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From the Archives: 2004 Dodge Ram SRT-10 First Drive

If you fire a 12-gauge shotgun packed with 00 buck, you'll get a sense of what it's like to pull the trigger on a Ram SRT-10: a loud roar, followed by a cloud of smoke, and, suddenly, heavy metal flying through space. The only difference is that this truck's Viper-sourced V-10 firepower, good for a 5.2-second 0-to-60 run, surges smoothly at your back and not abruptly against your shoulder. Dodge 's Performance Vehicle Operations group has created more than just a Pirelli-melting, 500-horse cargo bed in search of a chassis. The Ram SRT-10 is a comprehensively well-matched 5150-pound performance recipe that turns a short-bed, standard-cab Ram into a sport-truck-cum-Trans-Am racer. --> Installing the Viper's 8.3-liter, OHV, aluminum V-10 into the Ram's platform is philosophically straightforward, as the truck is factory-offered with a 300-horsepower, iron-block V-10 in HD form. Getting the job done, however, required numerous detail changes, including a revised intake system, oil pan, mounts, and cooling revisions. The only transmission offered is the same Tremec T56 six-speed manual used in the Viper. And does this thing go. Our only complaint about the Ram SRT-10's iron-fisted powertrain is occasionally notchy shift action, due to the long, truck-style shift lever employed; it feels a bit remote during rushed, dragstrip shifts. We'd also enjoy a bit more auditory personality: The V-10's voice is almost too muffled, although some will feel that's an asset. Only under a properly mashed throttle does the Viper motor really bellow. Steering-rack response is crisp, and there's braking muscle to spare in the form of 15-inch front rotors and 14-inchers in the rear. Viper power requires a massive tire-contact patch to be remotely useful. So, in the interest of usefulness, Dodge fitted the SRT-10 with steamroller-like 305/40ZR22 Pirelli Scorpions. We were prepared for the shaking and chassis booming often associated with oversized rolling stock and its barely manageable unsprung mass. But the suspension tuners at PVO have worked some magic. The ride, although not luxo-car smooth, is firm and not at all uncomfortable on good road surfaces. The only serious suspension-related edge is some rubbery chassis shudder on bumpy roads, where the laws of physics regarding minimal wheel travel and big-tire inertia won't be denied. Key to the truck's surprisingly obedient behavior: Bilstein shocks, shorter and stiffer springs, a rear anti-roll bar, a new front knuckle design, a one-inch ride-height drop in front, a 2.5-inch rear drop, and an effective traction-bar system. The result is a big, fast hunk that does what it's told. The SRT-10 spent some valuable aero time in the company's wind tunnel and learned a few lessons from Dodge's NASCAR Craftsman Truck program, too. Up front, a deep fascia with a splitter reduces lift. Out back, a rear wing reduces drag and adds up to 165 pounds of downforce at track speeds. When you need the bed, you can easily remove the wing and stow it on top of the bedrails. The bulging hood, nonfunctional scoop, and rear fascia with dual exhaust cutouts are unique to this sporting variant. Colors are simple: black, red, or silver. Inside, you'll find softly stuffed but sharply contoured black leather buckets with SRT-10 logos stitched across the backrests. The seat cushions and a deeply padded center-console lid are flat enough to accommodate a third, belted passenger. Looking sports-car sharp is a carbon-fiber leather-trimmed steering wheel. Behind the wheel is a full complement of large and easy-to-read, silver-faced gauges including a 160-mph speedo and a 7000-rpm tach. Dodge claims the truck will do 150, so that speedo's none too optimistic. Given that the V-10 delivers 90 percent of its 525 pound-feet at just 1500 rpm, a large portion of the tach face is likely to go unused. For now, the Ram SRT-10 stands confidently alone as king of the muscletruck hill. The 380-horse Ford SVT Lightning remains a player, but Dodge has it covered by 120 horses, and the current-generation F-Series platform is on its way out. The new, give-or-take-500-horse next-gen Lightning is as much as two years away. The nice but pricey Chevy Silverado SS, with a 7.0-second 0-to-60 and a 15.2/89.4-mph quarter runs a distant third. The Big Bad Dodge is a monster hauler that packs suspension, brakes, manners, visual attitude, and one heck of a kick to match. 2004 Dodge Ram SRT-10 Specifications POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS Drivetrain layout Front engine, rwd, 2-door, 3-pass, truck Engine type 8.3L, 90 V-10 Valve gear OHV, 2 valves/cyl Max horsepower @ rpm 500 @ 5600 Max torque @ rpm 525 @ 4200 Specific output, hp/L 60.2 Power-to-weight, lb/hp 10.3 Weight dist, f/r, % 55/45 Transmission 6-speed manual PERFORMANCE DATA 0-60 mph, sec 5.2 1/4 mile, sec @ mph 13.86 @ 101.49 Braking, 60-0 mph, ft 122 600-foot slalom, mph 62.3 CONSUMER INFO Base price $45,000 (est) Price as tested $46,200 (est) Basic warranty 3 yrs/36,000 miles EPA mpg, city/hwy 10/14 On sale in U.S. Currently This article was originally published on March 29, 2004. The post From the Archives: 2004 Dodge Ram SRT-10 First Drive appeared first on MotorTrend .

http://www.motortrend.com/news/2004-dodge-ram-srt10/

 

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