3.92’s or 3.21’s for 2018 Ram 1500?

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BWL

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For me it's a no brainer 3.92 and ltd slip diff. I'm an acceleration junky though. You'll notice the power off the line way more than the minimal fuel economy you may lose.
 

BWL

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Also doesn't effect top speed at all. Limiter seems to be set around 108 mph on either gear ratio. I may or may not have first hand knowledge of this.
 
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corneileous

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Yeah, I’ve made up my mind on the taller gears since my 2008 has the same ones.


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Nutshell

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Look up the threads where people are asking to go from 3:92 to 3:21...you won’t find them. I have 3:92 and love them
 

oe542bob

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Cornelius, have you placed an order yet? My 2015 was a Sport RCSB with Ramboxes and 3.92’s. It was a blast to drive and I was getting hand calculated mileage of 19.5 to 21.5 mpg during the warm time of the year with stock GY SRA Tires. 80% highway driving mostly speed limit or 5 above. When it turned past fall I lost mileage. 2 factors: winter blend gas & installed Cooper ATW tires.
I’d say around 1 1/2 mpg. That truck I owned 20 months and had 53,000 miles when I traded it last year.
Then I purchased a 2016 Longhorn CC, 6.4’ Rambox, air suspension with 3.21 gears. This being a 4 door, and heavier, the best I could do was 20.5 mpg. Mostly getting 18 to 20mpg. And again with the winter gas & my Cooper tires on, it was 17.5 to 18.5. Again mostly highway driving.
I just traded the 2016 (39,000 in 12 months)in on a 2018 Limited. Again, CC, Air Suspension and 6.4’ Rambox bed. This truck has 3.92’s.
Haven’t had a mileage check yet, but the EVIC is only showing 17mpg. Just started a new work location, so at 170 miles round trip a day, I’ll soon have some hard data on mileage.
Mainly I’d say, the 3.92’s are more fun, and it’s what I wanted, but I’m expecting to be buying more gas for sure. With the 3.21’s, the truck ran fine and never felt like it was a dog. You’d be happy with either one.
Can’t really compare with your 2008 because of the difference in the transmissions. The 8 speed works well with either gear set.
Good Luck in whatever you choose!
 
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corneileous

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Cornelius, have you placed an order yet? My 2015 was a Sport RCSB with Ramboxes and 3.92’s. It was a blast to drive and I was getting hand calculated mileage of 19.5 to 21.5 mpg during the warm time of the year with stock GY SRA Tires. 80% highway driving mostly speed limit or 5 above. When it turned past fall I lost mileage. 2 factors: winter blend gas & installed Cooper ATW tires.

I’d say around 1 1/2 mpg. That truck I owned 20 months and had 53,000 miles when I traded it last year.

Then I purchased a 2016 Longhorn CC, 6.4’ Rambox, air suspension with 3.21 gears. This being a 4 door, and heavier, the best I could do was 20.5 mpg. Mostly getting 18 to 20mpg. And again with the winter gas & my Cooper tires on, it was 17.5 to 18.5. Again mostly highway driving.

I just traded the 2016 (39,000 in 12 months)in on a 2018 Limited. Again, CC, Air Suspension and 6.4’ Rambox bed. This truck has 3.92’s.

Haven’t had a mileage check yet, but the EVIC is only showing 17mpg. Just started a new work location, so at 170 miles round trip a day, I’ll soon have some hard data on mileage.

Mainly I’d say, the 3.92’s are more fun, and it’s what I wanted, but I’m expecting to be buying more gas for sure. With the 3.21’s, the truck ran fine and never felt like it was a dog. You’d be happy with either one.

Can’t really compare with your 2008 because of the difference in the transmissions. The 8 speed works well with either gear set.

Good Luck in whatever you choose!



Naw, I haven’t taken an order yet... Hopefully I’ll get to begin the search for my new truck around the last week before Christmas. Did you order yours or pick it out on a lot? Just despite having to wait 6 to 8 weeks, I really wanted to special order one but I think because FCA is no longer accepting orders on the Laramie, Limited and Longhorn trim 2018 Ram 1500’s, I’m forced to hoping my local dealership can find the closest match to what I want at another dealer somewhere which at least on the bright side, I won’t have to wait for it to be built...lol. As soon as I find one to my liking, I could have it in a matter of days.

But yeah, per all the replies and from my own research, and even simply because my current truck has the taller 3.92’s, I think my mind’s pretty much made up...lol.

Speakin’ of my truck tho, I didn’t totally think it would be the same to compare against but I figured final drive gear to final drive gear in the 8-speed would be relatively the same at cruising speed.

After reading how many miles a day you said you’ll be putting on your new truck, I really don’t know why I was even remotely concerned at all about a little bit of mileage loss in my case with the taller gears over the standard shorter gears because I won’t be racking up near the mileage you will. Granted, when I bought my truck dang-near 5 years ago, it only had less than 29,000 miles on it and now, it still only has 68,000 so as you can see, fuel mileage really won’t be a concern. Lol.


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oe542bob

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Actually I haven’t ordered a truck in quite a few years. I do a lot of searching, mostly through the ram truck website. The last 3 new trucks I’ve purchased have been dealer stock.
If I would have ordered the truck I just got, I would not have added the sunroof, CD player or engine block heater. ( I even asked the guy who orders the vehicles at the dealership about it ) he just said I just checked the block heater box. Useless to me on a gas motor. Oh well, those particular options would have saved just over $1500 if I would have ordered one without those options.
Good luck with your search.
 
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corneileous

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Actually I haven’t ordered a truck in quite a few years. I do a lot of searching, mostly through the ram truck website. The last 3 new trucks I’ve purchased have been dealer stock.
If I would have ordered the truck I just got, I would not have added the sunroof, CD player or engine block heater. ( I even asked the guy who orders the vehicles at the dealership about it ) he just said I just checked the block heater box. Useless to me on a gas motor. Oh ok well, those particular options would have saved just over $1500 if I would have ordered one without those options.
Good luck with your search.
Egh, maybe not anywhere around here but most likely up in Canada or Alaska in the wintertime....lol.

Yeah, unless the CD player plays on the screen Blu-rays or DVD’s, I ain’t interested in it. Because of where they have to put it, it would make me have to opt for the little bit smaller Console Safe I plan to buy..[emoji41]

I’m kinda up in the air about a sunroof. Maybe if I lived somewhere where the air wasn’t so damned damp, I might could make use of one but with living in Oklahoma, my windows are always rolled up with the A/C on.

But if my local dealership can’t find anything further out in their system, this one below might be my new truck in a week and it’s only about an hour and a half away.

b3f7c78eeef84d3c5111eb0a822ce5c6.jpg

2253a39a575ef09fa7619961e7e6cf3f.jpg



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oe542bob

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Maximum Steel?
 

Ramit355

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Currently have the 392 had the 3.55 Twice and a 3.21 once since 2002 all motors being the 5.7. .Hands down on the 3.92 my evic claims 19 to 20 mpg with 80 % rural driving...I can pull my Camper 8000 lbs. with ease up hills down hills, truck seems not to work hard@ 60 Mph pulls. Pulls 19' flat bed Trailer with the gator in it and the 18 Ft Pontoon with out the Tranny "Hunting Gears" with every grade like the 355 would do. The 321 "hunted" gears pulling just the flatbed Empty often. We live in hills (Southern Ohio) so the 3.92 works better with slopes,grades,etc. More nice features of the 3.92 is ease of pulling boat out of upgrade launch ramp on wet moss and backing big camper in at idle speeds with ease. It very seldom drops a gear on any hill and the engine brake is awesome with the 3.92 as well. If you want to **** and get small pull is awesome. The MPG difference here in the hills is about 1 MPG that I see. Its well worth it and would be to me if it was 4 MPG Difference. When I ordered the truck it was 95.00 extra for the 3.92. Have the 4 corner suspension 5.9 bed. From here on out will be 3.92 its better to have it and may not need it than to need it and not have it for 95.00 and a few MPG on a Truck. Hell we never know whats needs pulled!! Had 4 Rams since 2002 left Ford 150's at the time and never looked back at Ford since. My son just got a new Silverado Redline with the 327 motor and the 3.72 gear its a really nice truck too and pulls quite well. Good Luck to you on your new Ram. You would all gears I think.
 

69GWC

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You never said which transmissions where behind which gears.
Honestly if they were not all the same you cant compare because the 8sp kills the others.
 

indept

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Just curious for those of you that went to bigger tires, how did you correct the speedometer error?
 

henryhemi

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If you don't already have the stock 33"(275/60r20), and you are upgrading up to that size the dealership should be able to recalibrate it for you. Although, that is hearsay. I haven't tried it. For tires over 33", a tuner like diablo can recalibrate it for you. But again I have no first-hand experience with that. Enjoy the new rubber!

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indept

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If you don't already have the stock 33"(275/60r20), and you are upgrading up to that size the dealership should be able to recalibrate it for you. Although, that is hearsay. I haven't tried it. For tires over 33", a tuner like diablo can recalibrate it for you. But again I have no first-hand experience with that. Enjoy the new rubber!

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I have the stock 33s and Im not looking to do it yet since I only have 4000 miles on my truck but when I do I want the speedometer to be correct.
 

Mr.AK902

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3.92's are the best of the options IMO....so much drivability
 

Night RAM

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On my first Ram, which is my current 2017 Night CC 6.4 bed I have the 3.92s and I don’t regret it. I took it on a 2500 mile round trip to Florida and with all the city driving I did down there I got about 17.5 hand calc. Taking away the city driving I got 18-18.5 going through the mountains and hills at 80-85mph

Wouldn’t trade the gears for any others.
 
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corneileous

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On my first Ram, which is my current 2017 Night CC 6.4 bed I have the 3.92s and I don’t regret it. I took it on a 2500 mile round trip to Florida and with all the city driving I did down there I got about 17.5 hand calc. Taking away the city driving I got 18-18.5 going through the mountains and hills at 80-85mph

Wouldn’t trade the gears for any others.

That’s about how fast I drive..lol. Nice.


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blackbeautyhemi

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Yes I’m another one for 3.92 gears. Wouldn’t buy one without them. It’s nice knowing you can pull weight if you need to and not have to put extra stain on your drive train. Plus with 35’s it still all kinds of get up and go!


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