Rumor has it there is a new tailgate on the Dodge?

Say it ain’t so! Thought Gemm was the only foo foo tailgate! I haven’t even fully accepted fords step and handle thing. Seen a lot of those ripped part or in a dumpster...
Laborers, forklifts and foo foo tailgates don’t mix well!

Hey, this is the tailgate thread! :) Off the rails as usual :)

ib516 wrote:

Hopefully the fact that they upgraded the software and computer on the Aisin will make an improvement.

I hopes so, cause the Aisin is very slow and clunky with its shifting. It shift strategy is not the best either putting you in the wrong gear for the situation at times. So does the stock 68RFE tuning.

Although, there is still the matter of the inefficient torque converter. You are not going to getting off the line very quickly with a inefficient TC on top of a slow shifting trans. This is why reviewers and owners say that the Ram feels sluggish off the line with normal acceleration compared to the other two. And is also one of the main reasons why it is much slower off the line yet starts to make up ground later once the TC locks on the acceleration tests .

bobsallyh wrote:
ShinerBock, what in the world would make you think that the "new 10 speed trannys" that Ford and GM are bringing out will be the pride of the fleet? Remember we are the over the road testers.

If this co designed 10-speed has the almost telepathic shift strategy and high efficiency TC of the Allison 1000 and the robustness to handle a lot of power and abuse like the Ford 6R140, then it will be.

" The fundamental problem with ram is they choose to essentially outsource their transmissions."

68RFE, and 47/48???

I personally like the fact they went to AISIN with it's stellar dependability being a True Medium Duty Transmission.

Will be interesting to see how it performs compared to the new trans.

ShinerBock wrote:

FishOnOne wrote:

ShinerBock wrote:
Ram should have spent their money on a better transmission for their HD diesels so they can at least keep up with the 10-speeds Ford and GM are coming out with for their diesels. Then again, this isn't the first time Ram/Chrysler skimped on a good trans behind their diesels for stupid pointless **** that will hardly be used by most consumers.

I'm sure the cost to design a swinging door tailgate is is peanuts compared to the cost to develop a transmission. The fundamental problem with ram is they choose to essentially outsource their transmissions.

Well, that is not just limited to Ram. Ford outsourced thew design of most of their 6R transmissions(not the 6R140) to ZF, and then just built them in house. Ram could(and should) have done the same instead of their 68RFE or Aisin.

Don't get me wrong the Aisin is strong and reliable, but it's cr@py shifting is very slow cannot be tuned. The 68RFE stock shifting is better than the Aisin, but still not as good as the other offerings. You have to custom tune it to get it to shift like the others. The valve body and thin overdrive clutches are also cr@p on the 68RFE and need to be upgraded to handle any real power.

And don't even get me started on the cr@py stock inefficient torque converter that comes on all Ram HD's. That thing hardly puts any power to the ground unlocked and it's not until it locks in higher gears that the truck starts to pull like a train. My billet lower stall speed TC I put in front of my built 68RFE is way more efficient and made a world of difference on how much power gets to the ground in the first few gears when the TC is unlocked. Especially at wide open throttle.

Hopefully the fact that they upgraded the software and computer on the Aisin will make an improvement.

ShinerBock, what in the world would make you think that the "new 10 speed trannys" that Ford and GM are bringing out will be the pride of the fleet? Remember we are the over the road testers.

FishOnOne wrote:

ShinerBock wrote:
Ram should have spent their money on a better transmission for their HD diesels so they can at least keep up with the 10-speeds Ford and GM are coming out with for their diesels. Then again, this isn't the first time Ram/Chrysler skimped on a good trans behind their diesels for stupid pointless **** that will hardly be used by most consumers.

I'm sure the cost to design a swinging door tailgate is is peanuts compared to the cost to develop a transmission. The fundamental problem with ram is they choose to essentially outsource their transmissions.

Well, that is not just limited to Ram. Ford outsourced thew design of most of their 6R transmissions(not the 6R140) to ZF, and then just built them in house. Ram could(and should) have done the same instead of their 68RFE or Aisin.

Don't get me wrong the Aisin is strong and reliable, but it's cr@py shifting is very slow cannot be tuned. The 68RFE stock shifting is better than the Aisin, but still not as good as the other offerings. You have to custom tune it to get it to shift like the others. The valve body and thin overdrive clutches are also cr@p on the 68RFE and need to be upgraded to handle any real power.

And don't even get me started on the cr@py stock inefficient torque converter that comes on all Ram HD's. That thing hardly puts any power to the ground unlocked and it's not until it locks in higher gears that the truck starts to pull like a train. My billet lower stall speed TC I put in front of my built 68RFE is way more efficient and made a world of difference on how much power gets to the ground in the first few gears when the TC is unlocked. Especially at wide open throttle.

The Ford Torino wagon had a tailgate that would swing from the side or fold down like a pickup. The Ford Excursion had a lower half split barn door gate, but it did not fold down. Ram's tailgate looks like it was was designed by someone that liked these Ford designs and melded them together.

Tyler0215 wrote:
Just another costly gimmick.

x2

Just like GMs 15 (!) cameras on a pickup :R