What do you do when your stock Sno-Cat is just too slow? Well, if you're creative enough and mechanically talented, you can put together a solution like this Dodge Ram 2500 Sno-Cat conversion - opens in new window or tab.. It would certainly make you the envy of everyone on the mountain.
At first glance, it might be tempting to dismiss this vehicle—built by Jim Andersen and the crew at Sparks Motors - opens in new window or tab. in Woods Cross, Utah—as one of the many trucks that added tracks to their wheel hubs using a basic conversion kit. That couldn’t be farther from the truth: the 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 HD body was mated with a Sno-Cat chassis. It’s a practical and ingenious solution to the problem facing anyone who regularly deals with deep snow.
The pickup's full utility is maintained post-conversion, and an air suspension system can lower the truck for easier loading.
The Sno-Cat that gave its life for this particular project was a 442 chassis featuring wide powder tracks. The Ram maintains its original drivetrain—a 5.9-liter Cummins turbodiesel six-cylinder matched with a built-up four-speed 47RE automatic transmission, but with a number of upgrades designed to give it substantially more power than it had in stock configuration. These include an MBRP exhaust system, an Edge CTS2 engine programmer, a Sinister filtration system, and an SMB intake, which together give the Ram more than 600 horsepower.
With so much grunt under the hood, it’s no surprise that the Ram-Cat can hit and sustain 25 miles per hour on the snow—more than double what the original Sno-Cat could accomplish on its best day, according to Anderson. Other goodies that come with the truck include LED lighting, an air suspension system that can raise and lower the truck for easier loading, a headache rack, and a custom hydraulic steering system. Finally, there’s a set of Brat-like bucket seats bolted to the floor of the bed for a more adventurous passenger experience while tooling up the mountain. Out on the snow pack, the Ram drives just like a pickup truck, although the steering is a tad slower than what you would be used to with rubber tires.
Feeling lucky? Try out these buckets bolted to the truck bed.
In the words of Jim Andersen, when faced with a Sno-Cat that’s slow and underpowered, and “not awesome,” it’s time to “beef things up a bit.” This Dodge Ram Sno-Cat conversion—which also happens to be registered and completely street legal—is about as outrageously cool as its gets if your daily commute include an alpine pass.
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This article is meant to provide general guidance only. Automotive maintenance, repair, upgrade, and installation may depend on vehicle-specifics such as make and model. Always consult your owner's manual, repair guide for specific information for your particular vehicle and consider a licensed auto-care professional's help as well, particularly for advance repairs.