2011 1500 Hemi 5.7 Mod Suggestions/Discussion

[Jeepwalker]

I believe the new I-6 will be DI/turbo IIRC. But that doesn't help you.

 

[Wild one]

Hello everyone,

I am new here to the forum and new to Ram trucks. Just got a 2011 1500 I believe it is a sport trim model with the 5.7 Hemi. I'm using it as a daily driver but also to pull a travel trailer. I have a pretty decent list of mods. I am just looking for some feedback, discussion and any suggestions that people with more experience then me have with these trucks. I know a decent amount about cars in general and have a garage with a lift to do the work. The current list of mods I am thinking about are as follows:

-K&N cold air intake
-Pacesetter long tube headers with ceramic coating
-Mishimoto oil catch can
-Pedal Commander throttle controller
-Moes ported throttle bodies 87mm (not sure if this is the one im going with)
-Monroe adjustable air rear shock absorbers
-Front struts (haven't looked into these much, not sure if I need to replace these)
-Trailer brake controller (oem one is kind of expensive, aftermarket ones seem cheesy, not sure what I'll do)
-Gear change (big job to change both front and rear, questioning to add limited slip, do I add limited slip to front and rear, what gear do I do with.....)
-Nerf bars (too many options, only a cosmetic difference probably)

The truck had some aftermarket things when I got it, such as taunou cover (probably spelt that wrong), 10" android auto enabled radio (not sure if speakers are stock, will replace if they are will need suggestions), led lights everywhere, floor mats and fender flares.

I will try to respond to any thoughts and suggestions you guys have. Thanks so much.

Check out doing an 8 speed swap,good chance you're stock gearing will be fine with the 8 speeds 4.71:1 first gear,and is probably comparable to doing a gear swap in both diffs pricewise.Guys that have done the 8 speed swap are claiming gains of close to a 1/2 second 0-60 or roughly 5 lengths. You're RFE transmission is the weak link,if you want to start adding power to your 5.7.

8 speed swap

Figured I would throw together a brief list of info for swapping in the 8hp70 in early 4th gens… I couldn’t find a lot of this out there so some was trial by fire and then leaning on others (thanks to Alex LaBrash), as they were the biggest help. The process would be similar in earlier models...

www.ramforum.com

 

[Burla]

I really haven't done anything to this truck yet so it has the stock 3.55 no limited slip. I was thinking of going to 3.92 or 4.10. I do not have bigger tires and don't think I need them just want it for the towing improvements. What does the valve body upgrade do? I dont know much about that.

So yes I have 3.55 as well, biggest mistake ever if I knew I was gonna have this truck so long, my buddy has 3.92's, they are great. But, if you are gonna upgrade and you tow, I'd go straight to 4.56, bigger tires then 4.88. The valve body is the brains of transmision, it is where shift kits go, but the rfe has weaknesses and leaks that really need more attention then just a shift kit. Watch this video found by hemi395 one of his gem finds, some great info. Valve body upgrades and gears are money well spent, it is the foundation of what you want to built out. By themselves your truck will be like a ***** ape, then you start modding on that, well no more fearing the bowtie. There is no towing improvement better then gears, but you also need to fix the rfe as it is the weakest link in the chain. It surely wont be cheap either, but a solid foundation is a great way to build.

rick aka wildone knows his stuff, but gears are still the foundation and the 8 speed while great also has it's flaws, not sure anyone suggests with all it's flaws the 8 speed is better at towing then the flawed rfe, the 8 speed option is better for other reasons then strength while towing.

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

 

[Wild one]

So yes I have 3.55 as well, biggest mistake ever if I knew I was gonna have this truck so long, my buddy has 3.92's, they are great. But, if you are gonna upgrade and you tow, I'd go straight to 4.56, bigger tires then 4.88. The valve body is the brains of transmision, it is where shift kits go, but the rfe has weaknesses and leaks that really need more attention then just a shift kit. Watch this video found by hemi395 one of his gem finds, some great info. Valve body upgrades and gears are money well spent, it is the foundation of what you want to built out. By themselves your truck will be like a ***** ape, then you start modding on that, well no more fearing the bowtie. There is no towing improvement better then gears, but you also need to fix the rfe as it is the weakest link in the chain. It surely wont be cheap either, but a solid foundation is a great way to build.

rick aka wildone knows his stuff, but gears are still the foundation and the 8 speed while great also has it's flaws, not sure anyone suggests with all it's flaws the 8 speed is better at towing then the flawed rfe, the 8 speed option is better for other reasons then strength while towing.

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

The RFE has a torque rating of 400 lb-ft if i remember right,while the 8 speed stock is rated to hold 516 lb-ft of engine torque,and you can't beat the 8 speeds gearing for towing,lol.The only downside is,it's a bit harder to check the fluid level in it,compared to the RFE,but they don't normally leak fluid,so you don't have to check the level in them very often ,lol.For what he'll spend on the gear swap on a 4X4,he'll probably be able to put an 8 speed in it ,and have a more reliable transmission,that will take some horsepower if he ever wants to add more power to his 5.7.

 

[Burla]

Do they even have an 8 speed for 2500's now? The 8 speed came out and for years the heavier duty rams kept the rfe. Not saying the rfe is a great option, it surely isn't, but I'm not sold the 8 speed is any better.

 

[runamuck]

the 2500's got the 8 speed in '19. the same 8hp that I have in my '19 laramie 1500..that 5.0 first gear is great.

 

[Wild one]

Do they even have an 8 speed for 2500's now? The 8 speed came out and for years the heavier duty rams kept the rfe. Not saying the rfe is a great option, it surely isn't, but I'm not sold the 8 speed is any better.

The 2500's use the HD 8HP75 behind the 6.4's now.

 

[Shawn Burns]

I 2nd getting a tuner and a custom tune. I just went for hemifever and I am waiting for my PCM exchange to arrive in the mail.

 

[Jheck1124]

Hello again,

Got some updates. Put in the K&N cold air intake and BBK 1-3/4 inch tuned length polished ceramic headers and a pedal commander for throttle response. Truck feels great. I noticed it looks like there are two rad fans..... which im not sure why there are two. Any thoughts on that? I think my next project is the gear change. I think Im going to go with 4.10 and a yukon limited slip for the rear. The version of this truck with stock 3.92 have a tow capacity of arount 10K, I assume I will get a little more with 4.10 without plowing out my gas mileage. I dont think I need bigger than that. Are there any good write ups on here of the process? Will I need to reset the speedometer? I dont yet have a tuner and don't really have any idea how to use one if I did. Posting some picture of the truck here too.

 

[Jheck1124]