Dodge Ram: Regretful Modifications

This article applies to the Dodge Ram (1994-present).

Here are a few modifications that Dodge Ram owners typically add to their vehicles hoping for a better ride, a better look, or better performance. Unfortunately, these are the same mods that have come up short. Keep reading to learn why these components have been regretful.

Regretful Modifications

Throttle Body Spacers

This grooved metal (or plastic) component sells for around $100. You install it on the intake manifold, and the theory is that by virtue of the grooves making the air spin, the TBS increases the amount of air and the speed at which the air enters the combustion chamber. This in turn improves fuel detonation and thus provides more torque, more power and increased fuel economy. Unfortunately, according to some RAM owners, the TBS doesn't work. Here's why.

Dodge Ram vehicles manufactured after 1995 are fuel-injected. The fuel injection process mixes the air and fuel just before this combination enters the combustion area. So any increase in velocity or amount of the air does not really matter. If you drive an older vehicle with a carburetor, a TBS may help increase the air flow and thus improve combustion of the air/fuel mixture. But installing a TBS in a Dodge Ram with fuel injection does not increase power or MPG. However, it may produce a high-pitched whining sound, which one Ram owner humorously said might make a teenager think you have a turbo under the hood. Another Ram owner said after he installed then removed the TBS, "It doesn't even make a good paperweight."

HID Headlights

High intensity discharge headlights are a type of arc lamp. They operate like this: Inside a fused quartz or alumina tube filled with gas or metal salts, an electrical arc jumps between tungsten electrodes when you turn on the headlights. Plasma forms from the evaporating metal salts. This plasma produces a high-intensity light that is brighter and more visible than incandescent or fluorescent lamps.

For style and better road illumination, HID headlamps work well. However, one embarrassed Dodge Ram owner, complained that the lights flickered randomly or at the wrong time, for example, when he pulled up behind someone. This made the driver of the vehicle ahead of him think he was hailing him or that he wanted him to pull over. Another Ram owner complained of static on the radio (only for a few seconds on starting) after she installed HIDs.

A/C Vent Trim Kit

Upgrading the trim on your A/C vents can provide added style and appeal to the interior of your Dodge Ram. It's an inexpensive addition; a kit costs less than $100. But one Ram owner said that his purchase was so cheap-looking that he removed it and assigned it to the recycling bin. A good question to ask yourself: the kit may be economical to buy, but will it provide the desired appeal?

Leveling Kits

A leveling kit added to your Dodge Ram does just that: it levels your truck. You may need to do this if you have extra equipment on one end of the vehicle; for example, if you have a winch on the front end. A leveling kit will help even out the extra weight that is pressing your Ram down in the front.

A truck that needs leveling may not only look weird, but an unbalanced Ram can also cause poor handling and uneven tire and suspension wear. Add a leveling kit and you alleviate these potential problems. Or not. Some Ram owners complain about clunking and/or squeaking noises when going over bumps after adding leveling. It's best to consider this potential drawback when thinking about adding a leveling kit to the Ram. The trade-off may not be worth it.

Choose from a variety of leveling kits. These include:

• Strut extensions: For trucks that use a coilover strut on the front suspension. The leveling occurs by adding a spacer on top of the factory-installed strut. The advantages to strut extensions are low cost and you can remove them easily.

  

• Torsion keys: These replace the factory parts and produce leveling through torsion bar manipulation. It is recommended you also purchase an adjuster for the keys if you want to modify the configuration later.

  

• Coil spacers: Similar to strut extensions, you are adding a spacer to the top of the factory-installed spring buckets. Shock extensions are required here and are usually included in the kit.

  

• Block kits: Use this to adjust only the rear of the Ram.

  

Octane Boosters

Your engine is rated to run using a fuel with a specific octane rating. If you happen to get bad gas or add gas with a lower octane rating than you need, this can result in the fuel igniting sooner than it should in the cylinders, which can cause pinging and knocking. At this point you may be tempted to add an octane booster. An octane booster brings up the octane in the gas and thus reduces pinging and knocking, in addition to reducing emissions. But some Ram owners ask if it is worth carrying around an octane booster all the time just in case you get bad gas. One Ram owner warned against buying an octane booster online from an overseas source (Nigeria, anyone?). He ended up crying in his beer with a large container of octane booster that didn't work.

Altezza Lights

For a better look, you can replace your stock tail lights with Altezza lights. These clustered lights have one or more lamps and are enclosed in a clear or tinted acrylic cover. However, some Ram owners complain of leaks around the seals.

The main takeaway here is to research any modification you plan to put on your Dodge Ram before you buy it. It's well worth the time and effort and may save you time and money, not to mention the frustration of regretting a mod that you were once excited about!

Related Discussion

• What Mods Do You Regret Getting - Dodgeforum.com