Drove an 8 sod ram yesterday...

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Grad12

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I've noticed mine seems to "hop" from first to second when cold (within the first minute or so of startup), but otherwise it is buttery smooth. I drive it for the gear shift points and leave the rpm low, it seems to do great on gas. I worry I'm not making the engine work enough though so once every couple of months I take it out on the backroads and top it out (rolling 0 to as fast I can until a turn - usually around 180km/hour)
 

pt1655

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To preachp and others;
Thanks for all the tranny discussions, but, what do you mean by our transmissions "learn" how we drive? (I have the 6 speed) could you explain what that means a little bit better? I'd hate to think my transmission is thinking for me, I hate electronics that do that, but if it is a good thing, like some of you have said, I'll keep an open mind. My 2012 6speed does just fine and I do use the tow/haul for towing our 5000lb trailer and I like how it works. Thanks!
 

Andy578

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To preachp and others;
Thanks for all the tranny discussions, but, what do you mean by our transmissions "learn" how we drive? (I have the 6 speed) could you explain what that means a little bit better? I'd hate to think my transmission is thinking for me, I hate electronics that do that, but if it is a good thing, like some of you have said, I'll keep an open mind. My 2012 6speed does just fine and I do use the tow/haul for towing our 5000lb trailer and I like how it works. Thanks!

i don't know much about the 6 speed but with the 8 speed it's supposed to have something like 40 different shift maps and the computer tracks the way you drive to adapt it's shifting. so basically it monitors things like how fast you accelerate, how hard you brake, and probably many other things. if the driver has a heavy foot it's gonna hold gears a bit longer and change it's shift points to adapt and the opposite is true for someone that drives like an old man(me)

the only real issue i have with is it that if you let someone else drive or lend out the truck it's going to be adapted for you and will feel kinda crappy for another driver
 

NYCruiser

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They learn, but they learn really slowly. Its not going to be an issue unless you let someone drive your truck for thousands of miles. That's why you need to be patient when you first get them. Mine didn't settle down how I liked it until 7 or 8K miles on the truck. I used to think it had just broken in, but then the service manager at my dealership explained the learning to me. He said if I disconnect the battery for a couple hours it will start over. I have the 6-speed.

In the old days, they used to modulate engine vaccum and hydraulic pressure to make shift decisions, and have a mechanical kick down linkage controlled by throttle position. Now they're all electronic.
 
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hemihustlin

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I notice when i do long roadtrips on the highway doing a steady speed and basicly driving like a grandpa the truck gets lazy and doesnt want to downshift when you think it should, dosnt seem motivated.
Drive it like you stole it for a good 15-20 minutes and its a whole different truck, jumps on the downshift as soon as you touch the pedal, goes like a cat with its tail on fire in general haha :)
 

clh1220

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The way it downshift going down hills is awesome. It's almost like having a engine brake.
 

Z77Z77Z

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I notice when i do long roadtrips on the highway doing a steady speed and basicly driving like a grandpa the truck gets lazy and doesnt want to downshift when you think it should, dosnt seem motivated.
Drive it like you stole it for a good 15-20 minutes and its a whole different truck, jumps on the downshift as soon as you touch the pedal, goes like a cat with its tail on fire in general haha :)

Same here
 

THETANK

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I've noticed mine seems to "hop" from first to second when cold (within the first minute or so of startup), but otherwise it is buttery smooth. I drive it for the gear shift points and leave the rpm low, it seems to do great on gas. I worry I'm not making the engine work enough though so once every couple of months I take it out on the backroads and top it out (rolling 0 to as fast I can until a turn - usually around 180km/hour)

yours will do 112 mph, I thought mine might do 105ish?????:favorites13: Oh and I love the new 8sp as well
 

Moparman1303

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So how do you make it adapt to be a race car again? I don't hammer on it much if at all. It still get up but not like it use to. It's learned to be a cruiser
 

Andy578

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So how do you make it adapt to be a race car again? I don't hammer on it much if at all. It still get up but not like it use to. It's learned to be a cruiser

dealer can reset it or i've heard disconnecting the battery can do it too but not sure about that
 

Andy578

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Can't I just hammer down on it once a while to make it reprogram?

not really. it's gonna remember how you've drove up to that point. i suppose if you suddenly start driving like you're in a race it'll adapt but you'd have to do it over an extended time
 

preachp

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Hi Drambuie

Was it a Hemi? What gear ratio?

My 8spd is smooth like butter!
And I don't find it really hunts for gears all that much. A lot less than I thought it would.
Personally I love the damn thing!

Added bonus is that it's made by ZF, which hopefully means it will be longer lasting than a Dodge transmission. We all know it's never been their strongest point.

Actually in the day the 727 Torqueflite was the tranny to have. That was a rock solid auto trans that took a beating to kill. I had one in a 67 Satellite that took a boat load of neutral drops to finally kill. The Satellite had a Hi Po 273 solid lifter mill in it.

preachp
 

dRAMbuie

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Hi Drambuie



Actually in the day the 727 Torqueflite was the tranny to have. That was a rock solid auto trans that took a beating to kill. I had one in a 67 Satellite that took a boat load of neutral drops to finally kill. The Satellite had a Hi Po 273 solid lifter mill in it.

preachp
Good point.
I had a '68 Newport with a 383 and the 727 tranny and that thing was pretty rock solid.

Seems like it became more of an issue for them when OD came into the picture.
 

powderbrad

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Hmmmm.....Id like an 8 speed in my ram (has a 5 spd). Never tried 8spd ram though.

Maybe the SCAT PACK challenger is tuned different in the tranny (likely it is), but it made me wonder if my next car will be a stick! And I LOVE sticks soley for fun driving. But the new 8 spd (challenger 8 speed mind you) was impressive!!
 

silver13

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I find towing our trailer it has trouble picking a gear.


Sent from my iPhone
 

RLJ10X

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I'd like to have a slick shifting 6 speed manual, like I have in my Mustang.

I hated the 545RFE before I had 4.10s put in. With a CAI and a 91 Hemi Fever tune, I guess I'm rocking it old school. I don't use the Slap Stick all that much since the 4.10s. Tow/HaulAss gets the job done.

I won't argue that the 8 isn't a better tranny. It is. I'd like to give one a try. They're fast. But there just isn't anything wrong with a good ol 545 RFE/4.10 combo.
 

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