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Why is my 2003 Ram so much less pwerful than my Dads 2006 Ram??

2K views 28 replies 15 participants last post by  sewerdog 
#1 ·
Okay so tell me, why? My Dad owns a 2006 Dodge Ram 3500 SLT Long Bed 4x4 with a bullydog, 4" lift, 35's, and 4:10 ratio.


My truck is a 2003 Dodge Ram Laramie Sport long bed 4x4 with a leveling kit and 35's, Banks 6 gun and exhuast, 3:73 ratio.

My Dads truck FLYS when you hammer it at any speed (even 50-60) when the bullydog is on "performance."

Whats the difference????? I put my truck on level 4 and it still gets outrun..... by a 1 ton!:confused013:

Is Bullydog that much better than the banks 6 gun?? Or are the heads different, or the computer or something??

We have different transmissions, he has the 6 speed with reverse on the left by 1 and 2 and mine is the normal style 6 speed. And both are HO.
 
#10 · (Edited)
I have an HO 6 speed, and my dad has an HO 6 speed.

So what can I do to match him? I know the 6 gun would have to go, what else? Turbo? Injectors? I don't know how the electronics are better considering they're both the same, the computers get updated by the dealer.... So how would that effect it?



Bullydog outlook and programmer. Not the new one they came out with but the original version.

And also, my dads truck smokes A LOT more than mine.... why so?
 
#13 ·
This is the second time today someone has said that the 06 have an extra gear in the auto. What am I missing? Correct me if I am wrong but all 3rd gen Dodge Diesels have a 4 speed auto excapt for the 6.7, correct?

Also, his truck is geared for take off, his engine is stronger, and his "chip" is more powerful. Maybe your clutch is slipping too?
 
#8 ·
With the gearing you'll probably have more top end speed but he's going to be quicker. Bd vs banks probably has someting to do with it too. Also the 06 is a more powerful engine out of the box so you're going to have to do more to take him than just matching him mod for mod.
 
#14 ·
get a smarty with beta 4.2 software. there is a thread for 03 and early 04 cummins, it says wut has worked for people and wut issues they have had its awesome. watch ur egts these years r prone to dropping valve seats when running 1400*. good luck
 
#16 ·
My 04 is a 4 speed and yes, Dodge was way behind!
 
#17 ·
i will take you for a ride in my truck at the next GTG i can make it to and show you smarty with a solid clutch feels like.. but the 20 horse stock you shouldnt tell that much.. mostly gear ratio and the banks doesnt smoke thats there main advertisment so thats why his truck will smoke more
 
#19 · (Edited)
Haha Sweet Thanks!:yourock:

Injector nozzles really wake up the 555 motors (03 early 04s) Your turbo is much smaller so, yes a turbo may be in your future for more air, a Smarty should be in your future as well. The 06s really like the Bullydog so you have your work cut out for you. After all of that, you are gonna need a clutch to handle all of that new found power, then you will take him. That is until the modding battle begins between the two of you. :engarde: :$: :$:
Turbo = $$$. So that will be on my "wish list" until later. :lol4:

My truck only has 84,000 miles, you think its clutch? I will probably get rid of the banks in favor of something else, but why do so many of you say Smarty? What makes it better than Bullydog, or Edge?
I am partial to BD only because my dad has it and it works top notch, and I also like the outlook pod that tells you EGT's and corrected speed, boost and so on. The new ones tell you 6 things instead of the 4 like my dad, so I think that would be SWEET.:headbang:

But, maybe not, is the smarty better? What exactely is it? Like a plug and play, or does it also have its own gauge station?
I kind of put a little aside each month for screw around money and I alsomost got enough to afford a BD, Edge, but not sure on the smarty price. I'll throw my banks on level 6 and see how well it does.
 
#20 ·
there r alot of threads on here going back and forth about which is better bully dog or smarty. it comes down to a smarty u have more adjustability. smarty u can adjust and upgrade as u go. bully dog has gadges and adjust on the fly so its wut u want but with an 03 from wut i've read smarty with beta 4.2 is wicked. u get a bully dog u buy mods to support it and if thats the way u wanna go great. smarty u can tune and adjust more
 
#21 ·
If you want to wake up that truck on a budget start looking for 04.5 up hand me down parts: HE351 Turbo, 4" exhaust elbow / downpipe & a Stock 2nd Gen intake will add some much needed airflow for short money. :thumbsup: I had a hard time keeping up with my wife's 06 so i know your pain well. :buttkick:
 
#23 ·
The first problem with yours is Banks. Your probably making less power than stock with it (not really, but you might as well be...)

You wanna outrun him...Smarty. My 03 is bone stock, and I took Smarty TNT off my 07 and put it on the 03, level 9 IIRC, and took my dad for a ride. Ended up racing an 05 auto with BullyDog and beat him from ~45 roll up until I ran out of air and he started catching me, slowly but surely. We got out of it before he reached the tailgate though...if I woulda had an adjustable boost elbow he never would have started to catch up....

The next thing holding you back is back is the engine itself. Smaller turbo, different pistons/injectors/programming, etc. Those are the major differences. You have two injections at a time, while the 04.5+ trucks have a third injection event. More fuel available=more power potential. That why, given the same mods (intake, exhaust, programmer) the 04.5+ trucks will always make more power and be faster. So you run Smarty, and he does as well, hes gonna be faster...this holds true until you get into major mods, i.e. twins, dual pumps, injectors, etc. then they pretty much even out for the most part.

Get a lift pump, Smarty, and maybe throw an MP8 on there for a little extra kick. Get an adjustable boost elbow. Then youll outrun him, assuming you can row gears as fast or faster...injector nozzles, like DDP 90s, and he wont have a chance
 
#24 ·
Oh, and on the lack of smoke. Same Smarty TNT programm on both trucks. My 07 will absolutely black out an intersection at will, and will leave a decent streak of smoke @80. The 03, barely a puff of black smoke from a start in 2nd, and nary a haze after that...not even a slight haze at anything above, say 15 or 20mph
 
#25 ·
I was wondering if the "6 injectors" on your 07 contribute more to the smoke, or if it really is the Smarty. I got a Bully Dog Triple Dog w Crazy Larry and the guy I bought it from said it smoked like crazy but I am finding it makes a good cloud on take off, then clears up. Is it all Smarty making the smoke, or are the injectors helping?
 
#26 ·
Well, damn, thats what I get for puttin that in there before I actually got the sticks...:doh:

Haha. At the moment they are six stock injectors. Ordering bigger ones on Friday. So at the moment, yea its just Smarty. Im sure itll be much worse with the bigger nozzles and turbo...
 
#27 ·
Well actually I don't want smoke, no reason for it really, its just unburnt fuel = wasted power.

Right now if I put my banks on level 6 I notice NO difference from level 4. I don't know why, because 10,000 miles ago I took a ride in my same truck and on level 6 it was like a bat out of hell.

And on level 6 I completely floor it and NOTHING happens in the means of smoke. Maybe a little puff flooring it in 3rd starting at 1300 RPM, but thats it.

One thing that is incredibly noticable from my dads truck to mine is on take off I outrun him, like the quick GO. But after about 1400 RPM his beats mine easily.

Thats all I could get in, gotta have some cake!
 
#28 ·
Maybe you lift pump is going out? I noticed my truck started to act a little sluggish when mine started to go... then it just died. I got a glacier lift pump and haven't had a problem with it. Make sure your fuel pressure is staying up if you have a gauge to monitor it.
 
#29 ·
mud flaps

do any of you all use some kind of mud flap to keep the mud off your nerff bars?i have the nerff bars that have the third step that comes back to the back of the cab.i didnt know how it would look if i put a mud flap on the front side to keep from throwing mud all over my nerff bars or just leave it like it is? THanks
 
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