[Radride]

Anything I have a mind to.

Here's what happened. I broke the NV5600 in my 2005 last year (4th gear let loose). While I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my 2005, I decided to do some tire kicking while we were out and about. Drove a 2020 SRW RAM 3500, decent truck. Drove a 2020 Ford SRW F-350 and I flat out dug the way the 10 speed and all that power went together. Truck wasn't optioned how I wanted it though.

Next day I went up the street to the local Ford dealer and saw a really sharp Lariat on the lot. Opened the door and saw 4513lbs of payload staring me in the face. That made me do a double take. I always figured I'd end up having to get a DRW pickup when I finally upgraded, but 4500lbs might just get me to where I want to be. Been looking at new fifth wheels with pin weights of around 3500lbs, sometimes a bit heavier, and to get there in a legal/legit way appeals to me. I have been towing way over the limits with my 2005 forever. Not ashamed, and really not all that worried, but at some point I wanted to move up to a pickup that was designed to pull and haul a heavier load.

I am one of these guys that likes to modify. I hadn't planned on making an SRW out of DRW initially. But after I got a recall notice from Ford stating that my payload was overstated by about 550lbs, my whole little happy with my pickup world view changed. I never had any reason to question Ford's ability to correctly calculate payload so I did not go check it myself. Well after doing so I found the numbers were not going to jive for me. IIRC my rear axle weighs 3600 lbs with just my family in the truck with no real extra's. Well the RAWR on the Ford is only 7230lbs. Not enough head room for my taste. So I decided to order an F-450 and convert it. Tighter turning radius, 9900lb RAWR, bigger brakes. The entire situation is a total PITA, but it is what it is. I got stuck on the SRW again and that's what I'm going to do. The go most anywhere tow rig.

You do realize that your payload rating on the F450 DRW will drop considerably when you go and covert it to SRW right....

R.K.

 

[Radride]

When you buy tires for your pickup, do you pay attention to anything other than size & tread pattern? Maybe, just as an arbitrary example, the load capacity? And, by some chance, might you have noticed that some tires have a higher load capacity than others?

Sure do but you'll never achieve the same load rating in two tires that 4 tires provided.

R.K.

 

[Radride]

Always interesting how people see things differently. I have an ‘18 Ram 2500 6.7 and my wife has a ‘20 2500 HD 6.6. Her truck is far quieter and more comfortable for longer trips. The Cummins drone really gets to me after awhile whereas there almost zero engine noise from the Dmax. Also the seats are more comfortable and have way better heaters in them.

We own a General Contracting business so we are towing trailers everyday. I like the TFL guys but their testing methodology isn’t accurate for everyday use. My wife’s truck destroys mine towing, it’s not even close. We have an 8% grade by our house that goes from 3800ft to 7800ft and is 13 miles long of switchbacks and long steady climbs. Towing the exact same trailer her truck just grabs whatever gear it needs and it’s gone. My truck I have to keep locked in 3rd and which limits my top speed to about 41mph since I have 4.10 gears. Her truck can beat mine to the top of the pass by 3-4 minutes, averages 4mpg better than mine and does it without holding red line the whole climb. The 10spd is hands down better than the 68RFE. I have driven Ram for 20yrs now but if they don’t release I new tranny soon I will have another Chev in my driveway.

A couple of things...

1. The 2019 and new Ram's are way quieter than the 18 and older trucks
2. Her 2020 has the 440hp and 930ft lbs of torque. You only have 370hp and 800 ft/lbs of torque. No comparison there.
3. The 2018 2500 only came with 3.42 gears in the rear unless you swapped them out to 4.10s.
4. I sat in a friends full load 2021 3500 High Country. Those truck interiors are terrrible. Why would anyone want that archiac interior is beyond me.
5. And finally, I don't understand why people limit their trucks but locking out gears. I tow a lot heavier than you and I never lock out any gear and I tow through mountains.

R.K.

 

[Radride]

1) I have been in the ‘19’s and you are correct they are much quieter. But still not as quiet as my wife’s.

2) Again, towed with the newer models and I honestly didn’t see that big of difference because the 68RFE just can’t get the power to the ground efficiently.

3)Yes, I put in 4.10 gears and had the computer reset by the factory to recognize them.

4)I don’t care for the cheap plastic Chevy uses but otherwise the size of the seats and functionality are better than my truck. Ram is definitely better in fit, finish and appearance though. The seats are just too small for me and I am only 6’1”/190lb.

5) I limit my gears because 68RFE has a horrible gear spread. If I leave it alone it will upshift too soon, bog down, down shift, run to redline, upshift, bog down again etc. It is incredibly annoying when navigating mountainous terrain with heavy loads which is pretty much daily for me as I live/work right at the base of the Elkhorn Mountains in Oregon. My wife’s Chevy has ZERO issues in those same conditions. Again I prefer Ram but they have really dropped the ball the last 5yrs on getting a better tranny into those trucks. My friend’s wife has a 1500 with the ZF and that thing is awesome. If the Cummins had a trans with that gear spread and algorithms it would be an absolute beast of a truck.

Watch the latest TFL video of the 2021 Ram and Chev Diesel trucks. More gears and power doesn't mean everything.

R.K.

 

[Radride]

If they are going to hold off on the new cab, etc. until 2025, they had better at least cough up a new trans ASAP. If the next Dmax rolls out with the numbers they are spreading around, Ram will be left in the dust three years from now.

What are the numbers?

R.K.

 

[Radride]

New mirrors are coming as well. They will no longer flip up but rather slide out like the Chevs.

CAUGHT: 2023 Ram 2500 Limited Night Edition Mega Cab 4x4: - HD Rams

In January, we showed you the first spy photos of the minor updates coming to the 2023 Ram 2500/3500 Heavy Duty lineup. This included a new Rebel package for the Ram 2500, a revised hood design, and a set of new exterior mirrors. Since then, there hasn't been a lot of new news for Heavy Duty...

hdrams.com

R.K.

 

[Radride]

I agree. And having a 68rfe, a GM/Ford 1/2 ton 10 speed and a ZF8HP 8 speed car all in the stable (plus prev owner of a G56 truck that after 13 years of owning and driving still had me randomly reaching for 7th gear sometimes, literally...) it's pretty easy to see how more gear splits applied to the Big C powered trucks would be an actual game changer.
What I've found is from the 8/10 speed (gassers) and another 8 speed Chevy gasser truck I had for a bit, is, 8 gears behind a/any typical gasser is enough. The 10 speed in my Silverado 1500 is of diminishing returns. 9th or 10th could go away and never be missed. 150 rpms between deep OD and a smidge deeper OD means nothing, especially since it doesn't top 2000 rpms in top gear until like 90 mph....and stops running at 98mph, lol. By those speeds, fuel mileage is largely wind resistance and not rpms related, IMO.
8 speed ZF in the car is also perfect. Can lock out 1st for putzing around with 500hp under the hood and not smokin the tires with a slight twitch of the go pedal from a stop light and it cruises at very low rpms at far over the speed limit.
By contrast a double OD 6 speed in the Cummins has too wide of gear splits. My situation is exaggerated a little with 3.42s and 37s, but the 1-2 upshift will almost lug the engine if you're easy on the skinny pedal and it doesn't run up over 2000rpms a ways before shifting. 2-3 and 3-4 are similar. It does much better, towing, but still need to "drive around" it making an early upshift, especially with a heavy trailer, because it's a little harsh and grumbly when you're digging a bit and it drops almost 1000 rpms on diesel engine when upshifting.
To be fair, there are way better 6 speeds to compare and contrast than the 68rfe. This behavior is NOT an issue with an Allison Duramax or Powerstroke 6 speed, but only because they are smarter transmissions.

IDK what TF Stellantis hang up is with getting the Cummins transmissions upgraded. I have a buddy who is an Engineer for ZF, and he was driving home 4th Gen duallys with the ZF Powerline 8 speed fitted in them for initial testing 4? years ago now I believe.
THAT one thing might make me just go hand over my $ for a new Ram. An 8 speed manual trans Cummins WOULD make me fork out the cash tomorrow! But that's even more of a dream than Ram actually getting up to date with their auto transmissions...lol

I think the problem we have here is the fact the Cummins makes sooooo much torque down low as compared to its rivals that those other trans can take it. They might have to cut back the power so much to keep them alive that there's no point in having those transmissions. That is my theory.

R.K.