RamGuy110
Senior Member
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2017
- Posts
- 176
- Reaction score
- 56
- Ram Year
- 2022 Ram 2500
- Engine
- 6.4 Hemi
Are you suppose to use 89 octane in the 6.4 or is that only when towing?
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So I found a new 21' 2500 Big Horn, night edition, 6.4 Hemi. It has a 4" lift and 37/13.5/20 tires. It has the tech pkg, blind spot, level 2 group, safety group, so pretty loaded for a big horn. So with those tires, it brings the gear ratio down to 3.37. With the lift, tires, etc, how much less towing capacity would you expect?
My owners manual says 87 and that is what i run. I get 12-17 mpg and when i have tried 89 or 91 i got the same.Are you suppose to use 89 octane in the 6.4 or is that only when towing?
a 24' enclosed trailer for work, 3 days per week, sometimes 5 days per week. 7k-12k it varies.What are you towing normally?
The 6.4 with 8 speed tows beautifully, and unloaded driving is so much better than a Cummins (I've had 6 Cummins)
Agreed. I have one on my Wrangler because the throttle response was abysmal, so expected to need one on the PW. Not the case. It feels plenty peppy with the stock pedal programming. If I turn off traction control, the truck will spin 35" tires off the line with ease and for a good bit.When I bought my 2021 6.4 I fully expected to install the pedal commander like I did on my 2014. After driving it now I don't experience the throttle lag that I had on the 14. No commander for me. Maybe the 4.10's help too.
I may have found that I will buy tomorrow. Its a new one, 2021 Ram 2500 Big Horn, Night edition, tech package. The dealer installed a Bilsten 2" Level with Reservoir shocks, off road package, LED light package front and back and it has 20" Fuel Blitz rims on 295/60/20 Ridge Grapplers. I wish it had blind spot monitoring and 4.10s, but it has the 3.73s. The one big appealing thing is $500 reduction in car payment. I used to tow with the older 6.4 Hemis, but they had the 6-speeds. I don't remember much about them, but towing they were real sluggish.I agree! The 6.4 is stupid drivable, and easily pulls everything I need to tow with ease. Also makes an excellent in town short trip rig, without worrying about all of the diesel emissions
2500's had coil springs on the since 2014 while 3500's stayed with leaf springs. I don't think I've ever heard anyone talk nicely about the 66rfe while towing.Ive had 3 Ram 2500 Laramie trucks over the years.
My perspective:
#1 - '97 with 5.9B Cummins 12 valve, 3.73 rear, crew cab. Paid 32k, fuel was 99 cents per gallon. Had a cassette player too. Trans started failing at 80K miles. 16 MPG as I remember, best was 21 MPG on a long rod trip. Sold for 16K in 2016. Tighter turning radius compared to newer trucks as I recall. Louder too. Excellent truck except for the lack of 4 doors.
#2 - 2017 with 6.4 Hemi gas/3.73 rear, mega-cab. Paid 49k. Mega Cab is why I bought the Ram, I absolutely love it. Leveled/added 35" tries. Recalled 4X for minor things, plus an exhaust rattle that took 3 visits to fix. MPG was about 15 unloaded, 11 loaded/pulling. Rough ride with leaf springs unless hauling something heavy. Seats very stiff, took 1 year to loosen up. Auto-dim hi beams don't. Engine and trans had plenty of power for towing my 20' boat and 16' Util trailer loaded w/ ATVs or a tractor. The 66 trans shifted back and forth a lot when towing, even in tow haul mod (more than expected I should say). MDS was annoying, so I would put in "6" instead of "D" to bypass. Still, a great truck I sold for 45k, only b/c I wanted a diesel with 5th wheel prep. Drove it through rivers, beach sand, etc. with no problem. Interior was quite nice too.
#3 - 2021 w/ 6.7 Cummins/3.73 rear end. Mega-cab. Paid 72K(!) Coil spring rear is a much more comfortable ride, Id say twice as comfortable as my 2017's ride. MPG is 16 to 18 so far (only 3000 miles). Auto-dim hi beams better but not perfect so I don't use them. Interior definitely quieter that my 2017. DEF isn't the problem/hassle I thought it would be. Love the exhaust brake, I use it all the time. It sounds good too. The 6.7 will launch you like the 6.4 Hemi, even when towing. 68 trans shifts smoother and less frequent that the 66, b/c of the increased engine torque I guess. Really cant think of something about this truck I don't like, except the cost. Rides like a car (mostly) and pulls like a tractor. In 2017 I looked at Ford, Chevy and Ram. Mega Cab sold me on the Ram (again).
I very nearly got a Silverado Trail Boss with the 6.2L (yeah, gambling a bit). But the same issue there, the interior is still pretty dated and the cost difference between similar 1500s & 2500s wasn't big enough to justify it.I looked at the Lariat before ordering my Laramie. I found the interior sub-par and seemingly cheap in comparison. IMO
I have one on my GTI due to a small amount of drive-by-wire and turbo lag. My family got me one for the truck for my birthday. So we'll see if it's worth the difference once I figure out where I want to stash it. :/ I'll try to post up on the 'What I did this week thread'.When I bought my 2021 6.4 I fully expected to install the pedal commander like I did on my 2014. After driving it now I don't experience the throttle lag that I had on the 14. No commander for me. Maybe the 4.10's help too.
What gear ratio do you have in the 6.4 - 3.73 or 4.10? I only tow a few times a month (8k). We may get a camper later but if I have to get a deisel then, I will so we are thinking gas for now. We are very flat terrain here alsoRight - mileage or initial cost are not independent variables. You trade them off to see which works. My calculations concur with @General Clortho , payback for extra capital outlay for the diesel (plus finance interest) goes waaaaaay out their in usage miles. You can pay for a lot of gasoline for the much higher prices of the diesel package and finance interest.
The real question is how you intend to use - if you're pulling a heavy trailer in mountains, I wouldn't even consider gasoline regardless of axle gear ratio or transmission type. I pull a moderate weight trailer in moderate hilly country, therefore 6.4L Hemi is perfect for me. And after driving it I can validate that.
What gear ratio do you have in the 6.4 - 3.73 or 4.10? I only tow a few times a month (8k). We may get a camper later but if I have to get a deisel then, I will so we are thinking gas for now. We are very flat terrain here also