Dodge Ram 5.9 (359 CU IN) 325 BHP With A CRTD4 Single Channel Tuning Box:

With our CRTD4 Single Channel Tuning Box:
Power increased from 325 to 390 BHP
Torque increased from 830 to 955 NM 

This Dodge Ram has some serious road presence. In the UK it could drive monster truck style over most small hatchbacks. It’s not just the sheer size of the truck either, the engine, the exhaust, everything is big. There is one thing that could do with being bigger though… the power.

Where has all the power gone? The Dodge Rams big secret

This Dodge Ram 5.9-litre (359 CU IN) isn't light on engine capacity. Here in the UK it's a huge engine, in the USA we guess they would call it mid-sized, or even on the small side! The only trouble is that all that engine capacity doesn't add up when you look at the power output. 325 HP from a 5.9 litre engine? That doesn't sound right does it!? Before we continue on this path, the Ford Mustang 2.3 litre produces 310 HP, the Mercedes 2.0 litre CLA45 produces 376 HP! These engines are more than half the size of this Dodge Ram! Where has all the power gone? To understand that, we need to track back a little bit, remember monster-trucking over little hatchbacks? Well to have the ability to do that, you need something more than plain old horsepower. You need torque, and this Ram has a lot of it, 612 Lb/Ft (830 NM). Having discovered this truck can drive over cars, climb the toughest of terrain, and tow pretty much anything, the only thing it needs is more horsepower.

It's a big engine, but you can always go bigger

This common rail 5.9 litre Cummins engine was available between 2003 - 2007. Later replaced with a 6.7 litre engine that produces 350 HP and 650 Lb/Ft. 'Bigger is better' seems to have gone through the heads of Cummins engine developers. It is very versatile though, it's in this pick-up truck but it's also over in the UK powering busses. That huge torque figure helps to carry a bus load of people, quite literally. A huge engine clearly has its benefits, but what are the drawbacks? If there are any? Well, an engine this big requires a lot of fuel to run it, that means you will find yourself at the pumps a lot. The engine isn't particularly economical either, it's not finely tuned for optimal fuel savings. Why would it be? It's designed to be a power-house, it's a pickup truck after all. Is going bigger the answer if you want more performance? What if there was a way to increase the performance of this 5.9 litre engine? Without adding expensive and time-consuming engine modifications? oh wait, there is...

More power, improved fuel efficiency, same engine

Most modifications are compatible with a TDI-Tuning Box, the owner of this Dodge Ram has opted for a few 'tasteful' modifications to enhance the driving experience. For example, the humungous side mounted exhaust, barely noticeable... There is also a K&N air filter to help improve the airflow fitted to this Dodge. The TDI-Tuning Box increases engine performance without the need for any other modifications. This Dodge is now running at 390 HP and 704 Lb/Ft (955 NM), a lot more than its successor. The question is, why would you buy the newer one? Bear in mind the newer models come equipped with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and diesel particulate filters (DPF). Both of these restrict the engine from achieving its full capability (Sorry environmentalists). The additional features present within the newer engine also mean 2 more things to go wrong, especially as they are restrictive pieces of engine technology, they inevitably clog up!  It makes a lot of sense to buy one of the older Dodge Ram trucks and tune it with an easy-to-install TDI-Tuning Box.

If you have a Dodge Ram and want to tune it: Click here

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