Chrysler's Ram Truck 2014 Ram line features a list of improvements and class-leading specifications, according to the company.
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Towing – Up to 30,000 lbs with the Ram 3500
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Towing – Up to 17,940 lbs with the Ram 2500
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Payload – Up to 7,320 lbs with the Ram 3500
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Power – 850 lb-ft. of torque with the 6.7L Cummins diesel
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Power – 410 horsepower and 429 lb-ft of torque with their new 6.4L hemi V-8
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Capacity – Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) of 37,600 lbs with the Ram 3500
Pricing for the new 2014 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty starts at $29,600, plus $1,095 destination. The 6.4L hemi option is priced $1,495 greater than a similarly equipped 5.7L powered Ram pickup and is the first gas engine available in the dual rear wheel 3500.
Ram 2500 and 3500 Heavy Duty trucks also add new innovation, including an all-new, 5-link coil suspension with optional air suspension on Ram 2500 and a supplemental air bag suspension option on Ram 3500.
Engineering
Heavy duty trucks generally have suspension equipped for constant, heavy payloads. This can result in a harsher ride when unloaded. Ram innovation leads again for 2014. The new Ram 2500 takes lessons learned from the Ram 1500 and adds an all-new, segment exclusive five-link coil rear suspension system for best-in-class ride and handling and new air suspension system.
The exclusive five-link coil design provides better articulation over obstacles than a leaf spring system and the robust coil springs are more than up to the task of handling the loads required of a Heavy Duty Ram 2500, which is up to 17,940 lbs for towing.
The 2014 Ram 2500 also will offer a segment exclusive rear air suspension system. An air bag replaces the coil spring much like the Ram 1500. Load capacity is not sacrificed and another benefit to the new air suspension design is the load-leveling capability, which automatically detects load on the rear suspension from a trailer or payload. The air pressure increases until the vehicle reaches normal ride height, leveling the truck, improving stability and loaded ride.
The Ram 3500 will continue to feature the rear Hotchkiss leaf spring system on the Ram 3500 but will now offer a supplemental air suspension system on SRW and DRW applications. By adding supplemental air bags to the rear suspension, Ram engineers were able to soften the leaf springs, allowing for more unladed suspension movement. When a high-load capacity condition exists, the air suspension automatically fills the rear air bags to level the truck to improve stability and ride quality, even pulling a best-in-class 30,000-lb load.
In the front, the Ram Heavy Duty line features an advanced three-link front suspension to ensure roll stiffness. Greater roll stiffness, also known as body roll, is an important characteristic in taller vehicles and especially trucks with heavy payloads. Roll stiffness is measured by the amount the truck's body tips side-to-side, independently of the wheels, during cornering.
