New Purchase

[GBBrown]

Sold my 2015 3500 SRW with 68RFE..Purchased a 2020 3500 SRW with HO and aisin. First impressions is better braking, steering is a lot lighter, ride may be a little better, I dropped the rear tires down to 60 psi, fronts to 70 psi. The transmission shifts a lot different. Gonna get some getting use to. Acts like its got a shift kit in it. Only have about 200 miles on it so far. Like the 3.73 gears holds 6th a lot better than the 3.42's . So far so good.

 

[lpennock]

You can drop the rears even further.

 

[Cummins12V98]

You can drop the rears even further.

YEP, use the weight/inflation chart. Add 5psi rears and 10 psi fronts.

 

[DHayden]

Congrats on the new truck. Are 4.10's an option on 3500 SRW? Just curious.

 

[JR]

Congrats on the new truck. Are 4.10's an option on 3500 SRW? Just curious.

They are not. Ram finally smartened and dropped the 3.42 in favor of the 3.73 as the default gearing for SRW.

 

[DHayden]

Lame, you can get the 4.10's if you order a SRW CC but then you get std output cummins, not the HO. Also if I recall correctly, the tire pressure monitoring system on the CC is a $145 option and $345 on a pickup.

 

[HPSimpson]

Congrats on your new truck enjoy the new rig forever!

 

[JR]

Lame, you can get the 4.10's if you order a SRW CC but then you get std output cummins, not the HO. Also if I recall correctly, the tire pressure monitoring system on the CC is a $145 option and $345 on a pickup.

I know people salivate at the numbers game on the HO but anything and everything that's available is more than capable of towing what you need. TQ management is gonna take most of the real fun away anyway.

I was not aware that the tire monitoring system was an option. I thought that was standard equipment going way back.

 

[SnoKing]

They are not. Ram finally smartened and dropped the 3.42 in favor of the 3.73 as the default gearing for SRW.

I love my SRW and 3.42's. Freeway cruiser, yet towed fine at 24,500 combined. I still believe the 3.73 are an concession for the 68RFE. The could have just fixed the gear ratios in the 68RFE and lft the 3.42 gears out back.

 

[JR]

I love my SRW and 3.42's. Freeway cruiser, yet towed fine at 24,500 combined. I still believe the 3.73 are an concession for the 68RFE. The could have just fixed the gear ratios in the 68RFE and lft the 3.42 gears out back.

Here we go again....

Why fix What isn't broken and simply put less strain on the entire driveline by lowering the gear ratio?

 

[SnoKing]

Here we go again....

Why fix What isn't broken and simply put less strain on the entire driveline by lowering the gear ratio?

The taller the gear ratios have larger/stronger the pinion gear in the diff. What has been happening to gear ratios in OTR trucks in recent years. Tall gears and engines turning lower RPM's, I do not see them on the side of the road all broken down. What has Ford been doing? That's right going to taller gear ratios!

 

[DHayden]

I was not aware that the tire monitoring system was an option. I thought that was standard equipment going way back.

Sorry I meant trailer tire monitoring. Will monitor up to 12 trailer tires.

 

[JR]

The taller the gear ratios have larger/stronger the pinion gear in the diff. What has been happening to gear ratios in OTR trucks in recent years. Tall gears and engines turning lower RPM's, I do not see them on the side of the road all broken down. What has Ford been doing? That's right going to taller gear ratios!

When you can order a pickup with 12- 18 speeds your argument becomes valid.
And Ford only dropped their gear ratio when they introduced the 10 speed, with added gearing and the right programming nothing in the driveline will see the stresses a lesser geared transmission/higher geared rear end will see.
I'm guessing you and a few others don't see the value in mechanical engineering. That's oK, I'm just glad Ram finally does.

 

[promisedland]

Pics of the new ride?

 

[Cummins12V98]

I love my SRW and 3.42's. Freeway cruiser, yet towed fine at 24,500 combined. I still believe the 3.73 are an concession for the 68RFE. The could have just fixed the gear ratios in the 68RFE and lft the 3.42 gears out back.

I only towed 29k combined with my AWESOME 3.42’s.

 

[DHayden]

I appreciate your happiness and conviction with the 3.42's, however not every scenario is set up to be the same as yours. My want for lower gears on my next truck is to accommodate reasonable driving with larger tires. I dont want to feel like a single mule pulling a 8 draft horse budwiser wagon.

 

[Cummins12V98]

I appreciate your happiness and conviction with the 3.42's, however not every scenario is set up to be the same as yours. My want for lower gears on my next truck is to accommodate reasonable driving with larger tires. I dont want to feel like a single mule pulling a 8 draft horse budwiser wagon.

Yes. Get 4.10’s. Get bigger tires. End up with 3.42’s.

 

[DHayden]

3.73's

 

[GBBrown]

I would agree that 3.42's are better for freeway driving. Where I live speed limit is 55. I was always locking out 6th. I hadnt been keeping up with Ram changes for awhile and just seen where they had gone to 3.73's. That made up my mind to upgrade. Not much of a selection in my State unless you want a grocery getter short box, and I'm partial to the Bighorn model, so I jumped on the first one I found, I didnt really care if it had the HO or Aisin, as the 68 RFE I had in my '15 was just fine. It had pulled my boat around every summer, carried my cabover camper, and pulled a travel trailer to all states west of the Mississippi. So I was after the 3.73's not the power train. We'll see how it does in a week or so, would like to get 500 miles before I start towing. On another note I heard the rumor about an allison 8 or 9 speed in the future.