3.42 Gears?

[Trizae]

Good evening,



I am days away from ordering my new 2012. I'm still debating a couple options, (long bed or short bed w/Ram Box)



my biggest decission is gearing. I currently have 07 5. 9L G56 which w/3. 73 is geared VERY LOW. . Transmission Ratios Changed with the 6. 7L and G56 ratios dont matter because I'm getting a 68RFE.



Are any of you running 3. 42 Gears with the new 800HO engine



Fuel Mileage?



Towing?



I put about 2700 miles a month on my truck, mostly interstate (at 80 MPH) and I'm leaning real hard towards the 3. 42's



I order all the trucks for stock at the dealership with 3. 73 or MAX TOW so i dont have any customers to ask about the 3. 42



Thoughts?

 

[KLauber]

I have 3. 42 gears on my 2008. Seems fine to me. I don't tow very often.

 

[RustyJC]

There's quite a difference between 3. 42s with the 6 speed manual and the 68RFE. The 6 speed manual is a single overdrive transmission whereas the 68RFE automatic is a double overdrive transmission. RPMs in 6th gear will be much lower with the 68RFE than the 6 speed manual, regardless of axle ratio.



I guess the 3. 42s might be OK if you never tow or haul anything and spend your life at 80 MPH running empty. Otherwise, you'd hardly ever see 6th gear with the 68RFE.





Rusty

 

[HBarlow]

I agree absolutely with selecting 4. 10 gears with the six speed automatic for a truck that will ever tow anything. With 3. 42 gearing the new trucks with six speed overdrive automatic transmissions will be at about 1000 rpm at 60 mph in top gear if the transmission programming will even permit a shift into sixth.

Regardless of our opinions, all a prospective owner has to do is consult Ram literature to see how Ram engineers rated the trucks with the various gearing choices.

I don't think the HO 800 is available with anything but 4. 10 gears but I have not studied the new trucks.

 

[NIsaacs]

I have 3. 42 gears on my 2008. Seems fine to me. I don't tow very often.

Ken, you have a standard transmission, big difference, one overdrive. I thought you were pulling a work trailer, loaded heavy?



Harvey, I think the 800 HO is the only truck now, the Max Tow is restricted to 4. 10's also 3500 dually only. I don't know squat either, just what I have seen on here.



To the OP, I would think with all your milage at high speed, running empty, the 3. 73 would be a good choice. I don't think you will like the 3. 42 if you ever tow. Fuel milage will suffer with any gear at 80 mph. I am not criticizing the 80 mph, I drive fast too, but milage will not be good.



Nick

 

[HBarlow]

Nick,

Are you saying all new Cummins engines are now rated to produce 800 ft. lbs? If that's the case I guess I need to read the print literature or website on the Gen IV trucks.

I'm still thinking HO800 = 4. 10dually = MaxTow.

I've deliberately stayed away from Dodge dealerships since I bought my '08 four years ago. I have not even looked in the window of a Gen IV Ram, have never ridden in or driven one, haven't even looked over the "build it" feature on the website.

My '08 has about 113k miles on it and doesn't do much towing anymore. With the price of diesel fuel I've been leaving it and my fifthwheel parked and taking trips on my motorcycle.

 

[jhenderson]

Mileage on these trucks has much more to do with aerodynamics than rpm. If you experiment on them you will see that you get better mileage at 55 mph than 65 mph no matter the rpm. Example: 2300 rpm in 5th gear will produce equal or better mileage than 2300rpm in 6th gear because of wind resistance.

 

[TWood]

I second the 3. 73 gear ratio. If you ever tow anything it would give a happy medium between the 4. 10 and 3. 42. If you never tow maybe the 3. 42 would work for you.



The 800 ft lbs is the only engine available for the pickups. I am not certain but I beleive the C&C trucks still get the derated 305/650. The Max tow is limited to dually 4. 10 and Auto trans.

 

[KLauber]

Ken, you have a standard transmission, big difference, one overdrive. I thought you were pulling a work trailer, loaded heavy?



Harvey, I think the 800 HO is the only truck now, the Max Tow is restricted to 4. 10's also 3500 dually only. I don't know squat either, just what I have seen on here.



To the OP, I would think with all your milage at high speed, running empty, the 3. 73 would be a good choice. I don't think you will like the 3. 42 if you ever tow. Fuel milage will suffer with any gear at 80 mph. I am not criticizing the 80 mph, I drive fast too, but milage will not be good.



Nick

The work I was doing dried up in the face of a bureaucratic meltdown at the state agency so I haven't towed the rig in 2 months. Ouch. I've never thought of 6th as an overdrive since its not a split, its just the next smallest (biggest?) gear on the same shaft. All posters are correct on speed. I get great fuel mileage bumping along in 5th gear... . 80 not so good! Harvey and I agree... stay away from the dealership else that will be a 2012 in your driveway and a hole in your wallet... . we are helpless against the smell of new truck... . :-laf

 

[Jeff Knight]

6 sp auto has 800ft lb while the 6 sp manual has 610ft lb.



Jeff

 

[RustyJC]

I've never thought of 6th as an overdrive since its not a split, its just the next smallest (biggest?) gear on the same shaft.

"Overdrive", as used in this discussion, is any transmission output gearing with a ratio of less than 1:1.



Rusty

 

[RonD]

I would get the 3. 73 with the 68RFE trans, 3. 42 would be better with the manual trans, not the double overdrive Automatic, some day you will haul something, or tow, the 3. 42 won't work very well.

 

[RonD]

Nick,



Are you saying all new Cummins engines are now rated to produce 800 ft. lbs? If that's the case I guess I need to read the print literature or website on the Gen IV trucks.



I'm still thinking HO800 = 4. 10dually = MaxTow.



I've deliberately stayed away from Dodge dealerships since I bought my '08 four years ago. I have not even looked in the window of a Gen IV Ram, have never ridden in or driven one, haven't even looked over the "build it" feature on the website.



My '08 has about 113k miles on it and doesn't do much towing anymore. With the price of diesel fuel I've been leaving it and my fifthwheel parked and taking trips on my motorcycle.

Harvey, all the Pickup's are now 800 H. O. Engines, the Max Tow is the added trans cooler, beefed up rear end, 4. 10 gears, new valve body for the trans, and HD Torque Converter, the C&C are not, and stay away from your favorite Dealer, if you drive one of these new one's I am afraid your going to be emptying your wallet there.

 

[Jeff Knight]

Harvey, all the Pickup's are now 800 H. O. Engines, the Max Tow is the added trans cooler, beefed up rear end, 4. 10 gears, new valve body for the trans, and HD Torque Converter, the C&C are not, and stay away from your favorite Dealer, if you drive one of these new one's I am afraid your going to be emptying your wallet there.

According to the Ram website the 6sp manual only has 610ft lbs.





Available Turbo Diesel with 350 Horsepower with 800 pound-feet of Torque (with automatic transmission, 610 pound-feet with manual transmission)

Meets 50-state emissions with no diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) required

Ram 2500 offers 15,500 pounds max trailer weight+ and up to 22,500 pounds GCWR+

3500 Max Tow package with 22,750-pound maximum towing capacity+

Available Mega Cab® has large interior volume





Jeff

 

[RonD]

According to the Ram website the 6sp manual only has 610ft lbs.



Jeff

Thats correct 800 HO is with the 68RFE trans

 

[rrnut-2]

I have the 3:42's with the manual transmission, won't do that again. 3:73's or the 4:10 with the automatic. But, most of my driving is on roads around here that have a 40-50mph speed limit. In 6th gear, the truck isn't happy going slower than 55. Lead foot? No, speed limit signs are merely a suggestion!:-laf



Mileage difference? from what I am reading here, not much different than anybody else: 15-16mpg.

 

[AABEN]

Good evening,



I am days away from ordering my new 2012. I'm still debating a couple options, (long bed or short bed w/Ram Box)



my biggest decission is gearing. I currently have 07 5. 9L G56 which w/3. 73 is geared VERY LOW. . Transmission Ratios Changed with the 6. 7L and G56 ratios dont matter because I'm getting a 68RFE.



Are any of you running 3. 42 Gears with the new 800HO engine



Fuel Mileage?



Towing?



I put about 2700 miles a month on my truck, mostly interstate (at 80 MPH) and I'm leaning real hard towards the 3. 42's



I order all the trucks for stock at the dealership with 3. 73 or MAX TOW so i dont have any customers to ask about the 3. 42



Thoughts?

Call RAM and talk to them. They should be able to help you. I would run the 3. 73 if it was me.

 

[HBarlow]

I drove my truck into Lubbock and back today - only because it was too cold and snow was predicted to ride my Goldwing.

I noticed as I was coming home this afternoon, with the Aisin six speed automatic and 4. 10 gears, my tach was showing 1950 rpm at 70 mph.

I cannot imagine why anyone would want to use any gear other than 4. 10 with the new six speed automatics. The other ratios would require downshifting to fifth/first overdrive at 65 mph or slower to avoid lugging the engine.

Lower rpm does not deliver higher fuel mileage, only less torque and less horsepower for pulling at any given road speed.

 

[jaird]

Just based on your(OP) location, it would seem that 3. 42 gears would not be a good choice.