Rebel Questions: Air Suspension or stock? 3.6L or 5.7?

[Grimgreg]

I’ve read some issues with air suspension, not so much on Ram, but on the Grand Cherokees. Most that have it love it, but usually recommend getting an extended warranty. It’s not cheap to repair. Again, I can’t speak specifically about the Ram, but I would think they are similarly designed systems.

To me, with a Rebel, 4x4 and V8 are necessary. The 3.6 in our Grand Cherokees is ok, but would seem a little underpowered for a 1/2 4x4 truck with 33’s. Even though I tow, I’ll pass on the air suspension.

Yeah, salesman who sold me my truck mentioned the eventual maintenance on air when I was wavering, I went coil. I run vehicles into the ground, and until now have only bought stuff about 10 years old. I figure if the guy is willing to lose a bit of commission on a sale... the only reason I considered it was for my wife who has a bad back and just had a knee replacement, but she has been just fine getting in the Back Country on coils the past couple days. Coils are cheap and easy to swap if they sag or break.

 

[PoopsMcGee]

Good points, everyone. Thank you all for the input.

Set on the V8 and 4x4, neither sound like they decrease your MPG from 20 to 12, and are both worth the extra investment.

Not sure about air ride, still on the fence.

 

[mikeru82]

Yeah, salesman who sold me my truck mentioned the eventual maintenance on air when I was wavering, I went coil. I run vehicles into the ground, and until now have only bought stuff about 10 years old. I figure if the guy is willing to lose a bit of commission on a sale... the only reason I considered it was for my wife who has a bad back and just had a knee replacement, but she has been just fine getting in the Back Country on coils the past couple days. Coils are cheap and easy to swap if they sag or break.

I can understand you not wanting to have to repair or replace the air suspension system, especially since you're planning to keep this truck forever. But for me, the issues your wife is having has would be enough for me to take that risk. I need to keep mama happy. The exception would be power side steps. With those, even my 79 year old aunt can easily get in and out of my truck because they are perfectly placed when deployed, unlike fixed steps. Even when I don't lower the suspension to entry/exit mode she can get in and out without any problem.

I haven't really researched this for myself, but I've read that switching over to coils is a pretty simple job if you don't want to mess with the air system. I know there were kits available for 4th gens. I'd be very surprised if they don't have one for 5th gens soon, if not already.

 

[millerbjm]

I have had the 3.6 and the 5.7 a d both are great - the 3.6 with 3.55 rear end is an awesome balance of mpg and acceleration/towing. Everyone warned me (including salesman) I was crazy and would hate the v6 a d get hammered on resale - none of that was true. I have the hemi now because it was avail and I got a sweet deal. The Hemi is more fun but I average 15-17 mpg in mixed driving like you'll do, the V6 I was getting more on the average of 20mpg and that was before etorque.

 

[Grimgreg]

I can understand you not wanting to have to repair or replace the air suspension system, especially since you're planning to keep this truck forever. But for me, the issues your wife is having has would be enough for me to take that risk. I need to keep mama happy. The exception would be power side steps. With those, even my 79 year old aunt can easily get in and out of my truck because they are perfectly placed when deployed, unlike fixed steps. Even when I don't lower the suspension to entry/exit mode she can get in and out without any problem.

I haven't really researched this for myself, but I've read that switching over to coils is a pretty simple job if you don't want to mess with the air system. I know there were kits available for 4th gens. I'd be very surprised if they don't have one for 5th gens soon, if not already.

My wife was actually the one to make the final nope on the air ride. The Back Country included running boards (static), and she is happy with those. She can actually get in and out of the truck easier than her car right now.

 

[wsutard1]

Good points, everyone. Thank you all for the input.

Set on the V8 and 4x4, neither sound like they decrease your MPG from 20 to 12, and are both worth the extra investment.

Not sure about air ride, still on the fence.

Actually, the new Hemi eTorque isn’t really getting good reviews on its MPGs. Some great hood, some are in the 12s. Lot are right about 15. Living in a flat area like you do I would imagine you would be on the higher end.

 

[mikeru82]

My wife was actually the one to make the final nope on the air ride. The Back Country included running boards (static), and she is happy with those. She can actually get in and out of the truck easier than her car right now.

Happy wife happy life

 

[jl13]

even for light off road/trail I would consider 4x4 a must

I would skip the air suspension - ram has the most comfortable coil/spring suspension

v6 vs v8 - I know there are good arguments for both but a v6 just doesn't seat right with me, maybe its mental. I did consider it in the past and even test drove one but its just not for me. my brother and a couple of friends that do carry heavy loads and travel constantly LA to Vegas and hit some big inclines feel a v6 lacks power and had to trade up.

mpg - I got the 3.92 v8 etorque on 33 Lt tires - I average 10-12 city and 17-18 highway at 70-80 speed.

 

[PoopsMcGee]

even for light off road/trail I would consider 4x4 a must

I would skip the air suspension - ram has the most comfortable coil/spring suspension

v6 vs v8 - I know there are good arguments for both but a v6 just doesn't seat right with me, maybe its mental. I did consider it in the past and even test drove one but its just not for me. my brother and a couple of friends that do carry heavy loads and travel constantly LA to Vegas and hit some big inclines feel a v6 lacks power and had to trade up.

mpg - I got the 3.92 v8 etorque on 33 Lt tires - I average 10-12 city and 17-18 highway at 70-80 speed.

Thank you! 17-18 at 70-80 is perfectly acceptable.

I think I've settled on the V8, 4x4, no air suspension.

I have been going back and forth on a loaded Ford Tremor or the new At4, but I honestly think the Rebel just offers it all: style, power, luxury.

 

[jl13]

Thank you! 17-18 at 70-80 is perfectly acceptable.

I think I've settled on the V8, 4x4, no air suspension.

I have been going back and forth on a loaded Ford Tremor or the new At4, but I honestly think the Rebel just offers it all: style, power, luxury.

all 3 are great options but I would agree with you on the rebel.
I like the at4, I actually consider it along with the rebel but then I saw what the built to serve package had to offer and I decided it was a better option at the time for me plus I really like the tank color

 

[VegasRob55]

Hello,

New to the Ram world, but loving the aggressive look of the Rebels, luxury of the Ram interior, and have had great success with the Mopar Maxcare warranty on my Challenger (already paid for itself twice over).

Quick background:
Currently drive a Challenger 2015 R/T Scat Pack, 18mpg average on 91 octane. Finally switching from my 3rd muscle car and into the truck world.

Looking for a daily driver with light trail capabilities. Only driving on trails to get to desert shooting locations, no need for rock crawling.

Also go on long distance trips frequently (once a month I do 500 mile trips, once or twice a year 5k+). Work from home so no work commute. I do city driving here in Phoenix pretty regularly. Only have averaged 12k-15k miles a year in my Challenger, so no real need for Diesel, but looking to travel more, and I'm open to it if the consensus points me that way.

Question is:
Is the air suspension worth it?
I'd rather save $2000 and stick with the Rebel suspension if I won't really notice a difference in drive quality, but if you guys say the air suspension is absolutely worth it, especially on longer drives, then I'll trust you. Test drove a dealerships Ram Limited with air suspension but couldn't really feel it on the short trip we took.

Is the 3.6L or the 5.7L worth it?
With the thread complaining about the 3.92 gears + v8 only giving them 10-12mpgs, maybe it's better to stick with the lower gears and 3.6L? Yeah I'll miss having a 6.4L hemi, but if mileage reports vary from 10-15mpg, sounds like a risk with the 5.7+3.92 and better to drop 3 liters. But if the 5.7 really can get 17 average then I'd be perfectly fine with that number.

Let me know your thoughts! Excited to be planning this all out and having fun doing so!!

The stock coil suspension is butter smooth, and will last significantly longer than Chrysler' Mexican suspension air bags... VERY expensive to repair & replace. Don't skip out on that HEMI, brother. Please don't

 

[Trippi]

Someone above said "remember it's your truck." But the last thing to consider is resale value. Unless you plan to drive it until you die, a half-ton off-road Rebel spec'd with a V6 and 2WD is gonna be a deal breaker for most truck buyers. I didn't actually know you could get a Rebel with either of those options tbh.

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I would also like to make 1 additional comment about 4x4, specifically auto. When it’s wet or you are on a gravel to pavement transition with heavy cross traffic it comes in real handy. Without 4 auto, you wait or spin. Push auto and floor it and it hooks up and flat out goes. Kinda a prick move, but sometimes you gotta go.

This will undoubtedly be one of the features I’ll miss most when i upgrade to HD.

Totally wish my Rebel had the 4 auto...constantly spinning out on the wet pavement which we have a lot of up in NY. I have zero patience coming off the line...even in tight turns I can end up fishtailing. Did they add this after 2020 model year? I haven't kept up but I thought I heard 4 auto would come on the Rebel.

 

[HSKR R/T]

Totally wish my Rebel had the 4 auto...constantly spinning out on the wet pavement which we have a lot of up in NY. I have zero patience coming off the line...even in tight turns I can end up fishtailing. Did they add this after 2020 model year? I haven't kept up but I thought I heard 4 auto would come on the Rebel.

Put it in 4-high when you take off from light, then switch to 2wd once moving

 

[JoeCo]

Totally wish my Rebel had the 4 auto...constantly spinning out on the wet pavement which we have a lot of up in NY. I have zero patience coming off the line...even in tight turns I can end up fishtailing. Did they add this after 2020 model year? I haven't kept up but I thought I heard 4 auto would come on the Rebel.

2wd, traction control off and counter steer...Wooooo partyyyy!!

 

[conesmacker]

I think the BW48-11 on-demand/Auto 4wd transfer case is now an extra cost option on the Rebel model. It wasn't an availible option in '19 and '20.

I think the standard transfer case on the Rebel is the 48-12 part time t-case.

Both have +s and -s. If you're going to do crazy mud bogs, rock crawls, and heavy duty stress for long time periods, the 48-12 is for you, because it has no clutches to overheat.

However.....if you're like 99% of people that just need some extra traction for 10 minutes or so, and not in long-time high stress applications...the 48-11 is awesome. I do like it for extra traction in light rain conditions on pavement, because it has almost no slip and never has driveline bind. it's perfect for boat ramps, and great to prevent spinning and 'digging in' on wet grass which puts you in that mud bog situation.

 

[conesmacker]

Also, I think with the Rebel model, you can only get the e-locker rear axle, which you have to press a button to engage - and it will automatically disengage if you speed up above 20mph.

I personally think the limited slip rear end is more useable on a daily basis, as it is always 'on' at all speeds. I think that is more useful in almost all snowy, dirt, and gravel road conditions, because if you have the 48-11 Auto4wd transfer case and in Auto4wd or Full 4wd, you will a minimum of 3 tires digging for you (the 2 rears and at least 1 front tire actively gripping). Factor in the Brake Lock Differential function from the stability control/anti-lock brake system, and I'd think as long as you're moving forward at over +20 mph, you're not gonna stop - unless you just drove into a 10 ft deep section of the everglades.

If you're going to low speed rock crawl with high articulation needs, or go dive into the worst of the everglades....the e-locker is likely the better choice.

 

[DavidNJ]

Also, I think with the Rebel model, you can only get the e-locker rear axle, which you have to press a button to engage - and it will automatically disengage if you speed up above 20mph.

I personally think the limited slip rear end is more useable on a daily basis, as it is always 'on' at all speeds. I think that is more useful in almost all snowy, dirt, and gravel road conditions, because if you have the 48-11 Auto4wd transfer case and in Auto4wd or Full 4wd, you will a minimum of 3 tires digging for you (the 2 rears and at least 1 front tire actively gripping). Factor in the Brake Lock Differential function from the stability control/anti-lock brake system, and I'd think as long as you're moving forward at over +20 mph, you're not gonna stop - unless you just drove into a 10 ft deep section of the everglades.

If you're going to low speed rock crawl with high articulation needs, or go dive into the worst of the everglades....the e-locker is likely the better choice.

GM uses automatic engagement of their e-lock. The brake locking differential really confuses the whole story. I've seen videos of Wrangler Rubicons, which have front and rear e-lockers, get through mud using BLD with both differentials open.

The 48-11, 44-44, and other similar transfer cases are effectively full-time AWD, engaging when slip is detected while allowing a difference between front and rear rotational speeds. On systems where a clutch pack is used but offers more than a 50-50 split the secondary axle (rear on Hondas/Acuras where this is part of their SH-AWD) is overdriven via a planetary gear set. Typically around 2%.

The key is it isn't automatically shifting into solid AWD, it has a variable interface based on slip like the AWD systems in many passenger cars. On the market for over a decade, it apparently works ok. I've read about failures when used on sand or in snow plowing but don't have specific info if the transfer cases were in 4Hi, 4Lo, or 4Auto. Ram sells the 48-11 with its snowplow prep package on the Big Horn so their engineers apparently think it is ok from a reliability standpoint.

Engineer joke: Why won't the engineer get married? Because with a 50% failure rate he can't afford the warranty costs.

 

[CCA]

The main plus of the air ride is the variability of it, low for getting in and out, high for off road. The coil sprung setup gives a really nice ride also.

As for engine, if you don't plan to tow or haul anything the V6 is probably great.

I would go with the V6 if you plan to keep it for a 1-3 years and sell it back but if you plan to make this a life truck I would go with the V8.

Not considering that factor I would go V8 as a personal preference. As long as you don't have a lead foot, or live in a super mountainous area, etc, you'll get decent fuel mileage around the mark they have it listed at. The overall fuel mileage has so much to do with your environment.

Another big question I would ask myself, "Will I really be happy with a V6?" As that change in power is very noticeable, and less capable of course.

Hope this helps some. Just my 2 cents for what its worth!