Best Headers for RAM 2500 6.4L

[RAM_Designs]

Looking for something to give me added torque and HP under 3500rpm or so, don't really care about WOT power at 4-5.5k rpms. It's kinda daunting trying to find something that works for our truck and what will or won't fit. What have you 3/4 ton guys used that you like? What are some LT options with primaries that aren't 1.75" or larger (since it's my understanding that a smaller 1 5/8" primary would be better for boosting performance under the torque peak)?

I honestly couldn't give a flying F about gains over 3500rpm, I literally never go that high. I'll touch 3k every now and then and maybe hit 3500 if I'm passing someone quickly. 99.9% of my driving is under 3k.

 

[RAM_Designs]

From what I’ve been reading that Viking has posted, the ARH long tubes with 1.75” primaries are the way to go (better steel also) and fit great. But damn that price, ugh.

 

[22hemi13]

Wouldn’t a re-gear be better suited? I’m no hp junkie but these engines are designed to make their power at high rpm. If you’re just lugging around it would seem to me a gear change would be the way to go to get the grunt back.

 

[RAM_Designs]

I am regearing to 4.88’s in the next week or two, already paid a deposit on it. I’m just looking for other mods, stuff that is most beneficial.

 

[Pull Ya]

I'd like to hear your impressions after you get the 4.88's installed--please
Jay

 

[RamHondo]

KOOKS LT HEADERS

 

[RamHondo]

OR TRY CHECK WITH MOE'S!! ALSO HEMIFEVER TUNING..

 

[crackerjack1957]

Ask Jay about a tow tune.

 

[Nick@GotExhaust]

The gears should help a lot. Headers and a good tune should also help. I understand why you want smaller primaries but 1 3/4 primaries will help build power across the entire torque curve. I wouldnt worry to much about that. A quality header and a solid tune are going to make a nice improvement.

Options are still pretty limited, they all have 1 3/4" primaries. AFE or ARH are the only ones we have right now. We can offer a great price on either of these options. Message me if you would like a quote on anything

 

[WY.Ram]

I systematically have applied many of the bolt on mods with reasonable success. I believe they are a requirement for a solid foundation. But I also don't think the 2500 responds as well as a 1500 to each individual mod or the group of mods.
Plus, I am at 6000' and that adds a performance challenge as well. Suckn air at 6000' to 12,000' is a whole lotta work, I keep that throttlebody wide f open too, just to make sure there is no restriction in flow. LoL
Anyway, I run 35s and in a effort to move to 37s I regeared to 5.13 from the factory 4.10 and I tell ya what, from 0 to 3500 rpm she went from $55k brick to screamn beast. I paid the premium dollar for the swap, living in CO, but I'd do it again in heartbeat. ($2700 parts and labor)
I was targetting a 4.88 ratio but my axle shop told me AAM makes an oem gear set at 5.13 and not at 4.88, so I choose the 5.13 and figured if too low I will just get a slightly bigger metric sized tire.
Well, I can't seem to take my 35s off my truck because I love the way it runs now and I have plenty of Interstate travel around here with ftard high speed traffic, like 85plus just to merge on, and I'm not too low for that business either.
My tires are now at 6/32 tread depth so I gotta do my move to 37" but you will love a gear swap, 4.88 or 5.13.
Her and I are lifers. Right now she has 65k on the clock, running better than ever. I have part numbers for the OEM gear sets, somewhere.
Good luck, keep us posted.

I guess I should answer your post: I went with ARH headers with high flow cats. ArH is a beautiful product and they supplied me with stainless steel tubing all the way back to the muffler. All hangers in the correct spot and fitment couldn't be better. Do they perform better than any other long tube, eeh, I doubt it. But I would buy them again. Only improvement they could do is offer a ceramic coating option and they do not. I had to do that after receiving them. God they sound great running through the solo muffler, through anything probably.


2016 RAM 2500 Puthie Wagon | 392ci w 6spd | CAI w ARH long tubes & MF | Diablo T2 w HF tune | 5.13 AAM w 35" Mickey MTs | Custom Graphics w illegal tint | Dodge Off-Road

 

[Ram04]

Since you can't get an LT header smaller than 1 3/4", find out which ones have the longest primaries and longest, smoothest merging collectors and that's the best you can do till I convince one of the header builders to make 1 5/8" LT's for the 4th gens.

Now, you being a 6.4, the 1 3/4" Should do you better down low than a 5.7 running them. So IF any are at least 30" long primary they should work well.

What size is your factory Y-pipe? If it's 2 1/2" I would keep it over a 3" if you really want Tork below 3000

 

[RAM_Designs]

I systematically have applied many of the bolt on mods with reasonable success. I believe they are a requirement for a solid foundation. But I also don't think the 2500 responds as well as a 1500 to each individual mod or the group of mods.
Plus, I am at 6000' and that adds a performance challenge as well. Suckn air at 6000' to 12,000' is a whole lotta work, I keep that throttlebody wide f open too, just to make sure there is no restriction in flow. LoL
Anyway, I run 35s and in a effort to move to 37s I regeared to 5.13 from the factory 4.10 and I tell ya what, from 0 to 3500 rpm she went from $55k brick to screamn beast. I paid the premium dollar for the swap, living in CO, but I'd do it again in heartbeat. ($2700 parts and labor)
I was targetting a 4.88 ratio but my axle shop told me AAM makes an oem gear set at 5.13 and not at 4.88, so I choose the 5.13 and figured if too low I will just get a slightly bigger metric sized tire.
Well, I can't seem to take my 35s off my truck because I love the way it runs now and I have plenty of Interstate travel around here with ftard high speed traffic, like 85plus just to merge on, and I'm not too low for that business either.
My tires are now at 6/32 tread depth so I gotta do my move to 37" but you will love a gear swap, 4.88 or 5.13.
Her and I are lifers. Right now she has 65k on the clock, running better than ever. I have part numbers for the OEM gear sets, somewhere.
Good luck, keep us posted.

I guess I should answer your post: I went with ARH headers with high flow cats. ArH is a beautiful product and they supplied me with stainless steel tubing all the way back to the muffler. All hangers in the correct spot and fitment couldn't be better. Do they perform better than any other long tube, eeh, I doubt it. But I would buy them again. Only improvement they could do is offer a ceramic coating option and they do not. I had to do that after receiving them. God they sound great running through the solo muffler, through anything probably.


2016 RAM 2500 Puthie Wagon | 392ci w 6spd | CAI w ARH long tubes & MF | Diablo T2 w HF tune | 5.13 AAM w 35" Mickey MTs | Custom Graphics w illegal tint | Dodge Off-Road

I really appreciate all the input. I was wanting to go to 5.13’s as well, but I figured with my 500ft elevation and minimal hills I’d be fine with 4.88’s. It is a nearly 31% increase in rpms over my current 3.73’s.

I have the flowmaster HD50 muffler, which is fairly tame. I assume headers with high flow cats will help it roar a little more. Granted, I don’t really care must about volume, just want it to sound good.

 

[RoadRamblerNJ]

I'd like to hear your impressions after you get the 4.88's installed--please
Jay

Me too. I am considering 5.13's.

 

[RAM_Designs]

Me too. I am considering 5.13's.

For 37" tires (36.5" actual), it looks like rpm is just ~100 more than the 4.88's would be. So at 75mph I'd be looking at 2100 vs 2200 rpm with 4.88 vs 5.13...so not much of a difference. Either option would work fine for you I'm sure. Unless you're in mountain terrain and tow a lot, where the 5.13's would be more beneficial.

 

[Ram04]

Also, if you're not stuck on LT's, There are the 1 5/8" JBA shorty's...…..

I can only imagine on a 6.4l they would make some decent Tork below 3500rpm.

 

[McBroom]

Also, if you're not stuck on LT's, There are the 1 5/8" JBA shorty's...…..

I can only imagine on a 6.4l they would make some decent Tork below 3500rpm.

I’d like to see the numbers on the shorty’s. Anything to help these big motors breathe better.
Also are there any other lower cost headers on the market?
I’m planning to do the DIY cold air mod($35) vs buying a $400 CAI to do the same thing.


I love my truck!
Blue Mule 18 Ram 2500 4x4 C/C Off Road.

 

[Ram04]

I’d like to see the numbers on the shorty’s. Anything to help these big motors breathe better.
Also are there any other lower cost headers on the market?
I’m planning to do the DIY cold air mod($35) vs buying a $400 CAI to do the same thing.


I love my truck!
Blue Mule 18 Ram 2500 4x4 C/C Off Road.

I'm more familiar with 3rd gen options, but getting dialed into 4th gen lately.

So far, anything I've found that's less expensive is less quality and not worth the headaches IMO.

Things like Wrong flange designs and really stupid manufacturing issues that really shouldn't exist with the least amount of quality control, R&D ect.

I can only image it's from other stock lying around that they try to make fit another application. Dang, if your going to make a header and list it for a certain application you should at least get the mating flange correct! (whether square/ round/ D shaped ect)

Biggest cost savings with the 1 5/8" JBA shorty's is that they are made to bolt into stock location and work with stock exhaust, which is a Huge difference right there.

They seem to be listed for all 09-17's (some 18's?) but would be nice for someone to confirm fitment.

 

[McBroom]

I'm more familiar with 3rd gen options, but getting dialed into 4th gen lately.

So far, anything I've found that's less expensive is less quality and not worth the headaches IMO.

Things like Wrong flange designs and really stupid manufacturing issues that really shouldn't exist with the least amount of quality control, R&D ect.

I can only image it's from other stock lying around that they try to make fit another application. Dang, if your going to make a header and list it for a certain application you should at least get the mating flange correct! (whether square/ round/ D shaped ect)

Biggest cost savings with the 1 5/8" JBA shorty's is that they are made to bolt into stock location and work with stock exhaust, which is a Huge difference right there.

They seem to be listed for all 09-17's (some 18's?) but would be nice for someone to confirm fitment.

I agree. I’m trying to do some research on it but not making much headway.


I love my truck!
Blue Mule 18 Ram 2500 4x4 C/C Off Road.

 

[2010 Infantry Vet]

I’d like to see the numbers on the shorty’s. Anything to help these big motors breathe better.
Also are there any other lower cost headers on the market?
I’m planning to do the DIY cold air mod($35) vs buying a $400 CAI to do the same thing.


I love my truck!
Blue Mule 18 Ram 2500 4x4 C/C Off Road.

I just installed JBA 1 7/8" stainless with no ceramic coating on my ram and the install was flawless. All of the bad things people say about JBA long tube headers are normally from guys that spent $1700 on ARH or AFE.
What really funny, is i bought these headers used...and there is not one spot of rust on them (they are stainless). Also all welds looked great, and all flanges bolted on without any misfitment guys always say.
In my opinion, its a waste of money to get the ARH or AFE long tube headers when the JBA does the same job for $600.

 

[RAM_Designs]

I just installed JBA 1 7/8" stainless with no ceramic coating on my ram and the install was flawless. All of the bad things people say about JBA long tube headers are normally from guys that spent $1700 on ARH or AFE.
What really funny, is i bought these headers used...and there is not one spot of rust on them (they are stainless). Also all welds looked great, and all flanges bolted on without any misfitment guys always say.
In my opinion, its a waste of money to get the ARH or AFE long tube headers when the JBA does the same job for $600.

But have you done dynos with both to see what the difference really is, or are you just saying yours is the same as going the LT route because it's the way you did it and you want to justify being more frugal with your exhaust system the same way you think the guys buying LT's are doing to justify their spendings?