I Drove A 2012 Lifted Ram 3500 Diesel And Was Hugely Disappointed.

"Luc - The Acadian Oppo" (luc5)
03/16/2015 at 22:26 • Filed to: None

A buddy of mine was over at my house today and he owns the typical brodozer(hugely similar to the truck above). It's a 2012 6.7L Cummins Ram 3500 with 6" lift and 35" tires on 20" black wheels in mineral grey.

This was my very first time driving a diesel 1 ton truck and this thing was SLOW! My 1.6L Fusion is just as fast if not faster to than this and I find my Fusion really slow. The ride was beyond rough I was bouncing around in that like I was driving an old tractor with no suspension.

I get that these are meant for towing and hauling heavy loads but my friend does none of that. This is all for show(typical brodozer driver).

To use as a daily driver showing off vehicle this is horrible. I used to think I would love one of these but now I know otherwise.

A half ton V8 truck is much faster out of the box and much more suited for daily driver use(if you need a truck, I don't).

I get that the Cummins diesel has HUGE potential for power increases but out of the box if you are looking for something quick and fun to drive this is NOT it.

DISCUSSION (50)

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/16/2015 at 22:34

One of my coworkers picked up a 200x Harley Davidson F350 diesel. Damn pretty truck, long as a bus, interior was leather everywhere. Let me take it around the neighborhood and he warned me it has some power . Ok cool. So I roll to a stop, no traffic and give it some goose. Felt like it had to rev up before moving anymore. I know turbo lag is one thing, but this was full on engine lag. I wasn't a fan.

bob and john > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/16/2015 at 22:34

diesel arent fast. but you can hook up 10k pounds to that and it will drive pretty much the exact same way. (speed and everything) they are made for hauling. the crazy ones with stupid HP numbers....those are something to be reckoned with.

wafflesnfalafel > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/16/2015 at 22:35

That big wheel/tire package effectively makes gearing much taller, (so it would feel slower.. and ride worse...) Nice looking truck though.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > bob and john
03/16/2015 at 22:36

I 100% get that. But if you don't ever hook up a trailer to it what's the point?

XJDano > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/16/2015 at 22:36

$50,000+

bob and john > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/16/2015 at 22:37

rolling advertisement you arent comfortable with your penis size.

Spoon II > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/16/2015 at 22:38

You're completely correct! The regular Ram 1500 is a pretty great time. I bought one for work, but it's a surprisingly fun and capable daily driver.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul
03/16/2015 at 22:38

Same here. It has the same "power" as my 1.6L fusion which isn't much really. A Hemi Ram 1500 next to it would smoke it no problem and those are about half the price.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > XJDano
03/16/2015 at 22:40

this one he bought brand new it's a Laramie with the lift and wheels was 70K all in.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > wafflesnfalafel
03/16/2015 at 22:40

It looks great but it's not for me.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/16/2015 at 22:41

The whole Brodozer idea of "well I have a diesel so it must be better" but then theres this... also a diesel.

Kinja'd!!!

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul
03/16/2015 at 22:42

If you are towing it makes perfect sense but if you are just trying to look cool I would save myself 12K and get the same truck but with a gasoline V8.

IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/16/2015 at 22:42

Gotta wait for the turbo to spool. The giant wheels your friend added also had the effect of making every gear that much longer, further reducing acceleration. One of these on stock wheels is reasonably quick.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/16/2015 at 22:43

It's more the transmission tuning than anything. Just a transmission reprogram makes a world of difference. The 6.7 with the 68RE is well known as being slower than a dead dog out of the box, mainly because of the trans. The Ford 6.7 is fast as fuck stock. Well, faster than an FRS at least.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/16/2015 at 22:43

Did you roll coal?

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK
03/16/2015 at 22:43

I brake boosted the thing and I still wasn't all that impressed. But I get you on the bigger wheels not helping the situation.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
03/16/2015 at 22:46

Doesn't the new ford 6.7 have 440hp? thats 70 more hp so I'm sure it would make a noticeable difference.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/16/2015 at 22:48

Yeah, but the 2012 wasn't much slower, and it was a little closer in power.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/16/2015 at 22:51

well the 35"s aren't gonna help in the speed department.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/16/2015 at 22:57

These people. I try not to judge people on their rides, and I know some bros love their brodozers as much as we love our cars). But ugh. Just ugh.

XJDano > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/16/2015 at 22:58

I knew I was being conservative. But Damn, that is half the price of my house.

bob and john > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/16/2015 at 22:59

also, like others have said: running the huge tire and wheel combo so high is not doing the truck any favors.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/16/2015 at 23:01

Does your friend make enough dough in your opinion to justify such a purchase? $70k is ABSURD

bhardoin > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/16/2015 at 23:11

Drive one with a stick, and be enamored with never having to touch the gas. You could probably idle up to 50mph if you wanted to. Its pretty damn fun. But absolutely not worth the ride quality if you're not hauling. Also not worth the douchiness and massiveness. But still fun.

Axial > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/16/2015 at 23:17

A quick truck out of the box would be the Ram 1500 with the Hemi V8. The diesels? Not so much. You have to do quite a bit to make those quick.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
03/16/2015 at 23:45

The truck is paid for he put 40k down and paid off the rest in 2 years. He used to work in the oil patch in Fort Mcmurray Alberta. making 50 bucks an hour and getting 4K a month for living expense even tho he was not even paying half that much in rent.

So yes he could afford it but I was still not THAT impressed with it.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > bhardoin
03/16/2015 at 23:47

The extremely stiff ride was the biggest deal breaker for me. The Torque I could definitely get used to. for 0-60 it wasn't that impressive but from 50 to 70 it was real nice.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Axial
03/16/2015 at 23:49

This truck is 100% stock engine wise. all he has is the lift and tires. The potential is there but there goes your warranty if you go crazy with it. A Hemi Ram would be much better for daily use out of the box thats for sure.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
03/16/2015 at 23:52

I know they are not meant for speed but I always had the impression it would be quicker than it was.

I had a Ram Megacab 2500 2WD 345hp Hemi and it was a fair bit quicker than this. I'm sure most of it is because of the bigger tires as I have no clue what he has for factory gears.

I'm assuming it's 4.10's with 35" rubber that should be similar to my old truck with 3.73's and 32" tires

Axial > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/16/2015 at 23:57

And don't get tempted by used ones that have already been modified. My brother is big into diesel Dodge trucks, and has been through no less than 5 over the last two years (both 12-valve and 24-valve). All of them have been modified to some extent and, while some were much better than others, they all featured bubba-style hack-jobs in some way that later came to surface.

I know the usual saying is don't buy another man's project, but it goes double for trucks.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/17/2015 at 00:01

That has a lot to do with it, but that generation of 6.7 Cummins was only good for mid 17's in the quarter. The emissions tuning on everything fucked it all up.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Axial
03/17/2015 at 00:29

I wouldn't necessarily not buy modified diesels, just make sure they were done professionally and of course make sure the dude doesn't show you how much coal it rolls. Some improvements can be made through modification, such as: Bulletproofing the 6.0 and 6.4 Powerstokes, Aftermarket turbo on the pre-2015 6.7 Powerstrokes, Built transmission on auto equipped Cummins/Duramax, Aftermarket injectors, fuel filter, and lift pump on the LB7 Duramax and/or swap for Cummins, Delete the emissions shit, Fix the dowel pin issue on the 12V 6BT, etc. Those are just examples of modifications to diesels that can make them more reliable.

Axial > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
03/17/2015 at 00:45

If it was done professionally, it usually won't be in the "tempting" price range. ;D

But yeah, there are great mods to make. It's just that it seems the usual DIYer (and even some professional shops, since two of my brother's trucks were professionally modified) didn't really take care in executing his mods so you get beat up radiators, excessively low idle, overly aggressive stall, pinched wires, wires not even grounded in the right places, and toggle switches to perform functions previously performed by an OEM button because the owner couldn't be assed to figure out the proper wiring even remotely. My brother's current truck (a '98 Cummins 12V) had its batteries moved into the tool box by the previous owner. It has had trouble starting. What was the issue? Wires were pinched between the body and some brackets, sapping power. Fix it, starts like a champion now. This truck also has a full, proper HID setup. Driver's light starts going out intermittently. Problem? They threaded the wire through the socket and jammed the unit over it instead of snaking it through the appropriate guides, and they then grounded it to the frame instead of the OEM-provided grounding screw. Those kinds of things are rampant with modified trucks at the $12,000 price point.

TopSirloin > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/17/2015 at 00:57

First of all, lots if lift jobs compromise ride.. Especially if they're the budget type.

Second of all, 2 friends of mine have 6.2L Powerstroke diesel F250's that have obnoxious exhausts and have been tuned and they are (In Clarkson's honor) properly quick . Im not just saying that either.. Those things are fast, so not sure why this one wasn't. I didn't expect tuned vs. untuned to be that dramatic. Granted, some of it is probably the fact that you're in a huge car, and maybe it just feels faster, but no doubt they weren't slow.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/17/2015 at 01:03

Yep... oversized tires = more weight, worse on-road performance and worse handling (higher center of gravity).

Doing a lift and putting on big tires is a great way to ruin a vehicle.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Axial
03/17/2015 at 01:07

What posses someone to move a battery to the bed?

Axial > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
03/17/2015 at 01:17

It's actually common. It's usually done to free up space for massive turbocharging. Often, the owner had big dreams and never gets around to adding said massive turbos before selling the truck.

I think it's moronic, but I'm also not dreaming about a 1,200 HP turbo-diesel truck.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Axial
03/17/2015 at 01:24

True. I wouldn't mind a 700-800 hp truck, but that's easily obtainable with midsize single.

TDIGuy > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/17/2015 at 02:23

I have alot of friends who are also convinced that a diesel pickup is the fastest thing next the a Veyron and some of them have some super fast trucks making 800+ hp at the wheels and run 12 in the quarter but heres the thing. They put 40k into the motor, make 800hp, and only run 12 seconds in the quarter. I get it thats impressive for how big and heavy they are but if you put 800+hp behind any car it would run 9 or 10 seconds with the right driver.

BloodlessWeevil > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/17/2015 at 08:14

I posted something about this a while back: http://uppermidwest.kinja.com/why-are-trucks…

Not all of it is relevant, but the gist is that light duty half ton trucks have become soft and comfortable. Thus replacing the large luxury sedans of past decades. Medium duty trucks are working trucks. Tough and capable, but not comfortable or practical for commuting.

That said, drive what makes you happy, whatever it is. This guy loves his truck, so rock on dude.

greasemonkey235097 > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/17/2015 at 09:44

Luc, did you drive an automatic or a manual transmission? I own a 2003 2500 with a Cummins 5.9ltr regular output with a 5spd manual, it is as slow as molasses, rides like a wheel barrel, not horrible in fuel, and will always hold its value, specially now with the price of diesels and the emission complexity.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > TopSirloin
03/17/2015 at 09:44

A Tuner in a diesel truck is good for about an extra 100HP. in a gas car a tuner doesn't make that big of a difference but in a diesel truck the gains are HUGE!

This one was 100% stock performance wise so that could explain it.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > TDIGuy
03/17/2015 at 09:49

I 100% agree I've personally seen some 1000+ HP diesel drag trucks that would put a Corvette to shame. But like you said those trucks aren't cheap. you could buy a turbocharged viper for less than what they have in the motor alone.

Diesels CAN be fast. But out of the box they are not even quick. I was expecting it to be at least as quick as a V8 half ton but instead it was about as quick as a 1.6L Ford Fusion.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
03/17/2015 at 09:50

Truck is stock with all the emissions stuff in place so to answer your question: no

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > greasemonkey235097
03/17/2015 at 09:57

This was an Auto 6.7L with DPF.

Yours is one of the last of the great ones. I'm still not against the idea of a diesel truck but for the price they are asking for these new I would expect a whole lot more.

One like yours tho with a Banks Big Hoss bundle would be a pretty fun rig.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > wafflesnfalafel
03/17/2015 at 10:55

Even with a proper regear, the larger tires add unsprung rotating mass, which as we all know is THE WORST KIND OF MASS!!! Without a regear? Well, he's lucky his truck is already set up for moving and stopping large loads...

DipodomysDeserti > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/17/2015 at 11:05

Trucks are for hauling shit, not ass.

TDIGuy > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/17/2015 at 12:23

Yeah definitely not quick out of the box, and it doesn't help that diesels feel sluggish anyways because of the way they rev on the top end. They tend to loose all their real power about mid way through the rev range. I would say they feel powerful but not fast.

StndIbnz, Drives a MSRT8 > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/17/2015 at 13:15

Intresting. My dad's 2006 3500 with the 5.9 Cummins is like a big red sports car. 4 door, 8ft bed single rear axle. Thing gets up and moves and actually is a blast to drive around. Yes, the ride is bouncy, but when it's bulling a 35' fifth wheel behind it the ride smooths way out. I havent driven a new one, but the 5.9 is no joke.

j250ex > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
03/19/2015 at 08:55

Like you mentioned before its not meant for speed but pulling power. Hook it up to a trailer loaded to the brim with construction equipment and it'll seem quick considering what its pulling. If your looking for off the line speed try out the Ford 6.7. That truck is properly quick and scary fast for its size.