65RFE related questions

La Ramie · Feb 6, 2024

1- Do you need a tune when you change the torque convertor? I'm thinking of going with 2600-2800 Stall.
2- How would a 3.55 rear diff, 2" lift and 35" tires affect the transmission?
3- Did anyone try or have any experience with 65RFE upgraded parts from NextGenDiesel? I'm posting the link to their write up.

Chrysler 65RFE Transmission • Problems & Solutions

Since 2012, there’s been endless talk about the 65RFE transmission. It has been a never-ending conversation about what works, what doesn’t and why. No two trucks are identical, and nor should be two 65RFE transmissions. However, with the data compiled above, you should be well on your way to...

nextgendiesel.com

Wild one · Feb 6, 2024

La Ramie said:
1- Do you need a tune when you change the torque convertor? I'm thinking of going with 2600-2800 Stall.
2- How would a 3.55 rear diff, 2" lift and 35" tires affect the transmission?
3- Did anyone try or have any experience with 65RFE upgraded parts from NextGenDiesel? I'm posting the link to their write up.

Chrysler 65RFE Transmission • Problems & Solutions

Since 2012, there’s been endless talk about the 65RFE transmission. It has been a never-ending conversation about what works, what doesn’t and why. No two trucks are identical, and nor should be two 65RFE transmissions. However, with the data compiled above, you should be well on your way to...

nextgendiesel.com

Look at swapping an 8 speed into it instead.You're just throwing money away trying to make that RFE live.What you'll spend on a convertor and rebuilding it,will go along ways towards putting an 8 speed in your truck. There isn't any outfit that can build a decently reliable 65 RFE,no matter what they tell you.The majority of guys swapping an 8 speed are reporting at least a 1/2 sec gain at the track,which is more then you'll gain from a camshaft swap.You can't beat the 8 speeds stump pulling 4.71:1 first gear,to match the torque multiplication you'd have with the 8 speed and your 3.55 gears,you'd need roughly 5.50:1 rear gears with your RFE,mull that one over and you'll start to see the benefits to the 8 speed,plus it's a way better transmission

Burla · Feb 6, 2024

La Ramie said:
1- Do you need a tune when you change the torque convertor? I'm thinking of going with 2600-2800 Stall.
2- How would a 3.55 rear diff, 2" lift and 35" tires affect the transmission?
3- Did anyone try or have any experience with 65RFE upgraded parts from NextGenDiesel? I'm posting the link to their write up.

Chrysler 65RFE Transmission • Problems & Solutions

Since 2012, there’s been endless talk about the 65RFE transmission. It has been a never-ending conversation about what works, what doesn’t and why. No two trucks are identical, and nor should be two 65RFE transmissions. However, with the data compiled above, you should be well on your way to...

nextgendiesel.com

Those gears are not desirable, the other option 3.92's are, however you are a little lucky in the sense that the 65rfe is a lot better then the 545 as in you get to avoid a lot of the low rpm stuff that the other one has. So it is a good question and a great upgrade to your truck is gears.

This guy does a good job addressing the working features of the rfe. Most of these guys are geared towards diesel market, but it is all relevant to any 4 gen rfe. Plenty of rams have 35's with the 3.55 and 65rfe, but in my opinion I would go no bigger with my tires 35 would be it with that combo.

Product Overview: ATS 68RFE Valve Body and ATS Co-Pilot

Clint Cannon, President of ATS, describes the inherent weaknesses of the 68RFE (545RFE, too) valve body. This is a comprehensive overview of the numerous pro...

youtu.be

La Ramie · Feb 6, 2024

Wild one said:
Look at swapping an 8 speed into it instead.You're just throwing money away trying to make that RFE live.What you'll spend on a convertor and rebuilding it,will go along ways towards putting an 8 speed in your truck. There isn't any outfit that can build a decently reliable 65 RFE,no matter what they tell you.The majority of guys swapping an 8 speed are reporting at least a 1/2 sec gain at the track,which is more then you'll gain from a camshaft swap.You can't beat the 8 speeds stump pulling 4.71:1 first gear,to match the torque multiplication you'd have with the 8 speed and your 3.55 gears,you'd need roughly 5.50:1 rear gears with your RFE,mull that one over and you'll start to see the benefits to the 8 speed,plus it's a way better transmission

The issue is that where I’m at, nobody perfected an 8HP swap.
I know my 65RFE is my weakest point in my build, so I’m not planning to race it. It’ll be my DD with regular driving and maybe some spirited ones here and there.

La Ramie · Feb 6, 2024

Burla said:
Those gears are not desirable, the other option 3.92's are, however you are a little lucky in the sense that the 65rfe is a lot better then the 545 as in you get to avoid a lot of the low rpm stuff that the other one has. So it is a good question and a great upgrade to your truck is gears.

This guy does a good job addressing the working features of the rfe. Most of these guys are geared towards diesel market, but it is all relevant to any 4 gen rfe. Plenty of rams have 35's with the 3.55 and 65rfe, but in my opinion I would go no bigger with my tires 35 would be it with that combo.

Product Overview: ATS 68RFE Valve Body and ATS Co-Pilot

Clint Cannon, President of ATS, describes the inherent weaknesses of the 68RFE (545RFE, too) valve body. This is a comprehensive overview of the numerous pro...

youtu.be

I already have an upgraded VB.

Jeepwalker · Feb 6, 2024

There isn't any outfit that can build a decently reliable 65 RFE,no matter what they tell you.

Whaaaat? My truck has 175k mi. I have a Jeep with H.O. V8, and RFE which has 240k and going strong??

Burla · Feb 6, 2024

La Ramie said:
I already have an upgraded VB.

nice!!

In my opinion that is the best truck ever made mid 4 gens. Now it is a bunch of garbage only barbie dolls want.

Wild one · Feb 6, 2024

Jeepwalker said:
Whaaaat? My truck has 175k mi. I have a Jeep with H.O. V8, and RFE which has 240k and going strong??

A p!$$y a$$ed little HO 4.7 is about the limit for an RFE,lol.The transmission was originally designed for the early low horsepower 4.7,and behind it,it does okay,behind a 5.7 with a spirited driver who doesn't know how to drive to the RFE's weaknesses,not so much.Go on any Ram facebook page and you'll find at least 1 guy a week with a blown up RFE

Wild one · Feb 6, 2024

La Ramie said:
The issue is that where I’m at, nobody perfected an 8HP swap.
I know my 65RFE is my weakest point in my build, so I’m not planning to race it. It’ll be my DD with regular driving and maybe some spirited ones here and there.

What do you mean "nobodies perfected an 8 speed swap",get ahold of Russell at Sound German,and he'll pretty well sell you everything you need electrically to install it,then it's just a matter of sourcing the driveshaft and crossmember to bolt it in. It's a fairly common swap now,there's even a few threads on here,detailing the swap if you use the search function.

crackerjack1957 · Feb 6, 2024

La Ramie said:
1- Do you need a tune when you change the torque convertor? I'm thinking of going with 2600-2800 Stall.
2- How would a 3.55 rear diff, 2" lift and 35" tires affect the transmission?
3- Did anyone try or have any experience with 65RFE upgraded parts from NextGenDiesel? I'm posting the link to their write up.

Chrysler 65RFE Transmission • Problems & Solutions

Since 2012, there’s been endless talk about the 65RFE transmission. It has been a never-ending conversation about what works, what doesn’t and why. No two trucks are identical, and nor should be two 65RFE transmissions. However, with the data compiled above, you should be well on your way to...

nextgendiesel.com

I still have the 65RFE but it was a dog with 3:55 gears & 35-inch tires.
Wasn't satisfied with low end torque under 3K rpm.....tune didn't help.....stall convertor was little help from a dig but still no low end torque......changing to 4:56 gear was a huge improvement.
Latest drag tune for 65RFE will up line pressure & 4:56 gear with large tires will help it survive but 8HP70 is the better option now but wasn't around in 2016

In the article you posted:

Naturally, the 65RFE transmission was as unreliable as it's already-in-production big brother, the 68RFE. This meant that warranty calls abound, the 65RFE transmission had reached the end of it's tenure in the Ram truck community after model year 2018. In succession, Chrysler converted to the more reliable, but more complicated ZF 8-Speed transmission.

Wild one · Feb 6, 2024

Burla said:
nice!!

In my opinion that is the best truck ever made mid 4 gens. Now it is a bunch of garbage only barbie dolls want.

Only the RFE transmission is garbage Mike,lol.If they'd of used the same Nag 1 as they put in the cars,then they'd of had a decent 5 speed.Re-purposing a light duty transmission originally designed for the low horsepower early 4.7's was their biggest mistake,especially when they already had a decent 5 speed in the Nag 1 they could of used.

Burla · Feb 6, 2024

Wild one said:
Only the RFE transmission is garbage Mike,lol.If they'd of used the same Nag 1 as they put in the cars,then they'd of had a decent 5 speed.Re-purposing a light duty transmission originally designed for the low horsepower early 4.7's was their biggest mistake,especially when they already had a decent 5 speed in the Nag 1 they could of used.

I think we agree more then we disagree on what is good in a truck. I think you are in favor in all of the 8 speed deletes as well? Rfe is a weak point, but depending on your bank account everything is fixable. 8 speeds are far from perfect as well, but perhaps those will be the last transmissions rams will ever see. Future transmissions with be single speed.

Wild one · Feb 6, 2024

Burla said:
I think we agree more then we disagree on what is good in a truck. I think you are in favor in all of the 8 speed deletes as well? Rfe is a weak point, but depending on your bank account everything is fixable. 8 speeds are far from perfect as well, but perhaps those will be the last transmissions rams will ever see. Future transmissions with be single speed.

I still wonder what in hell Daimler/Benz was thinking when they re-purposed the RFE for the 5.7 trucks, they already had a pretty decent 5 speed in the Nag 1 that was in the parts bin.They knew enough to use the Nag 1 behind the 5.7's / 6.1's and 6.4's in the cars,but sure slipped up by not using it in the trucks

Jeepwalker · Feb 6, 2024

Yeah...my tk is pretty stock and I don't get on it... But the Jeep, I just had to teach a pesky Zoomer a 'lesson' the other day. They wanted to jump and cut in front of me at a stop light. I could see it coming (I was in the 'proper' lane). Could hear the subwoofer pretty loud next to me. The Jeep is the real deal. No variable timing, no 8-6-4 trans or long algorithms to 'think through'. Real cable to the throttle. Light goes green, foot goes down, Jeep rises up about an inch....poooof! I'm gone! Well, that thing is mighty quick off the line (Jeep). Of course they eventually had to pass me further down the road going some obscene speed. Ha ha...

The Nag was probably more expensive, or took up too much space, weighed 2 lbs more, etc than Benz wanted. There's a number of Benz decisions we can scratch our heads about. That's all history now.

Jeepwalker · Feb 6, 2024

I still wonder what in hell Daimler/Benz was thinking when they re-purposed the RFE for the 5.7 trucks, they already had a pretty decent 5 speed in the Nag 1 that was in the parts bin.

I've wondered that myself a time or two..

CanuckRam1313 · Feb 6, 2024

Wild one said:
Only the RFE transmission is garbage Mike,lol.If they'd of used the same Nag 1 as they put in the cars,then they'd of had a decent 5 speed.Re-purposing a light duty transmission originally designed for the low horsepower early 4.7's was their biggest mistake,especially when they already had a decent 5 speed in the Nag 1 they could of used.

I miss my NAG1 in my 06' 300SRT8.
I had the AMG clutch packs and the Paramount Stage II VB put in mine with a little bump in terms of an upgraded TC... dang... it would lite up off the line with the Getrag 3.92 LSG upgraded diff.
The good ol' days...lol!

La Ramie · Feb 6, 2024

Wild one said:
What do you mean "nobodies perfected an 8 speed swap",get ahold of Russell at Sound German,and he'll pretty well sell you everything you need electrically to install it,then it's just a matter of sourcing the driveshaft and crossmember to bolt it in. It's a fairly common swap now,there's even a few threads on here,detailing the swap if you use the search function.

Getting the hardware isn’t hard, as you said.
The problem finding a good shop putting it together.

La Ramie · Feb 6, 2024

Wild one said:
I still wonder what in hell Daimler/Benz was thinking when they re-purposed the RFE for the 5.7 trucks, they already had a pretty decent 5 speed in the Nag 1 that was in the parts bin.They knew enough to use the Nag 1 behind the 5.7's / 6.1's and 6.4's in the cars,but sure slipped up by not using it in the trucks

TBH, back when I purchased my 2013 Ram, my dealer told to wait a couple of months for the then new 8HP behind the HEMI. I was worried, since it’s the first model and I thought back then that the transmission was NAG1 similar to the cars. Then, when I drove the truck I realized it is 6 speed. That when I knew I f***ed up.

DILLIGAF · Feb 6, 2024

La Ramie said:
Getting the hardware isn’t hard, as you said.
The problem finding a good shop putting it together.

You can literally DIY it in a driveway the swap is so easy. If your older like myself and all ****** up, you'll need a 2 post lift.

La Ramie · Feb 6, 2024

DILLIGAF said:
You can literally DIY it in a driveway the swap is so easy. If you’re older like myself and all ****** up, you'll need a 2 post lift.

Time, space and bad knees won’t allow it.

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