mpg on 3/4 or 1 ton trucks

twodownzero wrote:

kohldad wrote:
The new 6.4 is designed to be a true truck engine with most torque available below 3000 rpms so no need to red-line the engine to get the power. I test drove on for over 40 miles and was extremely pleased with it's performance.

Torque is not a measurement of "power." If you do in fact need "power" the engine will be turning well north of 3,000 RPM.

Gasoline engines have been available that have 90% of their peak torque at just off idle and hold that all the way north of 5,000 RPM. This is mostly due to better head designs and roller camshaft profiles.

It doesn't follow that you won't need to downshift when climbing a hill with a load. The engine will be screaming just the same--gas or diesel.

My truck makes its peak torque at 1,600 RPM but climbing a mountain at 1,600 would just end up with a bunch of rattling and not getting anywhere.

Also, just to point something out, especially for 3/4 and 1 ton trucks, engines specifically suited to towing have been used in them for many years. Cam profiles, ignition manifolds, compression ratios, induction systems, and even entire engine designs have been dedicated to truck usage only. Ram is certainly not new in making a "truck-specific" engine--that has been going on since at least the 1970s across the board and probably since the invention of high compression, overhead valve V8s in at least one brand.

This is not exactly true. "Power" is the rate at which work is performed. "Torque" is the measurement of turning force. Power is a product of the torque that the motor generates. It is path dependent. Without torque, you have no power.