Im looking at a 96 and a 98 Dodge 1500 I'm woundering which truck is the best over all, in stock and in mods. (both are ex cab the 98 is 4wd and the 96 is 2wd. Both are auto. I believe they both carry 318s.)
looking for which will and can perform better. which has better aftermarket support and can get the most out of as far as performance.

thanks

 

from what i have been looking into, anything performance wise with the 318 is pretty much non-existent. that is why i am going to do a swap for a 360. most of what i have found has to do with nitrous.

 

thats kinda what ifigured. i put this up for a freind to see if there was anything good out there for either.

 

you can find a decent 360 core for around $350. atleast that is what i found for the one i was going to buy. little more to start with as well there. i was told pretty much all i would have to change is the converter and possibly the computer.

 

what all is interchangable between the two? 318 and 360

 

i was told pretty much everything. computer, exhaust, tranny, mounts, everything. although i do believe you have to do something to the comp. but i can't remember for sure. we were going to get a different one that was programmed for what i was going to do. call around to some auto shops and ask someone that would know what is interchangeable for sure. they also may be able to find one with a connection the have .

 

There is quite a bit of aftermarket for the earlier Gen Rams from aftermarket blocks and heads to most anything you wish to modify.. there is a limited number of PCM options but some out there, The 318 will respond to mods as well as the 360 but the 360 is better to start with. The downfall for the 2 gen Rams are the trannys and the brakes. On my 2wd longwheel base 99 Ram Sport I had to replace rear shoes and front pads on the truck ( AT THE SAME TIME ) every 20,000 miles or I had to replace the rotors and drums... that happened once.. I have never understood how you could take a bulletproof 727 trans add an overdrive to it and it turns into ... mine fell apart @ 60,000 with no towing or racing.. Look at the paint, they had real problems with those years.
oh yea and on the brakes... look at how small the front rotor are.... you may not believe it but they have GM stamped in them and they are the size of a S-10 rotor... I went to the parts house and the guy thought they were S-10 rotors.... perhaps they are..
Good luck on the project... they can be made to be Great Trucks... they just need some TLC... and perhaps a fat wallet!

TJ

 

thanks which is 2gen both the 96 and 98? what else do i need to look for to pick a truck out of the two? any special options i need to look for that one may have and the other not?

 

I am thinking that generation started in 94 and I am not really versed into all the options that were available besides the obvious 3.93 lockers, infinity sound... ect..

TJ

 

if they have the 318 im pretty sure that they have the 904 model tranny. Which aint a bad one just not as good as the 727. But they do have a lower first gear than the 727 model. But you can put the heads and all the same stuff on a 318 as a 360.