sct5024

I have 125000 miles and I needed a reason to spend about an hour cursing and screaming, so what the heck. What alarmed me the most (cuz I don't remember reading it in the manual) was sqeezing that flippin belt behind the tensioner, what with the abundance of room in there. All is well, I didn't kick the dog, and upon inspecting the old belt I probably didn't need to do this yet, I could have saved it for snowy 20 degree day instead.

ChrisJohnson

Well that's good to know! I might take a look at mine in the morning, and maybe even order a spare, just to carry around, but at least now I know I will be able to practice my "sailor" vocabulary! And I'm sure the wife will "recommend" that I read the manual! I better keep the kids in the house!

nick05

i hear you. at least yours didn't shread on the freeway like me. had to limp it to an off ramp & peel all the belt ribs off the fan clutch. lucky i had a belt & tensioner tool.
mine went & just over 100k, i think it walked off the front.

sct5024

As a one person job I did this from underneath and the last pulley for me was the ac. I don't think I could have done the water pump last. Then I might have kicked the dog.

BigIron70

I do it for a living changed 100's of belts and I still EDIT every time I have to change one. Can't get my time down under 10 minutes yet

wellmax

mine started pealing apart at 42K.

was easy to change, i just bought the gates belt at parts store and took it to my mech.

do not know how long it took him, i was in the front of the station talking to the other boys at the station.

"no problem" doing it that way, if i had to change it out, i would still be working on the belt change.

rockcrawler304

I did mine at about 75k miles and keep the old one as a spare in the truck. I also loosened the mounting bolt for the tensioner to make it easier to get the new belt behind it. Took me about 45 minutes but I bet I could do it in about 20 now. I was definitely saying a few choice words!!

bobem12

Haha yeah I replaced mine at 75,000 when my water pump went out and the belt was drug under the truck on the highway for 3 miles...kept it for a spare still looked good!! I think swearing is probably part of the process outlined in the factory service manual...it has to be

06RAM2500

You guys need to install a Fluidampr. Makes the job much, much, slower as you have to remove the fan and shroud to remove the dampr.

Sur5er

Don't forget that the 20F day will really be a -20F night on the shoulder of a deserted stretch of slushy interstate that hasn't been plowed, the wind will try to rip the rented tux from your body, the sleet will freeze in the vertical smile below your belt line, oh and to make things interesting, it's 2AM on the first night of a new moon and you can see the line of wingplow trucks closing in on you from your position under the truck!

gcssr

Right now I would welcome the snow plows, about 75+days of 100 + weather. bring it ON;;;;;;;

Grit Dog

I looked at mine and gave up! Figured I'd figure it out if it blew up...haha, not really, but it isn't even cracking the ribs yet, so I'll wait fora day when I have more time and patience!

Purplezr2

Are 3rd Gens alot harder then 2nd Gens, I just had to do my belt, and it took me about 5 minutes.

papaduck

I bought a belt as I wanted a spare. Decided to change the belt and found I had been given the wrong belt. Glad I had decided to make the change. Would have been bad to find that I had the wrong belt in the middle of nowhere. Kept the old belt as the spare.

06RAM2500

I make myself remove the fan and shroud. Not only does it give me a lot more room, I can get a really good feel on the fan hub. Kinda one item you don't want to fail (it's ugly when it does).