Hey all, I am new to the site, but I need some advice. I know this is kind of a lot but I need help figuring out what I can do to my truck without damaging it. It is a 2002 Ram 1500 rwd with the magnum v6 and 45rfe transmission. I really want to get a 3 inch lift with 33 inch all terrain or rugged terrain tires, but I have a gear ratio of 3.55, and have heard that is too low to run tires that big, I also tow every now and then, so that would probably hurt the trans even worse. My question is what can or should I do to the truck without damaging it?

 

What kind of weight do you regularly tow?

 

So you want your 210hp 3.7 truck to go even slower and work harder than it already does.....?

 

Around 2500 pounds including the trailer. It’s just two full size atvs.

 

No it already is screaming carrying the atvs especially on any kind of incline, but if there was something I could do like tune it or regear it for cheap somehow, I’d do it.

 

"Re-gearing" and "Cheap" don't go together. When they do, they are typically followed by "expensive repair".

 

Well you CAN regear it cheap if you find a junkyard 3.92 and swap the whole axle assembly over. You can get a whole assy from a pick-a-part for probably $200

Bigger tires + Regear = Same position you were in before, now with worse fuel economy. You're just simply going to be limited by the V6.

My best advice? Don't put any money into the truck, unload it and find a Hemi.

You can also eek out a bit of extra fuel economy by swapping the TCM for one from a 2003 and unlocking your 5th gear.

 

I'm just imagining that poor little 3.7 trying to lug that truck in the 2nd OD gear (5th) even at highway speed. That 2003 TCM is programmed to do its noble best to put that truck in 5th gear as quickly as possible.

 

He could do well downhill with a tailwind