Our Bedrug, the plastic bedliner that looks like a carpet, has worked very well for us in past projects and looks like it will continue to do so in our new Ram. The closed-cell foam backing bonded to the plastic-fiber surface won't absorb liquids, keeping them on the surface where they can be easily washed away just like a hard plastic bedliner - and that includes oil and other spills we sometimes have to deal with on our off-road forays. The plastic foam backing is heat- and pressure-molded for each truck model, conforming exactly to the contours of the bed. This affords a tough, flat, knee-friendly, nonskid surface that cushions fragile cargo and is also a great place to throw a sleeping bag during camping excursions. All the factory tie-downs and two-tier loading features are retained with the Bedrug.
The Dodge alloy wheels are some of the best you can get, so we opted to keep them. We did want to go with a larger tire for more flotation, better traction, and looks. The LT315/70R17 (35-inch) BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/AKO is a proven tire that works in all situations. We're a bit concerned about its "D" load-range rating, but it will still carry more load than we'll ever need when it's pumped up to maximum pressure (BFG - there are plenty of truck owners who do need the E load rating, so give us a 35-inch E-rated tire too). Thirty-five-inch tires fit on the stock Dodge wheels with little or no rubbing and no suspension lift at all. If you choose an aftermarket wheel with less than 6 inches of backspacing, you'll increase scrub radius and get rubbing. We'd like to see more aftermarket wheels with 6 inches of backspacing.
While we wanted to leave the truck the stock height, we didn't want to keep the woefully inadequate stock shocks. Kroeker Off Road Engineering (KORE) has been building very-high-performance Dodge Ram suspensions for a long time. We installed a KORE Unlimited system on our Great White project and its performance was stunning, on- and off-road. KORE just introduced its specially valved Fox 2-inch reservoir shocks for trucks that have no lift, and we, of course, immediately procured a set for our truck. Kent Kroeker, the owner of KORE, is a perfectionist, and the suspension components he sells reflect his dedication to offering high-quality parts that really work.
The Dodge Power Wagon we just received for a long-term test has nice-looking fender flares that protect the body. Mopar Accessories sells these very same flares through local Dodge dealers, so we picked up a set. We also got a pair of rear fenderwell liners that will keep crud out of the fenderwells. 2001-and-older Dodge trucks used to have these fenderwell liners standard, but the new trucks don't. The flares and the liners come with hardware and instructions for easy installation. Most of the holes needed for installation are already there.
After St. George Toppers, Mountain Toppers, and Mount Logan Off-Road got finished with our truck, we were amazed at how well it worked. The Bedrug and A.R.E. Z-Series shell worked just as well as they did on our last project. The KORE/Fox shocks made a gigantic difference in the truck's ride and handling, both on- and off-road! The compression damping is a little softer than stock, which gives us a great ride. Rebound damping is very controlled, and we really like the feel this gives our Ram. The stock shocks must have had very little rebound damping at all.
We plan on adding a Dynatrac manual hub kit (so we can quit turning everything up front in two-wheel drive) and some other Mopar accessories that will make life in the truck much nicer. Look for these additions and more in upcoming installments.