall, I think the RAM is a very good truck and I do like it. If I had all the money in the world I'd have a RAM, a Ford, and a GM truck.
 

crazy jerry

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by all accounts the ford 60 sounds like a fine axle but me personally i probly couldnt have full confidence in the vacuum hubs nor do i want to mess with any maintenance they may require. ya they can be permanently put in manual lock which is probly what i would do 6months out of the year.

i think youll be pretty happy with the aam and best part is its maintenace free. the older aam got a bad rep and rightfully so i guess but the newer version is beefed up in almost every aspect and much better than the older one imo
 

Blanked

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2016 2500 6.4
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For me personally when I am comparing a vehicle that I have owned for a while and am used to it I can’t make a fair comparison with another vehicle until I have owned it long enough to get adapted to it also.
 

mjb765

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Congrats on the new truck!!! I went from an '05 F250 Powerstroke to an '18 Ram 2500 Cummins.....so glad I did!!
 

GsRAM

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Ford builds a great truck. There is no question. I still love ford and probably always will, but this ram is very very nice.

I've posted this before but before I bought my ram I looked at all 3 of the big 3 crawled around and under all of them and felt ram was built the heaviest of the 3 overall. Chevy uses ifs and it was out based on that, but it wasn't too bad.

I loved the 17 ford f250 but no where near the 10k+ more than my tradesman that has more options than the rubber floor mat, no Bluetooth Ford xl.

I'm nearly 2 years in on my ram and still love it. No complaimts except for the 5 or whatever recalls i have to get done. Just my .02
 

RixRox

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Nice review, good job.
 

coobie

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I have owned both my choice is RAM.

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