Cummins Ram HD limited to 3.42 gears for 2013

While getting the most in terms of pulling out of your Ram Heavy Duty has generally meant operating with steeper gears, the 2013 Ram 2500 and 3500 will only be available with a 3.42 gearing radio.  The 3.73 and 4.10 gears previously featured in the Ram HD lineup are no longer available with those trucks equipped with single rear wheels – although Chrysler insists that the 3.42 rear gear ratio will allow the 2013 Ram 2500 and 3500 to tow more than a similarly equipped 2012 model.  Best of all, this lower gearing ratio will allow the 2013 Ram three quarter ton and one ton pickups to offer better fuel economy since the engine RPMs will be lower across the range of speeds.

According to Allpar, unnamed sources have confirmed that in the dealership ordering system, Ram 2500 and 3500 models cannot be equipped with anything other than 3.42 gears.  3.73 is listed as being standard but when the system advances, the 3.42 gears are automatically added.  The 4.10 ratio is available in the dealership ordering system but it cannot be selected.

What Chrysler does not address is whether or not the 3.73 or 4.10 gears will actually allow the 2013 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups to tow more.  They do point out that the 2013 Ram HD with 3.42 gears will  tow more than the 2012 Ram HD with bigger gears but we should keep in mind that the 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel powering the 2013 Ram is stronger than the one used for 2012 model year trucks.  In addition to the high output Cummins that churns out 385 horsepower and 850lb-ft of torque, the standard 6.7L CTD mated to an automatic transmission offers 370 horsepower and 800lb-ft of torque – up from 350hp for 2012.  Also, the Cummins diesel mated to the manual transmission offers 350hp and  660lb-ft of torque but improving on the 2012 diesel Rams with the manual transmission, the 2013 model makes peak torque at a lower engine RPM.  This additional power is likely the reason why the 2013 Ram HD can tow as much with 3.42 gears as the 2012 models can with steeper gears.

Even if the 2013 Ram HD is capable of towing more weight with the more aggressive gearing, the battle of the full size pickups has become as much about fuel economy as it is about power and capabilities.  The 2013 Ram HD offers best in class towing for both the 2500 and 33500 so once that was taken care of, Chrysler went to work on making the new Ram HD more efficient.

This might seem like a hassle for those 2013 Ram HD buyers who insist on the bigger gears but the good news is that bigger gear sets are readily available in the aftermarket and once equipped – the 2013 Ram HD may have even more impressive capabilities.

Source: Allpar

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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