2013 Ram Heavy Duty seeks to obliterate rivals with claimed 30,000-pound max tow rating

Zach Bowman — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:01:00 EST

No one can accuse Ram of backing away from the full-size truck arms race. Chrysler has officially dropped the payload details on its 2013 Ram Heavy Duty, and the 3500 now packs a maximum trailer weight of 30,000 pounds. Chew on that number for a moment. That's 15 tons, or the equivalent of a dozen Mazda MX-5 Miata convertibles stacked on a trailer, and it's also a whopping 6,900 pounds more than the closest competitor to the Ram 3500, the Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD. Ram engineers have cranked the truck's 6.7-liter Cummins turbo-diesel engine to a ludicrous 850 pound-feet of torque, up 50 lb-ft over the 2012 model. "Shock the world" figures, all.

Throw in a stiffer frame, stouter transfer case, beefed-up transmission and brawnier U-joints in the driveline, and you have what Ram is calling "the most capable trucks we've ever built." That includes the Ram 2500, which has seen its towing capacity swell to 18,350 lbs and its Gross Combined Weight Rating jump to 25,000 lbs. Look for the 2013 Ram 3500 HD to bow at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, and be sure to check out the full press release below for more information.

Continue reading 2013 Ram Heavy Duty seeks to obliterate rivals with claimed 30,000-pound max tow rating

2013 Ram Heavy Duty seeks to obliterate rivals with claimed 30,000-pound max tow rating originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Ram HD and Chassis Cab pickups are ready for work [UPDATE]

Chris Paukert — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 00:01:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Work, Diesel, Off-Road, Ram

Auto enthusiasts often point to the pony car wars as the last bastion of one-upsmanship among Detroit's automakers, but the truth is, the pickup wars are every bit as competitive - if not more so. Auburn Hills keeps a ready eye on what their rivals in Dearborn and Detroit are doing, and vice-versa. Today, that battle is renewed with the introduction of Ram's 2013 Heavy Duty and Chassis Cab lines at the State Fair of Texas. Why a state fair? The Banner State is the perfect battleground for pickup supremacy, as Texas accounts for one of every five pickups sold in the U.S.

Towing and hauling metrics are poised for a substantial improvement. "... and not just by a little bit."

On the HD front, Chrysler is boasting that its brand-new heavies will bring best-in-class towing, torque, payload and Gross Combined Weight Rating, but thus far, it's declining to cite what those figures are. For the moment, though, Fred Diaz, President and CEO of Ram told us at an Auburn Hills background event earlier this month that key towing and hauling metrics are poised for a substantial improvement. "And not just by a little bit. I think we're going to shock the world," said Diaz.

Visually, not much has changed over the outgoing models - Ram customers told Chrysler not to mess with their distinctive drop-shoulder look. On 2500 and 3500 HD models there's a new, taller grille, which necessitated a new hood as well. SLT trims and above receive LED corner lamps and certain models receive LED taillamps as well. Other changes include redesigned wheel choices, a new power fold mirror design and - to show you how carefully automakers think about intended use - redesigned badges on the bodyside. Why? Because the new "portrait-style" badges better accommodate the signage that many commercial truck buyers add to their doors.

But far more important than stinkin' badges for work trucks is what's underneath, and to that end, there are some significant changes to report from the House of Ram. For 2013, HD models get essentially all-new frames with wider front rails to accommodate new suspension design geometry. Front suspension on the 3500 goes to a three-link design to accommodate heavier loads and weighty front-mounted accessories like snow plows. As one would expect, the rear still rides on leaf springs, but Ram says they've been redesigned to improve handling and hauling ability.

Continue reading 2013 Ram HD and Chassis Cab pickups are ready for work [UPDATE]

2013 Ram HD and Chassis Cab pickups are ready for work [UPDATE] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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