What did you do to your Gen3 today?

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KyleW2

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2014
Posts
844
Reaction score
342
Location
Allen, TX
Ram Year
2008 Ram 1500
Engine
4.7
Cleaned it up and took pics. Going up for sale in the morning..can't resist with how hot the used truck market is.
 

HandyCruiser

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Sep 2, 2019
Posts
156
Reaction score
170
Location
Arkansas
Ram Year
2021
Engine
5.7 Hemi (no e-Torque)
Back on June 8, 2021, I was driving to work in my 2003 Dodge Quadcab SLT that I bought new in November 2002. It was raining hard and I was on a winding country highway. I came around a curve and water was across the road. I hydroplaned and went off the road on the opposite side into a gully. All this took long enough for me to say a prayer as I skidded out of control and down through the mud. Luckily, I was not hurt but the left front fender and rear side of the bed were messed up.

QuadCabWreck8June2021.jpg

All I had was liability insurance on it because it's only worth about $3K at best. But I decided to have it fixed anyway. To get a truck as nice and as reliable as my 2003, I would have to spend a lot more than $3K. So I spent about $1,800 to put her back in the cosmetic condition she was in before the wreck.

I got her back last Sunday afternoon, but she needed a few things done. Today I got the slow leak in left front tire fixed. As I suspected, there was dirt in the bead. Most of the local tire shops were covered up. So I got this Mexican shop over on the back side of down to clean it out for me. As always, the Mexican guy does great work. And now my old girl is ready to go back to work. This is the first brand-new vehicle I ever owned. And I might just keep it until the end. We will have to see.

QuadCab16July2021_02.jpg QuadCab16July2021_03.jpg
 
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HandyCruiser

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Sep 2, 2019
Posts
156
Reaction score
170
Location
Arkansas
Ram Year
2021
Engine
5.7 Hemi (no e-Torque)
No!!!!!!!

I'm doing a suspension job on my Charger R/T Daytona, so I need my old 2003 Dodge Quadcab for my daily 110-mile commute to work. But by the time I got to work this morning. I noticed that my engine had started to vibrate. o_O

Ever since I got the truck back from the paint and body guy, I have noticed a slight shake. But I assumed it was the alignment since the left front wheel took a hard hit in the wreck. But by the time I got to work. I was able to tell it was the engine and not the suspension or drive train. I opened the hood and grabbed the fan. It was okay side to side. But then I noticed it had a wobble front to back. Then I said a prayer of thanks. A bad fan clutch is about the easiest engine vibration to solve. God is very good. So when I got back home, I went by O'Reilly Auto Parts, snagged a $55 fan clutch with my veteran's discount and got her done! :)

QuadCab19July2021_01.jpg

Tools included a 24" Crescent wrench, 24" pry bar, 13mm socket, torque wrench set to 18 ft-lbs, impact wrench and a hammer. New fan clutch is a Murray 2742 from O'Reilly.

QuadCab19July2021_02.jpg

My engine was apparently still dirty from the wreck. Mud likes to go everywhere while sliding out-of-control down a steep embankment. :rolleyes:

Removing the fan clutch was child's play. I did not need to remove the fan shroud. I just put the 24" Crescent wrench on the nut on the back of the fan clutch, held the pulley with the pry bar and wacked the side of the Crescent wrench with the hammer towards the passenger side of the truck. Even after 18+ years and over 250K miles, the nut just popped loose.

QuadCab19July2021_03.jpg

I installed the fan on the new clutch and torqued the four bolts to 18 ft-lbs. Then I just screwed the fan clutch nut back on the water pump, tightened it by tapping the giant Crescent wrench with the hammer while hold the pulley with the pry bar, and I was done! Total job time - about 30 minutes. :)

QuadCab19July2021_04.jpg
 
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grpht03ram

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2014
Posts
107
Reaction score
20
Ram Year
2003
Engine
4.7
handycruiser, its great to see you keeping up your truck! I have an 03 exactly like yours. Mines also been in the family since new.

This week I installed a dash cover since my dash unfortunately started cracking a few years ago. if I ever have to replace the heater core Id like to put in a whole new OEM dash since Ill have the dash out anyways
 

Brando_SLT

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2018
Posts
237
Reaction score
105
Location
Orange County, CA
Ram Year
2005
Engine
Hemi 5.7
I'm chasing creaks and rattles. I finally got the new door seals installed which helped dramatically with wind noise. Then yesterday, flipped and adjusted all the door latches since they were incredibly worn. Now when I close my doors there is a light "thunk" instead of a rattle and shudder. Driving over bumps and rough road, I only hear the doors rattle on the cab in the most extreme cases.

The bad news is now I can hear everything inside the doors rattling. I guess it's time to sound-deaden the front doors (did the back doors a year ago). Then go through the dashboard and find everything that's rattling around in there.
 

Runaround

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2019
Posts
347
Reaction score
108
Location
Silsbee
Ram Year
2007
Engine
Hemi 5.7
I changed a front wheel bearing hub assembly and rotated all four tires. Took me just over two hours with one big hydraulic jack, a pair of jack stands, a fit east lug wrench and a big hand tools and lots of sweat. The humidity is 109% here in S.E. Texas.
 

Harley Harrold

USAF Ret. 36+ years service
Military
Joined
Mar 25, 2014
Posts
6,014
Reaction score
1,406
Location
Mississippi
Ram Year
2007
Engine
5.7L HEMI
I swapped out my 2 gauge A pillar pod with my new 3 gauge A pillar pod, and installed leds in the AutoMeter gauges for better lighting. I can now better monitor the engine oil pressure, coolant temperature, transmission fluid temperature, and voltage.

51aF7AA1+zL._SL1000_.jpgIMG_1070.JPG
 

Phillyrube

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Jan 17, 2021
Posts
530
Reaction score
502
Location
Flatistan
Ram Year
2008
Engine
5.7
Got the siren speaker installed, no drilling. Two bolts on the cross member in front of the AC condensor came off with the impact wrench. Ran the wires behind the left headlight, fusebox and battery box. Used a nail to pierce the rubber boot where the hood release cable runs through, then a dab of KY jelly and able to push the wires through.
Couldnt see where it came through, so had to drop a wiring block and there it was. Extra benefit there is now space to get the horn amplifier into a secure spot.
Also fabbed a mount for the foot switch.
Tomorrow I'll pull the center dash to tap into the ignition on power point. Should have 'blap blap" tomorrow.
 

Phillyrube

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Jan 17, 2021
Posts
530
Reaction score
502
Location
Flatistan
Ram Year
2008
Engine
5.7
Finished up the horn install. Found a nice spot above the parking brake for the amplifier, and tapped into the cigar lighter for ignition on only.
 

MrFixIt

Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2021
Posts
55
Reaction score
6
Location
99320
Ram Year
2003
Engine
5.7L Hemi
Still getting into my (son-in-law) SiL broke 03 quad cab 4x4 with a 5.7L. Over the past 4 months have rebuilt the motor (new crank etc), replaced the radiator/water pump/thermostat, fuel pump, four the shocks (wow what a difference in the ride), back axle brake job then flushed the brake fluid. Still need to swap the front wheel bearings, replace the APPS, figure out why the ABS/Brake lights are on the dash. Then maybe I should also consider the cosmetics (headlights, slider window latch, radio, ash tray cover, steering damper shock, and a few other little things) ;}
 

Brando_SLT

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2018
Posts
237
Reaction score
105
Location
Orange County, CA
Ram Year
2005
Engine
Hemi 5.7
Finished upthe sound deadening for the front doors last night. Next up is engine and transmission mounts next week. Later this summer I'll do the sound deadening in the front half of the cab. It's so much quieter in the cab already!
 

Phillyrube

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Jan 17, 2021
Posts
530
Reaction score
502
Location
Flatistan
Ram Year
2008
Engine
5.7
Finished upthe sound deadening for the front doors last night. Next up is engine and transmission mounts next week. Later this summer I'll do the sound deadening in the front half of the cab. It's so much quieter in the cab already!
My next project, done on conjunction with new speakers.
 

Bear900

Junior Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2021
Posts
11
Reaction score
9
Location
San Luis Obispo, CA
Ram Year
2007
Engine
Cummins 5.9L
Recently purchased a low-mileage (29,800), one-owner, all stock, great running 5.9L. First crack at improvements will be reliability upgrades. Goal is to carry a slide-in camper.

Pulled the trigger today and ordered the following from TB Diesel (gotta love Wade's installation vids):

- FASS lift pump kit with G&R sump and Fleece fuel filter delete.

- Pacbrake PRXB direct mount exhaust brake.

After I get these installed I will be looking at the front suspension and steering. Small amount of play in the steering which is probably right for this year model.

Will also be looking at an Ats co-pilot lock-up controller and other 48re upgrades down the road.

First time dually owner but in love with this truck!
 

bigmanvt10

Junior Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2021
Posts
2
Reaction score
0
Location
05445
Ram Year
2003 Ram 1500 SLT
Engine
5.7 Hemi Magnum
Installed NGK Iridium plugs, Taylor thundervolt 8.2 mm plug wires, cleaned the throttle body, cleaned the k&n filter that came with the truck when I bought it. Removed stock muffler and tailpipe and replaced with a single in single out flowmaster delta 40 series and no tailpipe. LED light strip under the tail gate. Sinister black Headlights, 1600 lumen fog lights. Husky grey floor liners, Sinister tail lights will be in next weekend....
 
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Phillyrube

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Jan 17, 2021
Posts
530
Reaction score
502
Location
Flatistan
Ram Year
2008
Engine
5.7
Wax the hood and tonneau. Too lazy to drag out the ladder for the roof.
 

Oliver Closehauf

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2020
Posts
718
Reaction score
457
Location
Cincinnati
Ram Year
2005 Laramie
Engine
Cummins 5.9
I added these stripes. The wife whipped up the bio hazard decal using her Cricut.
 

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Rope Chucker

Junior Member
Military
Joined
Jun 6, 2021
Posts
11
Reaction score
15
Location
Colorado
Ram Year
2003
Engine
5.9 Cummins
Well, I didn't exactly do this but had the MBRP Exhaust put on my '03 and early driving shows a really nice step up in power and (good) sound. Curious about fuel mileage - how that's going to be...we'll see.
 
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