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brandonjansen - 2012 Ram 3500 Laramie Limited Cummins Build Thread

168K views 969 replies 75 participants last post by  brandonjansen 
#1 · (Edited)
Well the day finally came where I got my Cummins :SHOCKED:

A bit of my story:
I've wanted a Cummins ever since I was 14 or 15 years old... they were always just so cool and I got the bug that I needed to build one. So it essentially became my dream to do that one day. Obviously it's not something I could afford right out of highschool, especially since I went to college right away, so that was put off. So that brings us to the point where I bought my 2012 Ram 1500 SXT (that many of you have seen). At the time when I bought it that was a huge purchase for me. I had just started a job with my new company so I didn't want to dig in too deep before everything was a little more routine and normal for me. Well since then I've been promoted and gotten a few raises so the Cummins bug was back at me again. I started looking on and off for the right deal to pop up. I wasn't overly serious about making a move but the option was definitely there. Well finally searching Craigslist one day this 3500 fully loaded Laramie Limited popped up and I knew I had to take a look. Well one thing led to another and bam! Now I own it.

For me this is everything I wanted in the truck to start with. It has every option I could think of, the right colour, Laramie Limited, 2012 (no urea junk)... it is essentially the start of my dream truck. So I'm very stoked about it. I figured now was the time to get into a truck like this before I'm overwhelmed with other bills later in life and won't be able to afford this truck. At least now I have the truck and I can slowly mod it as money comes in.

Numbers:(remember, I'm in Canada)
Since I already know a bunch of you are going to ask what numbers I got in the deal I might as well post them now. I ended up negotiating with them on my truck as a trade in to what I consider a decent price considering what it was. I paid $25,500 10 months ago and have put about $10,000 into it since then. With the trade in value and tax savings because of it, it worked out to about $30,500 for my truck which I'm fairly happy with. Considering the depreciation of the truck I got a fair bit back for my mods.

Now for the new truck. The window sticker on it was $76,000. They had it listed for $70,000 on the lot and I got them down to a final price of $60,000. Again, I'm fairly happy with that deal as well considering everything the truck has.

Sponsorship:
This truck and myself are now sponsored by Bully's Performance. The majority of the parts (everything possible) that I want to put on this truck will be supplied by Bully's. I can't say enough about both Andrew and Jeremiah. They are incredible guys to work with and provide exceptional customer service. If anyone needs anything for their truck (even if it's not listed on their website) give either Andrew or Jeremiah a shout at sales@bullysperformance.com. They will help you find what you're looking for and give you the best pricing possible. Very stoked to have these guys supporting me on this build!

24hr Review:
Well so far I've had this truck for about 18 hours and it has been amazing! HUGE step up from my base trim 1500. The ride is incredible, a lot smoother than I expected for a 3500. The interior is immaculate and so well done. The features that it have literally blow my mind. Last night my dad and I just sat in the truck for an hour or so messing around with things and finding out what they all do both amazed at some of the features. The Cummins is amazing, more power and torque than I know what to do with at the moment. But I have huge plans for it, so things will come.... Overall I am 100% satisfied with the purchase of this truck.

Mod Plans:
I definitely have tons planned for this truck in my head already. Overall this will be a much slower build than my 1500 just because of the cost of things and warranty issues. But here are some of my short term and long term mod plans.

Short Term:
Remove mud flaps - complete
AntennaX 7" billet antenna - completed
Remove running boards - within a few days
Remove intake baffle - within a few days
LED license plate, reverse, and cargo lights - within a few days
Bakflip G2 Tonneau Cover - will be ordered right away
Rough Country Leveling Kit - within a few months
Boost and Pyro Gauges in A-pillar mount - within a few months
S&B intake - within a few months

Long Term: (at the moment)
8" or 10" lift, not sure what brand yet
22x11 Fuel Krank wheels
40x15.5 Toyo MT's
H&S Performance Tuner
EGR delete
DPF delete
4" MBRP turbo back exhaust

Obviously I will think of other mods as time goes on... there will be lots. Everything will be updated in this thread.

Pictures:
And finally the part everyone wants to see.... At the moment I only have a few iPhone pictures, but once I have some time I'll get some with my T3i








And a picture of me with my old 1500 SXT and my new 3500 Laramie Limited. The 1500 is quite a bit closer to the camera, that's why it looks so much bigger.... But for a brief period of time I owned both these trucks. Very happy to be driving away in the Cummins though ;)
 
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#75 ·
Ya for sure. A 1500 hemi will pull a lot. It's really the coil suspension that limits it the most. I only had a 4.7 before this one so it was limited to about 6600 lbs of towing. It pulled our flat deck car trailer with my dad's racecar on it fine but it wasn't going to do much more than that. Now the Cummins pulls that no problem, you barely even know there's a trailer back there. Down the road (once the truck is paid off) I'll probably look into getting a decent sized travel trailer and in the mean time I have uncles with some big enclosed trailers (36') so I'll probably end up towing one of them at some point to put this Cummins to work.

My 1500 was also a base model (SXT) so jumping up to a fully loaded Limited is awesome as well. All the options and comforts that I'll ever need.
 
#76 ·
i bet its a nice step, hell the jump from 12 to 13 even same model is a nice step up haha... almost had one.

definitely rep points.. and heres some motivation for you...

 
#79 ·
same here, i had the other saved on my computer and threw it in since same color of his and all.
 
#78 ·
Haha, ya trust me, I've found lots of motivation for this build. Unfortunately my wallet can't keep up with my ideas :LOL:

For now I'm probably just going to level it and put 35's on the stock wheels. Then maybe start gathering some of the stuff I'll need for deletes and performance mods, install that stuff in a year or so. From there I'll start gathering all the parts I want to lift it. My plan at the moment is a Pure Performance 8" lift with 22x11 BMF Novakanes and 37x13.5 Toyo MT's. But who knows, that can always change. I've also been thinking about colour matching the mirrors and headlights and doing an aftermarket grille colour matched because it would just look bad ass. Plus there's tons of other little mods that will happen as time goes on. I already have a huge list saved with links to parts.... it's just gonna take some cash.

Here are the Novakanes that are at the top of my list right now.

 
#80 ·
"Haha, ya trust me, I've found lots of motivation for this build. Unfortunately my wallet can't keep up with my ideas :LOL:"

i think that goes for about 90% of the members here.
 
#81 ·
Very nice, i really like the Moto Metal MO962 20x10 -24s in black obviously
 
#82 ·
Those are also nice... a little to plain for my liking though, but they might need to be added to my list. I still have a ton of time to decide before I will be ordering wheels. Guaranteed my mind will change by then. But until then I plan on making a list of all the ones that catch my eye and then sitting down before I'm ready to order to narrow it down to my favorite. It helps a lot to actually see the wheels on a truck too. The BMF's made it to the top of my list when I saw them on a mineral grey 2500 on youtube. The combo looked sick!!
 
#84 ·
Yes definitely. I make sure I have the cash in my bank to cover any mod I do buy online with my credit card. A truck mod is not worth getting into credit trouble. That will haunt you for the rest of your life....

I'm working on it man! I've been talking back and forth with Bully's for a couple weeks now on the next set of mods. Unfortunately their 2500/3500 catalogue is fairly limited at the moment so I'm trying to get them to add a couple more vendors to their list.

The next things to be happening will be:

1) A leveling kit. Right now my plan is for TGC 2.5" progressive rate coils, Bilstein 5100 shocks and a BD Diesel Adjustable Track bar.
2) Intake. S&B with a dry filter, no scoop for now.

Then a couple months down the road I'd like to put 35's on it and ISSPRO EV2 boost and pyro gauges.
 
#85 ·
Well I was getting to the point where I needed to fill my mod addiction. So yesterday I went to a local custom truck shop and picked up a DeeZee tailgate assist. Nothing big, but at least it gave me something to do and it will be convenient to have.

Install was simple, took about 10 minutes tops. Just follow the instructions and you won't have a problem.

Here's a couple pictures I snapped with my phone quick:




And a link to a quick video I took of it (click the picture)




Another update: my truck was in the dealership this morning for a few small warranty issues. I had them put new windshield wipers on it since the other ones were already shot (probably from sitting on the lot for a number of months). There's also LED lights in the door handles and pockets in my truck and the one in the drivers side isn't working so they're ordering up a new one for that. Then the thing that I'm a little more concerned about is the high pitched squeak it makes when I shut it off. To me it sounds like it might be the turbo as it stops spinning but I really can't pin point it. So the truck has to go back in during the week sometime when they have a different tech there to look at that issue. Hopefully it isn't anything big....
 
#86 ·
That loud squeak is considered normal by most Cummins owners. It usually is due to the belt or something.

The cummins engine stops very quick so the accessories don't stop as fast...one of the answers I got.

Do a quick google and you will get a lot of answers. My 2012 did it... The 04 I had with the 5.9 did it and that one had 136k on it.

If you can get it taken care of awesome! I think it will come back though.
 
#87 ·
Okay, that could be. I was wondering if it was something related to the accessories or belts since I haven't had any power loss or CEL's. Maybe I'll have to get someone to shut the truck off while I take a closer look under the good. Thanks for the suggestion Arth!
 
#88 ·
Brandon,

Do you happen to have the part number for the Tailgate Assist? I have one on mine but the tailgate drops about half to a third of the way before the "assist" kicks in and lowers it slowly. I see in your vid the tailgate drops slowly through it's entire range of motion.

Thanks.
 
#89 ·
Yup, the part number is DZ43300. But the box also said that the ending year was 2012. I know there have been a number of people having issues with the DeeZee assist on 2013's. I read somewhere on the forum today that DeeZee is coming out with a revised assist for the 2013's. Maybe the new one would solve that problem for you? :4-dontknow:
 
#90 ·
So I'm pretty much ready to order up my next mod for my truck. But an idea has crossed my mind and I'm looking for your opinions.

Here's what I have planned at the moment:

2.5" TGC progressive rate leveling springs
Bilstein 5100 shocks
BD Diesel Adjustable track bar

Now all that stuff is going to run me about $680. Definitely a little higher than I was planning to spend just to level it but I don't want to skimp out and half ass shit since it will be staying this way for a couple years plus the adjustable track bar (which is half the cost) will be used once I fully lift it as well.

Now this idea popped into my head today.... Rough Country 5" lift. I haven't worked out the pricing through Bully's yet, but online they have one kit listed for $699 and one (step up with adjustable control arms) for $899. So that has almost got me thinking to do a 5" lift for now rather than just leveling.

Pros:
More lift - bigger bang for your buck
Could run 37's right away if I wanted
Looks bad ass!

Cons:
Not as good of quality as the TGC, Bilstein, BD set up
Running stock tires with a 5" lift for a few months is going to look stupid
Still need to buy an adjustable track bar when I lift the truck in the future

So fellow Ram owners, what are your thoughts on this. I'm open to any and all advice/opinions.
 
#91 ·
Buy the lift.... install it when you get the tires... problem solved :)
 
#92 ·
THOSE 5'' RC lifts are sweet my buddy has one on his 2500 and he sits at the same height as i do with 10'' of lift in my half ton... hes running 35s but has tons of room for 37s ... id go with the 5'' lift for the extra couple bucks
 
#95 ·
Down the road I plan to do an 8" lift. Probably in about 2 years or so. Right now I'm thinking either BDS or Pure Performance.

It is a lot to spend but I will be able to sell it afterwards to make some money back. But that's why I was originally thinking just the leveling kit for now. That way I already have the adjustable track bar and I just have to sell the front springs and shocks which would probably be an easier sale than the RCX 5" kit.
 
#96 ·
Down the road I plan to do an 8" lift. Probably in about 2 years or so. Right now I'm thinking either BDS or Pure Performance.

It is a lot to spend but I will be able to sell it afterwards to make some money back. But that's why I was originally thinking just the leveling kit for now. That way I already have the adjustable track bar and I just have to sell the front springs and shocks which would probably be an easier sale than the RCX 5" kit.
you will get 1/2 at BEST back and there is also the possibility that the lift will require modifications to the truck that you will have to spend MORE money on to reverse later.
so you spent how much on the truck and want to go cheap on the lift? wait until you have the money for the GOOD kit that you WANT! anything prior to that is wasted money! you do know 35's will fit these trucks stock, right?
 
#99 ·
Haha, I'd love to. But unfortunately it's not just the lift.... Wheels and tires are another huge expense. That financing is only available to US residents also I believe so I'm kind of SOL on that one. Plus I wouldn't want to be in that much debt for mods :LOL: The truck payment is enough.

I've been doing a little more research this morning and now I'm beginning to think I should be buying myself an H&S MiniMaxx Race Tuner while they're still available. The prices have already skyrocketed and I don't want to be caught without one in a year or so.... I might have to put my money towards one of those right now and have it sit on the shelf until I'm ready to delete.
 
#100 ·
Haha, I'd love to. But unfortunately it's not just the lift.... Wheels and tires are another huge expense. That financing is only available to US residents also I believe so I'm kind of SOL on that one. Plus I wouldn't want to be in that much debt for mods :LOL: The truck payment is enough.

I've been doing a little more research this morning and now I'm beginning to think I should be buying myself an H&S MiniMaxx Race Tuner while they're still available. The prices have already skyrocketed and I don't want to be caught without one in a year or so.... I might have to put my money towards one of those right now and have it sit on the shelf until I'm ready to delete.
there are 3 choices, Used Smarty, Used H&S (WAY too expensive IMHO!) and a New RaceME. I currently have the Smarty on mine but if I had to buy one now it would be the RaceME!
 
#101 ·
I can still find brand new H&S MiniMaxx Race Tuners around.... but they're $1600. :SHOCKED: :doh: I like the functions and gauge readouts of the MiniMaxx more than any other tuner out there, it's just capable of so much more. But yes, if just deleting was my only concern then the RaceME would be my choice.
 
#102 ·
I have a line right now on a MiniMaxx Race Tuner, Flo-Pro downpipe and DPF delete pipe, and a Sinister EGR delete kit for $1800. I figure that's not a bad deal for all 3 of those seeing as the tuner itself is $1600 anywhere you look online. I'm just trying to get the guy to include the shipping in the $1800 and then I'll probably buy the set up.
 
#104 ·
Haha, ya it will be pretty sick to have it fully deleted and tuned. The other option I'm looking at is getting a MiniMaxx with 4 custom tunes from Draconian Diesel. He hasn't gotten back to me yet though plus it would cost me more to go that route.

I probably won't be installing the tuner and delete stuff right away though. I have a few things to work out with my dealer and the truck before I want to give them any reason to deny me warranty work. I'd like to get a few more miles on the engine to make sure there's nothing wrong with it before I go ahead with the deletes. We'll see though, it's going to be hard having that stuff sitting on a shelf when it would be so much fun and cooler to have it on. :LOL:
 
#105 ·
I agree. For me it would be impossible to wait. I drove a 5.9 Cummins recently that had a tuner/turbo back exhaust with a banks boost tube and let you tell you... that truck was fantastic.

The exhaust just sang to you and with the K&N intake the turbo sounded awesome. That is why I couldn't wait. Once you remove the emissions crap the new 6.7 turns into the old 5.9.
 
#106 ·
Exactly. I've been watching tons of videos on youtube of deleted 6.7's and it just gets me stoked to do it. Especially Salt N Vinegars (if you've seen his video he posted on the forum). That video was one of the things that pushed me even harder to buy my truck.

Once I get these few issues resolved with my dealer I'll probably end up deleting it. I already did a few calculations and figured I'll probably save around $1000 a year in fuel by deleting. So within 2 years it's going to pay for itself. Plus like you said it's just way cooler and nicer to drive and easier on the engine.
 
#109 ·
Whenever I see Salt N Vinegars video I go online and look up prices for used 2010+ Cummins and imagine how I could work it out... I wanna Roll Coal:sad:.. I love the Hemi. but a Cummins is so much better.. I love driving my work trucks... And once you get all the deletes and tunes on.. You better post some vids of your truck just roaring to push me even more :LOL:
 
#110 ·
Thanks Ryan! Haven't seen you around here for a while. Out having too much fun in that mustang eh ;)

mine has been "missing" some stuff since 3300 mi. the only parts that haven't "fallen off" yet is the EGR but that is at least inactive.
the 6.7 once deleted is NOTHING like a 5.9 sound or any other way!
Soundwise the only thing that my 6.7 has over a 5.9 is INSANE turbo whistle! I tried it first straight piped and it sounded good until I went WOT or went over 2000 rpms, then it just screamed like a banshee! it did not sound at all good! I HAD to put a muffler on it! that is if you can really call a 5050XL Aeroturbine a "muffler". The Aeroturbine mellowed it out very nicely!
powerwise the 6.7 responds NICELY to a tune! I need to get on a dyno to verify but I would guess I am sitting @ 400 hp/1000ft/lbs tq at the wheels and I am only running a midrange tune! the only thing holding me back from running a higher level is the trans!
prior to the removal, I was getting 12-13 mpg and now I am getting 15-16. so it was worth it to me!
I've watched a lot of videos on YouTube and so far actually like the sound of a 4" straight pipe. I'm not a fan of the 5" straight pipe sound though. But I can see myself putting a small muffler on it down the road too just to quiet it down a bit.

Ya I'd believe that. It's not too hard to hit 400HP/1000ft-lbs in a Cummins. Are you just deleted and tuned or have you done some other engine mods as well? Have you done the head studs?

I'm getting about 15-16 mpg right now (lots of highway driving) so I'm hoping to jump up to around 20 once deleted. From what I've read on Cumminsforum that shouldn't be a problem. But I won't really know until I do it.

Do you have any sound clips of your truck?

Whenever I see Salt N Vinegars video I go online and look up prices for used 2010+ Cummins and imagine how I could work it out... I wanna Roll Coal:sad:.. I love the Hemi. but a Cummins is so much better.. I love driving my work trucks... And once you get all the deletes and tunes on.. You better post some vids of your truck just roaring to push me even more :LOL:
Haha ya. I've probably watched that video about 50 times now, no joke. It just gets me so stoked to do the deletes and tune my truck. WAY too cool!

I definitely will be posted a video once I get it tuned a deleted. I bet you'll be in a Cummins 2 weeks after it ;) haha.
 
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