Dodge Ram rolls out in new format packing strong new engines
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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MARS HILL, N.C. -- We're pushing a big new Ram truck from Dodge over serpentine pavement through the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, rushing down the scarce straights but mainly carving precise turns through bend after bend of curvy pavement.
A rack and pinion steering mechanism, rarely seen under the hood of a pickup truck, aids our effort to connect all of those corners by producing quick and predictable turns in direct responses from the steering wheel.
More quick action comes from accelerator and brake pedals, thanks to huge new disc brakes for all four wheels and a big 4.7-liter Magnum V8 engine that makes as much as 235 hp.
But there's another aspect to Dodge's new treatment of Ram working as an indirect aid for Ram's driver: Dressed in a bold new exterior package with a chin-forward face, Ram apparently presents such an intimidating image in the rearview mirror of traffic ahead that drivers tend to pull to the curb and let our truck pass.
This get-out-of-my-way prow -- a fresh interpretation of the Ram predecessor design from 1994 with stepped-hood styling of a big-rig Peterbilt, seems hard to overlook. It's bold and assertive, a massive front end dominating the design with flat-faced grille and stair-step hood underlined by a fat-lip bumper and generous applications of chrome.
You can tell in an instant this is not some namby-pamby pickup where too-slick sheetmetal imitates a car.
Rather, the new iterations of Ram are built for business -- macho truck-type work like toting two-by-four lumber or towing a big trailer, hauling hay to the barn or running up the range and crawling over a rocky trail.
Despite the muscular exterior styling, this Ram also allows concessions for comfortable fittings in the cabin, which has been redesigned in the makeover with three more inches of room added longitudinally to stretch the package.
The additional inches of cabin space were taken from Ram's rear truck bed, as the regular-length box was whittled down to 76 inches to prevent over-extending the overall length of the vehicle and make it difficult to manage when turning.
However, an optional long-box bed is also available for Ram and remains at 97.9 inches.
Previous renditions, during the eight-year cycle of a second-generational Ram design stretched from 1994 through 2001, sparked a competitive race among truck builders to add more doors to the cabins. It was Ram that produced a Club Cab edition in 1995 with six-passenger capacity due to a fold-up rear bench for three, then brought the first deployment of four front-hinged doors to a truck with the Quad Cab edition of 1998.
Designs for a revamped Ram of 2002 pare the procession of doors by limiting the cab to two logical designs -- a two-door Regular Cab and four-door Quad Cab.
For Ram's new Quad Cab editions, the rear bench seat gets the seatback tipped rearward at a slight angle so adult riders may sit comfortably there with sufficient room for heads and legs.
An optional 60/40 split bench permits transporting a passenger on one side of the cab and cargo on the other.
Also, lids on the flat floor pop open to reveal below-deck storage bins.
For Ram's new Regular Cab editions, the three inches of additional cabin space translate to more room for front seats to travel backward and forward on floor tracks and for seatbacks to recline further.
The bench-style seatback splits in 40/20/40 sections and incorporates a fold-down center console that's broad enough to cradle a laptop computer.
Available adjustable-position brake and accelerator pedals -- in the first deployment for a truck -- move forward or back to fit oversized or undersized drivers.
Passive safety equipment on Ram reaches beyond two frontal air bags to three-point safety belts for all seats, including three sets in the Regular Cab and six in the Quad Cab, plus two sets of tether anchors in the rear of the four-door for installing a child's safety seat. Also, side curtain-style air bags in the first application for a truck are offered for both cabin sizes.
The structural system of Ram was redesigned for the new issues, beginning with a ladder-type chassis that contains single-piece rails shaped through hydroforming, a process that creates a strong and rigid platform.
Then Ram's designers specified the type of mechanical components that an agile sports car carries, such as an independent front suspension with upper and lower arms and gas-charged shocks, the new rack-and-pinion steering system, and four-wheel disc brakes with big 13-inch rotors.
It rolls on large wheels and tires. Standard 17-inch tires mount on steel wheels but optional packages extend to 20-inch aluminum rims with P275/55R20 tires.
Ram rigged in the light-duty 1500 series ranks as a 2002 model with three engine selections, while a heavy-duty Ram 2500 follows next year as a 2003 vehicle with massive V10 or Cummins diesel engine.
Powertrains for the light-duty 1500 Ram include a new 3.7-liter V6, the new-for-Ram 4.7-liter V8 lifted from Dodge's mid-size Dakota truck, and an optional 5.9-liter V8 carried over from the previous Ram.
Ram's single-cam V6 produces 215 hp at 5200 rpm and 235 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm. The 4.7-liter V8 climbs to 235 hp at 4800 rpm plus torque pegging high to 295 lb-ft at 3200 rpm, but the optional 5.9-liter V8 makes 245 hp at 4000 rpm with 335 lb-ft of torque at 3200 rpm.
A five-speed manual or new four-speed automatic shifter goes with the V6 and 4.7-liter V8. The 5.9-liter V8 mates strictly with a heavy-duty four-speed automatic.
These powerful engines make Ram stronger with higher ratings for weight, payload and trailer towing.
Payloads for the Ram Regular Cab rise to 1850 pounds, and the Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) climbs as high as 13500 pounds. Quad Cab payloads jump to 1770 pounds, with GCWR also up to 13500 pounds.
Tow capacity for a Ram 1500 Regular Cab reaches 8650 pounds and the Quad Cab comes to 8350 pounds.
Ram brings traction options of either rear two-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive for Regular Cab and Quad Cab styles and both box lengths, as segmented through the three trim levels of SL, SLT and SLT Plus.
price points undercut previous editions, beginning at $17,670 for Ram Regular Cab 2WD and $22,865 for a Quad Cab.
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| 2002 DODGE RAM VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Full-size pickup truck
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| Model Options: |
Full-size pickup truck
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| Wheelbase: |
Reg. Cab/Reg. Box: 120.5 inches
Reg. Cab/Long Box: 140.5 inches
Quad Cab/Reg. Box: 140.5 inches
Quad Cab/Long Box: 160.5 inches
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| Overall Length: |
Reg. Cab/Reg. Box: 207.7 inches
Reg. Cab/Long Box: 229.7 inches
Quad Cab/Reg. Box: 227.7 inches
Quad Cab/Long Box: 249.7 inches
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| Engine Size: |
SOHC 3.7-L V6
SOHC 4.7-L V8
OHV 5.9-L V8
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| Transmission: |
Manual/5, Auto/4
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| Drive: |
Rear 2WD, 4WD
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| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS/EVBP
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| Airbags: |
2 (front)
+ opt. 2 (side curtain)
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| Gross Weight: |
2WD: 6650 pounds
4WD: 6800 pounds |
| Towing Capacity: |
2WD: 13500 pounds, 4WD: 13500 pounds |
| Gas Mileage: |
3.7-L V6 M/5 2WD: 15/21 mpg
4.7-L V8 M/5 2WD: 14/19 mpg
4.7-L V8 A/4 4WD: 13/17 mpg
5.9-L V8 A/4 4WD: 11/16 mpg |
| MSRP Price: |
$ 17,670 to $ 30,000 |
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