cwhubb
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Just curious...if you only had one choice for a modification, what would you do to increase a cars performance, pep, hills, acceleration? a camshaft change or lower gears?
camshaft or gear swap
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727
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If you have the compression the cam could be the way to go. If you go too wild on the cam you may need a gear change anyway. The initial cost of the cam may grow when you factor in; new timing chain, valve springs, torque converter, and maybe adjustable rockers and pushrods.
vintage chromoly
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Gears
cwhubb
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that's a good point about all the peripheral parts with a new cam
PurpleBeeper
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gears, gears, gears.......did I mention gears? But forget about long distance 75mph cruises and gas mileage. Gears and nitrous are your two best speed/$ options in my opinion. Did you think about giggle gas?
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What are you working with now?
cwhubb
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It's all on paper so far but I'm kicking around the idea for an old 2wd drive pu with a '94 360 mag in it, used mainly in towing. off idle up to 60 mph range. (3500rpm?) I think its got 355's in it now
cwhubb
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towing a two horse trailer roughly 5000lbs load
cwhubb
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yes, keep in mind it'll be on hilly curvy roads, It doesn't have the grunt I need, I want it to get out of it's own way when I step on it.
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I have a 2003 Ram, 2wd, 5.7 hemi, 4spd. auto, 2500 series.
Pulling a 24 ft inclosed with a 3700 lb car inside, I wouldn't want anything smaller! Some hills are just enough for it.
Pulling a 24 ft inclosed with a 3700 lb car inside, I wouldn't want anything smaller! Some hills are just enough for it.
3.55 gears at 60mph with a 26" tall tire I'd say 2800 to2900 rpm. 3500 at 60mph 3.90 to 4.10 with 26" tall tires? 1/2 ton pu doesn't sound good other than local area trips.
mopar 3 B
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I had heard the 5.7 could be a lost dog with a load but would have thought it would have done better.
I max out with a 10000 lb. load pulled by a 82 D350 dually with an 89 5.9 and 727. .2 more liters and less hp than the 5.7.
What you are pulling would be a piece of cake.
383 a4 runner
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Hughes makes 1.7 ratio rockers for the magnum engine. That will increase your valve lift a decent amount. They also sell high performance throttle bodies. Those mods and a 3.91 gear will really wake up a magnum.
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if you only<< plan on 60 mph,id go 410s.
also,i hate to say this,but,depending on what truck you have,
the 360 of those years was Very prone to cracking the heads.
we used to call around for heads to the yards and they were Hard to find in good shape.
its also got a lovely intake plate on the bottom of fuel injection intake that can and will suck oil like a Fiend! when it blows out.
assuming you arent running a 4 bbl intake conversion <
otherwise,the roller magnum motors are great.
more good? news..if this is a overdrive trans truck,
make Sure the trans is good,or has been serviced,
because those also are notorious for taking the poo.
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2000 Durango with stock 5.2 and 3.90 gears.....wish it had 4.10's or even more. It runs a 16.40 1/4 mile (yeah, it'll make you go blind). I stuck on some real short tires on the rear of my 95 Dakota V6 yard cart and it woke up pretty nicely. Contemplating throwing an 8 3/4 under it with 4.56's! My vote is gears then the throttle body or carb it and a set of headers. Stock engines usually wake up pretty nicely when they are able to breathe better and the gears compliment that well and if you have OD, screw in some deep ones....
PurpleBeeper
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My mind always goes to the drag strip...... gears and forget the nitrous. The rockers swap might be a good idea. As for the cam.... I always (probably wrong) think of towing cams & horsepower cams as sort of opposite of each other. If towing is your main concern, then maybe a towing/RV cam won't be that expensive since many of those are actually smaller cams not requiring new valve springs/retainers/rockers/etc & might be just a cam/lifter swap???
mopar 3 B
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If this is really still all on paper and you are not trying to build off of existing inventory an old D250 should fit the bill. Most were purchased with work in mind. Heavier frame and springs, larger brakes and lower ratio axles were common. If you really need overdrive stick with a manual trans. The overdrive in the auto will not hold up underload anyway.
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thats what i was thinking the whole time i was writing my original post...
this is your cheapest and most reliable option.
while they sure did make the cabs bigger on next gen,
the engines/trans/rear axles Quality went south.
i personally have owned over 20 of the next gen rams.
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