I am looking for a Ram tv and would like some opinions on the Aisin transmission option. I know this is going to stir up some discussion but basically I am asking is the option is worth the money? I see it as almost paying for a 68rfe rebuild up front and really don't know much about the Aisin or how much more durable is is over the 68rfe.Thanks for your comments.

Different gear ratios. Maybe not much but some different. Been used if the 4500/5500 trucks for several years with no major issues. It I were buying new it would probably be that one. The 68RFE is a really good transmission but......

The AS69RC (Aisin), used in the 2013 and up Ram 3500's, was a newer model Aisin than what came in the 4500 & 5500 trucks at that time....It's a medium duty transmission, which offers higher HP & TQ than a similar equipped Ram with the 68RFE or the G56 manual tranny....I've owned a 10 and a 12HO Ram 3500 DRW, CC/LB/4X4 with 68RFE, one in Laramie trim, other in Longhorn trim...I now have truck in my sig...This truck seems to move the load a bit faster and has better gear shifting, in my opinion, but I personally think it's worth the extra that one will pay for it....having owned both the 68RFE and now the Aisin, towing the same 5er over the same mountains, I think it's worth the extra money...but just my opinion from being able to compare both as daily drivers and towing my 16,300# 5er.

Gear ratio comparisongear.....Aisin.....68RFE1........3.75......3.232........2.00......1.843........1.34......1.414........1.00......1.005........0.77......0.826........0.63......0.63R........3.54......4.45As you can see, The Aisin has a lower first gear so it has better startability. Others like to say it has better spacing between the gears as well. It is roughly $3k mark-up for this transmission, but its biggest benefit is that it has PTO. So if you have designs for using the PTO provision, this is the only way to go aside from the G56 manual. Other than that, you get a modest bump in Torque and HP (370 --> 385 HP and 800 --> 865 lbft of torque). It is up to you to weigh this out.

jus2shy wrote:Gear ratio comparisongear.....Aisin.....68RFE1........3.75......3.232........2.00......1.843........1.34......1.414........1.00......1.005........0.77......0.826........0.63......0.63R........3.54......4.45As you can see, The Aisin has a lower first gear so it has better startability. Others like to say it has better spacing between the gears as well. It is roughly $3k mark-up for this transmission, but its biggest benefit is that it has PTO. So if you have designs for using the PTO provision, this is the only way to go aside from the G56 manual. Other than that, you get a modest bump in Torque and HP (370 --> 385 HP and 800 --> 865 lbft of torque). It is up to you to weigh this out.I have no use for a PTO...I do have use for a truck with a medium duty Diesel engine strapped to a medium duty transmission, as I will be retiring and towing either the 5er in my sig. or a much heavier 5er all over the United States, (Good Lord willing)...Again, having owned both and towed same 5er over the same terrain with both trannies, I like the Aisin..don't know or care about spacing of gears, but know how it act's towing in the mountains and it does great...worth the extra money to me, especially if it pay's off in the long run...heck, I'll take the extra 15HP and 65lbft of TQActually one is charged $600 for the 68RFE and $2995 for the Aisin, so it's actually a $2395 add one....well worth going from a regular to a medium duty tranny, but that's just me..

I can't tell a major difference between my '12 Ram with the 68RE and my '14 Ram with the Aisin. My experience with the two transmissions has been positive and would have a difficult time quantifying or describing any differences worthy of the cost. With that said, I haven't pushed either transmission to any significant limits.

Aisin transmission | Good Sam Community

Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Mar 10, 2015
NC Hauler wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
FishOnOne wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
I certainly would not consider the 68RFE not HD. Rated to tow a combined load of 30K in the late 11 and 12 MY. Not sure what it's ratings are now in a Dually. Just remember RAM with the Aisin is rated higher than GM and Ford and backed up by SAE J2807 @ a combined load of 37,600#.

Like I said we can go on like this forever. Your Michelin's are not an American owned Company but they are made here like so many of the parts on your and my trucks both.

Towing ability and longevity are two different topics and the 68RE lacks the latter.

The GM trucks and the Ford F450 are SAE J2807 rated and both come with a HD tranny when backed by a diesel (In GM's case) in all cab/model configurations. And in the case of the F450 has a higher tow rating than your LAM 4500 errr... 3500. :W

Fish have you considered running for office?

He'd make a great politician...don't feed the troll Ron.....

But I feel sorry for him, I think he is just trying to make friends.

He is actually really good at changing the subject.
FishOnOne
Nomad
Mar 10, 2015
Cummins12V98 wrote:
FishOnOne wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
I certainly would not consider the 68RFE not HD. Rated to tow a combined load of 30K in the late 11 and 12 MY. Not sure what it's ratings are now in a Dually. Just remember RAM with the Aisin is rated higher than GM and Ford and backed up by SAE J2807 @ a combined load of 37,600#.

Like I said we can go on like this forever. Your Michelin's are not an American owned Company but they are made here like so many of the parts on your and my trucks both.

Towing ability and longevity are two different topics and the 68RE lacks the latter.

The GM trucks and the Ford F450 are SAE J2807 rated and both come with a HD tranny when backed by a diesel (In GM's case) in all cab/model configurations. And in the case of the F450 has a higher tow rating than your LAM 4500 errr... 3500. :W

Fish have you considered running for office?

Thanks... But no thanks. I wouldn't stand a chance in your liberal/nanny state.
NC_Hauler
Explorer
Mar 10, 2015
Cummins12V98 wrote:
FishOnOne wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
I certainly would not consider the 68RFE not HD. Rated to tow a combined load of 30K in the late 11 and 12 MY. Not sure what it's ratings are now in a Dually. Just remember RAM with the Aisin is rated higher than GM and Ford and backed up by SAE J2807 @ a combined load of 37,600#.

Like I said we can go on like this forever. Your Michelin's are not an American owned Company but they are made here like so many of the parts on your and my trucks both.

Towing ability and longevity are two different topics and the 68RE lacks the latter.

The GM trucks and the Ford F450 are SAE J2807 rated and both come with a HD tranny when backed by a diesel (In GM's case) in all cab/model configurations. And in the case of the F450 has a higher tow rating than your LAM 4500 errr... 3500. :W

Fish have you considered running for office?

He'd make a great politician...don't feed the troll Ron.....
NC_Hauler
Explorer
Mar 10, 2015
FishOnOne wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
I certainly would not consider the 68RFE not HD. Rated to tow a combined load of 30K in the late 11 and 12 MY. Not sure what it's ratings are now in a Dually. Just remember RAM with the Aisin is rated higher than GM and Ford and backed up by SAE J2807 @ a combined load of 37,600#.

Like I said we can go on like this forever. Your Michelin's are not an American owned Company but they are made here like so many of the parts on your and my trucks both.

Towing ability and longevity are two different topics and the 68RE lacks the latter.

The GM trucks and the Ford F450 are SAE J2807 rated and both come with a HD tranny when backed by a diesel (In GM's case) in all cab/model configurations. And in the case of the F450 has a higher tow rating than your LAM 4500 errr... 3500. :W

The 3500 is also SAE J2807 rated (before GM and Ford), and also comes with a medium duty tranny is only a little ole 3500, not an F450 as you would love to spout out....I would like to think that an F450 would have a higher tow rating than a 350/3500 series...make it out all you want, but it is what it is, no matter how badly you want to play it down.....
NC_Hauler
Explorer
Mar 10, 2015
FishOnOne wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
FishOnOne wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
steve-n-vicki wrote:
Should the Asin be called a Toyota transmission? since Toyota owns 51.9 %

Transmission is made in USA.

By a foreign company!

Here we go again!

Your Powerstroke engine is Made in Mexico. And my RAM is assembled in Mexico.

And to add more insult your truck and transmission is made by a foreign company.

How do you like it now! :W

I love it....I see you're back at it again...Ram has a medium duty tranny they can throw out against the Allison, and the ONLY thing you can come up with is., "where is it manufactured", or by whom....if it's out of this country..it's bad....what a troll...:R
steve-n-vicki
Explorer
Mar 09, 2015
Hey I am not throwing rocks at Asin transmissions, my car has one and it has been a good transmission for the past 200,000 miles, if the truck transmissions are this good I would jump on it a New York minute, I just wish pickup truck makers would do what medium to heavy truck makers do, let you spec your engine , trans, rear end , brakes , wheel type
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Mar 09, 2015
FishOnOne wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
I certainly would not consider the 68RFE not HD. Rated to tow a combined load of 30K in the late 11 and 12 MY. Not sure what it's ratings are now in a Dually. Just remember RAM with the Aisin is rated higher than GM and Ford and backed up by SAE J2807 @ a combined load of 37,600#.

Like I said we can go on like this forever. Your Michelin's are not an American owned Company but they are made here like so many of the parts on your and my trucks both.

Towing ability and longevity are two different topics and the 68RE lacks the latter.

The GM trucks and the Ford F450 are SAE J2807 rated and both come with a HD tranny when backed by a diesel (In GM's case) in all cab/model configurations. And in the case of the F450 has a higher tow rating than your LAM 4500 errr... 3500. :W

Fish have you considered running for office?
FishOnOne
Nomad
Mar 09, 2015
Cummins12V98 wrote:
I certainly would not consider the 68RFE not HD. Rated to tow a combined load of 30K in the late 11 and 12 MY. Not sure what it's ratings are now in a Dually. Just remember RAM with the Aisin is rated higher than GM and Ford and backed up by SAE J2807 @ a combined load of 37,600#.

Like I said we can go on like this forever. Your Michelin's are not an American owned Company but they are made here like so many of the parts on your and my trucks both.

Towing ability and longevity are two different topics and the 68RE lacks the latter.

The GM trucks and the Ford F450 are SAE J2807 rated and both come with a HD tranny when backed by a diesel (In GM's case) in all cab/model configurations. And in the case of the F450 has a higher tow rating than your LAM 4500 errr... 3500. :W
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Mar 09, 2015
I certainly would not consider the 68RFE not HD. Rated to tow a combined load of 30K in the late 11 and 12 MY. Not sure what it's ratings are now in a Dually. Just remember RAM with the Aisin is rated higher than GM and Ford and backed up by SAE J2807 @ a combined load of 37,600#.

Like I said we can go on like this forever. Your Michelin's are not an American owned Company but they are made here like so many of the parts on your and my trucks both.
FishOnOne
Nomad
Mar 09, 2015
Cummins12V98 wrote:
FishOnOne wrote:
BurbMan wrote:
Look at the success that GM had adding the Allison behind the DMax....The 4L80E and 4L85E were/are very strong transmissions....but they are nothing like the Allison for towing. At least Ran leaves the Aisin as an option instead of just packaging it with the Cummins and making every truck $3k more expensive.

The problem is RAM doesn't offer this tranny in a 2500 series.

Problem????? What problem?

No need to since RAM has a very capable 68RFE. 65K on mine at trade zero problems towing 28-29K with 3:42's. So it's more than enough for the 2500.

What tires come on your truck Fish?

Michelin LTX2...

Point is both GM and Ford install their HD tranny in all their HD configurations except RAM.

I would have to say the OP is wise to pay the extra $$$$ and get the Aisin tranny.

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