60K Maintenance

[Governor99]

Hello, my 2020 Ram 1500 Big Horn is at 62k miles so it's due for the 60K maintenance, my question for you guys is : for the transmission, is it a must to change the pan/filter or can you just do a drain and fill? The truck isn't used heavily. Thank you in advance

 

[kapinallinen2]

Hello, my 2020 Ram 1500 Big Horn is at 62k miles so it's due for the 60K maintenance, my question for you guys is : for the transmission, is it a must to change the pan/filter or can you just do a drain and fill? The truck isn't used heavily. Thank you in advance

IMO the pan/filter is a must, this is based on what my fluid and the pan looked like at 80k. Almost no towing, just a moderately heavy foot.

 

[Mr.Grid]

In my 2011 Ram with 545RFE that didn’t have a drain plug, I used an oil sucker to take 4 qts out and then replaced. I did this several times in less than 100 miles replacing 12 qts in a system that held 16 qts. I did this at 50k and 100k miles. When I removed the pan at 140k miles to replace both filters it looked normal from what I’ve seen prior in other trans I’ve had. That 545RFE has over 250k on it now and still works properly that has towed over 80k miles when I owned it.

My 2022 Ram is at 59K and I’m only draining the trans oil (NO pan R+R) and replacing fluid this summer. Probably do it 2 times. This truck has over 35k miles towing 7k#.

 

[UnloosedChewtoy]

On the ZF transmissions, the filter for the fluid is built into the pan. If you don't change the pan, you don't change the filter. There are also magnets in the pan that get full of wear metals (looks like silver sludge or paste).

Some may get lucky but I would not want the risk of metal bits flowing into the tiny passages in the transmission because the filter and/or magnets got full enough that they missed them. Especially with dropping/replacing the pan on these trucks being so easy to do.

There are even aftermarket pans, even some that are metal, with replaceable filters available if you don’t want to have to replace the entire pan at the next change.