3.42 vs. 4.10 RR on a 2013 Dodge Cummings

I'll get you some measurements Chris, wished I thought of it earlier, I work 12 hr shifts tomorrow and Sunday, but will get them for you as soon as I can...Believe you're right about removing the hitch before you can unlock the adpater....also when you lock the adapter, it locks into place with latching pins..you would have to unsnap them before the locking arms could cause unit to become unlatched while towing....

NC Hauler wrote:

Me Again wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:
"I like NC's way of trading every 1-2 years! "

:B..Seems like it I know.....BUT, I'm done, this one better last because I got it as my retirement truck and I was even GIVEN, free of charge, a Chrysler Max Care 7yr, 100,000 mile extended warranty with -0- deductible, because of the 2 month wait on the picture frame adapter and more cancelled camping trips:)...so I love my 4:10, get's great mpg, truck looks great inside and out and I only have one last test...to tow with it:S.. With the late purchase of the truck and a two month wait on the picture frame adapter:M, I cancelled trips that I would have taken. I will tow with it next month when I tow my 5er back home from WV and am eager to see how it tows. Will post report also...

SOOOOO, at this point, the 13 will be it..............

Jim, talk to me about the factory 5th wheel hitch and prep! One of the 3500's yesterday had it and the other did not. You talked about the picture frame adapter????

I see they all have hitch plates welded onto the frame, but the 400 dollar option put the puck receivers in place.

Fill us in on what you have learned. the fore and aft spacing on the Dodges looks a lot longer than the Ford spacing??? Does it take a different model companion hitch???

Chris

IF you opt for a truck with the 5er/GN prep package, you can purchase the "picture frame adapter", but at $500, it's not cheap...but I do like the set up...sucker is heavy, weighs 75# and set's higher than regular rails do....it drops into place with T-type locks...it'll only set in the truck one way because puck hole lock downs have a bigger hole toward the tailgate and smaller towards the cab of the truck....put it in unlock position, and then crank handles a 1/4 of a turn and it's locked down TIGHT!! You may have to adjust it some to fit in the pucks...I had to loosen one, (it was too tight", and the front two were too loose....you sorta just work with it and can tell when it's locked into place. (I did my own), but would make Dealership put it on for you....would be easier).

My Reese 20K Signature hitch dropped into place after I adjusted on one of the tabs a little. no big deal...I also lowered my hitch a notch due to the rails being higher, again, the picture frame adapter sits higher in the bed.....

Chris, not sure about the companion hitch, but the picture frame adapter has several slots from front to back to drop hitch into place and lock it down....

IF you get a truck with the prep package, order the picture frame adapter with your trucks VIN#...you'll get it faster and maybe cheaper.....

adapter had the 22" spacing from side to side where I know just about any Reese hitch would work... You can go to the MOPAR site and look up the adapter in the hitch section.

I've probably left something out but hit me with another question and I'll try to answer it for you...

I do like the set up and I can remove my hitch and the adapter, put the puck caps back in place and have all of my truck bed back, no rails.

Thanks for the rundown Jim. If you have time sometime, maybe you could provide the measurements front to back CtoC of the hitch tab slots and left to right CtoC of the two sets of slots. I am sure you have been around long enough to know one can measure edge(near) to edge(far) and that is the same as Center to Center.

Also it appears that you have to remove the hitch from the picture frame before you can turn the lock arms in remove it.

Thanks

Chris

Me Again wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:
"I like NC's way of trading every 1-2 years! "

:B..Seems like it I know.....BUT, I'm done, this one better last because I got it as my retirement truck and I was even GIVEN, free of charge, a Chrysler Max Care 7yr, 100,000 mile extended warranty with -0- deductible, because of the 2 month wait on the picture frame adapter and more cancelled camping trips:)...so I love my 4:10, get's great mpg, truck looks great inside and out and I only have one last test...to tow with it:S.. With the late purchase of the truck and a two month wait on the picture frame adapter:M, I cancelled trips that I would have taken. I will tow with it next month when I tow my 5er back home from WV and am eager to see how it tows. Will post report also...

SOOOOO, at this point, the 13 will be it..............

Jim, talk to me about the factory 5th wheel hitch and prep! One of the 3500's yesterday had it and the other did not. You talked about the picture frame adapter????

I see they all have hitch plates welded onto the frame, but the 400 dollar option put the puck receivers in place.

Fill us in on what you have learned. the fore and aft spacing on the Dodges looks a lot longer than the Ford spacing??? Does it take a different model companion hitch???

Chris

IF you opt for a truck with the 5er/GN prep package, you can purchase the "picture frame adapter", but at $500, it's not cheap...but I do like the set up...sucker is heavy, weighs 75# and set's higher than regular rails do....it drops into place with T-type locks...it'll only set in the truck one way because puck hole lock downs have a bigger hole toward the tailgate and smaller towards the cab of the truck....put it in unlock position, and then crank handles a 1/4 of a turn and it's locked down TIGHT!! You may have to adjust it some to fit in the pucks...I had to loosen one, (it was too tight", and the front two were too loose....you sorta just work with it and can tell when it's locked into place. (I did my own), but would make Dealership put it on for you....would be easier).

My Reese 20K Signature hitch dropped into place after I adjusted on one of the tabs a little. no big deal...I also lowered my hitch a notch due to the rails being higher, again, the picture frame adapter sits higher in the bed.....

Chris, not sure about the companion hitch, but the picture frame adapter has several slots from front to back to drop hitch into place and lock it down....

IF you get a truck with the prep package, order the picture frame adapter with your trucks VIN#...you'll get it faster and maybe cheaper.....

adapter had the 22" spacing from side to side where I know just about any Reese hitch would work... You can go to the MOPAR site and look up the adapter in the hitch section.

I've probably left something out but hit me with another question and I'll try to answer it for you...

I do like the set up and I can remove my hitch and the adapter, put the puck caps back in place and have all of my truck bed back, no rails.

NC Hauler wrote:
"I like NC's way of trading every 1-2 years! "

:B..Seems like it I know.....BUT, I'm done, this one better last because I got it as my retirement truck and I was even GIVEN, free of charge, a Chrysler Max Care 7yr, 100,000 mile extended warranty with -0- deductible, because of the 2 month wait on the picture frame adapter and more cancelled camping trips:)...so I love my 4:10, get's great mpg, truck looks great inside and out and I only have one last test...to tow with it:S.. With the late purchase of the truck and a two month wait on the picture frame adapter:M, I cancelled trips that I would have taken. I will tow with it next month when I tow my 5er back home from WV and am eager to see how it tows. Will post report also...

SOOOOO, at this point, the 13 will be it..............

Jim, talk to me about the factory 5th wheel hitch and prep! One of the 3500's yesterday had it and the other did not. You talked about the picture frame adapter????

I see they all have hitch plates welded onto the frame, but the 400 dollar option put the puck receivers in place.

Fill us in on what you have learned. the fore and aft spacing on the Dodges looks a lot longer than the Ford spacing??? Does it take a different model companion hitch???

Chris

2500 Grunt wrote:
I don't understand how people can properly evaluate their trucks capability when pulling without having gauges (EGT, Tranny at a min.) to monitor vitals?? My 05 Cummins get's hot when I lay into the go pedal according to my EGT gauge. Sure it pulls great but things can get hot fast even though I still have roughly 1/3 of the skinny pedal left before it hits the floor. Kind of like guessing how fast your going down the freeway without a speedometer?

Per a big dog at Chrysler "just drive it, it can't hurt it's self".

2500 Grunt wrote:
I don't understand how people can properly evaluate their trucks capability when pulling without having gauges (EGT, Tranny at a min.) to monitor vitals?? My 05 Cummins get's hot when I lay into the go pedal according to my EGT gauge. Sure it pulls great but things can get hot fast even though I still have roughly 1/3 of the skinny pedal left before it hits the floor. Kind of like guessing how fast your going down the freeway without a speedometer?

Modern trucks do monitor all that stuff, they just may not necessarily transmit it to the driver- although my 2500HD has a tranny temp gauge. I would imagine that on a stock truck if the EGT got too hot the computer would cut back the fuel to avoid damage. Probably where it becomes really necessary for the driver to be able to monitor everything is when a truck is modified or chipped. A buddy of mine allowed his EGT to exceed 2000 degrees on a run up the pass. Even though he had a gauge, he didn't realize what he was doing to the engine and this cost him several $K in the form of a burned-through piston.

"I like NC's way of trading every 1-2 years! "

:B..Seems like it I know.....BUT, I'm done, this one better last because I got it as my retirement truck and I was even GIVEN, free of charge, a Chrysler Max Care 7yr, 100,000 mile extended warranty with -0- deductible, because of the 2 month wait on the picture frame adapter and more cancelled camping trips:)...so I love my 4:10, get's great mpg, truck looks great inside and out and I only have one last test...to tow with it:S.. With the late purchase of the truck and a two month wait on the picture frame adapter:M, I cancelled trips that I would have taken. I will tow with it next month when I tow my 5er back home from WV and am eager to see how it tows. Will post report also...

SOOOOO, at this point, the 13 will be it..............

2500 Grunt wrote:
I don't understand how people can properly evaluate their trucks capability when pulling without having gauges (EGT, Tranny at a min.) to monitor vitals?? My 05 Cummins get's hot when I lay into the go pedal according to my EGT gauge. Sure it pulls great but things can get hot fast even though I still have roughly 1/3 of the skinny pedal left before it hits the floor. Kind of like guessing how fast your going down the freeway without a speedometer?

I agree to some extent, but people have done it for years and years and years and we don't see trucks or cars broken down all over the place and 95% or more of my towing is done in the mountains.

This is JUST ME , just MY way of "thinking it through". IF I purchase a vehicle to tow with and I'm under the trucks GVWR and GCWR and I tow at a "common sensical" speed, where I get my best mpg, (fastest I run, maybe 65 on occasion, but normally, 60-62 mph or posted speed limits), all tire pressures have been checked on vehicle and whatever it is I'm towing. On the last several vehicles I've owned, the ONLY thing I can't check is EGT's...tranny temp and a lot of other variables can be checked with just a few "scrolls" through the vehicles information center.

I think EGT monitoring is important and would be nice to have, but again, in all the years I've been towing, only ONE time did I have a truck heat up on me, but not to the point where anything happened..

It would be nice if manufacturers included an EGT gage, but on these newer trucks today there are built in protection features....not saying the trucks can't be abused or break down, but I am saying if one uses some simple math and a lot of common sense when towing, I really don't see why one would worry about EGT's if one is well within the towing specs of their vehicle.....

If I purchase a truck that has enough GVWR to carry weight I need to carry, (and we're not even counting reserve of the RAWR), if I purchase a truck where total weight of TV and whatever it is I'm towing is under the trucks GCWR, I run at a speed where I use my common sense as opposed to seeing how fast I can get from point A to point B, make sure my truck is well maintained, (including air pressure), ect...THEN I feel like I have properly evaluated my trucks capabilities and limits...at that point, the ONLY stat I don't have is EGT, figure If I take care of everything else, the EGT will take care of itself.

I don't understand how people can properly evaluate their trucks capability when pulling without having gauges (EGT, Tranny at a min.) to monitor vitals?? My 05 Cummins get's hot when I lay into the go pedal according to my EGT gauge. Sure it pulls great but things can get hot fast even though I still have roughly 1/3 of the skinny pedal left before it hits the floor. Kind of like guessing how fast your going down the freeway without a speedometer?

NC Hauler wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:

4x4ord wrote:
I wouldn't want 4.10 gears unless I was planning on regularly towing over about 24000 lbs. Find one with 3.42 gears.

I respect your opinion. It makes me re think my thought on a 14 like my truck with the Aisin, air ride with 4:10's.

As I have said before my truck with 3:42's have worked well.

Probably will be going to a 38' Elite Suites along with a new 14 Ram.

Decisions Decisions!

I think the 3:73 would be the perfect one, right in the middle...gives you that "grunt" to get going and you get decent mpg.....If towing 24,000#, I'd opt for the 3:73, if towing in the mountains....but, that's just me.

I am almost thinking the same. I keep thinking If I get the 4:10's I won't be able to wish i did get the 4:10's. The only time I wished I had the lower gears is when I had to take off on a steeper grade.

Solo mileage is not a real concern since the 13 and 14's will get better mileage than mine even with the 4:10's.

Larry mine is really in need of a full detail so a new truck is in order!

I like NC's way of trading every 1-2 years!