Ram 3500 (6.4 Hemi)3.73 vs 4.10 with TC
I'm looking at this truck on the dealer lot crew cab short box. I know the rear axle makes a difference towing but with a truck camper should I pass this truck up and wait or order a 4.10....I would ...
Forum Discussion
SoCalDesertRider wrote:
With the 3.55's I wasn't able to reach 2800+ rpm at speeds I could tow at, without going down to 2nd gear. The 4.56's put me right in the engine's sweet spot, at reasonable towing speeds, in 3rd gear, while also multiplying the engine's higher output.
The thing I can say about my Ram 3500 with 4:10 axle ratio with the truck camper loaded is that it seems to downshift only when really needed. The shift points seem good. It is only on an incline that it needs to downshift to maintain speed. I can't compare with 3.73 axle ratio since I have never experienced that but the 4:10 axle ratio seems good about maintaining the higher gear. When it downshifts it seems justified that it really needs extra power to go up an incline.
There is also tow haul mode, a button on the dash. I played with that. It seemed to just make the engine run at higher rpm. It caused the transmission shift points to be at higher rpm. That is similar to the effect of lower axle ratio, so I don't know how to compare tow haul mode to lower axle ratio (I suspect the answer may be that lower axle ratio increases torque where tow haul does not???). I decided that with the load I was carrying tow haul wasn't necessary with my 4:10 axle ratio. It increased rpm which I assume means worse gas mileage, where I had enough power without tow haul mode (if I was hauling a heavy 5th wheel rather than a lightweight truck camper that could change). So I left tow haul mode off. As to whether 3.73 axle ratio with tow haul mode on is an alternative to 4:10 axle ratio... that is an interesting question that I don't know the answer to.
