12 Ram 1500 Adventure build

[Hudsen]

So I've never made a build thread before, even owning my 98 Tacoma and stalking the boards for a long long time, just never been what I wanted to do. I'm doing this to share my mistakes I've learned along the way and pretty much start fresh with a newer to me platform than my Tacoma. I still LOVE and own the little guy but with two dogs, girlfriend, and a weeks worth of stuff to bring alon, the Xtra Cab can get a little cramped on long hauls. This is where my 2012 Ram 1500 Crew Cab comes into play. I bought the Ram in 2016 with 80k miles give or take for well under 20k in excellent condition. Since then I've put on another 80k miles on her all trouble free with out single major hiccup. All she needed was GTO and someone to point her in the direction has my girlfriend would say. As you can see we love to travel and this is where things start to tick in my mind. Sometimes we take the Tacoma, but it gets cramped and is a lot harder on long road trips at 1k+miles. The Tacoma is a go anywhere rig, winch, locked F/R, 33x10.50, armor, storage and bed sleeping arrangement. I wouldn't hesitate to drive her down to Panama and back basically. That's what I want out of the Ram at this point. However after doing a lot of my research I'm starting to realize I wont be able to. Winch - check, 35s - check, sleeping and storage - check, room for everyone - check. I've already planned on what to do in these areas, except for one thing. Lockers. So lets get into this. 1st off I know, I probably should've bought a tundra, BUT there were none in my range I could afford and I love my Ram with the ramboxes, but no vehicle is perfect. So after meeting up with a FWC friend of mine in Florida this past weekend and him and his wife taking us around Tates Hell state park, I stopped short a lot of areas I wouldn't have hesitated in the Tacoma. I would've locked it up and rolled on through. With only a LSD in the ram I'm not as confident in the truck and with no aftermarket locker solution, I feel like I'm at a dead end and should abandon it. Hopefully someone on here will help out and reassure me that it'll be fine, just a small bump in the road. Also attached a picture from this past weekend of how she sits now

Anyways, short list for the Ram (6months)
Small lift Icons all around set for 2.5 front 1.5 rear - 1.5 BL
35 all terrains
Bed rack - build at home.
hidden winch - build at home with a 12k winch.

Sorry for the long post. I'm really just hoping for a little guidance as this will be my first full size build and someone will chime in about the locker situation. Thanks!

 

[ttengineer]

In my experience 99% of people that “Overland” don’t need a locker. Nor do most even understand when a locker is needed.

As long as you have a winch you’ll be fine. Even then, I doubt you’ll ever really need it unless you don’t know the limits of your truck.


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[verdesard0g]

My truck has open differentials, I have had no problems driving it any place I want to go and back. If you have a LSD you are one step ahead of me.

 

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

My '96 Dodge only ever had an Auburn LSD out back, open in the front. Never found anything it couldn't navigate with a bit of planning and mechanical sympathy. The LSD clutch packs would lock right up. Maybe check out a Detroit TruTrack, using gears instead of clutch packs. I don't think you really "need" true lockers. YMMV. And yes, I also had a winch up front, hardly ever used except to pull others out. But...I could have used a rear winch several times.

 

[Hudsen]

Thanks y'all! I do appreciate the input and guess I've been spoiled or mislead by always have lockers in the tacoma. I'll definitely be adding a winch in the next month. Rear winch. Interesting? That's something to keep in mind for sure, just hope I never need one. I'm sure I could macgyver something if I had too

 

[Hudsen]

Thanks! definitely helpful. I haven't been out west much (except for stationed in Alaska and Washington) which is something I would like to change, so I'm not overly familiar with yalls trail systems except that I'm fairly jealous! Most around here is water, mud, rocks, and trees. And more water which can sink or get deep quick even if you checked it. But I'm sure I'm over thinking it and I'm not going to avoid going out, just a little more meticulous about my lines with this truck. TSC in 2012 is horrible. If I have to leave the pavement it automatically engages forcing me to turn it off. I like it in the rain on the highway, but not that much for how sensitive it gets. But it auto disengages when switched into 4low which is interesting. I'm still learning a lot about this truck and what it is capable of and I'll eventually figure out where the limits are

 

[Taco 11]

Went from a 2011 Tacoma to a 2011 Ram 1500 and never looked back. the Ram does everything my Tacoma did and gives us more room for gear and comfort. Slowly building up for a trip to Central America.

 

[Gunnslinger]

I had an Eaton electric locker installed in the front differential of my '06 Dodge (factory LSD in the rear). Had to drill a hole for the wire harness and grind the housing to make it fit.

 

[Buliwyf]

Depends on where you're going. Lockers front and rear are 100% needed for anywhere I camp off road. I'm suffering with just 1 locker in my new truck. The earth is just too soft around here for half of the year.

We're always getting sunk in a harmless grass field, pipeline access road, dirt road, flooded camp ground,etc. etc. Often with nowhere to land a winch. So you're digging a hole to anchor the winch, or digging holes to get the truck out. Your choice.

It is sad though, how often none of that is needed. But when storms wreck your fun........they can be fun in their own ways.

 

[mach1dsg]

I have a 2014 RAM 1500 4x4 crew cab with King 2.5 OEM performance series with aftermarket UCA's , lifted 2.5" in the front and 1" in the back , i have ZERO issues driving offroad trails around Joshua Tree here in CA at 50-70mph going through the fast whoops,washboards etc. sure it's not a long travel, and sure i'm not jumping the truck either, but i have yet to experience any issues with the road beating me up or the truck as of yet.

If you going with Coilovers, don't do any strut spacers, nobody in their right mind will do such a thing, why would you get CO's to ruin the concept with strut spacers for 1" IFS down travel ? lol besides i haven't seen 1-1.5" strut spacers for the 4th gen RAM, you have 1/2", or 2.5" and up, maybe 2", and both are a POS that will ruin your factory UCA's the moment you start hammering your factory front bumpstop with those cheapy top spacers.

Tacos have a lot more aftermarket for offroad, especially in the armor deparment, same for the Tundras. Toyota and its aftermarket rule the world more likely in the IFS segment there is no doubt about that, 4th gen 1500's have no gas tank skids, no trans skids, only skids available come from Mopar for the oil pan, transfer case and some years the stering rack. only 2 options for Rock sliders, White Knuckle or Gor Racing, you have steel aftermarket bumpers with winch options, don't expect anything cheap with a winch option. if you need underbelly armor asides from what Mopar offers, you have to custom fab.

You can't get lockers for the 4th gen RAM 1500, but the factory rear LSD is decent, like Toyota or Nissan and most manufacturers now days, 4th gen RAM's come equipped with electronic brake lock differential (BLD in Mopar world). I've had zero issues with BLD, and i have the factory rear LSD, BLD should have been available since 2009 in the 4th gen RAM 1500's, 2007 for the Jeep JK's, it's exactly the same concept, and it's in my humble opinion better than Toyota ATRAC or Nissan ABLS,nothing to push, and engagement is easier and faster. i've had Nissan Xterras, Range Rover, Land Rover, Toyota FJ and Taco, Jeep JKU and now RAM 1500, with this truck feather the gas when in you're 3 wheels and that's it, electronic brake locking diff is not a locker, understands how it works, get used to how/when it engages and enjoy, there is no toyota Crawl or downhill assist in the 4th gen 1500's, hopefully you did get one with the Borg Wagner 44-45 transfer case and not the one with the 44-44, you will know because the good transfer case (44-45) doesn't have the 4auto lock feature, 44-44 sucks in snow/mud/ruts etc etc, it has clutches that will melt if you press the truck hard when offroading, slow to engage the wheels when 4x4, trucks act more like an open diff etc etc, 44-45 doesn't suffer from none of this.

Sure i think Tacos will go more hardcore places, smaller wheelbase, locker options, more offroad electronics, armor etc, but the RAM has so much more space, i dont remember my Taco anymore, and when i need rock crawling i'll take the Jeep.
if you want to enjoy dirt roads/desert at speed, a mid travel setup King,Icon,Radflo,Fox etc,all make 2.5 Coilovers/shocks for the RAM 1500, day and night over the standard struts/shocks, sure a lot more expensive as well, and there is no need for anything higher than 2.5" of lift and 35's. If you want more performance, Dirt King and Gor Racing have long travel setups for the 1500's. No need for a body lift to run 35's on this trucks, you can run 35's with just 2" level, but if you wanted to go higher, then you can add a 1.5" BL, or 3" BL, If you want to lift your truck with those lifts that drop the diff and give you taller knuckle hubs, understand that while your body goes up and you have more bumper/rocker panel clearance, your diff and front LCA's now sit lower, some of them put LCA relocation brackets in the rear as well reducing your rear offroad clearanceas well, with that said, these kits will lift 4" or 6" with spacers, and some offer 4" or 6" with Coilovers.

I think that's about it for the RAM 1500 basics

Good luck.

 

[mach1dsg]

1. Explain how a spacer "ruins the concept"
2. 1" of restored downtravel is a 50% increase compared to a ~2.5" strut lift.
3. The fact you have not personally seen them does not constitute their absence from the market.

1.) Lol, will you spend $2k for "Adjustable" coilovers to run a damn stupid strut spacer on top of them?, bravo. Please don't make me call you names even though you're asking for it. but asides from it, you're shifting down your strut physical mount location faking your strut into being longer, but what are you doing with your bumpstop to address the extra lenght when the suspension tucks hard ?

2.) wow, 1", 50% of increase, yada yada yada. dear lord

3.) and so what ? lol, you want to educate me on stupid spacers i'll never run anyways because they're BS? hahahaha, save your BSFu writting. the day i need to add 2" extra on top of what i have already on my Coilovers i'll ask King to make me a 2" longer set, why in the ********** will i want to add lenght with a damn top spacer when i have adjustable coilovers ? You can buy Monroe Reflex struts add a shinny turd spacer on top of it and try to keep up with me in the whoops, heck brind that Turd AEV dualsport BS suspension with Crapsteins 5100 and ill show you how a litte mid travel King setup runs in the dirt and mop the floor with that AEV ******** and the spacer setup.

 

[mach1dsg]

I believe it's typically a person's level of maturity which dictates whether or not they "call names. "

I agree.