Are you guys engineers or lawyers?
I think cerberusiam is a politician. He changes the subject and the focus of the argument in every post.
You should recheck your facts. Torque curves for the various engines used to be published on the Cummins website and in Dodge truck brochures every model year.
All 24 valve engines used in Dodge Rams produce maximum torque from 1600 to 2700 rpm in a wide flat band.
All HPCR engines used in Dodge Rams produce peak torque from 1600 to 2700 rpm.
All ISB6. 7 Dodge Ram pickup engines rated at 350 hp /650 tq produce peak torque from 1500 rpm to 2700 rpm.
ISB6. 7 engines of the 305 hp version used Dodge Ram cab and chassis trucks produce peak torque from 1600 to 2700 rpm.
You are mistaken. They absolutely DO pull hard at 1600 rpm, that is where peak torque first occurs.
I've never owned a 12 valve engine and am not certain about where their torque band begins and ends but I do know it is much narrower than 24 valve engines. I think it begins at 1500 or 1600 rpm but tapers off by around 2400 rpm.
Electronic engines which are all 24 valve and HPCR engines do not have a torque PEAK as you stated. Their maximum torque is produced in a wide flat band from 1600 (or 1500) rpm up to 2700 rpm because 24 valve engines breathe better at higher rpm and because the magic of computers allows the control of fuel and air to maintain a flat torque platform.
In addition, we have no idea what engine was tested on a chassis dyno, what condition it was in, or what modifications or limitations it may have had.
You can't pull that weight at those rpm's and not trash the transmission, it won't take it. For towing you need to be over peak TQ and out of the harmonics range of about 1700-1900 rpm's. This is why its geared the way it is, to save the hardware. Adjust to run at about 2000-2100 rpm's in OD\lockup at your targeted hiway speed, thats the sweet spot for efficiency.
Use the lockup to adjust between 3rd and OD, locked drive and unlocked OD make the splits a lot better but you have to have the TC to get the TQ multiplication right or it flares too much.
No, the 6 speed just had a smaller jump from 1:1 to OD, still a crappy split.
If I could come close to the torque curves you guys are posting I would be ecstatic. Mine looks like a triangle