The best rear axle ratio for me

[SnowBlaZR2]

Lol these comments are always funny to me.

By the way...it was supposed to be, in case that went right over your head.

 

[millerbjm]

I was trying

I hear this a lot, but what exactly does that mean? Seriously, I use my truck as a truck...sometimes. I also use it for commuting back and forth to work. Or to pick up groceries. Or as a way of getting my family from one place to another. It's a 5 passenger vehicle with a bed. And has some amount of towing capacity. I could say the same about many other types of vehicles. When I was growing up we used the family station wagon to pull the boat to the river. Were we mis-using that car as a truck? Am I not using my truck as a truck when I have 3 or 4 passengers with me but I'm not towing or hauling anything? My truck is capable of doing this, as a truck. In my mind I'm using it as a truck for everything I use it for.

If you read my entire rambling diatribe I was trying to say I use my truck for a million things as you say- a family hauler and a workhorse etc. But I also use it to do things like hauling and towing and still manage to do those things with the 3.21 axle ratio. Basically pushing back against the idea real truck guys ger the biggest rear axle ratio. In the end it is specific to the person and the truck in my experience - in a 3.6 ram the 3.21 to 3.55 makes a bigger difference it seems to me than the switch from 3.21 to 3.92 in the 5.7 trucks and in my work trucks upgrading an F250 to the 4.10 makes a noticable difference in towing with a gas engine. I suppose one of the reasons we all like trucks is there are so many options we'll never run out of things to argue and opine about!

 

[millerbjm]

All but about 500 miles on my truck are while towing/hauling. I use my 1500 like a truck, which is why I don't have 3.21s.

The OP said he will almost never tow anything heavy -

All but about 500 miles on my truck are while towing/hauling. I use my 1500 like a truck, which is why I don't have 3.21s.

You know your truck isn't a real truck and there is no way you do real truck things with it because you don't have a real truck 8' box!! I may have a 3.21 but at least I have the 6'4" box

 

[SnowBlaZR2]

The OP said he will almost never tow anything heavy -

Of course, because he's using his truck like a crossover adventure vehicle or whatever they're calling them.

You know your truck isn't a real truck and there is no way you do real truck things with it because you don't have a real truck 8' box!! I may have a 3.21 but at least I have the 6'4" box

Nobody's perfect. At least I got the gearing right.

 

[c3k]

Sure, I've got the girly 3.21...but I also have the almost-manly baby diesel.

Do what works best for you and the use you foresee needing.

 

[deeve]

My hope is this truck that I have ordered will be something that I keep for a while and pay off quickly. I ordered it with future use/potential upgrades in mind. Future use means, I currently live in Oregon in a developed neighborhood, but will be eligible to retire from public service in a little over a year. Probably wont go then, but having the option sure will be great! Once I decide to pull the pin, I am likely going to move back to Maine where grew up. My wife and son love it there and the rest of my large extended family is there. My plan is to buy some land and maybe build a house if one isn't already there. Anyone who lives in snow zones knows having a plow on a truck is a pretty handy tool to have. Owning land=needing a truck. For now, the truck will be a grocery getter. In the future it will be more of a "work" truck, which is why I got the 3.92 gearing. For my use, it won't hurt. Maybe it isn't super useful right now, but it will be.

 

[Louhound88]

By the way...it was supposed to be, in case that went right over your head.

Lol there is always truth behind jokes. Especially with sarcasm.

 

[Ninety-9 SE-L]

Personally, I think the 3.92 is overrated for most chores. Sure, if you tow near your limit a lot, you're going to want the 3.92 and if acceleration means more than fuel economy, again, the 3.92 seems to be the most popular option.

I opted with the 3.21 for my build and I do plan to tow from time to time. I've read through the Engineer's guide and although it has great numbers, people have come to believe the 3.92 is the end-all-be-all of towing. I'm an Engineer as well, and the way I see it, the 3.92 is only helpful at speeds under 24mph. Anyone claiming that the 3.21 struggles at highway speeds is full of ****, even on inclines and declines. So long as you keep it above 24MPH, you won't feel any difference between the two, except the 3.21 will be 1 gear lower. Under 24MPH, there will be some extra strain on the engine, but I trust the 480ftlbs of torque from the EcoDiesel will be adequate.

The 3.21 takes away the super-low starting gear, but it gives you a super-high cruising gear that should sit comfortably at 70-80mph. It'll be slightly quieter and will return an extra ~2mpg. You're basically getting an extra gear, so long as you're comfortable with a slightly slower launch.

As far as gear hunting....every 8-speed FCA vehicle I've ever driven, including the Hemi 3.92 has been a gear-hunting mess, IMO. In fact, a Grand Cherokee I once borrowed was so terrible in the mountains, by the time the transmission settled on a climbing/descending gear, the opportunity had passed. It's going to take a lot of time for me to train my right foot to get the truck into the correct gear, but I'm hoping that I don't have a lot of 7-8 and 8-7 shifts in cruise control.

I'll ask real quick, does the 1500 allow you to set a maximum gear? If I'm climbing a steep mountain road, can I keep the transmission from shifting past a certain gear? Most vehicles allow this, but I'm not familiar with the 5th gen.

Also, is there a "Tiptronic" shift kit that would allow me to override the transmission's controller? Basically, make the 1500 into a manumatic in order to prevent gear hunting.

 

[Ninety-9 SE-L]

Nevermind, I answered my first question:

Steering Wheel Gear Limit Buttons

This is kind of stupid question but I haven’t been able to find any information on it; but does anyone know what the gear limit buttons on the steering wheel does? Is it just to be able to shift up or down when you want? Does it control the timing or point at which it shifts to the next gear...

5thgenrams.com

 

[SnowBlaZR2]

I opted with the 3.21 for my build

All you had to say.

 

[Johnny_H]

Personally, I think the 3.92 is overrated for most chores. Sure, if you tow near your limit a lot, you're going to want the 3.92 and if acceleration means more than fuel economy, again, the 3.92 seems to be the most popular option.

I opted with the 3.21 for my build and I do plan to tow from time to time. I've read through the Engineer's guide and although it has great numbers, people have come to believe the 3.92 is the end-all-be-all of towing. I'm an Engineer as well, and the way I see it, the 3.92 is only helpful at speeds under 24mph. Anyone claiming that the 3.21 struggles at highway speeds is full of ****, even on inclines and declines. So long as you keep it above 24MPH, you won't feel any difference between the two, except the 3.21 will be 1 gear lower. Under 24MPH, there will be some extra strain on the engine, but I trust the 480ftlbs of torque from the EcoDiesel will be adequate.

The 3.21 takes away the super-low starting gear, but it gives you a super-high cruising gear that should sit comfortably at 70-80mph. It'll be slightly quieter and will return an extra ~2mpg. You're basically getting an extra gear, so long as you're comfortable with a slightly slower launch.

As far as gear hunting....every 8-speed FCA vehicle I've ever driven, including the Hemi 3.92 has been a gear-hunting mess, IMO. In fact, a Grand Cherokee I once borrowed was so terrible in the mountains, by the time the transmission settled on a climbing/descending gear, the opportunity had passed. It's going to take a lot of time for me to train my right foot to get the truck into the correct gear, but I'm hoping that I don't have a lot of 7-8 and 8-7 shifts in cruise control.

I'll ask real quick, does the 1500 allow you to set a maximum gear? If I'm climbing a steep mountain road, can I keep the transmission from shifting past a certain gear? Most vehicles allow this, but I'm not familiar with the 5th gen.

Also, is there a "Tiptronic" shift kit that would allow me to override the transmission's controller? Basically, make the 1500 into a manumatic in order to prevent gear hunting.

I fully agree. I have the 3.92 and tow maybe 25% of my miles. I would actually prefer the 3.21 for basically an “extra” gear for non-towing highway cruising. I also like the feel of longer lazier gearing (fewer shift points and generally quieter/lower revs). Additionally, I find a noticeable improvement in off the line performance with the etorque making the shorter first gear obsolete in my opinion. I honestly can barely tell I’m towing 7000lb until it turns into a wind sail at 80kph.

Your argument is bang on - basically you just swap a shorter first for an extra overdrive gear - but the real world towing capacity and usability is the same.

If it really matters that your truck can only tow 9500 pounds instead of 10,000 this is the wrong truck for you regardless of the rear axle. 3.21 doesn’t make your truck any less of a truck and it certainly offers it’s own advantages.

I just disagree that you would get 2mpg benefit as I haven’t seen it in comparable trucks I’ve driven, but it’s certainly possible under certain driving conditions.


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[SnowBlaZR2]

If it really matters that your truck can only tow 9500 pounds instead of 10,000 this is the wrong truck for you regardless of the rear axle.


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It's a little more than 500 lbs.

For the most popular configuration, the difference is 8,110 lbs vs 11,210 lbs.

 

[deeve]

@Johnny h I could be wrong in my understanding of eTorque or maybe they changed how it works, but isn’t that extra grunt from the electrics only during the first half rotation of the tire? I’d love if it gave more. My 4xe wrangler is an absolute rocket off the line with the electric motor and turbo engine working together.

 

[Aseras]

My Ecodiesel with a 3.92 doesn't hunt at all. I would've preferred the 3.21 as I only tow light things like a boat.

If it hunts, you simply hit the tow/haul button or use your gear selector on the sterring wheel to lockout 8th and stay in 7th gear. Presto, you've now got the same gearing as the 3.92 in 8th.

 

[Johnny_H]

@Johnny h I could be wrong in my understanding of eTorque or maybe they changed how it works, but isn’t that extra grunt from the electrics only during the first half rotation of the tire? I’d love if it gave more. My 4xe wrangler is an absolute rocket off the line with the electric motor and turbo engine working together.

I’m not 100% sure. I’ve heard anything from what you’ve said to between 500-1000rpm.

Either way I do feel it helps from a power point of view - would actually like to see some draggy data between comparable ET/non-ET. While 0-60 times are cool, better measure of real world performance (particularly with sports cars) is rolling starts or 5-60 times. There’s a lot more that goes on in that 0-5 than sexy peak HP numbers - drivetrain, low end torque, launch control, tire/suspension variables - and garbage 0-5 can really hurt a vehicles overall performance numbers.

I think the ET, even if it only gets the truck moving from a stand still for a couple tire rotations, offers a great boost off the line. That feeling of the lurch you get when engine restarts with the auto/start stop is definitely appreciable - especially when towing.

Trust me I’m not an ET fanboy and would have ordered my truck without it if I hadn’t found it on the lot for an amazing deal. But I do recognize it does have some benefits (most negligible) - and this is at least a tangible/useful one. Now that I’ve had it and lived with it trouble free so far *knock on wood* I actually really enjoy having it.


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[Johnny_H]

It's a little more than 500 lbs.

For the most popular configuration, the difference is 8,110 lbs vs 11,210 lbs.

Fair enough. But I’m still gonna shake my head at guys towing 11,000 pound 36 foot 5th wheels with a 1500.


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[mikeru82]

@Johnny h I could be wrong in my understanding of eTorque or maybe they changed how it works, but isn’t that extra grunt from the electrics only during the first half rotation of the tire? I’d love if it gave more. My 4xe wrangler is an absolute rocket off the line with the electric motor and turbo engine working together.

You're spot-on with that. The electric power is only applied for the first half wheel rotation.

 

[Johnny_H]

You're spot-on with that. The electric power is only applied for the first half wheel rotation.

Now flashback to pushing a broken down Ford. What you wouldn’t give to get a free half tire rotation to get it going.


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[SnowBlaZR2]

Fair enough. But I’m still gonna shake my head at guys towing 11,000 pound 36 foot 5th wheels with a 1500.


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Of course, but that's because they're definitely above the GVWR of their truck.

I'd feel pretty confident towing 11k with this truck if I ever had the need, so long as I was by myself and it wasn't a payload killer like a 5th wheel.

 

[Quint]

I had a 2015 Bighorn with 3.21 gears. All summer I tow my 16.5' boat with 90hp motor roughly 500 miles round trip to my cabin, basically flat from Minneapolis to the Canadian border. In the winter I tow my two snowmobiles. Neither setup weighs a ton. The 2015 with 3.21 gears did just fine towing, and probably 60% of my miles are towing. It went 112k miles before the dreaded cam & lifter failure.

My 2021 Bighorn has 3.92 gears, partially because the truck that I liked on the lot already had that AND the service department essentially said that the cam & lifter failure is accentuated by not getting enough rpms to splash oil around. I drive like an old man, so the 3.92 gears gets the rpms revving a little higher. I honestly can't tell the difference towing between the two trucks. When in Tow Mode, the old truck with 3.21 was rarely in 8th gear to begin with so it was mainly in 7th. Depending on how fast I was going it hunted to 6th a few times. The new truck with 3.92 rarely hunts gears but will when under load going 75mph up a hill.

I'd probably stick with the 3.21 as you will get slightly better mileage but I also wouldn't over-think the decision as both rations will work well for you.