Which axle ratio for 2013 Ram 3500 dually?

Nautique200 wrote:
I have a 2012 with 3.73s and 35" tires. This is pretty close to the 3.42 ratio. I hate it. I have a hard time getting heavy loads moving, the truck has to turn a lot of RPMs to get the load moving. Also, the torque converter does not lock up on some of the steep mountain roads we haul our horse trailer (10K) up. These roads take 20 minutes of non stop climbing doing between 15 and 35 mph. The transmission just keeps building heat. On the highway, it does great. Everywhere else, it leaves me wishing I would have chosen the 4.10s so I would have been closer to a 3.73 final ratio.

I'm looking at getting a 2014 DRW Ram with the Aisin and Air Suspension. I will be getting 3.73s or 4.10s, I would never consider the 3.42.

I am not doubting your post but I am very surprised by it because my Ford has 3.55 gears and 34" tires which makes it about 3.34 with 32" tires. It starts out with a 30,000 lb trailer as though there is nothing hooked to it. I attribute much of that to Ford's torque converter which can lock up at 900 rpm. My guess is that the Aisin set up will be much the same.