Can't order 4.10's!

[mpaulson]

I was at my local dealership this week to build and price a new truck and the Dodge's dealer build site wouldn't let them pick the 4. 10 ratio on a 4x4 longhorn DRW as well as no sun roof!!! What the heck!! And there is only one crew cab long box DRW longhorn in the colours that I want in Western Canada.

Ram not want to sell trucks!! No 4. 10's? They say the parts are on back order. Really? I'm going to a different dealership on Tuesday to try then out for an answer.

Anyone else heard of this?

 

[jgillott]

I've been browsing quite a few dealerships lately here in western PA. Dozens of 3500's on the lot and from what I can remember, only 2 4. 10's. One 2013 Big Horn Mega and one 2014 Crew ST. Both are located at the same dealer. Everything else is equipped with 3. 73's. I haven't asked about ordering yet, but I will ask the 4. 10 question when I do>

 

[mcinfl]

It's probably because they put 4. 10's in trucks ordered with 3. 73's, like mine - that would sure cause an inventory shortage, wouldn't it?

 

[Ram4Sam]

Actually, it is probably the EPA/govt... ... They heard that lower gears use a bit more fuel, provide better performance. They are trying to protect us from ourselves. They have been getting reports from their field agents about this strange group of truck owners, who are seen driving around with a big grin on their faces. Under the current regime, such behavior will not be tolerated!!



Sam

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

Inventory and supply pipeline delays would be the likely reason for a short term inability to order what you want.

 

[mpaulson]

Well I'll be holding out till I can order the exact truck as I want it and not compromising. I'm not going to accept a truck that I will be driving for 7 plus years and curse the gear ratio/rpm every time I pull the RV and cruise at 110 Kms/hr which is my normal cruise speed. 4. 10's will put me at 2300rpm in fifth which is perfect. Then I have sixth for nice empty cruising. The 68 RFE was perfect with 3. 73's in this same scenario, as well as 4. 56's in sixth gear with the 68 RFE, but not the AS69RC transmission, it is about 200 rpm slower in fifth and sixth as the overdrives are a little steeper.

The dealer ship says it is a supply shortage. Pathetic really, who's the bonehead managing that?? They are short on crew cab bodies with the sunroof as well. That's like going to MacDonalds and they don't have Big Mac's!?!!

Oh well, guess the wait will be on.

 

[Powder Extreme]

2300 rpm towing really is just wasting fuel. I'm sure others will chime in. These new motors don't need to spin that fast. I pull 20,000lbs behind my truck and have no need for the motor to be spinning that fast.

 

[MelvinPierce]

2300 rpm towing really is just wasting fuel. I'm sure others will chime in. These new motors don't need to spin that fast. I pull 20,000lbs behind my truck and have no need for the motor to be spinning that fast.

I agree. 2,000 rpm in mine with 3. 73's pull like a mule.

 

[Cummins12V98]

2300 rpm towing really is just wasting fuel. I'm sure others will chime in. These new motors don't need to spin that fast. I pull 20,000lbs behind my truck and have no need for the motor to be spinning that fast.

2,300 at what speed?

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

I too was seeking a gear ratio to keep the rpm where the HPCR 5. 9L makes good power. The Ram powertrain mgr. convinced me to get 3. 42 because the 6. 7L likes 1200-2000 rpm best. If I need 2000 at 70-75 mph instead of 1500-1700, it is easy to click down to fifth. My trailers are well under the 17k tow rating. If I towed real heavy, then I would be looking at stiffer gearing at the expense of solo fuel mileage and engine wear.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

BTW if you go onto ramtrucks and put in different zip codes you can check inventory. I bet you can find pretty close to what you want in a leftover 2013.

 

[mpaulson]

Well I of coarse don't have any experience with the 385 hp 6. 7L, but my 07 6. 7L likes to be at about 2300 rpm to not feel like it is lugging and have a dead peddle when you want to speed up some. As well it would run hotter Egt's as well if I cruise at lower Rpms. Why does Ram chop the tow ratings and Gcwr so much then with the 3. 73 and the 3. 42 gears then? Are these new 385 hp versions set up more like the old 12 valves then and like lower rpm lugging without falling on their face and needing a down shift? If they like the low Rpms then the 4. 10 is still good anyway because I will just use sixth gear while towing then.

 

[Wertles]

My 4. 10's tow 18k fine in 6th gear. In the tow/haul mode, the truck readily jumps to 5th even before I think it needs to. There really is no lugging the engine at all. I have only once manually shifted into 5th just to get rid of a drone that was driving me crazy but it was not for lack of power. I now wish I had gotten the 3. 73's for better unloaded performance and just tow the big trailer in 5th. First gear with 4. 10's even with a load on is pretty useless. I barely get moving before it shifts to second.

 

[Kirwin]

I agree with Wertles. My truck immediatly upshifts as soon as you start moving even in tow-haul mode. I did use 1st gear already to pull my trailer down out of a campground with a very steep entrance by toggling down to first gear and allowing the exhaust brake to hold me back in 1st gear. It will keep you nice and slow in that type situation. The truck pulls fine at 60-65 MPH in 5th gear with no issues. The truck is so quiet that you may not even notice it at first. If you are trying to get that 1 MPG more that the 3. 73 will give you running empty, then go for it. In my opinion the truck will pull any trailer you want to be pulling with a pickup truck just fine with either the 4. 10 or the 3. 73 rear end ratio. Gas mileage is mostly affected by how you drive. When you have 850 lb-ft of torque available, it takes a great deal of intestional fortitude to keep from using it! My $. 02. Ken Irwin

 

[MelvinPierce]

Unless you pull a LOT of real heavy loads, in real steep country, 3. 73's will do fine. With a 19k toyhauler, I can accelerate up a pretty good incline at 60 mph!

 

[mpaulson]

Sure would be nice to hook one of these 385 hp trucks up to my trailer and get the feel for where the power band is for myself just to compare before I place the order. Because I know for sure that my current truck doesn't like being below 2100 rpm and that is with a programmer that gives me about 50 hp and 80 ft# extra over the 350/650 stock power and with 4. 56 gears. Even with is combo, extra fan cooled cooler for thetranny, I still get her hot on my slow back woods trips on gravel and dirt roads that most people only ride atv's on.

Even with the 4. 10's I can use 6th gear if it does tow good at lower Rpms then and be at about 1900 at 69 mph/110km/hr which is my normal cruise speed.

Have any of you gone from an earlier 6. 7L to the 385hp version here and have real world power curve change experience?

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

I only tow 8000 lb but I went from over 500 HP on the dyno with 3. 73s and the NV5600 to the 385/Aisin/3. 42 and it tows great.

 

[Powder Extreme]

You never said how heavy you tow? I too set my cruise on 69mph when I am towing heavy, the truck has the power to run way faster, but I can watch the fuel gauge move when I do.

At 69mph pulling a 17,000lb triple axle tow hauler (which has the aerodynamics of a brick on wheels) I am in 6th gear 90% of the time. Slight uphill won't cause the transmission to shift, moderate uphill will need 5th, I haven't found any hill that won't hold 69mph in 4th. When I hitch up my 6,000lb boat behind, it does feel like its lugging some in 6th, so I manually put it in 5th. Keep in mind that is pulling 23,000 non aerodynamic pounds. I'm guessing you aren't pulling that much weight.

I have owned every generation of the Cummins since '94. Back then it was a low rpm motor, in '01 my 24 valve liked a little higher rpm, then the "07. 5 6. 7 wanted even more rpm, my 2010 6. 7 wasn't good at anything but wasting oil, now the 2013 feels like its back to being a low rpm motor. It pulls at low rpm the way my 94 would, yet it doesn't fall on its face at 2300 the way the 94 would.

My dealer let me hitch up to 10k and drive a 3. 42 and a 3. 73 truck and compare. For me living in the mountains the 3. 42 didn't work well, with the kind of power and rpm range the new truck has, the 3. 73 is the perfect combo in my opinion. If I was running a hot shot setup pulling 20k plus everyday and restricted to 65mph I would have 4. 10s, but obviously that's not the case.

My $. 02 worth.

 

[mpaulson]

My trailer only weighs 10,800#, but I haul three quads! two canoes, three kayaks, generator dog kennel, kids bikes, water tanks, quad trailer etc. and the load is 12'10" overall to the top of the canoes and are a serious wind drag. It is so bad that with just my quad deck on and the canoes and kayaks up there, it actually works the truck just as much as pulling the RV. That's with the deck empty. I'm far from aerodynamic. The last time I weighed the whole combination I was at 24,500#. I do a lot of mountain travel. So you guys are saying that cruising at 2080 Rpms, this engine will be happy? This would be fifth at 69 mph with 3. 73's or 1700 in sixth.

 

[MelvinPierce]

My trailer only weighs 10,800#, but I haul three quads! two canoes, three kayaks, generator dog kennel, kids bikes, water tanks, quad trailer etc. and the load is 12'10" overall to the top of the canoes and are a serious wind drag. It is so bad that with just my quad deck on and the canoes and kayaks up there, it actually works the truck just as much as pulling the RV. That's with the deck empty. I'm far from aerodynamic. The last time I weighed the whole combination I was at 24,500#. I do a lot of mountain travel. So you guys are saying that cruising at 2080 Rpms, this engine will be happy? This would be fifth at 69 mph with 3. 73's or 1700 in sixth.

I have 19K 13' 4" tall toyhauler. It tows it very nicely. VERY happy with it. Only time I would think about 4. 10 is if I was in very big mountains all the time, AND towed more than 50% of the miles I put on the truck.