RAM 5.2 L gas motor Performance Chip Questions

From : ken

Q: here is some information i thought i would pass on and maybe help someone avoid a problem or two. i have a 94 ram 318 w/ auto-trans. it has over 100k and runs as good as the day i bought it new. a friend of mine was the service manager for a dodge dealer and he gave me some real good advice that has turned out to be correct. first of all service the transmission according to the owners manual guidelines. in my case it was 800 mi. 30k mi. and 60k mi. they drain and replace the fluid replace the filter and adjust the bands. this is critical for long life. i know 3 people with rams that did not do the services and they all got to buy new trannies. this was not covered under the 7/70 because they did not do the recommended service. when changing the oil and filter 3-5k use only dodge filters. the dodge filters have a check valve that keeps oil pressure to the bearings to prolong engine life. i had a dakota before the ram and used fram filters. at 45k i started hearing bearing knock when starting on cold mornings. with the ram it has been mopar only and the motor is as tight as the day i brought it home. the filters only cost $6 and at the dealer i go to if you buy 3 you get 1 free. do the recommended services things like repacking wheel bearings only take an hour or so and are a heck of a lot cheaper then replacing a wheel spindle. one last thing if you live in the west/southwest us there is a good place to get a reasonable paint job at a good price. they are called 1daypaint www.1daypaint.com. i have a long bed and the clear coat was pealing off all over the hood and roof. i got estimates ranging form $1800 to $4200. 1day did an unbelievable job and i got a 5 year warranty for $700 out the door including all the prep. their work is not show quality but it is a darn good paint job at a real good price. i talked to a guy in la who has had 5 cars painted by 1day and he swears by them. good luck .