We feature quite a few competition trucks here at DieselArmy.com, but we felt that it is important to share the story of trucks that haven’t quite reached that point yet. In today’s feature, we have Mr. Derik Devas’ 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 which he calls Lexi. Lexi may look like your ordinary third-gen Ram, but the truth is, it’s hiding some skeletons in the closet.

Hailing from Gilroy, California, Devas has been into this ’07 Ram for just a little more than four years now and it has definitely come a long way from its humble beginnings. “I purchased this truck in October of 2016 and received it in September of ’16. When I bought it, it was pretty stock,” Devas says. “It just had your basic items like intake, exhaust, over-the-counter tunes, a 3.5-inch leveling kit, and oversize tires.”

Fully intending to make a fun, clean 600-horsepower machine, Devas, like most of us,  got carried away. “I purchased this truck and wanted to reach that 600-horsepower barrier and with this platform, it shouldn’t have been that hard, right?” he quips. He wasn’t wrong. Companies that offer aftermarket support for these trusty 5.9-liter Cummins engines have come a long way since 2007. Building power is not hard to do with the availability of supporting mods like custom tuning and bolt-ons to enable the 5.9 to easily surpass 600 horsepower.

Pop The Hood

Devas is someone who appreciates his Ram truck a little more than the Average Joe. He does his research, finds out who really offers the best options, and goes that route. On the engine side of things, he relies on some healthy parts to reach a goal of what we can only assume is around 800 horsepower. Since the truck hasn’t made it to a chassis dyno yet, and after discussions with some of the industry’s most trusted names, Devas is sure that he’s to his goal power.

How did he get there? It took a team. A set of Dynomite Diesel Products fuel injectors paired with an Exergy Performance 10MM CP3 high-pressure pump and a FASS 150 lift pump for starters. Other fueling modifications include upgraded 6.7-liter Cummins feed tubes, an S&S Diesel Motorsport 2,200-bar fuel pressure relief valve, and one of the Fleece Performance fuel filter delete kits.

Hanging off the passenger side of this cast Cummins cylinder head is a Forced Inductions S472 turbocharger measuring out to 72/87/1.0. This size turbocharger matched with the fueling mods mentioned above makes for enough boost that Devas needs a Turbosmart BOV to control boost pressures inside the charge air system. Other induction parts include an AA Motorworks charge pipe, a 10-bar MAP sensor, a Turbo Guard turbo blanket, and a 5-inch JAMO Performance exhaust system.

Under the valve cover, he’s pretty brand loyal to Manton Pushrods. The topside of this engine features nothing but Manton products including their pushrods, valve springs, keepers, and retainers. The engine is balanced perfectly with a Fluidampr balancer out on the nose of the crankshaft and the head is held down tight with a set of ARP 2000 head studs. Other engine mods include a Fleece coolant bypass and a pair of Flex-A-Lite electric radiator fans.

Using custom EFILive tuning from Ryan Milliken at Hardway Performance, this Ram has just the right amount of power to light the tires up in a second if Devas wishes. Ultimately, if you’re making this kind of power and you want to apply it to the ground, the transmission plays an important role. You must have the right recipe.

Backing this healthy Cummins engine is an ATS Diesel Performance Stage 3 48RE transmission. Filled with the goodies on the inside, Devas uses a BD Diesel Performance tap-shifter to control the gearing as he drives in and out of the West Coast states. Hailing from California and being stationed in the military, Lexi gets driven a lot, which means she needs to be reliable.

A Ram That Rides Like A Cadillac

With reliability in mind, he trusted the crew at AA Motorworks to set up his Ram with an under-bed-mounted Fluidyne transmission cooler with a fan and a custom scoop.  With a happy engine and transmission, we’re down to the flawless paintwork Lexi features. “After saving up some dough, I went ahead and had the entire truck repainted. Since we were doing a full paint job, I went ahead and had the truck color-matched too,” Devas said.

We’re glad he decided to color-match the truck because it turned out extremely clean. The roll pan and new headlights are a nice addition to the build, too.

Just when you thought it stopped there, you quickly learn that it doesn’t. Knowing Ram trucks have a less-than-stellar steering system, Devas upgraded practically everything the truck came with in order to ensure a safe, soft ride. Setup with a lowered, reverse-leveled rake, Lexi glides down the freeway on a set of Bilstein 5100 shocks, 22-inch by 12-inch Cali Off-Road Summit wheels, and a set of 305/40R22 Nitto 420V tires.

Take a peek under the truck and you’ll see a multitude of upgrades. This includes the six-bolt steering box, Mopar ’09+ upgraded steering kit, Thuren track bar, Stryker Off-Road control arms, King Performance Off-Road steering stabilizer, and a Performance Driveline 5-inch aluminum driveshaft. Tucked behind the 22-inch wheels are a set of EBC slotted rotors and brakes.

“I am very happy with how the Ram runs and drives and look forward to driving it daily,” Devas said. Although he is happy with how it is at this point, that doesn’t mean he’s done. When are these trucks ever done, right? I am waiting on a few items from Adam Aquino at AA Motorworks currently. Their upper radiator pipe and fan pulley delete kit are en route and they will be on soon.”

Down the road, when things get a little more serious, Derik is planning on having Aquino build a SunCoast Transmission 48RE equipped with a Santjer solid input shaft and fat output shaft. This transmission will be ready for war and Devas can throw anything he wants at it which will allow him to rest at night knowing he’s invested in something he can trust.

“A huge thank you to Adam Aquino and everyone at AA Motorworks that helped work on this truck. If it weren’t for them, this truck wouldn’t be what it has become today. It is an extremely fun and very clean street truck. I trust taking it anywhere.”