2016 Ram 1500
The 2016 Ram 1500 offers a choice of three engines. The base engine is a 3.6L Pentastar V6 rated at 305 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque. A 5.7L Hemi V8 is the next gas engine upgrade (and is the most common engine to be paired with a Ram 1500), upping the V6 considerably with 395 horsepower on tap and 410 lb-ft peak torque. The final engine slots in between these two gas motors and is a turbo diesel. With 3.0L of displacement and a single turbocharger, the EcoDiesel makes only 240 horsepower but packs a significant 420 lb-ft of torque. All engines are mated to an 8-speed TorqFlite automatic transmission. With ten trim levels available, three cab styles and of course two-wheel or four-wheel drive, the 2016 Ram offers plenty of configuration options and packages.
Frontal Face Lift
Update your 2016 Ram 1500 and give it a fresh face with a customized front grille. With plenty of options to choose from, it is very easy to give your Ram a more rugged, off-road ready appearance with a new one piece grille. Replacement grilles are made from either aluminum or mild steel, and sporting a one metal mesh backing is the most common trend. From there, each manufacturer gives the grille their own flavor with custom trim, tubing, faux rivets and accent lighting. In fact, there are multiple grilles available that incorporate an LED light bar directly into the structure. This is superb for the off-road enthusiast, as the placement of the bar is directly in front of the truck and will easily illuminate the trail ahead. Aluminum grilles can be left unfinished, as aluminum is naturally rust-proof and corrosion resistant. Steel grilles, on the other hand, require a quality protective coating to ensure they are sealed from the weather. On this note, most mild steel grilles the same textured, black powder coat off-road look.
Stop Ball Joint Problems
Ram pickup trucks have been plagued with premature ball joint wear (particularly the upper one) for years, and the 2016 Ram is still affected. One way to help permanently solve this problem is to replace the factory control arms with an improved aftermarket Ramcontrol arm design. The main issue is the geometry of the upper ball joint - exacerbated on lifted Ram 1500 trucks - where the suspension can over extend (basically at full droop) and place excessive force on the stud. This creates excessive wear between the housing and the stud, and can also potentially pull the ball joint out of the control arm. This is compounded by the fact that factory ball joints are sealed and therefore not greasable. Aftermarket control arms correct the geometry and better align the upper and lower control arm, preventing over extension of the suspension and reducing the stress on the ball joint. Further, most new front control arm kits have new ball joints - which are greasable - already pressed in place. Being able to grease these new ball joints will further extend their life as pumping new grease in will help flush out friction-adding contaminants.
More Power
Last but not least, why stop at factory horsepower levels? Using a handheld tuning device, owners can easily revamp the parameters of their 2016 Ram 1500 and turn it into an entirely new experience. Modern day tuning devices connect through the factory OBD2 port. From their, the tuner is able to access the PCM (Power Control Module) and replace the factory engine settings with a revised custom version. Owners have the option to go with a pre-loaded tune or a completely custom one. Pre-loaded tuning devices usually allow for a choice between a performance tune, an economy tune and a towing tune. Each will change the engine parameters accordingly for its intended use. For example, a performance tune will boost horsepower and torque by advancing the timing and fuel maps. Gas engines can expect to see a boost of 10-20 horsepower and the same in torque. 2016 Ram half-tons with the EcoDiesel can expect a little more horsepower and a lot more torque (the nature of a turbocharged engine!). Now, these tuning devices are highly customizable and can be used to transfer a completely custom tune. If working with a professional tuner, you can specify the parameters of your truck and any extra modifications you've made. From there, they can create a custom file for you that will maximize performance, and upload it to the device over the internet. Additionally, hand held tuners can access other parameters such as speedometer calibration, axle gearing, tire sizing, certain electronic functionality (beeping or blinking on door lock, for example) and more. In a truck that runs everything through a computer, being able to communicate with it is a must.
