Stellantis Dealership Requirements: Equipping a Service Department for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram Under One Roof
Stellantis dealership requirements are unique in the industry because of what the dealer is actually being asked to do. Most OEM programs cover one brand. A Stellantis dealer may carry Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram — four distinct brands with four different vehicle profiles, four different customer bases, and four different service department demands. The service department that handles a Ram 3500 dually towing 20,000 lbs and a Dodge Hornet compact crossover on the same day needs the widest variety of lift types and capacities of any single dealership in the automotive business.
We are Auto Lift Services, and we equip dealership service departments with the lifts, alignment systems, tire and wheel equipment, and specialty platforms that meet OEM requirements. We work with general contracting partners including our partner construction companies to deliver the building and the equipment as one project with a 2-year warranty on both. Stellantis service departments are among the most complex we design because no other manufacturer requires this breadth of capability in a single facility. (See also: dealership alignment bay.)
Four Brands, Four Vehicle Profiles
The complexity of stellantis dealership requirements starts with the vehicle lineup. Each brand brings a fundamentally different weight profile and service demand to the shop floor.
Ram. The Ram 1500 weighs 4,800 to 5,700 lbs. The Ram 2500 ranges from 6,200 to 7,500 lbs. The Ram 3500 — the heavy-duty workhorse that Ram’s commercial and fleet customers depend on — weighs 6,500 to 8,000+ lbs depending on configuration. The Ram Chassis Cab commercial variants push even heavier. These are the heaviest vehicles in any mainstream dealership service department, and they demand dedicated heavy-duty bays.
Jeep. The Wrangler weighs 4,000 to 4,500 lbs, which sounds moderate until you factor in the solid front and rear axles that create unique lift point requirements. The Gladiator sits at 4,600 to 5,100 lbs with the same solid-axle complication. The Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L range from 4,200 to 5,300 lbs. The Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer hit 5,800 to 6,400 lbs — full-size luxury SUV territory.
Dodge. The Charger sedan weighs 3,900 to 4,400 lbs in standard configurations and up to 4,600+ lbs in the widebody Hellcat variants. The Hornet compact crossover sits at 3,600 to 3,800 lbs. The Durango ranges from 4,900 to 5,600 lbs.
Chrysler. The Pacifica minivan weighs 4,300 to 4,600 lbs. While Chrysler’s current lineup is narrow, the Pacifica represents significant service volume for family-oriented Stellantis dealers.
Lift Planning: The Widest Variety in the Industry
No other manufacturer requires as many different lift configurations in a single service department as Stellantis. A properly equipped Stellantis dealer needs three distinct bay types.
Heavy-duty bays for Ram 2500/3500. These trucks need lifts rated at 15,000 to 18,000 lbs. We install PKS heavy-duty lifts for Ram commercial and fleet service bays. Standard 10,000 or 12,000 lb lifts are inadequate for the Ram heavy-duty lineup — a Ram 3500 dually at 8,000 lbs leaves zero margin for tooling, accessories, and the safety factor that any responsible shop requires.
General repair bays for the mainstream lineup. Dodge sedans, Jeep crossovers, Chrysler Pacifica, and Ram 1500 models all fall in the 3,600 to 5,700 lb range. Challenger CL12A lifts at 12,000 lbs handle this entire segment comfortably and provide the capacity headroom for accessories, aftermarket modifications, and the inevitable customer who rolls in with a loaded Grand Wagoneer at 6,400 lbs.
Inground lifts for express service. High-volume oil change, tire rotation, and brake inspection work is the backbone of stellantis dealership requirements for fixed operations revenue. Rotary SmartLift inground lifts are our standard for express service lanes because they fit 13 lifts in the same footprint as 12 two-post lifts and eliminate the arm-clearance delays that slow down quick-service workflows. The drive-over convenience of inground lifts also speeds up vehicle staging — the technician does not need to position arms under the vehicle before lifting.
Jeep-Specific Lift Point Challenges
Jeep Wranglers and Gladiators use solid front and rear axles — a body-on-frame configuration that creates specific lift point requirements different from virtually every other vehicle in the Stellantis lineup. The recommended lift points on a Wrangler are the frame rails, but the solid axles, differential housings, and suspension components are close to the frame and easy to contact with improperly positioned lift pads.
Technicians need lifts with adequate arm reach and pad adjustability to engage the correct frame points without contacting axle tubes or differential cases. Two-post lifts with asymmetric arm configurations handle Wranglers well because the longer rear arms can reach the frame rails without the lift pad interfering with the solid rear axle.
The Grand Wagoneer presents the opposite challenge — it is a unibody luxury SUV that weighs over 6,000 lbs and sits on air suspension. Lift points must be identified carefully to avoid damaging the air springs or underbody trim panels. The weight and the care required make the Wagoneer one of the most demanding vehicles in the Stellantis lineup to service.
Express Lane Strategy: Where Stellantis Dealers Make Money
Express service lanes are a critical component of stellantis dealership requirements for one reason: volume. Stellantis brands — particularly Ram and Jeep — generate enormous parts and service demand. Ram trucks need oil changes, tire rotations, and brake inspections on aggressive schedules because of towing use. Jeep Wranglers driven off-road require more frequent undercarriage inspections, fluid checks, and alignment verification.
A well-designed express lane at a busy Stellantis dealership can process 30 to 50 vehicles per day in oil change, tire, and brake work. At an average ticket of $150 to $300, that is $4,500 to $15,000 per day in fixed operations revenue from express services alone. Multiply by 250 working days and the express lane generates $1.1 million to $3.7 million in annual revenue.
The equipment that drives this throughput is fast lifts, efficient lube systems, and properly positioned tire and brake equipment. We design express lanes with Rotary inground lifts, overhead oil dispensing systems, and dedicated tire and brake stations so vehicles move through in 20 to 30 minutes without bottlenecks.
The Stellantis EV Push: Ram REV, Charger Daytona, Jeep Recon
Stellantis is bringing electric vehicles to every brand in the portfolio. The Ram 1500 REV — the fully electric Ram truck — is the most significant because of what it weighs. The REV’s battery pack adds approximately 1,500 to 2,000 lbs over the gasoline Ram 1500, pushing the electric truck to an estimated 6,500 to 7,000 lbs. That is Ram 2500 weight in a 1500 body, and it has direct implications for lift capacity in every bay that might service one.
The Dodge Charger Daytona is the electric successor to the Charger nameplate. The Jeep Recon and Wagoneer S add electric capability to the Jeep lineup. Each of these vehicles requires EV service infrastructure that many Stellantis dealers have not yet installed. (See also: EV dealership requirements.)
EV bay requirements include dedicated 480V three-phase electrical circuits for diagnostic charging, high-voltage PPE (insulated gloves, face shields, rescue hooks), battery containment and ventilation systems for thermal runaway scenarios, and concrete specifications that handle the higher combined vehicle-plus-lift weight. These requirements must be designed into the facility during construction.
Alignment, ADAS, and Brake Equipment
Stellantis vehicles across all four brands increasingly require ADAS calibration after alignment work. Ram trucks with Adaptive Cruise Control, Jeep Grand Cherokee with Active Driving Assist, and Dodge Charger with Highway Assist all have forward-facing cameras and radar that need calibration after alignment, windshield replacement, or front-end repairs.
We install Hunter HawkEye Elite alignment systems and Hunter ADASLink calibration platforms in Stellantis dealerships. The alignment system handles the full weight and width range from a Dodge Hornet to a Ram 3500. The ADAS calibration bay needs 25 to 30 feet of clear space, a flat floor, and controlled lighting — requirements that must be in the architectural drawings before construction begins.
Hunter on-car brake lathes are our standard for Stellantis service departments. The volume of brake work on Ram trucks alone — heavy towing use accelerates brake wear significantly — justifies the investment in on-car lathe capability that eliminates rotor runout reintroduction.
AC Equipment
Stellantis has transitioned the current lineup to R-1234yf refrigerant. We install RobinAir, Mahle, and Rotary AC recovery and recharge machines in Stellantis dealerships. Multi-zone climate systems on Grand Wagoneer and Grand Cherokee require precise charge weights.
Why Integration Matters More for Stellantis
These multi-brand projects demand more from the construction and equipment integration process than most OEM programs because of the sheer variety of bay types required. A Ford dealer needs truck-capable bays and car bays. A BMW dealer needs heavy-capable bays with premium handling. A Stellantis dealer needs all of the above plus dedicated heavy-duty bays for Ram 2500/3500, plus Jeep-specific considerations, plus express service lanes — all in one building.
Getting the bay mix wrong is expensive. Too many heavy-duty bays and the lighter-vehicle throughput suffers. Too few and Ram commercial customers go elsewhere. No express lane and the high-volume maintenance revenue walks out the door.
We deliver the building and the equipment as one integrated project. The bay mix is determined during equipment planning, before the architect draws the first service bay. Our general contracting partners at our partner construction companies build these multi-brand specifications into the construction documents because we coordinate the complete scope from the start. The 2-year warranty covers the building and every piece of equipment in it.
If your Stellantis facility project is in the planning phase, the equipment and bay planning needs to happen first. Reach out before the construction drawings are finalized — that is when we can design the service department that handles everything from a Hornet to a Ram 3500 without compromise.
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Josiah Ragsdale
Founder, Automotive Lift Services
Josiah has been installing, repairing, and inspecting automotive lifts since he was 18 years old. He founded Automotive Lift Services in 2019 after years of seeing lifts installed wrong, never inspected, and putting technicians at risk. His team now services all 50 states from their Iowa headquarters. Read more
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