2002 4.7 with 545RFE and 4.56:1.00 trutrac = AWESOME!!!

[Johnny_N_TX]

You didn't post pics, but if you need seat replacements I have a very good condition quad cab set (plus door panels) from my 2003.

Don't need any seats or door panels. Thanks.

Don't think you'll be able to do what you're planning with manual gear selection, but I'm interested to see if you do. Unfortunately you don't have the best of factory elex to work with lol (or the 2003 hemi would be alot easier to play with).

Nothing wring with the electronics in this vehicle... I think it's actually a better design than the "all in one" system in the newer vehicles. (1) Less prone to taking out the entire vehicle with one piece of gear (2) easier to modify: it's really just a set of "PLCs" stuffed into an ePROM with Automotive bus communication.

As for the TCM modification, I have been doing the "undoable" for 4 decades. It's just a matter of actually doing it...

Come to think of it, I think I have a set of new shorty headers in the garage I'll never use.

Was this an offer of some sort or just random brain droppings??? I'd be interested in hearing more about them if they'r eup for grabs...

 

[HemiLonestar]

Nothing wring with the electronics in this vehicle... I think it's actually a better design than the "all in one" system in the newer vehicles. (1) Less prone to taking out the entire vehicle with one piece of gear (2) easier to modify: it's really just a set of "PLCs" stuffed into an ePROM with Automotive bus communication.
(1) Take the TCM out and tell me how well your truck goes down the road lol
(2) Make it happen then, because you'll be one up on most of the automotive aftermarket for years lol.....only B&G ever claimed to be able to do anything with the standalone truck TCM's and even then the inherent software wasn't really conducive to anything performance, otherwise there's a bunch of us with 2002 and 2003 Rams that would've been all over that **** YEARS Ago LMAO.

As for the TCM modification, I have been doing the "undoable" for 4 decades. It's just a matter of actually doing it...

Reread what I wrote......the TCM mod got figured out well OVER A DECADE AGO lol. About 17yrs-ish. Nothing new. It's just nice to see some of the old mods still be useful.

Was this an offer of some sort or just random brain droppings??? I'd be interested in hearing more about them if they'r eup for grabs...

This was an "I can go look in the garage if you're actually interested".

 

[Johnny_N_TX]

The MPG is definitely not why I'm wanting a gear swap, but it would be a very welcome byproduct of the "fun" gears. Whatever happens on I think its safe to say that I'll never see OP's 22 MPG lol. Those are some insanely good numbers out of the 4.7

I definitely wasn't going for MPGs... it was just a happy accident. I was mostly concerned with being able to tow my trailers with a 20 year old truck. I was turning off the OD to tow my RV, but with the new gears, I just leave the OD on and let the machine decided to do what it wants.

As for my reported fuel economy, you should probably take into account these numbers are for highway miles (I do very little stop-n-go driving), I'm running highway tires (harder compound with a rib-style tread rather than an all weather design), and I live on the gulf coast (I'm at about 30ft above sea level and the terrain is EXCEEDINGLY FLAT). You mentioned driving through the hills... we don't have those where I live.

I'm thinking you will be happy with the end result if the goal is to make your truck drive more like a truck. I have never understood why the Big 3 are always trying to build pickups the same way they used to build station wagons. Trucks should be higher geared, and firm riding. I know why they do it (they sell trucks to people who don't really need a truck when they make them ride like a car) but it just does not make sense to me. If I had my druthers, they'd still make trucks the way they did back in the 70s. All steel (including the dash board), with torquey engines, and tall gear ratios, and manual transmissions.

I probably won't be responding to anymore posts until I make some additional progress on the truck. Good luck and happy motoring!

 

[Johnny_N_TX]

HemiLonestar:

So do you know of people who have reprogrammed their TCM rather than just swapping one in from a Jeep? I found a few companies that are offering EPROM programming. I actually want to modify the pin-out as well (to add another button), and so far none of the companies I have talked to "can" do that (more likely I was talking to someone who was only aware of what they commonly do, rather than what they "can" do). I am gong to keep pursing this, but not aggressively. Since I live on the coast it would be more of a nice to have than something I really need. The Rainbow Bridge in Port Arthur is the worst grade I see regularly when towing a trailer, and I only see it about once every 3-4 months (if I'm going fishing in on the Louisiana border).

Shoot me a PM about the headers with the brand, model number, etc. I was looking at BBK and Gibson headers... they run around $350 for N.O.S. from a few vendors. If yours are in good shape and you can beat that price then I'd be happy to chat with you about it.

Are you in Texas? I figured with "Lonestar" in your title it wasn't a far stretch of the imagination.

 

[Fishstickz]

I definitely wasn't going for MPGs... it was just a happy accident. I was mostly concerned with being able to tow my trailers with a 20 year old truck. I was turning off the OD to tow my RV, but with the new gears, I just leave the OD on and let the machine decided to do what it wants.

As for my reported fuel economy, you should probably take into account these numbers are for highway miles (I do very little stop-n-go driving), I'm running highway tires (harder compound with a rib-style tread rather than an all weather design), and I live on the gulf coast (I'm at about 30ft above sea level and the terrain is EXCEEDINGLY FLAT). You mentioned driving through the hills... we don't have those where I live.

I'm thinking you will be happy with the end result if the goal is to make your truck drive more like a truck. I have never understood why the Big 3 are always trying to build pickups the same way they used to build station wagons. Trucks should be higher geared, and firm riding. I know why they do it (they sell trucks to people who don't really need a truck when they make them ride like a car) but it just does not make sense to me. If I had my druthers, they'd still make trucks the way they did back in the 70s. All steel (including the dash board), with torquey engines, and tall gear ratios, and manual transmissions.

I probably won't be responding to anymore posts until I make some additional progress on the truck. Good luck and happy motoring!

Oh yeah in that case I’ll definitely be nowhere near your MPG numbers lol. I get mostly highway miles, but have hard n aggressive AT/MT hybrid tires, and have quite a few rolling hills to tackle. Similar to you MPG isn’t my main concern, just being able to drive my truck and feel like it has enough power to pull itself would be worth any extra gas station stops if needed

Lol funny you bring up all steel trucks. I was watching CHIPS last night and somebody was sitting on the hood of an old 70s chevy truck. If I was to try that I’d be on my way to the body shop with a huge butt-shaped dent in my hood lol

Good luck with your next mods

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Fishstickz]

Wonder what a 3.7 with an 8HP45 would be like lol....

I think it’d be a vast improvement over the RLE having twice the amount of gears, but I’m sure I’d still be gapped by ANYONE at the red lights lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Johnny_N_TX]

Lol funny you bring up all steel trucks. I was watching CHIPS last night and somebody was sitting on the hood of an old 70s chevy truck. If I was to try that I’d be on my way to the body shop with a huge butt-shaped dent in my hood lol

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That is funny as hell!!!

 

[HemiLonestar]

HemiLonestar:

So do you know of people who have reprogrammed their TCM rather than just swapping one in from a Jeep?

Shoot me a PM about the headers with the brand, model number, etc. I was looking at BBK and Gibson headers... they run around $350 for N.O.S. from a few vendors. If yours are in good shape and you can beat that price then I'd be happy to chat with you about it.

Are you in Texas? I figured with "Lonestar" in your title it wasn't a far stretch of the imagination.

A few people had it done back in the day, but all it did was give them the same program/tune as the Jeep TCM.
PM shot.
My truck is from TX, I am not lol. My ex-inlaws live in San Antonio. I was stationed in MS when Katrina hit. Lost pretty much everything (including my 74 Monaco & 88 Pulsar). I had to go to VA to pick up a patrol craft, left my wife with family. Once I got back to MS I looked around in SA for a replacement vehicle that I figured wouldn't have gotten flooded (my aunt works at a dealer in NJ and they were finding flooded cars within three months). Found mine at a CarMax and have had it since Turkey Day 2005.

I think it’d be a vast improvement over the RLE having twice the amount of gears, but I’m sure I’d still be gapped by ANYONE at the red lights lol

Same could be said of a newer 3.6 Ram. Yeah, more power but more weight as well. If not for the expense it would still vastly improve the vehicle. I dunno if the Sound German harness will work for the HP45....maybe [emoji848]

 

[Fishstickz]

Same could be said of a newer 3.6 Ram. Yeah, more power but more weight as well. If not for the expense it would still vastly improve the vehicle. I dunno if the Sound German harness will work for the HP45....maybe [emoji848]

Hey if not, I’d be alright with the 8HP70 lol. A bit overkill for the 3.7 yeah, but if an engine swap was in the future I wouldn’t have to deal with a trans swap to go along with a new motor and all of its components unless I was looking at insane power lol

It seems used 8HP70’s aren’t much more expensive than their 45 counterparts, unless there is something I’m missing


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[HemiLonestar]

Not that I've seen, the 45's are just more plentiful. Boosted 4.7 swap with a 70 though..... [emoji848]
http://www.airram.com/custompage.php?page=18 (scroll to bottom)