Manoli Katakis 
The brand new 2021 Ram 1500 TRX is a beautiful weapon pointed straight at the hearts of North America’s biggest off-road junkies. It represents the most extreme form of the half-ton Ram family offers high-levels of off-road function thanks to a crazy cocktail of top-shelf components and engineering. After you get over the TRX’s chiseled looks, it’s natural to wonder what lay beneath the sculpted skin. Promises of 100-mile-an-hour desert runs should never be taken lightly, and from the frame up, this truck was designed to execute. Let’s take a closer look at the 2021 Ram TRX off-road specs, shall we?
Thicker and optimally shaped high-strength steel is used throughout the bone structure to promote durability and stability, with galvanized sections peppered in for better corrosion protection. In order to reduce the need for welding, sections of the frame are hydroformed with fully boxed side rails. The front rails are hydroformed high-strength steel to better support the tremendous front suspension loads the TRX is capable of producing.
The 2021 Ram TRX off-road specs also consist of an all-new independent front suspension system uses new front upper and lower control arms which are both thicker and longer, with special attention paid to the caster and camber angles created during high-speed suspension cycling. In the back, there’s an actively damped five-link coil system with TRX-exclusive hard mount points which allow the rear axle to travel up to 13 inches, compared to 9-inches for the rest of the Ram 1500 lineup.
Ram says its proven five-link coil configuration provides better articulation over obstacles than a leaf-spring system, and, at 600 millimeters in length, the rear springs are allegedly the largest-ever applied on a non-commercial production vehicle.
As for the dampers, new 2.5-inch Bilstein Black Hawk e2 adaptive performance shocks use Dual Electronic Proportional Valves to continuously adjust damping forces for precise, independent control of compression and rebound damping. The casing is made rigid single-piece aluminum construction with directional-machined cooling fins to reduce and dissipate heat during prolonged high-cycle running. They also feature a nitrogen-charged remote reservoir that uses a hot-formed, zero-leak tube closure.
Each unit is sealed with a pressure-activated Triple Rod seal to fight against contamination and leaks from hard use. All the lines made from high-pressure stainless steel braided hoses, and a high-strength, lightweight rock shield defends the piston rod against incoming debris. In addition to a typical urethane bump stop, the internals of the Bilsteins feature a
Jounce Cut Off which creates progressive bottom-out control during extreme compression.
Handling the TRX’s big torque is a Dana 60 rear axle with full-floating half shafts and rear electronic locking differential. The Dana uses an axle hop damper that helps fight wheel hop on rough surfaces. Driving the front is a new BorgWarner 48-13 full-time active transfer case with improved internals to suit the application and there’s a low range of 2.64:1 for rock crawling.
TRX offers 11.8 inches of total ground clearance which lets it stand a full 2-inches taller than the rest of the 1500 lineup. Other key metrics include an approach angle of 30.2 degrees, breakover angle of 21.9 degrees, a departure angle of 23.5 degrees, and up to 32 inches of water fording capability.
There are five skid plates to protect critical components, one for the front axle, transfer case, transmission pan and fuel tank, along with a separate plate at the bottom of the front fascia acting as a belly pan. Heavy-duty gauge steel rock sliders are an available option.
The truck rides on 9-inch wide Goodyear Wrangler Territory 325/65/R18 All-Terrain tires which can be mounted on optional 18-inch beadlock-ready wheels with accent color-matched rings.
On the software side of the equation, the 2021 Ram TRX uses performance-tuned programming to offer five distinct modes – Auto,Sport, Tow, Snow and Custom. There are three separate off-road modes – Mud/Sand, Rock and Baja.
The Ram TRX is also equipped with a trick Jump Detection algorithm, which uses wheel-speed and ride-height sensors with accelerometers at each corner to identify when the vehicle is airborne and acts to prevent damaging power surges when the ground force suddenly vanishes. It retards engine speed and torque, optimizes gear selection, transfer case torque
split, and changes damping rates through the landing to help landing performance.
Like other high-strung FCA products, Performance Pages can be used to access real-time vehicle performance information, including timers, gforce, gauges, and engine performance. The Ram TRX actually marks the first time Performance Pages is integrated with the Uconnect 4C NAV with 12-inch display.
Additionally, the Off-Road Pages can be accessed to show ride height, transfer case position, the pitch and roll of the vehicle and additional accessory gauges. The app can be accessed through the 7-inch TFT cluster or the Uconnect touch screen.
Lastly, Mopar will offer more than 100 performance parts and accessories for the 2021 Ram TRX, including things like off-road lights, beadlock-capable wheel rings, off-road rock rails, the RamBar, and a bed-mounted spare-tire carrier.
For you number junkies out there, here are the relevant off-road figures. All dimensions listed are in inches, with millimeters given in brackets. Scroll past the photo for more.
2021 RAM TRX OFF-ROAD SPECS
TRANSFER CASE: BW 48-13 FULL-TIME
Available Speeds: Two-speed
Operating Modes: 4WD Auto, 4WD High, Locked; Neutral; 4WD Low, Locked
Torque Split, Front/Rear Variable: 40/60 Auto, 45/55 Snow, 45/55 Tow, 30/70 Sport, 25/75 Baja, 45/55 Mud/Sand and 50/50 Rock (in 4L)
Low-range Ratio 2.64
AXLES
Front: 8.5 (215)
Rear: 10.1 (256) Dana 60 with available open, limited-slip, or electronic locking differential
Available Ratios: 3.55
SUSPENSION
Front: Upper and lower A-arms, coil springs, Bilstein e2 Blackhawk active performance shock
absorber
Rear: Five-link with track bar, coil springs, Bilstein e2 Blackhawk active damping twin-tube
performance shock absorbers, solid axle
EXTERIOR DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase (nominal): 145.1 (3685.5)
Track, Front: 74.5 (1892.3)
Track, Rear: 74.1 (1882.14)
Overall Length: 232.9 (5,916)
Overall Width: 88 (2,235.2)
Overall Height: 80.9 (2054.86)
GROUND CLEARANCE
Front Axle: 9.4 (238.8)
Rear Axle: 8.0 (203.2)
Open Tailgate to Ground: 38.1 (967)
Approach Angle, degrees: 30.2
Departure Angle, degrees: 23.5
Ramp Breakover Angle, degrees: 21.9
Ground Clearance With Skid Plate: 11.8 (299.7)
