“A
lot of people were surprised by our choice of a 17-inch wheel when the market
says 20-inch wheels are the norm. We haven’t ruled out a 20-inch wheel, but for
most off-road use the 17-inch works the best when combined with an aggressive
off-road tire. The sidewall flex is key,” says Harriton.
We wholeheartedly agree. A 17-inch tire is easier to purchase should a tire
failure occur, too. The tires are luggy 40-inch-tall,
13.5-inch-wide BF Goodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM2s and they’re mounted on
10-inch-wide AEV Katla heavy-duty cast aluminum
wheels.”
We wanted to do with the ram what we
do with the wrangler, meaning a complete package where everything works
together and creates a very well engineered, well
thought-out, usable package.
One
of the first things you notice about the Ram is its stance. AEV’s Harriton says, “Using low lift heights and large tires has
always been a recipe for success. The Ram definitely needs a larger footprint
off-road, but we were super critical to not change what the Ram does best.” To
accomplish this feat, AEV enlarged the Ram’s wheel wells, and added durable
5-inch wide plastic AEV flares which allowed for fitment of 40-inch tires with
only three inches of suspension lift. The result is a muscular, brawny look
without sacrificing the trucks off-road, on-road, or work characteristics.
Further adding to the truck’s all-business demeanor is the no-nonsense lack of
exterior chrome, including the grille, which is painted Ram dark gray.
This
’14 Ram 2500 heavy duty, modified by American Expedition Vehicles (AEV), was
one of the most talked about 4x4s at the massive 2013 Specialty Equipment
Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. That’s quite an
achievement. In the sea of look-at-me glitzy 4x4s, the Ram was comparatively
nondescript, yet it still stopped people in their tracks.
What
made people stop and take notice is no-nonsense styling and a number of
real-world, yet creative modifications. A multifunctional front bumper,
electric winch, differential lockers, rugged and stylish seating, aggressive
40-inch tires, limited suspension lift, fender flares to keep the crud at bay,
and a set of hand-some wheels with a conservative
diameter.
In
case you’re not familiar with AEV, the company became well known in the late
’90s for stretching the wheelbase of the Jeep Wrangler TJ, which gave many Jeep
owners what they wanted but couldn’t get from the factory. Over the next few
years, the company diversified into a variety of areas including aftermarket
Jeep accessories, Jeep Wrangler Hemi V-8 engine swaps, the Brute Wrangler-based
pickup, and the incredible Brute Double Cab pickup, which we featured in the
July ’12 issue of Four Wheeler.
Now
you’re probably wondering what this company, historically catering to Jeeps, is
doing building a Ram. Well, that question is answered by Dave Harriton, AEV’s founder and president. He says, “We wanted
to do with the Ram what we do with the Wrangler, meaning a complete package
where everything works together and creates a very well engineered,
well thought-out, usable package.”
Judging
by the amount of attention the Ram received at SEMA, it seems as if what AEV
created is a hit. Looks like it’s game on for AEV in
the full size truck market.
AEV 2014 Ram 2500
1.
Under the hood is a bone-stock 6.7L Cummins I-6 turbo
diesel engine. It generates 370hp at 2,800 rpm and 800 lb-ft of torque at a
lowly 1,600 rpm- more than enough power for most every type of driving. The
engine is mated to a 68RFE six-speed automatic transmission. Power is split to
the axles via an electric-shift BorgWarner 44-46 two-speed transfer case that
has a low-range ratio of 2.64:1.
2.
The Dual Sport 3-inch suspension was one of the many things AEV put a lot of
thought into. Harriton says, “Given that there are
approximately 37 different front springs for just the 2500 and 3500, we
couldn’t make any sort of business case to put that kind of development and
engineering into tuning all those variations, let alone being able to stock
that many parts.
The large available chrome grille
features a honeycomb design for a rich, high-end aesthetic finish.
