2014 Ram 1500 Tradesman/express on 2040-cars

Auto blog

V8-powered 2022 Ford F-150 Raptor R spied testing alongside Ram TRX

Spy photographers captured Ford engineers testing what appears to be a 2022 F-150 Raptor R alongside a Ram TRX this week, giving us a sneak preview of the first major battle in the coming war for super-pickup dominance.  Ford has remained tight-lipped about the Raptor R's performance specs. We know only that it will be powered by a V8 (likely a variant of the 760-horsepower, supercharged 5.2-liter unit from the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500), and that it's due to break cover some time later this year. Given that the 702-horsepower Ram TRX will be the Raptor R's only competition (and pretty much the only reason it exists in the first place), Ford's decision to benchmark the fast Ram is a bit of a no-brainer.  The Blue Oval's performance engineers have years of practice when it comes to building high-performance off-road trucks, so despite Ram's first-strike advantage and Hellcat trump card, the TRX might actually be the underdog in this fight. Why? Well, based on what we've seen of the EcoBoost-powered 2021 Raptor so far, it should weigh at least 500-600 pounds less than the TRX, and while we expect that gap to shrink with the addition of the bigger engine, it's likely that it will still favor Ford, and perhaps significantly.  While the larger, supercharged V8 will certainly weigh more than the EcoBoost V6, it's still an all-aluminum engine (all SRT motors are based on cast-iron blocks) and Ford still has the advantage of its lightweight body panels. There will likely be more to the Raptor R's chassis modifications than a new set of engine mounting points, since the existing Raptor was not engineered to handle an 800-horsepower engine, but even with the chassis modifications necessary to handle that power, we expect the Raptor R to be the featherweight of the two.  Since Ford plans to get the Raptor R into production for the 2022 model year, we shouldn't have to wait much longer to find out just exactly how it shapes up against Ram's big dinosaur. Stay tuned. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

FCA recalls Ram dualie chassis cabs to recalibrate top speed

If you're one of the 1,771 owners of a 2014-15 Ram 4500 or 5500 chassis cab with a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 and a dualie rear axle, you may be hearing soon from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to bring your truck in to your local dealer. The reason, you ask? To have the speed limiter recalibrated. The problem, according to the statement below, is that while some of these trucks are electronically limited to 106 miles per hour, their tires can't safely maintain that speed. As a result, FCA is having dealers recalibrate the limiter to 87 mph. Of course, that's still well above the speed limit in most places, and "FCA believes it is unlikely that these trucks are operated at such speeds," but that it "is acting out of an abundance of caution." In addition to the 1,771 units in the United States, the company is recalling another 169 in Canada. In an unrelated campaign, FCA is also recalling a handful or two of 2015 Dodge Challengers – 72 in the US, six in Canada and three in Mexico – to secure a side-curtain airbag bolt that may have been improperly installed during assembly over the course of a ten-day period. In both cases, FCA says it is unaware of any complaints, accidents or injuries related to these issues. Statement: Speed Recalibration May 15, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC is voluntarily recalling an estimated 1,771 trucks in the U.S. to recalibrate their maximum speed. The dual-wheel trucks are currently restricted to a top speed of 106 miles per hour (mph), but an internal specification review revealed top speed should be set at 87 mph, in accordance with their factory-equipped tires. The Company is unaware of any related injuries, accidents or customer complaints. Dealers will recalibrate vehicle speed accordingly. While FCA believes it is unlikely that these trucks are operated at such speeds, and that doing so would exceed posted speed limits in nearly every applicable jurisdiction, the Company is acting out of an abundance of caution. The campaign is limited to certain model-year 2014-15 Ram 4500/5500 Chassis Cabs equipped with 6.4-liter HEMI V-8 engines. An additional 169 vehicles are believed to be in Canada. Affected customers will be advised when they may schedule service. Customers with questions may call the FCA US Customer Information Center at 1-800-853-1403. ### Statement: Bolt May 15, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC is voluntarily recalling an estimated 72 cars in the U.S.

A plea for Ram to build the Hellcat-powered Rebel TRX concept

The Rebel TRX Concept is a high-performance off-roader with a supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V8 that's capable of traveling at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour on rough terrain. There's only one other road-legal machine that has the same off-roading capabilities as the concept – ahem, the Ford F-150 Raptor – and if there's ever been a vehicle that Ram needs to build, it's this one. The market is saturated with pickup trucks of various sizes. Ram itself offers options for consumers looking to tow massive cargo or go off-roading with the Power Wagon and Rebel. But there's also a clear market for the hardcore off-roader, and the Raptor has gone unchallenged for too long. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Ford proved that the market could handle a fast off-road truck with the 2010 SVT Raptor. Demand for the vehicle skyrocketed and after a few years, Ford had to up production from three to five trucks per hour at its Dearborn Truck Plant in 2013. The original V8 model immediately gained stardom for being a purpose-built machine capable of tackling rough terrain at high speeds. The latest 2017 Raptor is shaping up to be a brute in its own right. Gone is the 6.2-liter V8, which has been replaced with a modern twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6. Despite having a much smaller engine than its predecessor, the upcoming Raptor boasts better performance at 450 horsepower and 510 pound feet of torque – up from the V8's output of 411 horsepower and 434 pound feet of torque. With Fox lending a hand with some high-performance shocks and the pickup truck getting various off-roading modes, including one called "Baja," few road-legal machines will be able to match 2017 Raptor when asphalt runs out. Even still, the Rebel TRX concept looks and sounds like it's in a different league. The Rebel TRX concept's design is the perfect combination of speed and looks, which makes it hard to believe that Ram built the concept in just three months, according to an engineer. A higher-up within FCA sent in the demand, and the Ram team obliged with a fully functioning prototype. The Rebel, which Ram has always said is not a Raptor-fighter, can be fitted with the 5.7-liter Hemi V8, while the larger Power Wagon is equipped with the 6.4-liter V8. The supercharged 6.2-liter V8 (the Hellcat engine), as an engineer points out, makes sense in the concept.