2014 Ram 1500 Tradesman/express on 2040-cars

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Marchionne: Midsize pickup still not in the cards; Ram 1500, Jeep Wrangler could use aluminum

During the Fiat-Chrysler briefings on Tuesday, Reid Bigland, head of Ram Trucks, outlined the new product plans for his brand, including confirmation that an all-new light-duty Ram 1500 will launch in 2017. From there, discussions spun off in two directions, with the main questions being: will Ram build a midsize pickup? And, following Ford's move to extensively use aluminum in its new 2015 F-150, will Chrysler be using this weight-saving material for the next round of its fullsize truck, as well?
"I think there is room for a Ram 1000," Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne (pictured above) told members of the media, saying this is a conversation the automaker has been having internally for several years now. "We've tried this ... we've actually taken it to clinics," Marchionne stated, adding that the "response has been lukewarm."
"I have better use of aluminum in this house than a pickup truck." - Sergio Marchionne

266,000 Ram pickups recalled for side-curtain airbag issue

Stellantis is voluntarily recalling an estimated 212,373 Ram pickups in the U.S., another 49,334 in Canada and Mexico, and a final 4,540 trucks in other markets over an issue with the side-curtain airbag inflators. During the manufacturing process, moisture could have found its way into the inflators. The moisture could cause the inflator to rupture and eject debris into the pickup cabin, even without an incident that deploys the side-curtain airbags. The OEM says it knows of one rupture and no injuries. Stellantis said it will let owners know when they can bring their vehicles in for service free of charge, the fix being replacement of the side-curtain airbag. The trucks at issue were all produced between the 2015 and 2020 model years. They are the Ram 1500 Classic, and Ram 2500 and 3500 pickup and chassis cabs. Some inflators sold as replacement parts are also implicated. The current-generation Ram pickup launched for the 2019 model year isn't affected.  The automaker's statement included the line, "The inflators were produced by a supplier implicated in a similar recall by another auto maker." This could refer to GM's July recall of 400,000 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups from the 2015 and 2016 model years. The inflators came from Joyson Safety Systems, the company that bought Takata's assets in 2018 when Takata went bankrupt, and were produced in Mexico. Joyson appears to still be suffering indigestion from that purchase, the company announcing the discovery of falsified seat belt testing data from the Takata era just two months ago. The problem ingredient in Takata inflators was identified as ammonium nitrate, a volatile compound designed to explode to inflate airbags in a crash. The chemical reacts poorly to moisture and humidity, and when exposed, can explode with excessive force, blowing apart the metal container it's stored in and sending shrapnel into the cabin. Stellantis, though, said the airbags involved in this recall don't contain ammonium nitrate.   Ram owners with questions can call the Stellantis help line at 1-800-853-1403. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The Best Midsize Pickup: Ranger vs Gladiator vs Tacoma vs Colorado

Rebel Ram TRX prototypes spied on video playing in Michigan dunes

A group of Ram Rebel TRX prototypes has been caught on video testing in Michigan's Silver Lake Sand Dunes. This marks a change of scenery from our last prototype views, which took place on city streets in Detroit and in Arizona. Jordan Denhoed caught the video from a camera mounted on his truck, following the prototypes through the hills. The type of terrain and the presence of a Ford F-150 Raptor reinforce the idea that no matter what else the production Rebel TRX can do, it wants to compete with the Raptor on the Raptor's home field. Denhoed was able to get close enough once to hear the sound of the supercharger working in the 6.2-liter Hellcat V8. Unlike the Rebel TRX concept that was billed with 525 horsepower, the expectation now is that the production version will work up the Hellcat's typical 707 horsepower and shift through a 10-speed automatic. The power figure might have something to do with the staggered wheel lug pattern on the most recent prototypes — six lugs in front, eight lugs in back. The Rebel TRX proto caught in Arizona in August last year used the six-lug pattern all around. Other engine details are fuzzy. Motor1 credits an "insider source" with info that Ram has 40 test mules running, 10 of them in white, 30 of them in black, and one of those testers supposedly has an 840-hp Dodge Demon engine under the hood. The same source said the production version won't use the dial shifter, but a traditional shifter on the center tunnel. At the opposite pole concerning engines, Mopar Insiders reports that the less powerful, less expensive Rebel TR version, using a 7.0-liter V8 with roughly 520 hp, has either been canceled or delayed so Ram can devote resources to the Rebel TRX. The crew-cabbed prototypes in the video all wear the blacked-out treatment and Laramie Black front ends, fender flares over beadlock-looking wheels, and twin pipes. It's hard to tell how much lift comes with the remote-reservoir Bilstein shocks since the wheel arches have been cut out to make more room, but the concept had 13 inches of travel. It's rumored that ARB locking diffs will come on each axle. Having been promised for showrooms by 2022, it's likely we have a couple of years to wait we see the Rebel TRX's final form. We should get our first look at the F-150 Raptor fitted with the Mustang Shelby GT500's Predator V8 around the same time.