Ram 2500 Transmission Ratios

Interesting, good to hear you can get a trans tune, back when I had mine it wasn't possible supposedly, and no one offered it. The transmission was the one thing I hated most about the truck. I had no issues with my Cummins, but of course it had a lot more torque. But I loved finally being able to select a gear; that was the one thing I wanted most.

I'm somewhat old school, but I don't consider many of the modern engines to be true truck engines. There is no point to 4 valve heads and overhead camshafts in a truck; I don't really care what a truck engine does above 4000 rpm or so. It's all about useless horsepower nowadays. If they had more low-end torque this wouldn't be such an issue.

But it's too bad it's taken these companies so long to add gears to their trannies.

Y'all are scaring me. I'm hoping to swing a deal on a new Ram 2500 gasser in the next month or so. Wish I could get the CTD, but that $$$$ option is just too much unless I get the two seat stripper model, and then where would my 4 legged buddy ride.

I recall reading you've had nothing but problems with your truck... And your not the first to report gear selection/bogging problems either on these gas trucks as your tranny is the same as the 6.4. I don't believe a tuner going to help you with the bogging issue when shifting from 1st to 2nd.

Hope you get it sorted out....

Yup, had to get it towed again last week when a rear brake seized and over heated. I talked to a tuner specialist who guarantees satisfaction. Although it won't change the gear ratios, it will change the shift points and make them occur sooner. It should get rid of the 4th gear starts but won't help with hill climbs with the tt.

camp-n-family wrote:
I have the 6speed in my 2500 with the 5.7l hemi and hate it. Not sure if it's the same tranny as the 6.4l. I've made numerous complaints to the dealer. I had difficulty towing some hills last summer when starting out from a stop. Pulled good in 1st to redline but then it dies on the shift into 2nd, bogs down and can't accelerate. I was stuck manually shifting into 1st to hold it there and crawl all the way up the hill. This happened twice. My old Tundra, with the same trailer, would pull those hills and continue accelerating through the gears. Rear gears (3.73 vs 4.30) might have had something to do with it.

Towing at highway speeds on the flats the tranny is usually in 4th gear, rarely 5th unless downhill with a tailwind. The Tundra would hold 5th easily.

The other issue is that the truck always wants to start out in 4th gear, unless I come to a complete stop. It's bogged down trying to accelerate from a corner. It takes nearly full throttle to get it to downshift but then it drops 2 gears (to where it should have been in the 1st place) and accelerates like a bat out of hell. Very frustrating. I'm considering getting the truck tuned to help with this, even if it voids the warranty.

I recall reading you've had nothing but problems with your truck... And your not the first to report gear selection/bogging problems either on these gas trucks as your tranny is the same as the 6.4. I don't believe a tuner going to help you with the bogging issue when shifting from 1st to 2nd.

Hope you get it sorted out....

That is strange they don't offer the 8 spd on the 2500.

I have the 6speed in my 2500 with the 5.7l hemi and hate it. Not sure if it's the same tranny as the 6.4l. I've made numerous complaints to the dealer. I had difficulty towing some hills last summer when starting out from a stop. Pulled good in 1st to redline but then it dies on the shift into 2nd, bogs down and can't accelerate. I was stuck manually shifting into 1st to hold it there and crawl all the way up the hill. This happened twice. My old Tundra, with the same trailer, would pull those hills and continue accelerating through the gears. Rear gears (3.73 vs 4.30) might have had something to do with it.

Towing at highway speeds on the flats the tranny is usually in 4th gear, rarely 5th unless downhill with a tailwind. The Tundra would hold 5th easily.

The other issue is that the truck always wants to start out in 4th gear, unless I come to a complete stop. It's bogged down trying to accelerate from a corner. It takes nearly full throttle to get it to downshift but then it drops 2 gears (to where it should have been in the 1st place) and accelerates like a bat out of hell. Very frustrating. I'm considering getting the truck tuned to help with this, even if it voids the warranty.