Any Tips for hills in my 4.7?

[Friedchicken]

So hills suck big time with my truck, not even really steep. Long hills are what kills me. But steep short ones too. Any tips? Getting a running start doesnt help much. It always sucks me back down to 12k to 15k rpms before I reach the top and have to downshift to stay over 50mph. Is there a tune that can keep me from getting stuck in that rpm range? It's like an overdrive and my truck seems to love going there. It's very annoying. Alot of times even not on hills. Tow mode it still does it. Like I cant accelerate without it downshifting. 160k, 5 speed auto tranny, 4.7 2011

 

[crash68]

Sounds like you might have engine issues where your loosing power.
Keep in mind you need the rpms to get higher in the torque band to climb hills/accelerate so downshifting is going to happen.
If you want to drive around sub- 2K rpms you ha e the wrong engine. Even with the 5.7l Hemi it has to spin up to 4K rpms to produce it's 410 ft/lbs of torque, so it's going to downshift. Compare that to the EcoDiesel that makes 420 ft/lbs of torque at 2K rpms, so yes I can drive up most hills with no downshifting of the trans.

 

[Friedchicken]

Sounds like you might have engine issues where your loosing power.
Keep in mind you need the rpms to get higher in the torque band to climb hills/accelerate so downshifting is going to happen.
If you want to drive around sub- 2K rpms you ha e the wrong engine. Even with the 5.7l Hemi it has to spin up to 4K rpms to produce it's 410 ft/lbs of torque, so it's going to downshift. Compare that to the EcoDiesel that makes 420 ft/lbs of torque at 2K rpms, so yes I can drive up most hills with no downshifting of the trans.

I dont want to drive under 2k. I just want to be able to accelerate in the gear I'm in without downshifting all the time, I'll be stuck at 1.5k rpms going maybe 40 mph, foot about an inch down on the pedal, if I push it down even a little bit more, it will downshift just to get to 45mph. Like why wont it just go in the gear I'm in? Even on flat roads alot of the time. Is this normal?

 

[crash68]

transmissions will inherently up-shift to the highest possible gear for fuel efficiency purposes. They also shift based on torque demand, so depending on how much torque the engine is producing at the rpms it's spinning vs how much you want to accelerate, a downshift will occur. Frequent shifting at lower rpms are common with gassers.
If your thinking it's shifting too much or with too little demand, there may be a loss of power with the engine.
My comment about wanting to drive at sub 2K rpms comes from people with gassers thinking the engine should run at the same rpms doing the same speed whether their towing or not. With the greater demand, the engine has to spin faster, that doesn't apply as much to a diesel.

 

[jws123]

sell it and get a 5.7 hemi

 

[wgreggking]

sell it and get a 5.7 hemi

Or say WTF and get a 6.4 and pass uphill while towing!

 

[jws123]

Or say WTF and get a 6.4 and pass uphill while towing!

idk my hemi is more then powerful enough to tow i pull a boat and car trailer with it up hills all the time with no effort . Unless your in the business of towing and doing it every day dont think you would need anything bigger.

 

[JohnnyMac]

if I push it down even a little bit more, it will downshift just to get to 45mph. Like why wont it just go in the gear I'm in? Even on flat roads alot of the time. Is this normal?

You want it to downshift, because if it stayed in gear and lugged up the hill, it would do damage to your engine (overheat/pre-ignition). The transmission is downshifting to keep you in the best possible gear for the amount of power your truck needs to meet what you are demanding with the gas pedal. Like @crash68 said though, you might be down on power so I'd give her a little tune-up and check the compression to make sure you're actually getting everything that 4.7 is supposed to give. Also, "tow-mode" will make it shift even sooner. It's designed to hold a higher RPM longer.

 

[wgreggking]

idk my hemi is more then powerful enough to tow i pull a boat and car trailer with it up hills all the time with no effort . Unless your in the business of towing and doing it every day dont think you would need anything bigger.

So did my last truck, ford 5.4 SC 4x4, at sea level. The 5.7 is more powerful than the OP's 4.7. Now out west, I tow from 3500 ft to 8000 regularly 6 and 7 % grades, if you need to pass 4 or 5 semis going 40 MPH up hill, better have some spare power or else you will be following them for miles. Hell in west Texas speed limit on I-10 is 85 MPH! Ive owned a ram 4.7,5.2(318) 5.7,and 6.4. don't tow over 6-7 K, so cant justify that expense of a diesel. As they say, No replacement for Displacement. You probably purchased the truck to suit you needs. The 4.7 310 HP, 5.7 390 HP 6.4 410 HP.

 

[Zack02]

idk my hemi is more then powerful enough to tow i pull a boat and car trailer with it up hills all the time with no effort . Unless your in the business of towing and doing it every day dont think you would need anything bigger.

6.4 is the 5.7's bigger, little brother. 6.7 is the diesel. There's no reason not to get a 6.4 if your thinking about actually using your truck, as a truck.

 

[Friedchicken]

You want it to downshift, because if it stayed in gear and lugged up the hill, it would do damage to your engine (overheat/pre-ignition). The transmission is downshifting to keep you in the best possible gear for the amount of power your truck needs to meet what you are demanding with the gas pedal. Like @crash68 said though, you might be down on power so I'd give her a little tune-up and check the compression to make sure you're actually getting everything that 4.7 is supposed to give. Also, "tow-mode" will make it shift even sooner. It's designed to hold a higher RPM longer.

What about when I'm not on a hill? Like on flat ground, from a stop when I push down it will accelerate thru all the gears perfect, but when I ease up on the gas even just a tiny bit it sucks me down to 12, 1500 rpms to hold my speed. Just to get maybe 5mph faster I have to downshift. Is that normal?

 

[JohnnyMac]

What about when I'm not on a hill? Like on flat ground, from a stop when I push down it will accelerate thru all the gears perfect, but when I ease up on the gas even just a tiny bit it sucks me down to 12, 1500 rpms to hold my speed. Just to get maybe 5mph faster I have to downshift. Is that normal?

No that doesn't sound right. I'd definitely go through a tuneup. Also run a bottle or two of injector cleaner through the tank. You might also jack up each axle and make sure the wheels are spinning free.

 

[WY-Dave]

I had a 2002 4.7 that would downshift at every slight hill. I put on a freer flowing muffler (flowmaster 50 delta). It stopped the downshifting for the most part and because it stayed in OD more often, better mpg

 

[huntergreen]

What gear ratio do you have ?

 

[RLJ10X]

You don't say how heavy your trailer is, or what the speed limit is, or what rear end ratio you have.

Do you have the Slap Stick? I have that in my '11, but I have a tuned 5.7 with 4.10s. I pull a 2200 pound enclosed motorcycle trailer. I recently went to Deals Gap. We stayed at Alcoa. But there are a few decent ascents coming and going. I run cruise control. I don't have to bother with Tow/Haul. There were only a few hills/mountains that I had to downshift. The trick for me is to "Slap" it into 5th while still going down hill, with the cruise on. That truck will pull that little trailer up any hill in 5th, no problem.

But I'll bet anything you don't have 4.10s. So all you can do is get your revs up at the bottom of whatever hill you have to go up. I know that may not be what you want to do, but with a smaller engine and taller gears, that your only option.

^I had a 3.9 Dakota for years. Pulled the same load up the same hills for years. Gotta get your revs up. The Dakota pulled those hills just fine. It just screamed it's lungs out while doing it. Never hurt a thing.

 

[Friedchicken]

You don't say how heavy your trailer is, or what the speed limit is, or what rear end ratio you have.

Do you have the Slap Stick? I have that in my '11, but I have a tuned 5.7 with 4.10s. I pull a 2200 pound enclosed motorcycle trailer. I recently went to Deals Gap. We stayed at Alcoa. But there are a few decent ascents coming and going. I run cruise control. I don't have to bother with Tow/Haul. There were only a few hills/mountains that I had to downshift. The trick for me is to "Slap" it into 5th while still going down hill, with the cruise on. That truck will pull that little trailer up any hill in 5th, no problem.

But I'll bet anything you don't have 4.10s. So all you can do is get your revs up at the bottom of whatever hill you have to go up. I know that may not be what you want to do, but with a smaller engine and taller gears, that your only option.

^I had a 3.9 Dakota for years. Pulled the same load up the same hills for years. Gotta get your revs up. The Dakota pulled those hills just fine. It just screamed it's lungs out while doing it. Never hurt a thing.

Lol this is how it drives with no trailer, empty bed. 3.55 gears. Tires slightly bigger than stock 285/70r17. It sucks me to 1500rpm at almost any speed. 70 mph I think I'm at 2000rpm. Low rpms arent what I'm complaining about. Just not being able to accelerate in current gear without downshifting even on flat ground doesnt feel right.

 

[heefageLA]

6.4 is the 5.7's bigger, little brother. 6.7 is the diesel. There's no reason not to get a 6.4 if your thinking about actually using your truck, as a truck.

If they would put a 6.4 in a 1500 chassis, I would trade my truck in tomorrow... Im pretty happy getting 24mpg on my drive everyday.

My aunts husband has a 2500 crew cab LONG BED with a 5.7 in it! I scratch my head at that truck every time I see it.

Kind of stupid to put a little motor in a big boy truck, but wont put the big boy motor in a little truck... And this is coming from the same manufacturer that has literally a dozen different muscle cars to choose from...

 

[Wild one]

Lol this is how it drives with no trailer, empty bed. 3.55 gears. Tires slightly bigger than stock 285/70r17. It sucks me to 1500rpm at almost any speed. 70 mph I think I'm at 2000rpm. Low rpms arent what I'm complaining about. Just not being able to accelerate in current gear without downshifting even on flat ground doesnt feel right.

That's normal for a 4.7,they're a short stroke motor of only 287 cubic inches,they need rpm to do anything,as bottem end torque is not their forte.My old 4.7 made 250HP to the tires with pretty well all the common readily available bolt-ons for the 4.7,which isn't a hell'va a lot of bolt-ons,but to go anywhere or get out of it's own way,it needed to downshift.Truck wasn't bad for power above 3500 rpm,under that it left a lot to be desired,lol

 

[Friedchicken]

That's normal for a 4.7,they're a short stroke motor of only 287 cubic inches,they need rpm to do anything,as bottem end torque is not their forte.My old 4.7 made 250HP to the tires with pretty well all the common readily available bolt-ons for the 4.7,which isn't a hell'va a lot of bolt-ons,but to go anywhere or get out of it's own way,it needed to downshift.Truck wasn't bad for power above 3500 rpm,under that it left a lot to be desired,lol

What bolt on should I start with? Most bang for my buck? Will it need a tuner?

 

[Wild one]

What bolt on should I start with? Most bang for my buck? Will it need a tuner?

Here's a link to my old thread on the truck.
You'll want a tuner on it.

https://www.ramforumz.com/showthread.php?t=182005