Raced a 16 Silverado 2500hd-6.0...LOST

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loveracing1988

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RAM_Designs

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Danno is the epitome of a loser troll who lives in his parent's basement.
 

RamNoob

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Well here goes my race story, when I lived in new York there was a bridge that connected the two towns next to each other with a stop light at either end. But, only the right lane the one i was in was the lane to keep going straight at the other side of the bridge.

So here I am 19, in my 2004 f350 6.0 powerstroke drw cc long bed with my dads trailer and roughly 4 tons of coal. Some ******* that i went to school with was out driving his brand new corvette thing with his girl. I had my window down and he shouted bet I can beat you to the other side i laughed. So like any 19 year old would do, i started to brake boost. When the light turned green the vette was gone and here i am at the light watching the undercover cop that was behind me go screaming out to get him.

Needless to say i did make it to the other side of the bridge first, i waved to that kid i went to school with as i drove by and he gave me the finger. I still laugh about it to this day.
 

avolnek

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The chevy was a c.c. s.b....Rolling start @ 20mph up to 100mph...DEAD EVEN the whole way till he just pulled me by 1 ft as I rolled past 100 mph and then backed off...So I lost...LOOOOOL....Unless you take into consideration these few other things...My RAM had an 8.5'...700# Western plow blade hooked to the front of my truck...I also had a 250# salt spreader mounted on the rear bumper...along with 1500# of de-icing rock salt in the bed of the truck...Sooo technically I lost the race by 1 foot @ 100 mph...His wife/girlfriend who was sitting in the passenger seat had such a big grin on her face I thought see may have been having an ******.........

We have all done stupid **** in our days but 100 mph racing with a snow plow and a load of salt definitely endangered many more than I've ever done... Thank god no one ran out in front of you....

Story would be better if she got out and got in your truck by the way...
 

smiley

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Well here goes my race story, when I lived in new York there was a bridge that connected the two towns next to each other with a stop light at either end. But, only the right lane the one i was in was the lane to keep going straight at the other side of the bridge.

So here I am 19, in my 2004 f350 6.0 powerstroke drw cc long bed with my dads trailer and roughly 4 tons of coal. Some ******* that i went to school with was out driving his brand new corvette thing with his girl. I had my window down and he shouted bet I can beat you to the other side i laughed. So like any 19 year old would do, i started to brake boost. When the light turned green the vette was gone and here i am at the light watching the undercover cop that was behind me go screaming out to get him.

Needless to say i did make it to the other side of the bridge first, i waved to that kid i went to school with as i drove by and he gave me the finger. I still laugh about it to this day.



I think we all grow up and learn sometimes when you lose you actually win and sometimes when you lose you actually win. It was a message of White Men Can't Jump long ago and it was and still is spot on. Unfortunately most of us still have flashes of needing to "win" at all cost and do stupid things. No judgement here on any post. At the end of the day your decision your consequence. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose and sometimes the result isn't even obvious until looking back. :)
 

yoda

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It can be had with the 4.10 gears on the DRW - I'm pretty sure this is the setup you must get to achieve the 33 million pound towing capacity bragged about in the commercials.

I think Ram's whole marketing and offering of their trannys is inferior to the other manufacturers. Having the "standard" tranny and then an upgrade naturally makes the standard one be perceived as a POS. This kind of gets into just a diesel thing but I think Chevy/GMC is genius for offering only the Allison with their diesel instead of a choice.

I think the 66rfe/68rfe trannys (Hemi and stock diesel respectively) will go down in history as a pretty crappy tranny. If Ram could either produce or partner with someone making a rock solid tranny it would propel them greatly. Bailing on the rfe entirely and just throwing an Aisin in everything would be a GREAT move
Of course it all comes down to money and one of the benefits of Ram is more for your money than the competition. So, to that extent I guess we just get what we get :)

Working on these trucks everyday I actually would want the RFE over the Aisin. In my experience unless you are heavily modded they are excellent transmissions, easier to work on and less expensive to repair than the aisin.

Just wondering what you are basing your opinion on.
 

smiley

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Working on these trucks everyday I actually would want the RFE over the Aisin. In my experience unless you are heavily modded they are excellent transmissions, easier to work on and less expensive to repair than the aisin.



Just wondering what you are basing your opinion on.



Complaints... I don't work on them to be clear just thinking the GM model has worked well for them selling the transmission really more than the engine. Most agree the Cummins is a better engine but most also agree the Allison is a better transmission than the Ram standard issue. Have you had people complain or make fun of the Ram engines? Most people I know who may hate on Dodge/Ram can't say anything about the engines because too to bottom they are pretty awesome. The transmission reputation has lacked and even if it was marketing look at the Hemi... marketing sells.

I also believe overbuilt is always better than under built. Give people what they probably won't push to the limit vs what they will.
 

HS-LD

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The chevy was a c.c. s.b....Rolling start @ 20mph up to 100mph...DEAD EVEN the whole way till he just pulled me by 1 ft as I rolled past 100 mph and then backed off...So I lost...LOOOOOL....Unless you take into consideration these few other things...My RAM had an 8.5'...700# Western plow blade hooked to the front of my truck...I also had a 250# salt spreader mounted on the rear bumper...along with 1500# of de-icing rock salt in the bed of the truck...Sooo technically I lost the race by 1 foot @ 100 mph...His wife/girlfriend who was sitting in the passenger seat had such a big grin on her face I thought see may have been having an ******.........

I'd get out and torch my truck if I lost to a frickin' SNOW PLOW...
 

HS-LD

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I only wonder after reading this why they can't make the Aisin standard on HD trucks.



The 66/68 are actually great trannies. It's only on the forums where they get ****** to death. There's a guy who runs a fleet of ram Diesels out of Louisiana relocating cars. He's got about 10, and a few have 2+ million miles on them. He said he buys the 68rfe's because he knows at 350,000 they need to be rebuilt and they are cheaper to rebuild than the Aisins.



He's not drag racing, and the trucks are stock. Just being used for what they were built for and the trannies do what they are supposed to do.



Now the 545's were actually garbage and the new ZF 8 speeds have no fluid check dipstick and "Lifetime" fluid (whose lifetime?)



To check the fluid on a ZF 8 speed you need a computer and NASA certified scientist as an assistant. Not for me...
 
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smurfs_of_war

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Many sources I have talked with directly (techs) and indirectly (online) tout the 66/68 as dead reliable and solid. That said- I had a 66rfe go totally nuclear in my previous 2500. In the transmissions defence though, that entire truck was a problem child so who knows what may have led to that.

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smiley

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The 66/68 are actually great trannies. It's only on the forums where they get ****** to death. There's a guy who runs a fleet of ram Diesels out of Louisiana relocating cars. He's got about 10, and a few have 2+ million miles on them. He said he buys the 68rfe's because he knows at 350,000 they need to be rebuilt and they are cheaper to rebuild than the Aisins.



He's not drag racing, and the trucks are stock. Just being used for what they were built for and the trannies do what they are supposed to do.



Now the 545's were actually garbage and the new ZF 8 speeds have no fluid check dipstick and "Lifetime" fluid (whose lifetime?)



To check the fluid on a ZF 8 speed you need a computer and NASA certified scientist as an assistant. Not for me...



Good to know I could also be buying into some of the hype. My Ram has the 545RFE right? The bad transmission right? I have heard many times but yet I have towed a lot and been happy with it. So I totally understand if the 68RFE gets unfair rap but have you heard of people complaining about the Aisin? Could be lack of volume but I have not.
 

mtofell

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Just wondering what you are basing your opinion on.

The 66rfe in my 2014 Hemi blew @ 38K miles under totally minimal circumstances. I was sitting in stop/go traffic and when rolling along at about 5mph I pushed the accelerator to speed up - the RPMs went up and I pretty much stayed still. I limped it a mile or so to an exit and got towed to the dealer from there. Word was the valve body exploded and wiped out all the internal parts. I got new steels and some other stuff - I honestly don't know much about the inner-workings.

My usage of the truck is completely within specs. I am 1000% stock - no chips, over-sized tires, lifts or any mods at all. I tow a 5th wheel very rarely - probably less than 1000 miles total and not within weeks of when the failure occurred. I'm a boring middle aged guy that uses my truck as a commuter 99% of the time.

So, the tranny gets rebuilt and basically drives like crap. I have a TERRIBLE shudder when doing a 2-1 shift under a light load - like coasting into a speed hump and then accelerating. When hammering it (which I rarely do) it responds fine. It's just when under med/light throttle the tranny seems to get lost. Next, going the other direction using the engine braking (with the manual up/down button on the shift lever) when it selects 1st gear as it shifts from 3-1 there is such a violent "crash" that my suction cup phone holder falls from the window. The rear wheels actually skid it's so bad. Honestly, I just avoid this but there is obviously something wrong.

MY dealer has been completely useless in helping me (other than rebuilding the broken POS I suppose). They make excuses and deny anything is wrong.

I'm basically stuck in limbo with my lifetime warranty (thankfully) waiting for the thing to just take another dump and maybe I'll get a better fix. If I had more time I'd probably be hassling my dealer more to do something. It's just discouraging. The last time I was in I sat in the waiting room for 2+ hours and the service writer couldn't even communicate to the tech what my complaint was. By the time I spoke up and asked the tech to take a drive with me he refused saying he was too busy.

Of course, all of this is out of the ordinary I know. A failure like I experienced is statistically rare.

Aside from that problem I of course think the tranny has terrible ratios (especially for towing heavy loads) and completely ridiculous shift points - the same things that get complained about daily on this forum.

I love a lot of things about my Ram but would be hard pressed to EVER drop 40K on another one. I'm basically just playing the waiting game hoping the thing takes another crap so maybe it will get fixed for real. Taking a crap of course when I'm not in the middle of nowhere with my 5th wheel and family along for the ride.

:favorites13:
 

HS-LD

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Good to know I could also be buying into some of the hype. My Ram has the 545RFE right? The bad transmission right? I have heard many times but yet I have towed a lot and been happy with it. So I totally understand if the 68RFE gets unfair rap but have you heard of people complaining about the Aisin? Could be lack of volume but I have not.

Well over on the Hemi forum the guys don't like the 545 because it doesn't hold up, but about 1 in 10 trucks over there are stock... They do like the 66 though.

Up until now, the Aisin has been not too common, but they seem to be more available nowadays so people may soon have an opinion based upon actual use...
 

HS-LD

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The 66rfe in my 2014 Hemi blew @ 38K miles under totally minimal circumstances. I was sitting in stop/go traffic and when rolling along at about 5mph I pushed the accelerator to speed up - the RPMs went up and I pretty much stayed still. I limped it a mile or so to an exit and got towed to the dealer from there. Word was the valve body exploded and wiped out all the internal parts. I got new steels and some other stuff - I honestly don't know much about the inner-workings.

My usage of the truck is completely within specs. I am 1000% stock - no chips, over-sized tires, lifts or any mods at all. I tow a 5th wheel very rarely - probably less than 1000 miles total and not within weeks of when the failure occurred. I'm a boring middle aged guy that uses my truck as a commuter 99% of the time.

So, the tranny gets rebuilt and basically drives like crap. I have a TERRIBLE shudder when doing a 2-1 shift under a light load - like coasting into a speed hump and then accelerating. When hammering it (which I rarely do) it responds fine. It's just when under med/light throttle the tranny seems to get lost. Next, going the other direction using the engine braking (with the manual up/down button on the shift lever) when it selects 1st gear as it shifts from 3-1 there is such a violent "crash" that my suction cup phone holder falls from the window. The rear wheels actually skid it's so bad. Honestly, I just avoid this but there is obviously something wrong.

MY dealer has been completely useless in helping me (other than rebuilding the broken POS I suppose). They make excuses and deny anything is wrong.

I'm basically stuck in limbo with my lifetime warranty (thankfully) waiting for the thing to just take another dump and maybe I'll get a better fix. If I had more time I'd probably be hassling my dealer more to do something. It's just discouraging. The last time I was in I sat in the waiting room for 2+ hours and the service writer couldn't even communicate to the tech what my complaint was. By the time I spoke up and asked the tech to take a drive with me he refused saying he was too busy.

Of course, all of this is out of the ordinary I know. A failure like I experienced is statistically rare.

Aside from that problem I of course think the tranny has terrible ratios (especially for towing heavy loads) and completely ridiculous shift points - the same things that get complained about daily on this forum.

I love a lot of things about my Ram but would be hard pressed to EVER drop 40K on another one. I'm basically just playing the waiting game hoping the thing takes another crap so maybe it will get fixed for real. Taking a crap of course when I'm not in the middle of nowhere with my 5th wheel and family along for the ride.

:favorites13:

A bad experience can really bias your opinion. If they sell 200,000 66's a year and 1% are total crap that's 2000 x 5 years that 10,000 bad trannies out there. And 1% would be an awesome quality target.

Me personally I would be starting a lemon law case and asking for a replacement NEW transmission.

As for ratios, with 4.10s it's a match made in heaven as far as I'm concerned.
 

HS-LD

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Many sources I have talked with directly (techs) and indirectly (online) tout the 66/68 as dead reliable and solid. That said- I had a 66rfe go totally nuclear in my previous 2500. In the transmissions defence though, that entire truck was a problem child so who knows what may have led to that.

Sent from my SM-G925W8 using Tapatalk

Trucks are so electronically integrated and controlled today that it could have been a tiny connection on a bad pcb which threw off the control for the tranny and killed it.

The wife had one of the first Dodge Darts. It was awesome until November and it dipped below freezing. It wouldn't start. The Vice President of Dart flew out to Oregon (after the dealer had it for 3 weeks and couldn't figure it out) and after 3 days with it hooked up to a computer couldn't figure it out either and gave us a 100% refund on the spot. He thought it was probably a bad batch of circuit boards maybe, but really he had no clue. He was afraid they might ALL be like that! LOL.
 

yoda

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Most people like to sound like they know what they are talking about, saying Rams have bad transmissions. In my experience All the RFE series trans are good tranys. I see more Engine problems than trans problems, yes they do fail, anything mechanical will have a failure rate.
Now the old RH and RE series trans, thats a different story and most of Rams bad reputation for trans failures is lingering affects of that fiasco in my opinion.
As far as the ratio being so horrible, yes 1-2 is a little steep, if your towing max weight up the Eisenhower grade. Way way overblown, 99% of people would never notice if it weren't for you tube.
If you are routinely towing that much weight, up hill, in altitude, you should have bought the Cummins
 

loveracing1988

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Most people like to sound like they know what they are talking about, saying Rams have bad transmissions. In my experience All the RFE series trans are good tranys. I see more Engine problems than trans problems, yes they do fail, anything mechanical will have a failure rate.
Now the old RH and RE series trans, thats a different story and most of Rams bad reputation for trans failures is lingering affects of that fiasco in my opinion.
As far as the ratio being so horrible, yes 1-2 is a little steep, if your towing max weight up the Eisenhower grade. Way way overblown, 99% of people would never notice if it weren't for you tube.
If you are routinely towing that much weight, up hill, in altitude, you should have bought the Cummins
They could solve it all and throw the 8hp90 in the gas HD's and call it good. I know driving the old 5/6 speed to 8 speed trucks back to back in 2013 I wondered why they even sold the older transmissions the 8 speed was that much better. If ram stuck the 8 speed in the gas HD's they would have the same thing happen, the ratios in the rfe's are built for a diesel truck so they work with the gas truck but with that 1st gear it would make towing with the trucks a night and day difference.

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yoda

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The 8 speed may be great, hasn't been around long enough to know for sure. I'm not ready to jump on the band wagon yet. I can say if it fails out of warranty, pucker up $$$$$
 
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