RAM 2500 POWER WAGON
STEP ASIDE LANDCRUISER, THERE’S A NEW KING.
THE TERM ultimate is thrown around a lot in 4WD land. The ultimate suspension. The ultimate driving lights. The ultimate budgetbeater imported swag with the ultimate free magazine thrown in. The problem is, and it’s a damn big one, is they never do the word justice. They’re far from the ‘ultimate’, nowhere near the best of the best, and hardly the king on top of the mountain. But some things, they’re a little more deserving of the title.
The 4x4 Ram 2500 you’re looking at now is the ultimate, make no mistake, it’s the best of the best, the toughest of the tough, the king of every single mountain it’s ever travelled on, and the benchmark other 4x4s need to be measured against. What the hell are you guys on about? We thought you’d never ask.
You see, this isn’t any ordinary yank tank, it’s a Power Wagon, and those who know what that means, know the next few pages will be filled with the best gear money can buy, and almost all of it factory fitted.
If you’re familiar with the Ram platform you’d no doubt know the 2500 is the workhorse of the family, monstertruck-sized live axles front and rear, coil springs the size of a Mack truck’s, and a 6.7-litre straight-six Cummins Diesel lumbering away under that elongated bonnet. The Power Wagon takes that up a notch. While it
THE 4X4 RAM 2500 YOU’RE LOOKING AT NOW IS THE ULTIMATE, IT’S THE BEST OF THE BEST, THE TOUGHEST OF THE TOUGH...
still retains that rugged over-engineering perfect for Alaskan oil fields or Texas ranches, it does it with a little more flair.
Up front, straight off the showroom floor, Ram Trucks has replaced the oil-burning diesel with a fire-breathing 6.4-litre V8 Hemi sucking in high-octane unleaded and pushing out more than 400 horsepower and nearly 600Nm. Rather than the clunky column shifter of diesel offerings, the Hemi is spurred into life by a dash-mounted dial engaging the eight-speed automatic cog-swapper, before a set of driveshafts the size of tree stumps send power fore and aft.
The front live axle is kept in place with a radius arm setup similar to what you’d find in most Patrols or Landcruisers, and although from the factory they’re fitted with a super-flex-style arm on both sides. The third
bushing allowing the arms to articulate further than a base model, by reducing the binding point radius arms typically have. It gives the Power Wagon monstrous off-road capability without reducing its ability to do serious work. An electronic diff lock up front is engaged with a tap of a button, and wraps around a 9¼-inch ring gear. Helping the front end to seriously open up off-road is an electronic sway bar disconnect, with a set of two-inch lifted springs mated to Bilstein shocks.
Moving rearwards, Ram has somehow managed to have one of the toughest trucks on the planet ride surprisingly well thanks to a 5-link coil-sprung arrangement. It holds the rear axle in place with a second set of lifted springs and Bilstein shocks, while a rear locker sends drive to both wheels. and another sway bar is fitted high-and-tight. The combination allows for 33-inch tyres stock, with 35-inch Mickey Thompson Baja ATZ P3s squeezed in these guards, wrapped around Method Race Wheels..
Up front, a factory steel bar protects the Power Wagon’s soft spots, with the Warn fairlead a factory inclusion. Nestled deep within the cattle-grate-sized bumper is Warn’s legendary 12,000lb Zeon winch. It’s wrapped in lightweight heavy-duty rope, with an extended shift lever allowing easy engagement without reaching arm-deep into the bar to kick it into gear.
On the inside, shy of a UHF tek-screwed to the dash, the interior of the Power Wagon is the dream of most 4x4ers. Front and rear leather seats are easy to clean, with the front pews
02 METHOD STYLE
Method Race Wheels with 35-inch MT Baja ATZ P3s.
MOVING REARWARDS AND ‘BIG BLUE’ STARTS MAKING A WHOLE LOT MORE SENSE AS AN AUSSIE TOURER