Opinions from Ram ProMaster owners

[user 423]

I have a PM 2500 High with the OHV 3” Lift.

With a lift kit, don't you still have the same ground clearance at the rear axle?

 

[rruff]

With a lift kit, don't you still have the same ground clearance at the rear axle?

I've seen a couple like this... custom welded:

https://www.promasterforum.com/threads/improving-ground-clearance-rough-road-ride.79641/page-4

 

[Setback]

Hi,
I've been driving a ProMaster since 2014. Thousands of miles on gravel roads - I live on a gravel road.
I think generally its fine, but it depends a lot on what you mean by a rough road. If you are talking about the road into that mine that was last worked in 1930 and the road has had no maintenance since, then its not the vehicle for that. Its not a rock crawler.
But, for run the mill forest service roads and the like its fine.
Ours has been up the Dempster Highway in the Yukon twice with not even a hint of a problem.

The rear axle ground clearance is 6.9 inches, which is really not that bad. I'm sure the Ford Transit with its rear differential is less. It just looks low when you look at it from behind.

I've never felt that FWD was giving me a problem getting anywhere on backroads.

Gary

On the other hand I have a 2017 250 high top with this being my 5th transmission. I have 274000

Hi,
I've been driving a ProMaster since 2014. Thousands of miles on gravel roads - I live on a gravel road.
I think generally its fine, but it depends a lot on what you mean by a rough road. If you are talking about the road into that mine that was last worked in 1930 and the road has had no maintenance since, then its not the vehicle for that. Its not a rock crawler.
But, for run the mill forest service roads and the like its fine.
Ours has been up the Dempster Highway in the Yukon twice with not even a hint of a problem.

The rear axle ground clearance is 6.9 inches, which is really not that bad. I'm sure the Ford Transit with its rear differential is less. It just looks low when you look at it from behind.

I've never felt that FWD was giving me a problem getting anywhere on backroads.

Gary

Good for you Gary glad to hear that there is a good model out there. I have a 2017 250 high top with 274,000 mi. on it and just had. # 5 transmission put in. Just a heads up on the 2017 beware.

 

[user 423]

I've seen a couple like this... custom welded:

https://www.promasterforum.com/threads/improving-ground-clearance-rough-road-ride.79641/page-4

The manufacturer should take a hint. Wonder how cheap that mod is?

 

[Setback]

Thanks Gary. It's good to hear that there is a good model out there. I have the 2017 250 high with 274,000 mi. on it. Just put in no. 5 transmission in it. Beware folks.

 

[dustytrailhead]

With a lift kit, don't you still have the same ground clearance at the rear axle?

The OHV has both a strut spacer and a spindle lift. The spindle lift relocates the spindle 2.25” lower on the rear axle. Axle clearance is about 9” after lift.

 

[magentawave]

Just read this thread because I might buy a Promaster but there are two things that I don’t understand...

1) Since front wheel drive pulls, why isn't the Promaster BETTER in sand and snow vs a rear wheel drive van?

2) Since it lacks a rear wheel drive differential (usually the lowest point on any rwd vehicle), why does the Promaster have less ground clearance? (Seems like it should have at least 4” more ground clearance??)

Thanks

 

[rruff]

A loaded van has more weight on the rear axle and less on the front. The Promaster as a lower floor, which is a good feature, but that beam joining the 2 rear hub/axles together appears to be lower than it really needs to be. It's designed like all of these to primarily be a delivery van, not for offroad.

 

[user 423]

A loaded van has more weight on the rear axle and less on the front.

Also, when climbing an incline the vehicle weight is transferred more to the rear. A RWD van will benefit from this and gain traction but a FWD van will lose some traction.

 

[frater secessus]

Also, when climbing an incline the vehicle weight is transferred more to the rear. A RWD van will benefit from this and gain traction but a FWD van will lose some traction.

True enough. In practice though I haven't found it to be a limitation. I caught this sandy uphill trail in OR on the dashcam:
I'm in decent cardio shape (for a geezer) with no health issues and was heart-poundingly winded each time I walked it. On the same trip I moseyed up a gravel USFS trail I later used trekking poles on to avoid busting my butt. Even my dog was slipping on the gravel.

Here's some gravel road from the other evening. You can hear a bit of slip before the traction control catches it.


These are not 4wd conditions and the PM isn;t a Jeep (I had a CJ-5 back in the day) but it goes everywhere I want to go these days. It turns out my offroading isn't so much limited by the vehicle as by my lack of desire to pick up everything off the floor after bouncing around ruts and doing steep incline/declines. This is my full-time home and everything I own in the world is in it.

 

[dustytrailhead]

True enough. In practice though I haven't found it to be a limitation.

I agree. With good traction I have gotten my PM up roads that I shouldn’t have gone up. You realize this when you drive back down the road you were so proud to have gone up and become afraid you will roll the van! If you’re bumping up ledge it is much easier in a FWD than RWD. FWD pulls the vehicle up and over the ledge. RWD requires more momentum to get the front wheels up over ledge with resulting loss of control. But, if it’s steep and loose, RWD has the advantage. But, you can backup a hill with FWD to take advantage of the weight shift. If that’s the case, you definitely want to disable ESC, or both drive wheels will stop turning. But, backing up is a desperate act. Who wants to risk backing up a steep hill, if you don’t need to? With either type of drive, you can get yourself into a bad spot. Just don’t get into a situation without an exit strategy. For instance, don’t drive down a steep hill without considering there might be another steep hill you will have to drive up just to get back to the highway. Put another way, do what I say, don’t do what I do! LOL

 

[user 423]

But, if it’s steep and loose, RWD has the advantage. But, you can backup a hill with FWD to take advantage of the weight shift. But, backing up is a desperate act. Who wants to risk backing up a steep hill, if you don’t need to?

Reminds me of stories about Model T Fords needing to use reverse going up some mountains because reverse had a lower gear ratio. Those were the days.

 

[Freelander]

The reason why Model T's had to back up hills was because the Gas tank was under the seat and if the hill was to steep the gas wouldn't flow to the carb.

 

[user 423]

Oh, I didn't know that. Maybe it was both? Pre-fuel pump days were a bummer.

Okay, I had to do some Googling. From a Model T forum:

"In high the gear ratio for std rear gearing is 3.63:1. For low speed with same std rear, the ratio is 9.98:1. For reverse with the same std rear, the ratio is 14.52:1.

Ratio of crankshaft to driveshaft in low speed : 2.75:1. Ratio of crankshaft to driveshaft in reverse : 4:1.

 

[kpinvt]

No one ever seems to talk about driving the van as a stick shift vehicle. I drive a FCA minivan conversion wheelchair van with the 3.66 VTT engine and 62TE transmission. Uphill traction in 3 inches of snow sucks, it is almost non-existent, but using the Manual mode helps a great deal and makes it doable in 1st or 2nd gear. Early on when driving this van I got stuck on a moderate uphill climb on an unplowed dirt road where my front wheels were slipping and I had to go back down and find an alternate route. On a later date on a steeper unplowed driveway with deeper snow I made it up in 2nd gear. All of the FWD vans I drive lose grip in slippery conditions, especially uphill. These vans are geared for maximum MPG and always drive on the verge of lugging the engine in the highest gear. Downshifting to a lower gear helps a great deal.

 

[maki2]

Sometimes you get better traction backing up a steep hill on a dirt road. The old timers know that trick.