2010 RAM HD will be different!!!
04-10-2008, 12:31 PM
#46
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Perhaps Dodge is splitting the segment into LD and HD for aerodynamic reasons.
If the LD trucks get 90 degree V8 power, whether diesel or gas, they can lower the hood line and achieve better MPGs.
Whereas the HD trucks would retain the inline 6, necessitating a taller hood line and a "more masculine" look.
With that being said, I love my rowboat trannys, but a great efficient auto would make me think twice about what I'd buy.
garrett
If the LD trucks get 90 degree V8 power, whether diesel or gas, they can lower the hood line and achieve better MPGs.
Whereas the HD trucks would retain the inline 6, necessitating a taller hood line and a "more masculine" look.
With that being said, I love my rowboat trannys, but a great efficient auto would make me think twice about what I'd buy.
garrett
04-11-2008, 07:35 AM
#48
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04-11-2008, 08:13 AM
#49
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Something similiar to the roadranger will be coming out with the new HD's, called the 79REM transmission, the M standing for Manual... But it will be an automated manual gearbox, meaning it will have a clutch, possibly two, but you won't shift gears with a handshaker, it will all be done by the computer. Chrysler did patent a system that would allow you to use a clutch pedal with it, but I doubt they would use such a system in a production vehicle.
This trans should increase mileage and power output dramatically over a conventional slushbox.
This trans should increase mileage and power output dramatically over a conventional slushbox.
04-11-2008, 10:45 AM
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Clutchless or even double-clutch manual trannies are here and they will revolutionize all we know about transmissions. Your typical automatic trans is not that radically different from the Torq-flite of 50 years ago.
Fay! Great posts! I missed reading your contributions. BTW-- I think we had the motor vs engine discussion on here and by the letter of the definition, it turns out that all engines are motors, but not all motors are engines (Motor-- any of various power units that develop energy or impart motion; engine- a machine for converting any of various form of energy into mechanical force and motion).
Anyway, I don't doubt the Ralph Gilles is good from Chrysler. But I have to say that I'm a little dismayed that in the interview he had to go do studies to see how people used their trucks! He admitted he had never owned one! I personally think that it's preferable to have someone who knows from experience what a truck buyer wants.
I'd prefer to see a chief Dodge Ram HD engineer be the guy that owns a massive 5er, goes camping, has pulled a large boat, etc.
How does designing the Chrysler 300 have anything to do with a Ram Truck? From *my* perspective, the 300 is a miserable failure of a car. Now don't get me wrong-- I know people fell in love with the look, and they sold a bunch of them for awhile.
But the 300 is all appearance and no substance. The fuel economy (even with a V6) is dismal. The outward visibility is nil-- you can't see a thing when you're parking. The handling could be much better if the car wasn't so incredibly overweight.
The interior is comfortable and classy, but unless have no practical mind in you at all, the 300 isn't a great car.
I'm hoping the next Ram HD isn't like like the previous 300--- chopped roof, poor performance, and begging for 26" rims
Fay! Great posts! I missed reading your contributions. BTW-- I think we had the motor vs engine discussion on here and by the letter of the definition, it turns out that all engines are motors, but not all motors are engines (Motor-- any of various power units that develop energy or impart motion; engine- a machine for converting any of various form of energy into mechanical force and motion).
Anyway, I don't doubt the Ralph Gilles is good from Chrysler. But I have to say that I'm a little dismayed that in the interview he had to go do studies to see how people used their trucks! He admitted he had never owned one! I personally think that it's preferable to have someone who knows from experience what a truck buyer wants.
I'd prefer to see a chief Dodge Ram HD engineer be the guy that owns a massive 5er, goes camping, has pulled a large boat, etc.
How does designing the Chrysler 300 have anything to do with a Ram Truck? From *my* perspective, the 300 is a miserable failure of a car. Now don't get me wrong-- I know people fell in love with the look, and they sold a bunch of them for awhile.
But the 300 is all appearance and no substance. The fuel economy (even with a V6) is dismal. The outward visibility is nil-- you can't see a thing when you're parking. The handling could be much better if the car wasn't so incredibly overweight.
The interior is comfortable and classy, but unless have no practical mind in you at all, the 300 isn't a great car.
I'm hoping the next Ram HD isn't like like the previous 300--- chopped roof, poor performance, and begging for 26" rims
05-16-2008, 11:54 AM
#51
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its the fact that the ZF trans/flywheel is/was a piece of garbage, and GM didnt sell any. I think something silly like 1% of dmax's got a ZF trans. Supply vs. demand. You dont sell much of one option, you discontinue it. It all boils down to how a mfg can make the most profit with the least amount of cost to them. GM didnt discontinue it "because the duramax couldnt handle it". The allison is a good auto, and GM took that and ran with it. They marketed it and pushed it, and that in addition with the name "allison", its no surprise they dindt sell any ZF's. They use it as their main marketing scheme/selling point just as dodge has the cummins. If dodge had another diesel option alongside the cummins, do you think people would choose that other diesel over the legendary CTD? NO! And you'd see the same scenario with the auto/manual situation in the GM trucks.
Whether people like it or not, the automatic trans is the future. We are not dealing with the worthless slushboxes of 30 years ago, now you can get an auto that will tow just as well and perform just as well as a manual, without tiring your leg out, etc...so if you are presented with an auto like that, why would you not choose it over a worthless dual mass flywheel that starts rattling every 20k miles?
The 47/48re was not a great auto (im sorry, but I dont think many will argue with me) for towing, the gear ratios were bad, etc.. People with diesel trucks tow, so thats why dodge sells so many manuals, because nobody wants to tow 16,000 pounds with an overgrown torqueflite 727. The 47/48re could not effectively keep the cummins in its ideal torque range, which is way down low unlike V8's because the trans was not designed with diesel engines in mind, particularly a stump puller like the cummins. With the 48re towing big loads you are either lugging the engine too low, or screaming away at redline. With a manual you have 6 gears to choose from, much better matched to keeping the engine in its proper rpm range. So thats why half of dodge guys buy a manual, because of the poor auto reputation. Not saying the current chrysler auto's are bad in that they blow up all the time, Ive heard of plenty 48re's going many miles, but they just are not suited to moving big loads around efficently. If chrysler offered an allison trans, I bet you would see the same trends as GM, 1 manual to every 100 auto trucks.
As for your "direct coupling" theory, thats not true because once above 20mph in second gear, your manual is NO MORE direct coupled than an allison is when in tow/haul mode. When you jab the throttle and let off, it snaps your head back and forth just the same way a manual trans truck does.
Its all a money thing.
but hey, thats just my own dumb oppinion.
ben
Whether people like it or not, the automatic trans is the future. We are not dealing with the worthless slushboxes of 30 years ago, now you can get an auto that will tow just as well and perform just as well as a manual, without tiring your leg out, etc...so if you are presented with an auto like that, why would you not choose it over a worthless dual mass flywheel that starts rattling every 20k miles?
The 47/48re was not a great auto (im sorry, but I dont think many will argue with me) for towing, the gear ratios were bad, etc.. People with diesel trucks tow, so thats why dodge sells so many manuals, because nobody wants to tow 16,000 pounds with an overgrown torqueflite 727. The 47/48re could not effectively keep the cummins in its ideal torque range, which is way down low unlike V8's because the trans was not designed with diesel engines in mind, particularly a stump puller like the cummins. With the 48re towing big loads you are either lugging the engine too low, or screaming away at redline. With a manual you have 6 gears to choose from, much better matched to keeping the engine in its proper rpm range. So thats why half of dodge guys buy a manual, because of the poor auto reputation. Not saying the current chrysler auto's are bad in that they blow up all the time, Ive heard of plenty 48re's going many miles, but they just are not suited to moving big loads around efficently. If chrysler offered an allison trans, I bet you would see the same trends as GM, 1 manual to every 100 auto trucks.
As for your "direct coupling" theory, thats not true because once above 20mph in second gear, your manual is NO MORE direct coupled than an allison is when in tow/haul mode. When you jab the throttle and let off, it snaps your head back and forth just the same way a manual trans truck does.
Its all a money thing.
but hey, thats just my own dumb oppinion.
ben
Actually the ZF is not a piece of Garbage, the specific model that GM spec'd was. they requested teh 6spd without the OD oiling pump that all other ZF6 speeds have, the ZF6 spd is comparible toa NV5600 or the G56 when you disassemble one and compare the internals. Further more they detuned the D-max when it was in a manual transmission application. So no marketing, detuned engine only availible with the manual tranny and no on lot sales, special order availibility only.......... they have stated for years that they have wanted to streamline the truck line down to 2 or 3 engine options and a limited number of trannies. by not supporting the manual tranny they can reduce sales through making it inconvenient and then phasing it out. from their perspective this reduces costs through limiting the variations in wiring computers and diagnostics.
Dodge is not going to a V-8 cummins in the big trucks. They are however adding a light duty V-8 cummins to the line up for the 1500 series pickups.
Ford still offers the 6.4 witha manual tranny, part of their reasoning for upping the cubic inches and adding the twins was to increase the ability of the motor to clean up its emissions but also it was to increase bottom end torque for their manual tranny truck sales.......they have even stated that this was in part due to having so many complaints about the lack of torque from the 6.0 in manual tranny applications.
a road ranger auto shift with gears and 7 speeds would be awesome in place of the 68RE or Aisin in CC trucks then maybe they could bump that aisin down o us low lifes with single rear wheel trucks..... then along side of that maybe a 7 speed with a gear shift and clutch pedal would still be nice also. they open the door witha 7 speed in a 3500 single rear wheel and still with a clutch pedal and a hand shaker i'll be looking seriously at it about that time
02-22-2009, 12:32 AM
#57
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A system like this in the ram would be nice as it would cover both worlds of auto or man.
02-22-2009, 08:31 AM
#58
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02-22-2009, 08:54 AM
#59
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You are exactly right on that Phil! Those old 727's were put in some mighty powerful Dodge and Plymouth Muscle Cars like the 440 Chargers (like yours),
Challengers, Cudas and Road Runners. I am pretty sure they were the trannies behind the Hemis also.
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John_P
