3.21 gear ratio - anyone actually towing with it?

[Cmasterson]

View attachment 42348
I tow a 28 ft travel trailer with 3 kids and the wife and myself. Quite a lot of stuff as I am the only male. The truck does awesome. I could not ask for better. I do not tow every day and I really don't see the need for the 3.92's. If I towed every day I would have gotten a larger truck. I like the gas mileage. I can get 500 miles on a full tank all hwy miles tho.


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What is the weight you are towing with your 28 ft tt

 

[CrownHill]

So what's the deal with the 4x4 models, can we still swap the gears? I just bought a 2015 and didn't realize I was getting stuck with 3.21's. Wouldn't the front just have to be changed as well, keeping the same ratio. I would go up to 4.10 for sure!

 

[loveracing1988]

So what's the deal with the 4x4 models, can we still swap the gears? I just bought a 2015 and didn't realize I was getting stuck with 3.21's. Wouldn't the front just have to be changed as well, keeping the same ratio. I would go up to 4.10 for sure!

You can go up to a 3.92, there were never 4.10's as an option on the 4x4's. Why do you want to swap gears? Unless you plan on putting a lot bigger tires on it or racing it what are your gains for?

 

[topher]

Bumping this.

2014 Hemi, 8sp, 3.21

towing a 23' boat (total weight ~4,500lbs).

Pulled it 100 miles, mostly highway. Netted 12.8mpg. Used tow/haul mode and cruise control. Would activate MDS/Eco pretty regularly. I'm pretty happy with it. Don't regret not getting the 3.92s.

 

[ScarferBrad]

2014 Hemi, 8sp, 3.21 Crew Cab Short Bed 2WD

towed a 3400lb 2006 Tachoma on a 2000 lb U-haul car hauler 440 miles from SC to FL in the rain with 3 people and 2 dogs and it towed like a dream... didn't know it was there...got 14 mpg towing it too @ 75-80 mph

 

[twooldfarmers]

just have an update on this 1500 mile tow

government highway scale shows we were @ slightly more than 12,400 pounds and overall fuel economy was 14.3 US so given the load, the speed and the terrian up the Rockies with several 7000 foot passes ans a Continental Divide I am impressd and all with 3.21's


just towed an old and heavy Cadillac all the way up Interstate 15 through the Rocky Mountain range @ 70 mph with the 5.7 and 3.21's

I have not run it over the scale yet but will do that today before I unload it today

likely 6000 pounds plus with trailer and cargo (I meant in addition to the truck itself)

no sweat and averaged 15 mpg US

just put it in tow-haul and let the computer work it's magic


someone said "it must down shift a lot because their 355's do"

well yes of course

that is the idea of 8 speeds so that the 'sweet spot' is always available to match your speed and need for torque

most of us tow perhaps at most a few weekends a month at best

if you are ordering a truck that will have some on its tail ech and every day, say 6000 pounds plus

then yes 3.92's may well be the order of the day

otherwise the three two's will serve you best

and your truck will deliver bettter milage, and run quieter as well

resale on a 3.92 equipped truck may well be a tougher down the road IMO

something like selling even a sports car with a manual transmission, they are a hard sell and not even offered in some high sports and exotics any longer

standard transmissions and the fondness for them is also based on notions from the past about being faster, more durable and such and none of that is true and few of us want to 'row' that thing in traffic for more than about ten minutes

most trucks are used mostly as cars were in the past

oil will surge again as it absolutely always has done in the past, repeatedly

and people will start caring about mileage

and caring a lot about milage

and 2 or 3 mpg will be a number they will crunch

there is so much misunderstanding out there with regard to the new power train combinations that is based on antiquated data from the past

a re-education is needed for many of us

 

[twooldfarmers]

So what's the deal with the 4x4 models, can we still swap the gears? I just bought a 2015 and didn't realize I was getting stuck with 3.21's. Wouldn't the front just have to be changed as well, keeping the same ratio. I would go up to 4.10 for sure!

it is unlikely you need anything other than 3.21's

particularly with the 5.7 combined with the ZF 8 speed

they are beautiful together

 

[smiley]

You can go up to a 3.92, there were never 4.10's as an option on the 4x4's. Why do you want to swap gears? Unless you plan on putting a lot bigger tires on it or racing it what are your gains for?

Maybe he wants to enjoy the truck more. We have to remember our needs and preferences are all different. Having the low gears makes the truck more like a truck which I like but not everyone will. Towing with it is then a breeze. I can't imagine how awesome 4.10s would be with 8 speed must just rip.

 

[twooldfarmers]

Maybe he wants to enjoy the truck more. We have to remember our needs and preferences are all different. Having the low gears makes the truck more like a truck which I like but not everyone will. Towing with it is then a breeze. I can't imagine how awesome 4.10s would be with 8 speed must just rip.

I think if you read the first posting you will find that he has already bought the truck and the question was this " can I tow with 3.21's"

and with absolute confidence a number of members have reassured him of that fact through field testing of our own 3.21 equipped units

the cost to change gear sets would be in the thousands and has has been shown by many of us, unnecessary

this I believe is the answer he was looking for and received and he can sleep well knowing he can hook to anything up to its rated GVW with confidence

 

[john94si]

My 3.21 pulled this F250 out of this situation he got himself in the other day. I hooked up to his front and i was on the sidewalk and pulled him sideways forward.. my 1 wheel drive pulled him just fine. His drop hitch buried itself into the dirt/roadway.

 

[TruckNut]

3:21 will tow just fine. These trucks have a LOT of power plus the benefit of a nicely spaced 8 speed. Save your money and enjoy the trip!

 

[john94si]

Another new toy i tow..
2015 yamaha 242 limited S . It weighs about 5k pounds.

 

[cgeorgemo]

Cough....
Does Ram need lower axle ratios? • Allpar News

 

[clh1220]

Cough....
Does Ram need lower axle ratios? • Allpar News

That was a good article. So I shouldn't be so scared when the bad ass 3.92 pulls up. I like the post with the 3.92 guys say turn off traction control for some real fun. My 3.21 is not a race truck but it does get her big ass up off the line without leaving rubber behind.

 

[cgeorgemo]

Someone has posted on here that they thought the benefit of the 8 speed vs the 6 was 2 over drive gears.
This is wrong.
The 8 speed has lower gears at first not higher gears at the end.

 

[cgeorgemo]

That was a good article. So I shouldn't be so scared when the bad ass 3.92 pulls up. I like the post with the 3.92 guys say turn off traction control for some real fun. My 3.21 is not a race truck but it does get her big ass up off the line without leaving rubber behind.

If they have an 8 speed and 3.92s they will have better acceleration than an 8 speed and 3.21s. If they have an older 6 speed with 3.92s they will have less than an 8 with 3.21s

I laugh a little every time I hear people say they chose the 6 speed on a 2013-2014 because the shifter is in the "correct" location. I wonder if they know they left that much mechanical advantage off their truck because of their old fashioned thinking?

 

[huff2462]

This all makes perfect sense to me... my only question is: Don't the 3.92's have a higher tow rating than us 3.21 guys?

And if the gearing in the low gears is that good, why wouldn't we be rated higher?

 

[PippinAin'tEasy]

This all makes perfect sense to me... my only question is: Don't the 3.92's have a higher tow rating than us 3.21 guys?

And if the gearing in the low gears is that good, why wouldn't we be rated higher?

I'll let bigger brains explain the math and stick to what I know. If you tell a hillbilly he can tow it, he will. And add an extra ton at least. Tow ratings are the CYA of the automotive industry. It's up to us to decipher how flexible they are.[emoji57]

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[ScarferBrad]

the 3.92 has a higher tow rating because, I think the ring and pinion gears are stronger than that of the 3.21

 

[loveracing1988]

the 3.92 has a higher tow rating because, I think the ring and pinion gears are stronger than that of the 3.21

No, if anything 3.21 is stronger. The 3.92 has a higher rating because it gives more mechanical advantage than 3.21 that helps get you moving easier.