The drag racers who were running the 6 speed were able to regularly rev to 6800 and a few would push it to over 7000rpm. The LX cars could push 7200 but keeping the 5.7L below 7000 is highly recommended with most shifting around 6500 if they're pushing it hard. Street driving should keep it below 6000 for shifts and over that you should be running a rocker tower brace to keep proper geometry at high rpm.
Actually with the Nag1 If you have a Diablo tuner and an MTCM ( mopar transmission control module) You can rev to 6767 (not a typo) in autostick and the rev limiter will kick in, and shut off a couple cylinders. With the 5.7 , if you forget to press ESP, after a couple bumps the transmission will go to neutral and the engine will return to idle, until you stop and shut the car off, restart. Id you press ESP ..what a burnout!
You must also set the rev limit to +600 in gear.( 2006-2010?) 2011 and up ..well I think they are still working on it.
Should you purchase an PTCM ( Paramount performance TCM) or other equal product you can go as high as you set it at. a forged motor might go 7700 with a built Nag1 .
However for a stock bottom end 6767 is plenty high enough for playing, and not useful at all for racing as your not making any usable power revving that high.
Now in D, with the raised shift points and rev limiter set ABOVE that point by 200 min RPM, (other wise see above under forgetting to press ESP) shifts can be set at varying points depending on the year. My 08 has stock, raised? ( whatever that is) 6k and 6400 Other years have 6k, 6200, 6400 etc.
The reason the rev limiter must be set 200 above the shift point is that the command to shift and the shift do not occur at the same time, in my datalog I have seen shifts as high as 6450 from 2-3.
1-2 always occurs at 6k,- 6150, I believe this is to allow for the fact that the revs are coming up so fast. If the shift does not happen before the rev limit is reached the PCM will slow the engine down and well, so much for that pass...Forgot to press ESP....oh your done until you stop and restart.
Unfortunately I in advertently tested this out on my RAM( pressing the cruise control does not initiate an upshift, who knew? ) stupid buttons. the I also forgot to press ESP: hit the rev limiter about 4x and then bang the tranny shut down , then went to third, but wouldn't rev over 2500 and the EVIC said was a jerk etc. until I stopped and cycled both the shifter knob and the key. the key was stuck , the shifter didn't engage. pretty scarry for a min. I calmed down and got in park, then shut it off. same Code as for my charger, tranny senses engine overspeed, your a ******* etc.
The best set point for shifts is 500 RPM past peak HP. Most of the 5.7s have nice flat 1000 RPM or so band of peak HP, usually between 5 and 6k, so choosing a good shift point isn't to hard.
I have an insane stock bottom end N/A build in my Charger and shift at 6400, which happens to be 500 rpm past peak HP.
