Okay, I'm a TOTAL newb with performance upgrades (I can handle offroad suspensions), but engines and such are not my strong suit.
I have a 2017 Ram 1500 Sport with the 5.7 Hemi 4wd, and 8 speed. I'd LIKE to get a bit more power out of it for towing. We have a 20' travel trailer that while light, DOES make itself known when towing to Arizona from Alabama. My mileage drops off A LOT, and I'd like to try to find a way to boost the engine and performance a bit without going to a 2500 or 3500 - YET.
I've seen things like tuners, ECU chips, internal upgrades (cam, valves, etc), but bang for the buck, what are some of the more effective mods that I can do. ARE there any?
I'd prefer to not do mods that I cannot undo, so electronic adjustments would be preferred, but not knowing as much in this area, I just want to see what's out there.
Thanks!
-Paul
Easiest, cheapest way to get back some performance is to stop using 87 if that's all you're putting in the tank. Under load the Hemi will show some knock retard, as designed, when running 87. The owners manual specifies 89 as "optimum" as that's how Mopar was able to get the full rating out of the engine. Running empty you probably won't see much difference, but towing changes that situation. Would it be earth shattering ? Probably not, but if it's warm and you're under sustained load you might notice it a bit.
That being said you'll never see great MPG towing with a gaser, especially towing something that has some wind resistance. They won't fight the wind nearly as well as an oil burner with their early torque and instead have to rev into the powerband. On the other hand a lot of the modern diesels aren't as good as they used to be for fuel economy with all the emissions equipment on them (A frequent gripe around here in farm country).
The biggest bang for your buck would be in the following order when looking at towing :
1. Gears, if your 1500 already has 3.92's then that's as good as it gets without hacking in the front diff out of an early 4th gen. If you've got 3.21's then swapping to 3.92's requires replacing the entire front diff due to the design. This can be a balancing act as gears can help when loaded, but can hurt unloaded depending on other variables. It is also possible to go too far one way or the other when playing with axle ratios.
2. LT's (Plus Tune). The logs on the 5.7 suck like most manifolds. They do the job, but you'll see better volumetric efficiency out of the Hemi with the right set of headers like
@Pull Ya mentioned. Being an air pump better volumetric efficiency = better fuel economy at the same power output or more power output.
3. Lighter Wheel/Tire combination that are still properly load rated. The reduction in rotational mass reduces the effort required to turn the wheels freeing up power to go elsewhere.
4. A decent tow tune. This won't be ground breaking without other modifications, but adjustments can be made to various PCM/TCM strategies to help.
There are of course the other usual mods to the 4th gens like a colder T-Stat, Intake Mods (Eco D lower box, Vararam, S&B, etc), etc. By themselves they won't do much of anything, but they can be applicable in the right combination to solve for certain deficiencies. The catchcan is one exception as the Hemi's can get pretty dirty with blowby and keeping that mess out of the intake stream does have some benefits.
Comparing the Hemi MPG stock/empty to towing can be easily deceptive as there are ALOT of things FCA has done to chase the grocery getter market with MPG while still offering a 5.7L pushrod V8 (Also CAFE). They tend to start falling off once you change things up or put that engine under load. In my case I'm lucky to get over 15mpg empty on a tank unless I'm doing all highway and the wind is being kind.