1-10 how would you rate the 04 & 05 Ram 1500

Im looking into a new Ram 1500 4x4

I got rid of my 02 piston slapping chevy Z71, and would like to hear input from Ram owners.

Are there any issues you could share with a prospective buyer.

Over all Quality
4 wheel drive
engine problems
transmission problems
etc.........

I think you should go and try out a new Dodge and a new Ford, and take it from there. What all do you use your truck for? Do you tow, go offroad, want to haul anything in the box? What will you do with it?

Thanx for responding.

I should have also said in the previous post I also have a 04 Ford F-150
its a nice truck, but have had some serious problems with it. they put a new motor in it at 1,500 miles , still have some concerns. The C/S of ford is top notch though.The box in the F-150 super crew is a little short also.

I looked at the 05 Ram I love the look . I think they are the two best looking trucks out there. Drives great!
Im looking for dependability and strength. No piston slap, no cam knocking. just a good strong dependable 4 door truck with a decent bed.

Most of my friends are steering me towards the Ram. But a couple have said the 4x4 traction in a ram 4x4 is the poorest of the trucks.

I might be towing a lite 24 ft camping trailer in the future, and need 4 doors for sure.

Im mainly looking for dependability information.
Are there any known common problems with the 04 and 05 ram?
Which motor is better? 4.7 or 5.7 Hemi. whats the mileage differance between the two? Not that that would realy be a deciding factor.

Thanx for any help

Im mainly looking for dependability information.
Are there any known common problems with the 04 and 05 ram?
Which motor is better? 4.7 or 5.7 Hemi. whats the mileage differance between the two? Not that that would realy be a deciding factor.

Thanx for any help


Get the Hemi, I read somewhere that the mileage isn't that far and the advantage in power is well worth losing a mile or two per gallon. I dont know of any problems.

Btw, is it the sound of the Chevy's engine that veered you away from it or were you afraid of it blowing up or something. Because Chevy says that it is not a problem and that it will still last you a long time and you can usually get the noise to go away with a synthetic oil. My dad's 6.0 has a little noise at start up but it goes away once it warms up and he just runs Valvoline oil and those Vortec 6000's are a damn good engine, I dont know about the 5.3's but I dont think I'd be willing to give up a good Chevy for a Dodge, maybe the Ford though :biggrin:

Get the Hemi, I read somewhere that the mileage isn't that far and the advantage in power is well worth losing a mile or two per gallon. I dont know of any problems.

Btw, is it the sound of the Chevy's engine that veered you away from it or were you afraid of it blowing up or something. Because Chevy says that it is not a problem and that it will still last you a long time and you can usually get the noise to go away with a synthetic oil. My dad's 6.0 has a little noise at start up but it goes away once it warms up and he just runs Valvoline oil and those Vortec 6000's are a damn good engine, I dont know about the 5.3's but I dont think I'd be willing to give up a good Chevy for a Dodge, maybe the Ford though :biggrin:



For me the chevy 5.3 started off as a little knock that lasted 10 seconds to a continious knock that i could hear while driving . I just couldnt live with it. Piston slap is just wrong, especialy when it just continues to get worse. I couldnt wait to get rid of that truck. I was using Mobil 1 5w30 with a mobil 1 oil filter. Also tried the stock oil filter and also different oils, mobil 1 was the best but still slapped away.
Any way that being said... Im leaning toward the 05, 5.7 Hemi 1500 quad cab 4x4.

why wouldnt you trade a good chevy for a dodge.... is dodge lower on the truck chain??

Thanx for the response

For me the chevy 5.3 started off as a little knock that lasted 10 seconds to a continious knock that i could hear while driving . I just couldnt live with it. Piston slap is just wrong, especialy when it just continues to get worse. I couldnt wait to get rid of that truck. I was using Mobil 1 5w30 with a mobil 1 oil filter. Also tried the stock oil filter and also different oils, mobil 1 was the best but still slapped away.
Any way that being said... Im leaning toward the 05, 5.7 Hemi 1500 quad cab 4x4.

why wouldnt you trade a good chevy for a dodge.... is dodge lower on the truck chain??

Thanx for the response

Yeah I can understand that, some people have said that it's just totally annoying on their trucks but on some it's barely noticeable. The design of the piston means it expands as it gets warmer so it should go away but yeah.

Are you gonna get the Ram in long or short box, their quad cabs are a damn sharp looking truck. It's not that I wouldn't trade the Chevy for the Dodge, I'm a fan of both of those trucks, a die-hard Chevrolet fan and I love Dodge because of their lineup. I was just saying that as of what I would do, get rid of the Ford, not what you should do because I've heard the new trucks are really nice, just more of a Chevy and Dodge fan.

I've got an '04 Dodge quad cab short bed (6'3") and am quite happy with it. I probably won't tow anything heavy so have the 3.7 V6. The truck handles well, is great on the highway and has plenty of room for 5 or 6 people.

I've heard that the Hemi and the 4.7 are within a couple mpg or so, but the Hemi has a whole lot more power. 1500 and Hemi must be automatic transmission.

Since you're going to be towing frequently and more than a couple thousand pounds, you may want to consider a 2500, and even the diesel option.