The Dodge Ram was introduced to the Dodge line of trucks in 1981. The 1997 Dodge Ram 1500 came equipped with a 3.9-liter V-6, producing 175-horsepower and 225 foot-pounds of torque. The 1997 Ram 1500 was available in two- and four-wheel-drive versions. Bleeding the brakes is usually done after replacing parts such as brake lines, wheel cylinders or brake calipers. A front- or rear-end bleed is also known as a "single end" bleed. Bleeding of the entire brake system is done in an X-shaped pattern and is commonly called "cross-bleeding."
Loosen the lug nuts on one end of the truck. Raise that end of the truck with a jack. Place jack stands beneath the frame rails if you lifted the front of the truck, or underneath the axle housing if you lifted the rear. Remove the lug nuts from the truck, then remove either the front or rear tires.
Spray rust-penetrating spray onto the bleeder screws. If you are working on the front of the truck, the bleeders are on the upper inward-facing side of the caliper. If you raised the rear of the truck, the bleeders are located on the inside of the brake backing plates and face toward the center of the truck. Do not spray any of the moving brake components such as the shoes, drums, discs or pads. Allow the penetrant to soak in for about 5 minutes before proceeding.
Open the hood of the truck, and check the brake fluid level in the reservoir. Fill the brake fluid to the "Full" mark on the side of the semi-transparent reservoir. Ask your assistant to enter the driver's side of the vehicle.
Open the bleeder screw on one side of the truck by turning it counterclockwise with a line wrench or open-end wrench. Ask your assistant to push the brake pedal slowly to the floor and hold it there. Tighten the bleeder screw. Ask your assistant to release the brake pedal and assist it in coming up to its resting position if necessary. Repeat this step two or three times on both sides of the truck to replenish the air in the lines with brake fluid. Check the brake fluid level every time you switch sides of the truck.
Ask your assistant to pump the brake pedal and hold the pedal down. Open the bleeder screw and tell your assistant to push the pedal to the floor. Repeat this step two to three times on both sides of the truck. Check the fluid level in the reservoir after completing both sides. If you have completely bled both sides of the front or rear of the truck, and you still don't have a solid brake pedal, then proceed to the "Full System Brake Bleeding" instructions in the next section.
Loosen the front wheel lug nuts with a tire iron. Raise the front end with a jack, and place jack stands beneath the front frame rails. Remove the lug nuts then remove the wheels from the front of the truck. Raise the rear of the truck with a jack, and place jack stands beneath both ends of the axle housing. It is not required that you pull the rear wheels off to access the rear bleeder screws. Spray penetratring lube on all four bleeder screws, making sure you do not spray any of the moving brake parts.
Open the hood of the Ram and fill the brake reservoir to the "Full" mark, on the side of the semi-transparent part. Open the passenger rear bleeder by turning it counterclockwise, with a line wrench or an open-end wrench. Ask your assistant to push the brake pedal to the floor of the truck and hold it. Tighten the brake bleeder snug with the wrench.
Repeat the processes in step two on the driver's front caliper next, followed by the driver's rear, then the passenger front caliper. Check the brake fluid level after each bleeding point on the truck. Fill the fluid level to the "Full" mark on the reservoir if needed.
Ask your assistant to pump the brake pedal five to 10 times, then hold the pedal down. Open the bleeder screw on the passenger rear of the truck. Ask your assistant to push the pedal to the floor and hold it down. Tighten the bleeder screw. Repeat this step until only brake fluid is emitting from the brake bleeder screws. Proceed to the driver's front, followed by the driver's rear, then the passenger front and repeat this step at each bleed point. Fill the fluid reservoir when you are finished.
Install the front wheels back onto the truck and snug the lug nuts with a tire iron. Raise the truck off of the front and rear jack stands with the floor jack, and remove all of the jack stands from beneath the truck. Set the truck down on the ground and tighten the front lug nuts to 105 foot-pounds of torque. Use a 1/2-inch-drive torque wrench and socket to tighten the lugs.
