Did you know re: Dodge Ram?

[maroua]

On Dodge.com, in their towing guide, it specifically states that Dodge does not recommend towing a trailer with the 3.21 axle ratio.

http://www.dodge.com/towing/D/basics/terms_conditions.html

Check the disclaimer at the bottom.

At the dealership, and in other places, on the web, they happily match the
Ram 1500 with the 3.21 axle and a towing capacity of 8150 lbs.

What does this mean?

I spoke with someone at the Dodge support line, and they could not answer it either.

[goducks10]

All this BS back and forth on laptops and PC's made somewhere else but the U.S. Ironic. If it weren't for the China/Japanese made PC/laptops we wouldn't be able to have these pi$$in contests.

[travelnutz]

DirtyOil,

Not very informed are you? Lots of items, products, and assemblies are made in the USA by Americans using American/USA made components but how would you know as you are in Canada. Too bad your truck is actually a Mexican made truck imported into Canada or the USA so you can use te money you were paid in Canada or the USA and send it to Mexico workers and give the middle finger as a snub to your fellow Canadians and Americans. Thanks and I sure hope your devious actions come back to roost in your life!

BTW, I don't wear any Levi's or bluejean junk and never have nor will. Some of us always dress higher than that but maybe you don't know that either! We buy American as we care!

Guess the truth must hurt you an awful lot!!!

[bmanning]

This thread is a perfect example of why I log onto rv.net about 1/10 as much as I used to; misinformed nonsense run rampant, seasoned with ridiculous p*ssing contests about whose brand is better.

Some of you must not have realized that Stephen King's "Christine" was fiction...news flash, your truck is a hunk of steel that couldn't pick you out of a lineup, and your beloved brands want your dollars and could not possibly care less about you as a person. And some of you defend them like they're your family member.

Sad.

[jerem0621]

I checked out a Great AMERICAN Truck today... It was a Bronze Crew Max 1794 trim Tundra 4x4. It's one Impressive half ton!

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[spoon059]

Sorry, double post.

[spoon059]

larry barnhart wrote:
I made a comment so settle down. Our chev was not made in Mexico if you care you would know.

chevman

IndyCamp wrote:
My Silverado was built about two hours up the road from me in Fort Wayne, IN. It was, you know, "built in the USA by American workers."

My TT was also built in Indiana by my fellow Hoosiers. :C

I think you boys mean it was ASSEMBLED in America...
http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2012/03/what-percentage-of-your-truck-is-made-in-america.html

According to this, the only trucks "less American" are Nissans and Suzukis...

Engines are made in Canada and US, transmissions are made in Mexico and US. They do ship all the Mexican and Canadian parts to Michigan/Indiana so that the UAW can put them all together though...

The Tundra engine and transmission are made in USA and assembled in USA.

Facts gathered from http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/06/19/automobiles/20090619-auto-plants-4.html?ref=autoreview......

[DirtyOil]

NO because they are American owned and built by American workers and the profits stay in the USA. Which however is so unlike Dodge/Ram HD trucks, the hemi engines etc, the ownership of Chrysler Corp, which it owned and run by Fiat of Italy, made in Mexico by Mexican workers with the sales profits from Americans going to Fiat of Italy! Got it???

hey travelnutz...either do your business or get off the pot!! Enough with the "made/owned/built in America" calls!! Nothing is 100% made in America. You wear Levi jeans/shirts/jackets? American company... have a look at the label... look where those "American made/owned/built" jeans are actually made... gee buzz!!! American made... statement is as instinct as the Doo Doo bird...


only thing I can find 100% made in America is wigs, but I doubt the hair is 100% American.... 😉

[lbrjet]

Hey GM, where is our 10 billion you stiffed us on to 'stay American'. At least Fiat didn't stiff us. Guess our govt could only save one and they picked the loser of the bunch.

[travelnutz]

"LOL, should we start calling all Heartland, Airstreams, Keystones,etc Thors?"

NO because they are American owned and built by American workers and the profits stay in the USA. Which however is so unlike Dodge/Ram HD trucks, the hemi engines etc, the ownership of Chrysler Corp, which it owned and run by Fiat of Italy, made in Mexico by Mexican workers with the sales profits from Americans going to Fiat of Italy! Got it???

[goducks10]

thomasmnile wrote:

K Charles wrote:
First Dodge doesn't make Ram Fiat does

Gosh I thought it was Chrysler Group LLC and Fiat was the parent company. :h

So anyway, what's your point.............

LOL, should we start calling all Heartland, Airstreams, Keystones,etc Thors?

[parkersdad]

Foreign brand or not they are the best made trucks on the road the last two or three years. Also there website used to say to pull a camper buy a 2500. I don't know if it still does.

[RoyJ]

tempforce wrote:
the 3.21 rear gear builds up more heat than the 3.48-3.73 gear ratios.
the higher number ratios gears turn more. they have a lower load ratio per sq inch on the gears when towing heavy...

Not really, your parasitic loss is actually higher with a numerically higher (shorter) pinion & ring ratio. This is why NASCARs run taller gears and modern semi trucks run high OD transmissions with 2.xx rears.

The closer in size of the ring and pinion, the higher the meshing efficiency. Yes, the lateral & radial load on the pinion is higher, but that is compensated by the slower turning ring gear. Your parasitic loss is force * velocity, so that part evens out in the end.

Remember, the transmission & diff works as a team. An 8 speed ZF would be inefficient with a 3.92.

Ask yourself, with RAM's old 5/6 speed, would you pick a 6.14 rear end? That's the equivalent in 8spd+3.92

[RoyJ]

Huntindog wrote:
The 3.21 is a poor choice for towing. Lots of people say that all you gotta do is run in a lower tranny gear to make up for it.
Not really. Where the multiplication takes place matters to the overall performance and longevity of the driveline. Even if you have really low first gear for starting it rolling, the U joints are getting no help from that.

U-joints have to be rated for the maximum transmission torque output (plus a factor of safety). That max torque is solely dependent on engine torque x converter multiplication x 1st gear ratio.

In fact, I can go a step further and say within reason, they also have to withstand the torque multiplication of a transfer case as well, in the extreme case the front axle has no grip and the rear as all.

Therefore, to say that the u-joints can be hurt simply by the load resistance of 3.92 vs 3.21 gears is really stretching it. Take away the u-joint and driveshafts, no other thing stands in the way between the transmission and axle shafts.

With the 8 speed ZF, a 3.21 truck is equivalent of old truck with 5.03 gears. I would NOT (and did not) pick a 3.92 unless I'm full time towing, which is rare on a 1/2 ton.

[ib516]

5 year old news isn't worth arguing over. :S