While many Ram CTD buyers opt for higher gears for improving towing capacity, the 2013 Ram 2500 and 3500 models with single rear wheels are only available with 3.42 gears.

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good. There is never a need for 3.73 and 4.10 gears with a cummins.

they aren't gasoline trucks that can't get the job done without holding high rpms...

they make all of their torque below 2000rpm and have absolutely no need for short gear ratios...

 

Is the manual transmisson still running identical gearing as per the 2012 g-56, I'm kinda thrown off my the 342 rear end gearing..

6sp man transmisson CTD are rated less in hp and tourqe than a CTD Automatic and are geared low, so maybe I don't need a mim of a 373.. ltd slip rear end .. ???

I tow up to 10,000 lbs 06 2500 hemi reg cab 4x4 with a 6sp man and 373, Im not setting land speed records and the hemi likes to drink gas on ocassions when I do tow, But im never suffering for power..

 

no idea?

I know I hate my 4.10 gearing in my 2nd gen 24v cummins...

have no need at all for them.

as for towing, this old cummins does not know what a heavy load, or a hill is...never have to downshift to pull a grade unless some slow vehicle infront of you slows down and there is no passing lane...only time I have to downshift because they get me down to idle rpms...if I am 1500rpm+ though I can just push the throttle down and it will try to light up the tires...I avoid doing that in 6th though as I have already ripped all the teeth off of 6th gear and broke the intermediate shaft on my last NV5600 by doing that...

 

Why does Ram want to loose the RV towing market? I have a 2010 Ram Big Horn that came with a 3.42 and could handle a boat or a junk Indiana RV made of very light material, but not any high quality 5th wheel RV's. I spent $3000 to have a 3.73 installed and now I can handle a 30ft HitchHiker by NUWA. I weigh 21600 truck and trailer and in Texas the truck is tagged at 10600 and the trailer is tagged at 14600 so I am legal. But Dodge says I am only good for 20000 combined. So I was thinking I would get a 3500 short-bed Larime 6 speed manual and 3.73 rearend. But now I see that Dodge no longer wants my business. I guess my next truck will be a GMC. I will really miss the Cummins. That's what happens when you let a group if incompetent uneducated people run a great truck company out of business.

 

I dunno if you want those new engines anyway...all of the new emissions controls on them have been nothing but a headache for the truck owners.

as for towing...I saw a pretty funny youtube video of a chebby owner trying to keep up with a 2nd gen dodge both towing heavy loads....the duramax kept overheating trying to keep up with the cummins...

 

With 3.55 gears in my 12 valve I managed to make it from Florida to Washington with a ~14k pound trailer chained to the back.

Have you happened to glance at the stock power levels on the new trucks? 3.42 gearing, especially with a 6-speed (auto or manual) should be just fine for 90% of buyers. Those towing 20k pound loads would probably be better off buying a dually anyway.

 

power levels are good, but the increased maintenance on them with the emissions controls and the DEF fluid (not to mention DEF systems are already failing with less than 2000 miles on them...)

seeing trucks needing to go in and have their heads and intakes boiled out is going to be common soon due to these emissions controls...

wont catch me buying a brand new diesel truck... just not worth the headache

 

Yes, I will hate leaving the Cummins, but if Dodge goes to strictly 3.42 they are out of business for us 5th wheel RVers, But the city pucks probably could care less.

 

Having owned an emissions truck (and subsequently ripping it all off the week after buying it), I wouldn't do it again. I bought a set of injectors for about the price of a single 6.7 injector.