5th or 6th gear?

[promisedland]

Experience from the GM side is the automatics (2008 Allison) like to hold the double overdrive high gear too long. This lugging at high throttle would cause the ECT to get high 235+. (This was with a OBDII port monitor as the GM OEM gauge lies.) So if you see any mild grades or stiff headwinds you need to lock out the top gear till the conditions change. GM noted for horrible and obsolete technology cooling systems vs. the Dodge Ram trucks... Ever see washer fluid boil in the tank under the hood? Regardless pulling it out of 6th to 5th for specific grades that didn't need full throttle resulted in lower ECT's.

The GM washer fluid gave me a lunch time chuckle!

 

[NIsaacs]

After 14 years with 4:10's I love my new 3:42's bobtail on the freeway. Chris

If I had a new SRW truck with 3.42's (the only option) I would be happy too, not because of the gears but because it is new. The new trucks are awesome.

However, if the only SRW gear option was 3.73, a new truck would be even better. With all the options available on the new Rams I don't understand the 3.42 gear limit.

With 6 gears and 1000 usable rpm, trust me, the 3.73's will pull good and still have long legs.

Nick

 

[SnoKing]

d 1000 usable rpm,

Nick

It is wider than that! SNOKING

 

[NIsaacs]

It is wider than that! SNOKING

Yes, but being an old trucker I bet it is rare for you to use it.

I have a hunch when and if Ram uses the new 8 spds, they will down grade the high rpm closer to what Cummins uses.

Nick

 

[RustyJC]

Yeah, the factory programming on my truck will take it all the way to 3000 RPM accelerating or hill climbing in tow/haul when towing our 5th wheel. It took awhile to get used to that.

Rusty

 

[AMink]

My '06's tach quit several years ago. I keep an eye on the temp and how the engine sounds and feels. So far no catastrophic failures.

Someday I may pull the dash apart and see if I can fix the tach but I'm a little scared about messing around back there.

 

[14ram]

Thanks all good info,

I think I will stick with 5th gear and deal with the increased noise and decreased fuel economy the truck is much more responsive.
Unloaded fuel mileage is incredible I easily get 20+mpg hand calculated 22-23mpg (evic) every tank.

Hope to upgrade these trailer tires in the next year or so with LT tires be able to safely run 70mph in 6th which would be nice when I need to cover alot of ground camping.

 

[dfb]

I had the 410s on an 04 Nv5600 and now have the Aisin with the 342s.... I really think 373 or 410 may be better. However, empty on the freeway the 342s tach 1350 rpm.... the old 04 with the 410s would tach 2000 rpms both at 60mph...

 

[Cummins12V98]

RAM engineers are no dummies! 3.42's are the best for towing and solo in a SRW. 5th gear gets you 4.10 RPMs that pull great and 6th give you great solo mileage.

With the Aisin's lower starting gears there is no compromise.

 

[NIsaacs]

RAM engineers are no dummies! 3.42's are the best for towing and solo in a SRW. 5th gear gets you 4.10 RPMs that pull great and 6th give you great solo mileage.

With the Aisin's lower starting gears there is no compromise.

Like I said, with 6 gears and 1000+ usable rpm, 3.73 will work great. There is only 150 rpm between the 2 gear ratios. The Aisin is not the only transmission option. To say the 3.42 is the best for towing and solo in SRW, is not defendable.

Nick

 

[SnoKing]

Like I said, with 6 gears and 1000+ usable rpm, 3.73 will work great. There is only 150 rpm between the 2 gear ratios. The Aisin is not the only transmission option. To say the 3.42 is the best for towing and solo in SRW, is not defendable.

Nick

Have you driven or towed with a new SRW RAM with 3.42's?

Have you ever gotten 18+ MPG at 80 MPH driving one????

Have you tried to tow 17K with one of these new SRW RAMs?

Have you driven a truck with the Aisin transmission?

Do you own one of these new 3:42 geared SRW RAMs?

SNOKING

 

[NIsaacs]

Snoking, let me ask you this: Have done or do the above with a 3.73? You know I am right, yet you won't admit it. I have not said the 3.42 won't work, I am saying the 3.73 will work as good or better.

Nick

 

[SnoKing]

Snoking, let me ask you this: Have done or do the above with a 3.73? You know I am right, yet you won't admit it. I have not said the 3.42 won't work, I am saying the 3.73 will work as good or better.

Nick

I had 3.56 in the 93 for 7.5 years and 4:10's in the 2001.5 for 14 years. I always said I wanted a SRW 3500 with 3.73's. Then I actual bought one with 3.42's and love them combined with the Aisin. That is real world, not just an internet theory!

Until someone swaps to 3:73's after using 3:42's for a while and provides feed back, we can only speculate! So I suggest that you by one and do detailed bench marks before swapping to 3:73's.

SNOKING

 

[NIsaacs]

I am not insulting your truck, I know it is awesome and would love to have one, 3.42 and all. If you say/said the 3.42 is best for you, I have no problem with that at all. However, to say it is best in general over a 3.73 is unreasonable. I am sure that if your new truck was only equipped with 3.73 you would also be in hog heaven.

Nick

 

[SnoKing]

I am not insulting your truck, I know it is awesome and would love to have one, 3.42 and all. If you say/said the 3.42 is best for you, I have no problem with that at all. However, to say it is best in general over a 3.73 is unreasonable. I am sure that if your new truck was only equipped with 3.73 you would also be in hog heaven.

Nick

And towing capabilities would not be increased by the manufacturer, with the SRW 3500 rear tires/rims are the limiting component. As these numbers show, even with a mid sized 29' 5th wheel I was loaded pretty heavy going south this winter.

#ad

 

[NIsaacs]

Your weight ticket shows why your truck performs so well towing and why all the new trucks are so good at it. They are heavy empty, a good thing for a tow rig. Yours is 2k heavier than your trailer when you are loaded, that's rare and one of the reasons you are so satisfied with your towing experience, I would be too.

Nick

 

[Cummins12V98]

It is defendable, when I towed 27-29K with 3.42's and my ONLY issue was getting the load rolling on a grade. If my 11 HO Dually had an Aisin there would not have been a problem at all!

At around 1,700RPM at 60-62 it pulled great in 5th. When I came on here in late 11 telling of my towing that weight with 3.42's it was like the sky was falling! 6 speeds are where it's at with these trucks.

29K combined in pic. I averaged 9-9.5 West coast hand calc depending on weather conditions.

 

[NIsaacs]

You keep missing/ignoring my point. I stand on what my argument is for all the reasons I have said. I don't have to drive/own both ratios to know how trucks work and as long time trucking guys you know this too.

Nick

 

[kthaxton]

My truck has 3.42's and I love it, it is amazing, but 3.73's would be even better at moving the same weight. As NIsaacs said, that point can't be disputed. It is not only about engine rpm either, it is also about torque multiplication and the added bonus of the drivetrain having an easier job from the ring and pinion forward.

Do these trucks NEED 3.73's for their given ratings? No, but they would be better.

 

[Cummins12V98]

I completely agree a 3.73 will get the load up to speed quicker and the 4.10 will be even quicker. But how much of your towing is getting up to speed? 1,700RPM's in 5th with 3.42 will pull the same as 4.10 in 6th at the similar speed and rpm.

My Son has a 15 Limited with 3.42's and the Aisin I drove it with his 14K dump trailer attached with a huge load of pea gravel. His load was pushing 20K, with the Aisin I was shocked at how easily the load got rolling. I towed My 19-20K MS with 3.42's and 68RFE for many thousands of miles and I can tell you there was NO comparison. Yes his truck is 385/865 and my 11 HO was 350/800 but I really doubt that had much to do with how easily his truck got the load rolling.