Newbie looking for truck upgrade - Advice on tranny, gears, ...

[Telco Tech]

I'll speak about owning a 2500 Dodge Ram. I'm happy with it. It's an HD2500 4WD RC with 6.4L/ 6 spd auto with 4.10 rear gears. The 2500's have coil springs at all four corners and even they are very rough riding. I stuck with a long bed regular cab for maneuverability. I have an old Chevy K1500 EC that I'm well aware of handling issues with a longer wheelbase. I'm having to air down the tires in my Ram for daily driving so my back isn't destroyed. I tow a Cougar 24SABWE and I think it's just enough without overdoing it either in weight or maneuverability.

[Ribtip]

Originally Posted by Ccrew

Is my feeble brain failing me? I thought the 2500 RAM was coil springs rear and the 3500 leaf springs?

My 16 2500 has coils.

[Gegrad]

Originally Posted by jrhoads23

Looking at some on Ram's website, do these 2500 / 3500 require premium fuel? They have "Premium unleaded" listed as the recommended fuel - which would be a kick to the gut

My manual says verbatim: "Premium unleaded recommended, 87 Octane is acceptable". I haven't put anything but 87 in mine.

[Trucker2565]

I have a 2018 ram 2500 HD with 6.4 6 speed tranny and 410 gears crew cab 6.4 bed.. live it. I pull a 31ft keystone hideout 5th wheel. Pulls great in colorado.. climbed Eisenhower pass and at the top was doing 58mph. Love the 6.4 or the 5.7 that I use to pull it with..

[jrhoads23]

How big of a deal is it to get the 4.10 axle? It seems like those are in the minority when compared to the 3.73. I have found some that check most of my boxes but they have the 3.73.

Wondering if it is worth giving up some of my creature comforts to get this (things that can not be easily added down the road - i.e. nicer radio, LED headlights, ...)
Is it possible to have the dealer upgrade from 3.73 to 4.10? Any idea what the cost would be for this? I know when building one the 4.10 option is only a $145 upcharge

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by jrhoads23

How big of a deal is it to get the 4.10 axle? It seems like those are in the minority when compared to the 3.73. I have found some that check most of my boxes but they have the 3.73.

Wondering if it is worth giving up some of my creature comforts to get this (things that can not be easily added down the road - i.e. nicer radio, LED headlights, ...)
Is it possible to have the dealer upgrade from 3.73 to 4.10? Any idea what the cost would be for this? I know when building one the 4.10 option is only a $145 upcharge

I've had 3.73s in every truck I've had, gas & diesel 3/4 & 1 ton all daily drivers, that towed just fine with decent mileage towing & not.
Personally if it already had the 4.10s that would be ok, but wouldn't special order to only specifically order that option.

[Trucker2565]

Maybe the 410 come with the off road package or something. My old truck was a 2006 power wagon with 5.7 4 spd auto and 456 gears. I had to out helper springs on the leaves for weight because power wagons have light weight springs for off roading. Definitely would look at 6.4. Way more power and that new 8 sad tranny should be wonderful. Probably with 8spd tranny and 373 wouldnt be so bad either

[jrhoads23]

Yeah I certainly want to make sure I get the 8 speed. And the 6.4 Hemi is the only non-diesel engine offered on the new 2500/3500.

My concern is I will only be pulling a camper (not a huge one at that) 6 or 8 times a year. So is it silly to push for the 4.10 axle knowing it will hurt my MPG the other 300+ days of the year? Plus it sounds like the 3.73 is more than capable with the 8 speed.

I have been trying to do research and tough to get anything solid out of it. Some people say the 4.10 with the new 8 speed isn't that much different in MPG (when not towing). So that would lead me towards the 4.10. And some say the 3.73 is more than capable with the 8 speed, so unless you are really towing a monster behind you (which we have no plans to in the near future) the 3.73 should be fine. So that would lead me towards the 3.73.

I think I am just leaning towards finding a truck I like and not really caring what axle it has... I can live with either the 3.73 or 4.10

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by jrhoads23

How big of a deal is it to get the 4.10 axle? It seems like those are in the minority when compared to the 3.73. I have found some that check most of my boxes but they have the 3.73.

Wondering if it is worth giving up some of my creature comforts to get this (things that can not be easily added down the road - i.e. nicer radio, LED headlights, ...)
Is it possible to have the dealer upgrade from 3.73 to 4.10? Any idea what the cost would be for this? I know when building one the 4.10 option is only a $145 upcharge

From my experiences from lots of looking the 3.73 is the "go to" ratio on lots of trucks. I've owned all kinds of ratios from 3.55/3.73/3.92/4.10 (trucks) and I will always gravitate to the 4.10 if towing. There is an appreciable difference in towing with a Ram. If not towing, or on the lower end of towing weight, you can get by with a 3.73 just fine. If you are going into the heavier weights, and particularly if you get the older 6 speed, the 6 speed has some big holes in it and the 3.73 really puts the truck in an rpm bind.

When I finally decided I was going to get a truck with 4.10 I went to several dealers. They could generally find a 4.10 but not equipped with what I considered essential equipment. Do some searching and be flexible with your "wants" in the truck (I'm not) and you should be able to find a truck that fits the bill.

[slimchancepistolero]

i own a 2019 Ram 2500, 6.4L, w/3.73 rear and 20" wheels, Long Bed, Big Horn, Crew Cab, 8 speed auto, payload is 2860 (on door sticker) tow package and 5th whl prep (for pucks) .. had it 19 months, just turned 20,000 miles ... it averages 10mpg (hand calculated) when towing our Cougar 29RDB (almost 14,000 at CAT scale) .. this is up and down the hills of Pa ... when unloaded overall MPG falls between 14.5 and 17.5 depending on city driving ... i got rid of the Cougar because of quality issues and now have an FR Adrenalin 27KB (33 foot toy hauler) and towing upstate to Muncy Valley got 10mpg ... wife has a 2019 RAM 1500 Laredo 5.7L, had it for 28 months has 19,800 miles on it .. so you see we take my 2500 more places than we do her trk ... LOVE driving the 2500 more .... both have been good trks .... be CAREFULL of payload rating on the door stickers ... the Cumins is is nice but takes away about 800#s payload unless you are towing a BIG camper thru BIG mountains you do not need the diesel ... the 410 rear will REDUCE mpg alot .. had a 2500 Dodge 6pd that never got over 13 mpg (with 410) .... IF we got rid of one of the trks it would be the 1500 that would go .. here is my build sheet (attached)

[jrhoads23]

Anyone on here have a 2019+ Ram 2500 with HEMI + 4.10 + 8 speed? What kind of mileage are you getting when NOT pulling anything

[Gegrad]

Originally Posted by jrhoads23

Anyone on here have a 2019+ Ram 2500 with HEMI + 4.10 + 8 speed? What kind of mileage are you getting when NOT pulling anything

Not a perfect answer, as I have the same combo(6.4L+8 speed) with a 3.73. I get between 9-15 solo. 9 around town between stop lights to and from the hardware stores carrying supplies, 14 when highway cruising. I do drive a little heavy footed because it is a blast to drive. I suspect you honestly wouldn't do much worse solo with the 4.10, especially around town. If you do a ton of highway driving solo that is where you might see the biggest difference between the 3.73 and 4.10. Your towing mileage will probably take a bigger hit since towing tends to be more on the highway than stop and go.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by jrhoads23

Anyone on here have a 2019+ Ram 2500 with HEMI + 4.10 + 8 speed? What kind of mileage are you getting when NOT pulling anything

As you see in my sig I have that combo but in a 3500 - not a lot of difference but if anything I would think the 3500 would be slightly (very slightly) worse than the 2500. I average around 9 towing 12,800. If I hit the mountains that will drop to about 7. Unloaded highway it seems a bit different than what I've had in the past; it gets better mileage at speed than slower speeds.

In TX the speed limit is 75 and I usually push 78-80. I will get around 16 (unless I'm having a windy day). I have seen 17 on a good day. At 60 I will get about 15. It is very similar to my 2500/6.4/3.73 with same body style.

I no longer calculate mileage by hand because I don't care. Once I buy the vehicle (SUV or truck) it is what it is - especially towing. Good gas mileage and towing a camper behind a big truck do not go hand in hand. I will say that IMO the 8 speed allows the 4.10 to match, maybe better, the 6.4 w/3.73 and 6 speed mileage wise and it runs FAR better.

[Trucker2565]

My 410 gears not towing I'm averaging 14 to 16 mpg. Towing I haven't really figured because I only go camping maybe 6 or 8 times a year around Colorado. At least once to the mountains where pulling 11k plus trailer, I want to get to the campsite to have fun so the mileage is what it is.. the new 8 spd would probably help a little over the 6 spd. Maybe some math wiz can figure out how many more tire turns between 373 and 410?? I think fuel mileage would be negligible. What maybe 2 mpg??? If you like the truck for everything else it has on it then go for it. If you were full-time rv then maybe think it through..

[Scoop]

Well, we had a 23 RS and a half ton with 3.42 or 3.73 would be fine. They are not that heavy. That being said, if you feel you will be getting a larger trailer in the future, you may want to buy now, unless the future is 8 years out, then just buy for what you have now. You will be wasting a lot of gas with a 2500 needlessly if you way over compensate the truck. Newer trucks can haul a lot more than the older ones and again, that trailer was not that heavy.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by Scoop

Well, we had a 23 RS and a half ton with 3.42 or 3.73 would be fine. They are not that heavy. That being said, if you feel you will be getting a larger trailer in the future, you may want to buy now, unless the future is 8 years out, then just buy for what you have now. You will be wasting a lot of gas with a 2500 needlessly if you way over compensate the truck. Newer trucks can haul a lot more than the older ones and again, that trailer was not that heavy.

Going from a 1/2 ton to a 3/4 ton, drivetrain, apples to apples, MIGHT cost you 1 mpg....maybe. Not a lot of cost to the upgrade other than the initial purchase price. Fuel mileage on the highway with the hemis? Negligible. A lot of towing benefits.

[G Giroux]

Consider building your own,and factory order.
This way you get exactly what you want.
You can save on factory installed option, dealer mark up/inventory cost, salesman commission ect.
We factory ordered a Ford and a Dodge in the past and both worked out well. Took MSRP less 10% + $500.00 for the dealer.

[gearhead]

Originally Posted by G Giroux

Consider building your own,and factory order.
This way you get exactly what you want.
You can save on factory installed option, dealer mark up/inventory cost, salesman commission ect.
We factory ordered a Ford and a Dodge in the past and both worked out well. Took MSRP less 10% + $500.00 for the dealer.

I wasn't aware that you could do a direct factory order. I've ordered before but always with the dealer involved.
I had a 2016 3500 Ram SRW Cummins 3.73 that pulled our Montana HC fine. Upgraded to a 2018 dually because of the Bigfoot cabover. Same drivetrain..Cummins and 3.73. Then upgraded to the Landmark at 18,000GVWR. If I knew I would ever go that heavy I would have gone with 4.10. I get a little driveline "shudder" in some circumstances...pulling from a start, uphill while turning. Not sure if a 4.10 would cure that though. If I needed a new truck I would order it most likely with a 4.10 and definitely with the larger fuel tank.

[Gegrad]

Originally Posted by gearhead

I wasn't aware that you could do a direct factory order. I've ordered before but always with the dealer involved.
I had a 2016 3500 Ram SRW Cummins 3.73 that pulled our Montana HC fine. Upgraded to a 2018 dually because of the Bigfoot cabover. Same drivetrain..Cummins and 3.73. Then upgraded to the Landmark at 18,000GVWR. If I knew I would ever go that heavy I would have gone with 4.10. I get a little driveline "shudder" in some circumstances...pulling from a start, uphill while turning. Not sure if a 4.10 would cure that though. If I needed a new truck I would order it most likely with a 4.10 and definitely with the larger fuel tank.

He ordered through the dealer. He said he owed the dealer $500. You can't just call Ford/GM/Chrysler up and order from someone over the phone. You have to go through a dealer.

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by jrhoads23

How big of a deal is it to get the 4.10 axle? It seems like those are in the minority when compared to the 3.73. I have found some that check most of my boxes but they have the 3.73.

Wondering if it is worth giving up some of my creature comforts to get this (things that can not be easily added down the road - i.e. nicer radio, LED headlights, ...)
Is it possible to have the dealer upgrade from 3.73 to 4.10? Any idea what the cost would be for this? I know when building one the 4.10 option is only a $145 upcharge

If a nice stereo system is important to you it’s probably better to get it now.
It’s a VERY important option to me. Stereo systems are not as easily replaced as they were even 10 years ago. Especially if it has even the base touchscreen system in it. Most everything is tied into the factory computer and steering wheel for hands free operation. I was going to get a big horn with everything I wanted except the alpine stereo system. It sounded bad to me.If you check on crutchfield audio you will see it’s not easy to upgrade. It would have cost me over $1200 and would have looked cobbled together.the new trucks also have noise cancelling technology built into the stereo system to lower sound of engine and outside noises.The base speakers are not very good. I ended up going with a Laramie with the Harmon Kardon system and I love it....sounds like I’m in a concert hall.
If music isn’t that important then you may be fine but music is a big part of what makes me happy so I need the right tool for the job.

I almost settled on two different trucks because I was getting tired of looking..I waited one more day and it all came together and I found the perfect truck for me. I wanted the 50 gallon tank and nice stereo system ...some of the other stuff wasn’t as important but it all came in a package on this truck. Don’t rush it have the dealer do a search for the vehicle or go on Ram builder and search inventory