First Ram 3500 - Initial Impressions

[BroGo]

I have a 22’ 3500 HO Mega Cab with the Carli 2.5 Level and was running 37’s and I can tell you I hated the 37’s. They looked great, but the tire noise was awful, the transmission shifted funky, my MPGs dropped like crazy and I chopped up my fender liners and even had to grind down my driver side pinch weld. In the end, I replaced the 37’s with 35’s and couldn’t be happier. Save yourself the headache and go 35’s.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tchur1]

Appreciate the feedback. What 37s were you running. Most people seem happy on 37s so its good to hear the other side before I spent $1700 on tires.

 

[Ostracize]

@tchur1 I'm running toyo AT3's @295/65/r20 and I really like them. Stock suspension, slight rub at full lock but avoidable. Very minor highway noise from the taller lugs. They ride / handle well and if I lost mpg I haven't really noticed it... Maybe .2

 

[tchur1]

@tchur1 I'm running toyo AT3's @295/65/r20 and I really like them. Stock suspension, slight rub at full lock but avoidable. Very minor highway noise from the taller lugs. They ride / handle well and if I lost mpg I haven't really noticed it... Maybe .2

Those look great on that truck. Appreciate the insights. I have been leaning towards toyo rts or ridge grapplers but a lot of people seem to really like the at3. I’ll have to look more into them.

 

[BroGo]

Appreciate the feedback. What 37s were you running. Most people seem happy on 37s so its good to hear the other side before I spent $1700 on tires.

I had Toyo Open Country RT’s in 37x12.5x17 and am now running Nitto Recon Grappler AT’s in 35x12.5x17


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[cj8rockcrawler]

Bummer to hear they have not softened up for you at all. I dont think it would drive me into a new truck because Im pretty in love with everything else (maybe its honeymoon phase) but I do wish they were a bit softer.

Ya Im not going to change the rear leaf pack for now, I want the payload capacity, thats why I bought a 3500 but dont blame you for going that route.

I am definitely going Thuren 1.75 coils up front though with sway and track bar and King 2.5s on all 4 corners. I like the ride now so if the improvements with the Thuren stuff is as good as everyone says then i'll be thrilled.

Good to know on the trans, Im probably babying it too much right now so i'll be more aggressive with it. I tend to drive pretty conservatively as is but I wont worry about driving around the shifts. Thanks for the heads up. About how many miles does it take for the trans to learn?

Also I dropped the tires to 55/50 and the difference was drastic to say the least. Im planning to move to 35 or 37s on 17s or 18s soon and run them at like 45/40 unloaded so Im sure that along with suspension upgrades will make this ride like a dream.

Pics from the dealer, i'm lazy and forgot to take some before it got dark.

Just to clarify, my plan/recommendation is to replace only the overload in the rear leaf pack with the add a leaf to reduce the kick of the factory overload. You maintain the full 3500 hauling capacity this way vs. the full leaf replacement route that reduces the 3500 capacity to essentially that of a light 2500.

 

[tchur1]

Just to clarify, my plan/recommendation is to replace only the overload in the rear leaf pack with the add a leaf to reduce the kick of the factory overload. You maintain the full 3500 hauling capacity this way vs. the full leaf replacement route that reduces the 3500 capacity to essentially that of a light 2500.

That makes more sense. I was considering doing that as well. My plan was go to with all Thuren stuff though and they dont make just the add a pack from what I can see. Not sure how the truck would ride mixing thuren front end and carli rear. I will probably just do Thuren all the way around and if I am still looking for more will add the add a pack down the road.

 

[gimmie11s]

Bummer to hear they have not softened up for you at all. I dont think it would drive me into a new truck because Im pretty in love with everything else (maybe its honeymoon phase) but I do wish they were a bit softer.

Ya Im not going to change the rear leaf pack for now, I want the payload capacity, thats why I bought a 3500 but dont blame you for going that route.

I am definitely going Thuren 1.75 coils up front though with sway and track bar and King 2.5s on all 4 corners. I like the ride now so if the improvements with the Thuren stuff is as good as everyone says then i'll be thrilled.

Good to know on the trans, Im probably babying it too much right now so i'll be more aggressive with it. I tend to drive pretty conservatively as is but I wont worry about driving around the shifts. Thanks for the heads up. About how many miles does it take for the trans to learn?

Also I dropped the tires to 55/50 and the difference was drastic to say the least. Im planning to move to 35 or 37s on 17s or 18s soon and run them at like 45/40 unloaded so Im sure that along with suspension upgrades will make this ride like a dream.

Pics from the dealer, i'm lazy and forgot to take some before it got dark.

LOVE black... holy cow she looks great!

 

[tchur1]

LOVE black... holy cow she looks great!

Thanks man!

 

[kpecks]

My seats on my 22 limited 3500 are super stiff. I have a slight disc issue and i notice i am constantly adjusting my positions as my butt cheeks go numb. We have a few other vehicles and this is the only one that makes my butt go numb after a while.

 

[tchur1]

Wanted to post an update here as I am in the middle of a 2k mile road trip in the new truck. I am unloaded/not towing on this trip but after the first 1500 miles I love the truck more than the day I picked it up. A few things since my initial write up:
- The driver seat feels like its starting to soften, maybe its just in my head but I actually find the seats really supportive. I just spent 15 hours driving and my back never tightened which is rare for me after extending periods of driving

- MPGs have been solid. 1st tank was mixed highway driving and I hand calced it to 19.7. On the remainder of the trip I am averaging about 18.5 all freeway driving between 75 and 85 MPH. Big shocker here but if you drive conservatively (dont hammer it off the line and keep it around 77 on the freeway) you can easily average 19.5+ MPG on flat highways. The only time I was dipping below that was when I was going 85+ or climbing hills.

- The Uconnect system completely shut down while I was driving and reset itself once but other than that I haven't had any issues.

- The stock tires are AWFUL, especially in the snow. I live in Lake Tahoe and we got about 6 inches last week. I grew up in the area and have been driving in the snow for 15+ years at this point and these are the worst tires Ive ever experienced in the snow.

- From the point above - I am between KO2s and AT3s for new tires this fall - anyone have experience with either and/or feel strongly? I tow about 10k all summer long and then am unloaded all winter.

- Is a new thuren/carli sway bar worth it? I dont find the ride to be nearly as bad as I was expecting after reading everyone else thoughts on here.

- I am a huge fan of the remote start functionality on the Ram app. I live where its cold and use it all the time to warm the truck up before I leave. However, I REALLY wish I could set climate controls from the app after starting it. It seems like a layup feature that should be included in something like that. Idk if i'll pay the $70 for the sub to just be able to remote start it.

Overall, I love the truck and (politics aside) will probably never go back to a gas truck. This thing is a HOG and I have zero regrets.

 

[Brutal_HO]

Last 2 sets of BFG tires were trashed in about 20K. Not suitable for towing heavy. I'd never put a set on an HD truck again.

I've been happy so far with the Falken tires.

 

[tchur1]

Last 2 sets of BFG tires were trashed in about 20K. Not suitable for towing heavy. I'd never put a set on an HD truck again.

I've been happy so far with the Falken tires.

Appreciate the input. This seems to be a common piece of feedback on the KO2s. My dad and brother both swear by them but they are not driving HDs.

Ill probably go with 35" At3s. I like the look and they seem to do well in the snow and are decent enough while towing.

 

[JMT]

I really didn't notice much of a difference with the thuren sway bar.
I have the AT3s and I like them, enough that I put them on my work truck.

 

[snlsmith]

For those complaining about the seats, do you have the bucket seats or the 40/20/40 bench seat? I have the bench seat and not as comfortable as the bucket seats in my 2015 1500, but only 600 miles on it so far.

 

[SierraHog]

Wanted to post an update here as I am in the middle of a 2k mile road trip in the new truck. I am unloaded/not towing on this trip but after the first 1500 miles I love the truck more than the day I picked it up. A few things since my initial write up:
- The driver seat feels like its starting to soften, maybe its just in my head but I actually find the seats really supportive. I just spent 15 hours driving and my back never tightened which is rare for me after extending periods of driving

- MPGs have been solid. 1st tank was mixed highway driving and I hand calced it to 19.7. On the remainder of the trip I am averaging about 18.5 all freeway driving between 75 and 85 MPH. Big shocker here but if you drive conservatively (dont hammer it off the line and keep it around 77 on the freeway) you can easily average 19.5+ MPG on flat highways. The only time I was dipping below that was when I was going 85+ or climbing hills.

- The Uconnect system completely shut down while I was driving and reset itself once but other than that I haven't had any issues.

- The stock tires are AWFUL, especially in the snow. I live in Lake Tahoe and we got about 6 inches last week. I grew up in the area and have been driving in the snow for 15+ years at this point and these are the worst tires Ive ever experienced in the snow.

- From the point above - I am between KO2s and AT3s for new tires this fall - anyone have experience with either and/or feel strongly? I tow about 10k all summer long and then am unloaded all winter.

- Is a new thuren/carli sway bar worth it? I dont find the ride to be nearly as bad as I was expecting after reading everyone else thoughts on here.

- I am a huge fan of the remote start functionality on the Ram app. I live where its cold and use it all the time to warm the truck up before I leave. However, I REALLY wish I could set climate controls from the app after starting it. It seems like a layup feature that should be included in something like that. Idk if i'll pay the $70 for the sub to just be able to remote start it.

Overall, I love the truck and (politics aside) will probably never go back to a gas truck. This thing is a HOG and I have zero regrets.

Been running the AT3s in Tahoe, Mammoth and June since December on my 22 HO and they do fantastic in the snow. I’m running 50psi on all 4 and it powers through, even in the deeper stuff. Not the greatest on full ice but slow and steady wins the race.

I’ve been running the Thuren sway bar, 1.75” Thuren springs, Thuren track bar and Thuren tuned fox shocks since new and there’s a noticeable difference up front. Eats the bumps and doesn’t jar my head back and forth entering/exiting uneven terrain.

 

[Brutal_HO]

Been running the AT3s in Tahoe, Mammoth and June since December on my 22 HO and they do fantastic in the snow. I’m running 50psi on all 4 and it powers through, even in the deeper stuff. Not the greatest on full ice but slow and steady wins the race.

I’ve been running the Thuren sway bar, 1.75” Thuren springs, Thuren track bar and Thuren tuned fox shocks since new and there’s a noticeable difference up front. Eats the bumps and doesn’t jar my head back and forth entering/exiting uneven terrain.

The weight of the mighty Cummins pushes steering on slick to a whole new level.

 

[gpattikjr]

For those complaining about the seats, do you have the bucket seats or the 40/20/40 bench seat? I have the bench seat and not as comfortable as the bucket seats in my 2015 1500, but only 600 miles on it so far.

They are the same seats regardless of console or jump "bench" seat in the middle.

 

[tchur1]

For those complaining about the seats, do you have the bucket seats or the 40/20/40 bench seat? I have the bench seat and not as comfortable as the bucket seats in my 2015 1500, but only 600 miles on it so far.

I have a limited so its buckets - as I have put more miles on the truck they are feeling much better.

Been running the AT3s in Tahoe, Mammoth and June since December on my 22 HO and they do fantastic in the snow. I’m running 50psi on all 4 and it powers through, even in the deeper stuff. Not the greatest on full ice but slow and steady wins the race.

I’ve been running the Thuren sway bar, 1.75” Thuren springs, Thuren track bar and Thuren tuned fox shocks since new and there’s a noticeable difference up front. Eats the bumps and doesn’t jar my head back and forth entering/exiting uneven terrain.

Appreciate this, its the exact feedback I was hoping for, and considering youre in the same area as me, its super helpful. Are you running 35s or 37?

My plan is for the Thuren 1.75"s with King 2.5s on all 4 corners with the thuren track and sway bar as well. I thought I would notice the factory sway stiffness more than I do currently but you think the Thuren sway is worth it?

 

[joelp]

i did the thuren sway bar on mine after owning it two years. i had done the thuren springs up front and the king 2.5s all the way around from the get go. front sway bar was the best 600 i ever spent. way less violent side to side motion hitting off camber things. made the truck feel right.