The Ram 3500 is the one-ton model of the Ram full-size pickup range. It began as the Ram 350 of October 1980, and in its later heavy-duty form it is the strongest of the standard Ram trucks, with a Dana 80 rear axle under every one of them.
Ram 3500 at a glance
| Maker | Chrysler, Dodge Truck division; Ram Trucks from 2010 |
|---|---|
| Range | full-size Ram pickup |
| Model class | one-ton |
| Name introduced | October 1980, as the Ram 350 for the 1981 model year |
| Rear anti-lock brakes | standard on the 250 and 350 models from 1989 |
| Rear axle | Dana 80 on every 3500 |
| Front axle | Dana 60, without locking hubs, with centre axle disconnect |
| Transfer case | NP241 standard on V8 3500s, NP241DHD standard from 1998 to 2002 |
| Automatic gearbox | 47RH for 1994–1995, 47RE from 1996 to 2002 |
| Manual gearboxes | NV4500 as standard, NV4500HD for V10 and diesel, NV5600 for the high-output diesel |
| Motor Trend Truck of the Year | 2003 (third-generation heavy-duty), 2010 (fourth-generation heavy-duty) |
The English Wikipedia article covers the 1500, 2500 and 3500 together; this page uses the parts about the one-ton 350 and 3500.
History of the Ram 3500
The 350 in the Ram range
The Ram name was used from October 1980, when Dodge rebranded its D series pickups and B series vans for the 1981 model year and brought back the ram’s-head hood ornament worn by Dodge vehicles from 1932 until 1954. The old designations stayed: 150 for a half-ton truck, 250 for a three-quarter-ton and 350 for a one-ton, with D or Ram for two-wheel drive and W or Power Ram for four-wheel drive. The first-generation Rams were facelifted 1972 D series trucks with wider wraparound tail lamps, two rectangular headlamps and squarer body lines.
First-generation trucks
The 350 came with a standard cab, a Club extended cab or a crew cab, and with 6.5 ft or 8 ft beds. The engines were the 225 slant-6 and the 318 and 360 V8s; for 1988 the slant-6 was replaced by the 3.9 L V6 and the 5.2 L V8 gained electronic fuel injection. Rear anti-lock brakes became standard on the 250 and 350 for 1989. Like the rest of the first-generation line the one-ton trucks sold in modest numbers against the Ford F-Series and GM C/K, held back by a cab and chassis designed in 1972, no powerful diesel before 1989 and no big-block petrol V8.
The heavy-duty one-ton
Every 3500 was built with a Dana 80 rear axle, and most used a Dana 60 front axle — the front axles of the 3500 were unusual in having no locking hubs but a centre axle disconnect, which was phased out on the 2002 trucks in favour of permanently locked front axles. The NP241 transfer case was standard on V8 3500s, with the NP241DLD for V10 and diesel trucks from 1993 to 1997 and the NP241DHD standard on 3500s from 1998 to 2002. The 47RH automatic of 1994–1995 and the 47RE of 1996–2002 were used only in the 2500 and 3500, rated at 450 lb-ft and able to tow up to 19,000 lb; the 47RH was rated the highest-capacity automatic in the one-ton class of any manufacturer. Manual gearboxes were the NV4500, standard in heavy-duty 2500 and 3500 trucks, the NV4500HD behind the V10 and diesel, and the NV5600, the only gearbox offered behind the high-output diesel in 2001 and 2002.
Recognition
The heavy-duty Ram won Motor Trend Truck of the Year with the third generation in 2003 and the fourth generation in 2010. Ram trucks have taken the award eight times in all, and since the Ram Trucks brand was separated from Dodge in 2010 the one-ton truck has been sold simply as the Ram 3500.
Design and features
- One-ton class: the heaviest of the standard Ram classes, above the half-ton 1500 and the three-quarter-ton 2500.
- A Dana 80 under every truck: the rear axle of the 3500 was the largest in the range.
- Front axle without locking hubs: the 3500 used a centre axle disconnect, dropped for permanently locked axles on the 2002 trucks.
- Heavy-duty gearboxes: the 47RH and 47RE automatics and the NV4500, NV4500HD and NV5600 manuals.
- Award-winning: Motor Trend Truck of the Year for the heavy-duty Ram in 2003 and 2010.
Ram 3500 versions
- Ram 350 (from 1981): the one-ton first-generation truck.
- V8 3500: the NP241 transfer case was standard on these trucks.
- V10 and diesel 3500: NP241DLD transfer case from 1993 to 1997, NP241DHD from 1998.
- 2002 trucks: the centre axle disconnect was phased out.
- High-output diesel: from 2001 to 2002 the NV5600 was the only gearbox offered.
The 3500 is the heaviest standard Ram; the lighter trucks are in the Ram 1500 and Ram 2500 articles, and the Mexican heavy-duty range in the Ram 4000 one. More are in the Ram collection.
Video: 2015 Ford F-450 vs Ram 3500 Cummins HD Diesel Extreme Towing Review
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Ram pickup, English Wikipedia: designations, first generation, axles, transfer cases, gearboxes, awards
