A lift, meaty tires, and all the attitude you can stand, converting the standard Ram 1500 into a truck built for the hills.
It doesn't take much to turn a half-ton pickup into a minor off-road brawler. A small lift, meaty tires, and a little armor turns any Home Depot drone into a back-country rig. The 2015 Ram Rebel builds on a long tradition of putting the right parts in the right places, converting the standard Ram 1500 into a truck built for the hills.
The Rebel is an answer to machines like the Ford F-150 FX4 and Chevrolet Silverado Z71. But where those more street-oriented rivals rely on mall-terrain tires and bumpers dressed in chrome or, worse, paint, Ram brings legitimate hardware.
There are two engines: a 3.6-liter V6 with 305 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque or a 395-hp 5.7-liter V8 with 410 lb-ft of torque. Trucks equipped with the six are only available in four-wheel drive with a new 3.92:1 rear-axle ratio. Go for the big eight and you get additional options, including two-wheel drive and a more efficient 3.21:1 rear-axle ratio. Both engines are bolted to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The Rebel ditches the familiar crosshair grille for a more aggressive snout. A sculpted aluminum hood adds more menace to the mix, as do powder-coated steel bumpers and Power Wagon fender flares. New red accents, Rebel badging, and tread-pattern vinyl seats make for a sharp cabin.
Ram's air-ride suspension is standard on the Rebel, and it sits one inch higher. A set of specifically tuned Bilstein monotube dampers complements the ride height, as do tweaked sway bars. That extra inch of lift does more for the truck's visual presence than its off-road prowess, but the new 33-inch Toyo Open Country A/T tires give the Rebel some teeth off tarmac. Wrapped around new 17-inch alloy wheels, they're as quiet on road as they are capable in sand, snow, and mud. Standard aluminum skid plates protect the truck's soft spots underneath.
Engineers slowed the Rebel's steering ratio for better off-road control, and the coil-spring rear soaks up washboards and pocked dirt roads. Old-school leaf-spring pickups go where you point them, but whether your kidneys make the trip is another matter. The Rebel will get you where you're going, internal organs and all.
That's not to say it's a proper hellion. It takes constant vigilance and a series of button mashes to keep the onboard nannies at bay. Give us easy defeats for stability and traction control, and we'd be happier.
Yet the Rebel is a truck that's always glad to surprise you with its capability. It will grin and knock that angel off your shoulder, encouraging you to lay tracks in virgin snow or scramble up that impossible hill climb. For those of us who spent our youths bashing across fields and picking through forests in a beater with a bed, the Rebel is a familiar accomplice.
- Price: $44,000 (est)
- Powertrain: 5.7-liter V8, 395 hp, 410 lb-ft; 4wd; 8-speed automatic
- Weight: 5550 lb
- Ground Clearance: 10.3 in
- Top Speed: 106 mph
- EPA city/highway: 15/21 mpg
- On Sale: Now
- Source: www.roadandtrack.com
