14+ with 6spd tow capacity?

Can anyone give me somewhat of an explanation why the tow capacity goes to nearly half (max 30k down to roughly 16.4k with 6spd) with the option selected? I'm not saying I'm ever going to have to tow more than 16k lbs, but ya never know . I was just curious why it was such a large drop.

Also curious on real world mpg for a stock 2wd crew cab with 6spd manual, if anyone fits the bill.

Wish I could help. But My 6sp Auto 4x4 on OEM 18" wheels/tires (Tradesman) was giving me about 18mpg at 70-75MPH.

Now that I got 20" Laramie wheels on 285/65R20 BF Goodrich A/T KO2 I'm seeing 17mpg @ 70MPH.

Still not bad in my book

Not to bad. How many miles do you have? And 2wd may get a bit better. Not that it's a big deal.

Well all Cummins trucks are 6 speeds... but I'm assuming you mean a G56 manual truck?

A lot of items play into it: truck configuration (ie: trim level, cab/box size, 4x4 VS 2x4, etc), gear ratio, transmission... really the combination of everything. The bigger the truck with more options, the lower the payload and tow ratings simply because the truck weighs more. The G56 trucks are lower because they have less power/torque and that's because Ram is cheap and doesn't want to spend an extra $2000 to put a good clutch in front of the transmission. The trans itself is strong enough, the stock clutch isn't.

The 30,000 lbs tow rating would be for a bare bones ST dually 2x4, single cab, 4.10 gear ratio, and Aisin transmission. In reality, very few people are buying a truck with that configuration any more. Most are going crew cabs at a minimum with at least a middle of the line trim level and 4x4.

Right Bandon, I did ask for the mpg of a stock 2wd crew cab with 6spd manual. I am looking at, in a year or so, trading in my current ram on something similar to what I stated. I like to do a lot of research prior to purchasing. I'm looking at the tradesman packages beacuse I'm not too much into chrome, even though my current truck has chrome bumpers. It was a screaming deal I couldn't pass up. I want a plain-jane style Crew cab (would prefer Mega but they won't do that with a tradesman), 6 speed manual transmission and 2 wheel drive. I will be adding on things, such as power locks and windows, the auxillary switches, and probably the 18" wheels, unless if someone can tell me the width of the stock 17's. Like I said, I won't ever be towing over 16k lbs, but was just curious. Thanks for informing me about the clutch situation. I do a lot of landscaping, which requires hauling heavy stuff, and I really want to get myself back into a stick shift, as well as a vehicle that is going to last me many years.

Read your entire thread. You do done good work man! Beautiful truck. What's mileage like with those big ol tires?

usaf2006 said:

Read your entire thread. You do done good work man! Beautiful truck. What's mileage like with those big ol tires?

Click to expand...

Thanks man!

I'm getting around 15.0 mpg or so with mixed city and highway driving with my current setup. Straight highway I'll get 16.5 - 17.0 no problem. I have a new custom tune to load up now that has a little more turbo put back into it which may help with my mileage a bit. I'll have to load it up this weekend and see how it does.
Really my mileage isn't bad considering everything... 8000 lbs truck, 4.56 gears, 37" tires (where the wheels/tires weigh 140 lbs each) and making +/- 600hp/1100ft-lbs at the flywheel. I'm alright with it... better than my 1500 with a 6" lift on 35's was...

Keep in mind that the '13+ 6.7's get quite a bit better mileage than the 07.5-12 6.7's because of the emissions system. So my truck isn't something you want to compare to a newer one.