Dodge Ram SRT-10

hytorksc

Registered User
Today i got a chance to see some of what an SRT-10 could do. This is the truck with the 500 horse viper v10. He was coming up on me, i was cruising at 80. So i got out of the way and let him pass immediately recognizing what that truck was. So i got behind him cruising between 90 and 95mph. then there was this fairly long hill to climb. he went WOT (i think he downshifted the truck into 4th gear or it might have been 5th- are they 6spds?)- i heard the distinctively loud howling grunt of the v10 hustling up the hill. i then decided to help push him up the hill :D we both got up to about 110mph before we had to quit, but to my surprise he was not pulling on me. the truck was wide open, and i was just 2 car lengths behind him in 4th gear and actually slowly pulling up directly behind him going up hill. i couldn't believe my SC would do that. i think it was more like he didn't know how to drive it, because there's no way that a mild modded SC should do this. this is a 500+ ft lb viper truck that i was pulling on- maybe i imagined the whole thing, but that engine sounded like it was WOT or very close to this to me. Had he dropped it in 3rd, i don't think he had enough rpm to support 110mph and pull harder. Plus the truck is a few hundred pounds heavier than the SC. That's my take on it.
 
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I've seen 3 of these SRT-10 trucks run at the strip. Two of them ran mid 15's and the 3rd had a 13.85 dial in written on it's back window. I think they're over rated. They have tremendous potential but stock they seem to be lacking. Last year I saw a race between an SRT-4 Neon and an SRT-10 and the Neon ran off and left him.
 
thanks Mike for verifying this. Now it makes sense. i think my car can pull a 14.5 or something like that- so the truck is pretty much evenly matched.
 
I could see that..........let's not forget...........those trucks are like 5200 pounds...........and their pushing a lot of wind. Don't get me wrong, I'm not taking anything away from your car.........hell, mine probably won't even turn a 15.

But most of those Ram SRT 10 down here..........stock are turning a low 14 and the ones that have more experience driving.........their getting high 13's on their street tires.

But I could easily see you hanging with him. Too bad you never got the chance to go from a light. That would have been the fun race.
 
Yeah, from a light in spite of his weight and air drag, his 420rwhp compared to my 215rwhp or so would have crushed me on the top end though. Maybe what leveled the playing field was that we were gettin on it up a fairly steep long hill. Maybe i was drafting him as in NASCAR :D
 
wow, that just doesn't sound right, i work at a dodge dealership, and ive driven one twice and i rode with a crazy speed demon for the inspection test drive, it was raining out, he got it up to 125...dropped it into 4rth, dumped the clutch and hammerd down, the whole friggin truck went sideways!!! it was rediculous! i was very impressed with the power that truck has, 1st and 2nd gear u better hold on to something when u hammer down, she pulls really hard!!
 
Yea.......I've had those rides.......even driven a buddy's.........but if you ask me..........they're like the mustangs...........you're not moving as fast as it feels. Where as my 2002 SS Camaro..........I was turning 12's.........and my cousin's 14 second mustang felt faster........it's weird.

But think about it.........it doesn't take much to snatch the tires loose and throw it sideways with you have 500 tq and no weight on the back wheels. Not taking anything away from them......don't get me wrong......I know they're respectable........I'm just saying........I could see how he could hang. Especially going uphill.......behind the guy.

I was racing a Viper one time in my 02 SS Camaro........he had all kinds of mods.......and I was only running high 12's. We were on the freeway........when I tucked in behind him I could run my bumper into his........but as soon as I pulled out to go around him.......the wind would shut me down.

That's all I mean. There's not too many people that can run the vipers and SRT 10 trucks from a stop..........why?........because with all the tq they're prone to breaking the tires loose and going up in smoke........

Too many people think that becasue you can smoke the tire through three gears........that means your fast..........and it's just not the case usually.
 
cars that are capable of smoking tires can be deceiving. imo, a heavier car will always spin the tires before a lighter car would with the same power- and people would perceive the heavier car to have more power when it really doesn't. All someone would need to fake it is a v8 car with just 2 mods- a loud enough exhaust, and short gearing- it would spin the tires like crazy and sound like 1000 hp (there's alot of posers out there). And usually if a fast car is able to spin the tires on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, it's because it has shorter rear gears to support this (as in 3.73's- 4.10's- etc...) aside from having stupid high hp. Almost any car will spin tires if the gearing is short enough. i agree that the mustang has an impressive "butt dyno" factor. That car's power is exploited on the bottom end, just like the SC, and the camaro/firebird is just the opposite- power is exploited on the top end. for low ET's i guess it's important to have more top end power than bottom end, which would explain why your camaro runs 12's but does not "feel" as fast as the 14 sec mustang.
 
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Huh? these trucksa hit very low 13s and a rare high 12 with a decent driver. you sure the 15 second trucks were Rumble Bees or Daytonas with the Hemi? these trucks are good for low 15s/high 14s!!!!! Hell, the quad cab SRT-10s with the auto are hitting 13.6!!!!
 
In real life the srt10 is about two tenths quicker then the average stock lightning when the srt10 is driven properly in 6 speed form.

give the truck to someone who cant drive..Easily 14-15 sec
 
Actually with a good driver an SRT-10 is WAY more than 2/10s quicker than your better than average driver, I mean., let's get real here, at the local track I have NEVER seen a stock lightning of any year run better than a 14.2. Yes, i have heard of them running 13.5, BUT I have heard of stock SRT-10s running stock 12.7s that is a HUGE difference. The high 1`2s I KNOW of ironically, were by people that also have owned Vipers for sometime. I am not knocking Lightnings, looking at buying one VERY soon, but they are not as close as most Ford guys like to believe. In reality, the Lighnings are, on average, even .4 seconds behind a QUAD CAB SRT-10, everyone of those I have hear of is running right at 13.4-13.6. Maybe that is the SRT-10 that is within. .2 of a Lightning (considering a REAL WORLD average of 13.8-14.0 for a Lightning)? At OVER 1000 pounds heavier!!!!! Anyways, for all out speed, if I wanted a truck, it wouldn't be the Lightning OR the SRT-10. BOTH are too big band too heavy. looking at the Lightning boards you can get to the 12s, sort of easily, though not much as they claim...... After that though, you have to start doing major mods like KB or Apten blowers, better bottom ends, bigger intercoolers, etc, etc to any quicker. You still have a LOT of potential in the Viper trucks. they are still NA, they are still relatively untapped from the factory, but even the regular cabs are 500+ pounds heavier than a Lightning. There are no issues with launching plugs or weak bottom-ends in the Viper trucks either. BOTH truck have weak issues in the tranny Dept (well, not sure about the auto in the SRT-10 quad cab, have not heard about any issues woith it yet).
 
hytorksc said:
cars that are capable of smoking tires can be deceiving.
Agreed. My friend often smokes the tires on his Jeep Cherokee, so I figured it must be reasonably snappy, but when I actually ride in it, it's usually a case of "floor it!" "I am!" "That's it?"

In the case of following the SRT-10, I'm guessing that he was punching a huge hole in the air, which gave you a real edge. Remember, you're in a car that was the epitome of aerodynamics on the NASCAR circuit, and he was in a rolling brick wall. ;) I'm not sure if the hill helped you at all, but it certainly didn't hurt.
 
I've seen an SRT-10 do 15s at the track. He was getting beat by a modded 13.2 lightning. The funny thing was the dodge guy sold his lightning to buy the SRT-10. Granted, I know the dodge was capable of better times with the right driver. Personally, I'll take the blower whine and the looks of the lightning over the Dodge any day.
 
Did he miss 2 gears or what?????? Honestly, the reason i would not purchase the SRT-10 is because it does onl;y come with the 6 speed. Put he auto from the quad cab in the SRT-10 RC and you wouldn't see worse the low 13 and a lot of 12s. Get someone who can drive a stick into that truck and a low 13 would be no issue. Probably was used to the point and go of th auto lightning. just an example, there was an SRT-4 at the track other night, first run was a 15.x, 3 runs later after some practice he wa running 14.3s. More practice, he'd probably have 13s no prob. If I was to get a truck, i'd get a DAkota R/T. My brothers is putting over 300 HP to the wheels on motor and is still runnng stock heads! Combine that with a lighter 4200 pound curb weight and any stock Lightning is eating dust and most lightly modded ones. If he comes across something more, there is a nice NX kit there (425 to the wheels on a 150 shot, needs tuned!) Anyways, I was looking or a Lightning, but the more I research the more the problems they have scares me M(oh the formentioned R/T has been basically trouble free and is running the stock tranny with 105k miles, and it still shifts well! I may end up with a Marauder and do blt-ons/juice. Would love to put an 03 Cobra motor is a 96/97 bird :)

l8r
 
As a pickup it's useless. It's specific design is for fun. I'd really like to see somebody tow a boat with it. Like the lightning, it will void the warranty doing heavy hauling. The truck will have impressive ET's but since it's as Aero as a house isn't going to have the speed on top as you would expect.
It's a P....eanut extention. Thats it. Get something with solid framerails and go buy the power boat like you wanted with the money you'de save.
And yes, a car will pull the truck at top end due to the factory governer and drag coefficient.
I'd like a black one though.
 
OK, you don't know much about these trucks. it is just a Ram, same frame. There is a guy the Lghtning board that used to have an L and bought an SRT-10. He tows his Syclone to the track with it!!!!! Second, the trucks have NO electronic governer and top out higher than your SC or Mustang would have stock for stock. It is damned quick, tops out over 150, more than has the HP to more than overcome the aero challenge to beat a stock or lightly midded SC even at a highway run (by a large margin too). Oh, the QC Srt-10 IS RATED BY THE FACTORY to tow 6500 pounds, hauls 4 or 5 people comfortably, and runs mid 13s all day.. The biggest issue for the RC SRT-10 is the 6 speed tranny. If I am not mistaken, the frame is the same frame as any 1500 Ram, so that is not a hinderance, the motor ddefinatly has the grunt. Anyways, do soe research on the truck before you try to down it......
 
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I think the srt10 has the power to outrun my SC badly, on flat ground, but you do have to factor in the other elements. I figure i was able to pull on him only because we were going up a fairly steep hill approaching 110 mph, and i was drafting him. he probably had it in 4th gear and was boggin- it's as simple as that. had we got on it on flat ground, he would have pulled me badly- i mean 500hp is 500hp, there is NO way to deny that.
 
i was at the track 2 weeks ago and saw a rc srt10 spin badly off the line, miss 3rd, and still pull off a 13.9 so they are definetly capable 0f 12s. the best i saw a lightning do was 13.6, and there were 4-5 of them. i just bought an 04 rc hemi 4X2 with the 3.92 trak-lok, and i have to say it would easily beat my sc

DTO
look here and u'll see that most o the hemis pull low 15's and theres even a few 14's. and thats 345hp, not 500hp.dont try to say that a stock sc could keep up with one when in all the time i've been on these boards the best i've ever seen a stock sc do was like a 14.8, and that was the only one i've seen break into the 14's. and since they top out at just over 150, once theyre ahead they're gone. as was mentioned before the one the that prevents srt10s from their true potential is the 6 speed, its got too much torque, too tall a gear, and a really short 1st.
not knocking ur story, infact i feel thar sc's pull real good from around 60-110. but those trucks are beasts
 
If they would put the 48RE from the audcab in the regular cab, you'd see 12 second runs all day long, with the stick it is just going to take a LOT of practice!.
 
smoSC,

My SC isn't quite stock. I have a few bolt ons which i believe puts mine in the high to mid 14's. But you must realize that just because a car has 500hp absolutely does not mean that it will out accellerate a less powerful car in all situations. Gearing, drag, parasitic losses, and driver error plays a big factor in the outcome.

Also understand that even though the SC is rated at 210-230hp, that's measured at only 4,400 rpms. Below this rpm, it means that the SC has more power (torque) than you think (most people miss this for some reason). Torque is the force that determines how fast a car really is. If you lookup the math formula for hp/torque, you will discover that torque will always be higher than any hp ratings below 5,252 rpms. So, if the viper truck is at 110mph in 4th going up a big hill, he has the aerodynamics of a brick wall, he's pulling about 5,000 lbs of truck (1,100 more pounds than an SC), and he's using all available torque at the engine at about 3,000 rpms which probably slightly exceeds what an SC engine would put out, but not by much (at 3,000- remember he's n/a, not blown)- with his 4th gear ratio he's probably not putting down a whole lot of torque to the wheels at that point either. The truck was taking it's sweet time just bogging up that hill. That's how i figured i was able to pull on him- plus it helped that he was punching a big hole in the air allowing me to draft up to him.

As i said before, had we did this on flat ground, the playing field would have been more equal, and he would have ripped me big time.
 
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