5-speed swap to 8-speed possible

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OP
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2010 Infantry Vet

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They don't originally come with paddle shifters,mine are a custom set-up.Stock the shifter buttons are on the right side of the steering wheel. There is no console shifter option for the 8 speed trucks,but with some engineering you might be able to adapt the console shifter out of the Challengers into the trucks to give you some sort of shifter.Adapting the PRND knob and the 4X4 selector won't be hard,but i'd imagine you'd still want some way of being able to manually shift the tranny,as just adapting the PRND knob,only allows access to drive,no option to manually control the shifts.You could theoretically set it up with a good quality HP tranny tune,and set the shift points via the tune I guess,but that does leave a bit to be desired especially if you do any towing.Keep us updated on how you make out with this swap,as i'm sure there's a few guys interested in how the 8 speed swap into a 5/6 speed truck pans out.
Yeah personally, I'm not too savvy about being able to manually shift gears. Its on 38" tires and no racecar. Haha
 

RLJ10X

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In a perfec world, you would use the existing Shifter. Then use the "Slap Stick" feature instead of the paddle shifters. That would be a slick, simple set up. Then you could use your existing 4WD knob.

^Too simple and easy..... probably never work.
 
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In a perfec world, you would use the existing Shifter. Then use the "Slap Stick" feature instead of the paddle shifters. That would be a slick, simple set up. Then you could use your existing 4WD knob.

^Too simple and easy..... probably never work.
All I know is russel told me he will need me to mail him the dial knob so he can make a pigtail to run with his add on computer.

My shifter is on the steering column
 

Wild one

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All I know is russel told me he will need me to mail him the dial knob so he can make a pigtail to run with his add on computer.

My shifter is on the steering column

If he can interface the column shifter to the tranny,that would be as good if not better then the stock 8 speed set-up,which uses tiny little buttons on the steering wheel to control the ERS.The little buttons on the wheel do leave a bit to be desired.I'd imagine crawling around back trails,over rocks and through the bush ,or driving in snow or on icy roads,would be another couple of conditions where you'd want to be able to lock the tranny into a certain gear via the ERS system.
 

Tach_tech

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I don’t see how you’d be able to make the column shifter work considering your trans is shifted by cable and the 8 speed is electronically shifted.

The 4X4 controls are also integrated into the 8 speed dial shifter.

As for the torque management, unless your building the trans you’re going to want torque management. That’s what keeps the 8 speed living on higher hp applications.
 

blade

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bro keep us updated on how that swap goes
Ooh, that is very interesting. I'm sceptical. I'm fine with my 545RFE. However, an 8 speed would make my truck perfect.
i agree my truck would be a lot faster on the top end
 
OP
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I don’t see how you’d be able to make the column shifter work considering your trans is shifted by cable and the 8 speed is electronically shifted.

The 4X4 controls are also integrated into the 8 speed dial shifter.

As for the torque management, unless your building the trans you’re going to want torque management. That’s what keeps the 8 speed living on higher hp applications.
I will be using the 8 speed knob. Torque management can be adjusted with tuning or a two step. Like i mentioned earlier...russel needs hands on and doesn't have a ram to work with.
Once i get everything bolted up, I can can fly him to be to make adjustments.
 

RLJ10X

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Blade, I don't need, nor want anymore top end.
I stood on the skinny petal, on a freeway onramp in rural/deserted southern Indiana last fall. I chickened out at 124 MPH. It took a very short time to get there, I might add.

Like I said earlier, I'm just fine with my truck as is.

But strictly from an engineering/problem solving perspective, this is an interesting subject.

I wonder if my Sport (trim level) with the console Slap Stick Shifter might be a better starting point?
 

Reverse

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I have both a 6-speed and an 8-speed, and the floor hump is different (narrower for 8-speed IIRC). Something to keep in mind as far as fit maybe.
 
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I have both a 6-speed and an 8-speed, and the floor hump is different (narrower for 8-speed IIRC). Something to keep in mind as far as fit maybe.
Thanks for that info...its going to be around summer when i do the swap.
 
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JosephVK56

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i hope you do this swap. i havent lost faith at all in doing this swap in my own ram. i took too large a hit on my truck that i cant trade it in for an 8speed.... i was to dumb and got the 6 speed trans. from my own research i did a while back here are some things that are different...

1.the PCM (engine/trans ECU under hood on firewall)

2.engine harness is different part number, main dash harness is different obviously for the 8 speed dial shifter and shift buttons on steering wheel.

3. o2 sensors carry different part number

4. trans mounts

5. steering column

6. trans cooler lines

7. shift interlock lever

8. exhaust may or may not work from the 6 speed trans - yet to be determined

9. gear shift upper and lower cables

10. lower rad hose

11. rear propeller shaft and front prop shaft if your 4wd

12. once swap is done you would need the dealer to program the ecu to the truck to encode the VIN, mileage etc and maybe to the keys? not sure if the chipped keys are programmed to PCM as well or only to the BCM. then do a trans quick learn. would maybe also need to program the new ECU to the gears you have and tire size

overall for how cheap the trans's are and sourcing the other parts, it wouldnt be that expensive of a swap... its just the time needed to do it
 
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6.7CumminsDrvr

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Would be sweet if this works.......I could see a lot of folks performing this swap on the HD gassers.........
 

TheEnder

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A 8SP in a 5/6 SP body? That’s amazing! I don’t know how you’re going to change the shifter to rotary, but keep me updated!


Sent from my iPhone XS Max using Tapatalk
 

crackerjack1957

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Flying someone in & paying for their time can't be cheap.........problems down the road & you have to do over.........then if something happens to him or he decides to no longer do this.

Hope it works though......don't want to be negative.....LoL
 

crackerjack1957

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Damn this thread is a year old..........LoL
 
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