Ram HD Laramie Limited
I took a new Ram Laramie Longhorn Limited for a test drive. I was very impressed. The HD trucks are incredible now so it comes down to little things that separate the manufacturers. When comparing the...
Forum Discussion
SoCalDesertRider wrote:Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:The 3-link front end is similar to the '05-up 4wd F250/350 and 2wd/4wd F450/550 front end, which dates back to the 60's on 4wd F100/150's and Broncos. Two longitudinal radius arms, a transverse tracking arm and coil springs, with a solid axle.SoCalDesertRider wrote:Why would you say that? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWIiEodjJaAFishOnOne wrote:Well that's very disappointing of Dodge to do that! :(SoCalDesertRider wrote:Yep...FishOnOne wrote:Coil springs and 5-links on the rear of a 2500??
Coming back from the dear camp this afternoon, I stopped at the Ford/Chrysler dealer my cousin works at, but he already left. Driving out of the Chrysler shop I noticed a 2500 Long Horn LWB 4x4 Crew Cab so I had to take a look at it. It was a '14 model with the new 3 link front suspension and the rear coil springs. The rear frame actually flares outward, the rear shocks go thru the middle of the frame, and a 5 link setup ties the differential to the frame, and surprisingly the rear coil springs are fairly small compared to the front springs. Looks like a very complicated setup, and a lot of moving parts.
On another note, I also saw what has to be one of the ugliest vehicles currently offered by any manufacturer and that is the new Jeep Cherokee. The front end design is about the most ridiculous design with the hood feeling like it was possibly plastic, but I'm not sure. What a waste of resources for a vehicle that ugly!
Oh well, I wouldn't be buying a 2500 truck anyways, not enough payload and rear axle capacity. Hopefully they don't start using that on the 3500's, or bigger!
PUT.COM
Changes for Ram 2500
As noted, the biggest changes to the 2014 Ram HDs are focused on the three-quarter-ton model, the Ram 2500 HD. All 2500s get the new, higher-strength steel frames the 3500 duallys got last year, but now they are offered on all single rear wheel versions. In fact, both a new 3500 single-rear-wheel and select 2500 models can now be optioned with a factory-offered fifth-wheel or gooseneck trailering package. This is especially interesting because all Ram 2500 will have a completely new front and rear suspension setup, eliminating the rear leaf springs in favor of heavy-duty tapered rear coil springs (a segment first). The front end will get rid of old five-link in favor of the much stronger and more stable (and we’re talking massive lower control arms) new 3-link system.
If this wasn’t enough of a revolution—no one has ever tried something like this that wasn’t a military vehicle—Ram 2500 will also offer an optional set of rear heavy-duty airbags that allows for load-leveling and driver-controlled, independent adjustments. The big bags will replace the coil springs in the rear and be controlled by a separate air compressor and leveling pressure sensor. An air bag system will be offered on 3500 dually models, but only as a supplemental piece of the maximum tow package, working in tandem with the existing multi-pack leaf springs. The 3500 system will also offer load leveling; pricing has not been finalized for either system.
It appears they're using the 5-link system in the rear, with upper and lower trailing arms, and transverse tracking arm, to control the axle's pinion angle as it travels through it's range of movement. Simple single radius arm suspension allows the pinion angle to rotate as the axle rotates around the single pivot point. I assume the coil springs are progressive-rate, otherwise the ride will be very hard when empty and very squishy when loaded.
I did not see a sway bar in the video.
It will be interesting to find out how this suspension handles a very widely varying axle weight, from as little as 3000 lbs unloaded to as much as 6000 lbs loaded, for the 2500-series, and almost 10,000 lbs loaded for the 3500DRW. That's asking a lot from just one coil spring. Leaf packs can be tuned to provide increasing spring rate, by varying the lengths and thicknesses and number of leafs in the pack, along with bottom and top overload spring packs, adding greater spring rate, timed by their spacing and progressive as well.
There are a lot of rubber bushings to wear out and replace in these coil spring front and rear suspensions. I also see an opportunity for the aftermarket: polyurethane bushing upgrade kits.
The 3500 is NOT getting that rear suspension, just air helper bags with leafs.
