Gear Ratios on the 1500

[tidefan1967]

A lot of good points going both ways. I went to a closer dealer today and told them exactly what I want and with the 3.92. He is supposed to call me tomorrow and let me know what he finds. If he can find me one and cut me a deal close to the good deal on the other one, I'm going to go with it. I'm thinking it will be hard for me to get him down though because the other one with the 3.21 is a dang good deal. However it's about 250 miles away as well. I'm just going to see what I find out from this local dealer and then go from there I reckon.

Hopefully all those trucks you're looking at have limited slip too. I've noticed that the vast majority of the 3.21 trucks don't have LS and the other way around for the 3.92 trucks. If the deal is just too good to pass up you can always add it later. I've had both and honestly not having 3.92s would be a deal breaker for me.

 

[JoeCo]

A lot of good points going both ways. I went to a closer dealer today and told them exactly what I want and with the 3.92. He is supposed to call me tomorrow and let me know what he finds. If he can find me one and cut me a deal close to the good deal on the other one, I'm going to go with it. I'm thinking it will be hard for me to get him down though because the other one with the 3.21 is a dang good deal. However it's about 250 miles away as well. I'm just going to see what I find out from this local dealer and then go from there I reckon.

If the dealer finds you one with 3.92's, I'd still verify that on my own by looking up the build sheet. I've tested dealer knowledge in terms of what gears come with the truck for my last 2 ram purchases, and I found that neither of them really knew and both were just going to tell me what I wanted to hear. This was purely experimental as I already knew all that info thanks to the build sheets, just wanted to cofirm that the dealer would act like a dealer and just go along with anything I wanted, regardless of truth.

https://fcacommunity.force.com/RAM/s/equipment-listing

Checking it for yourself only takes a minute, gaurantee that's worth the time to check versus getting a truck with the wrong gears. Not saying all dealers or salesman will act this way, but at the same time you're better off checking for yourself.

Also I agree with @tidefan1967 and would look for the LSD or "anti spin" too.

 

[Farmer Fran]

The 321 might be fine, and I have never driven one with them but I know for damn sure the 392 are fantastic so, I would personally hold off.

 

[hutchman]

I've owned both and towed 7,000 - 8500# with them. The 3.92s pull hills better. The 3.21s are adequate on the highway. My 3.92s were on a truck. with 33" tires and the 3.21s have a 35" tire. The 3.21s do end up downshifting more, but neither is going to pull a 6% grade in overdrive with an 8000# trailer.

I think a more important concern is fuel tank size. My Rebel had a 26 gallon tank and I swore I would never buy another truck with a small tank. On my new Limited, the 12" screen must have clouded my resolve....another 26 gallon tank!

 

[P2geo]

FYI you will lose approximately 10% mpg in 8th gear with the 3.91, if you aren’t towing heavy payloads often I would opt for the 3.21

 

[corneileous]

FYI you will lose approximately 10% mpg in 8th gear with the 3.91, if you aren’t towing heavy payloads often I would opt for the 3.21

That’s what most people seem to do, those who drive a lot. Me personally, I don’t really drive a whole lot but even really if I did, I would still much rather have the 392. That’s what my old truck had, and I’m glad my new one has the same gear ratio.


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[turboguard]

I look at it the same way with engines:
Could've had a V8!
Could've had 3.92's!

 

[DieselMike29]

FYI you will lose approximately 10% mpg in 8th gear with the 3.91, if you aren’t towing heavy payloads often I would opt for the 3.21

FYI as well, I get an INDICATED 22 mpg (of fuel, NOT gas) at 80 mph on the Interstate with a 3.92 Limited Slip rear differential! My 2015 Laramie has 17" wheels with 33" tires (Yes, off a Rebel, but I have the higher level of appointments) {Smaller wheels with larger sidewalls equals a MUCH better ride experience enhanced by the 4 corner air suspension} Oh, and it is a 4x4 as well.

The only thing I regret not holding out for is the RamBox!

IF I am loosing 10% in 8th gear, I don't mind. Yes, I KNOW it is an "instantaneous" reading, but I don't mind getting the MPH other vehicles are getting at 45 or 50 mph while doing 70 or 80 mph! (My wife's Lexus RX350 has an engine that is half a liter (The 350 means the engine in her car is a 3.5 liter engine) bigger than my 3.0L EcoD and she gets about half the mpg I get -- AND she says the ride in my RAM is better than in her luxury SUV!!!)

 

[scott lass 18]

Hey guys, I've found the exact truck I'm looking for in a 2020 Laramie with the sport appearance package and off-road group. It has every option i'm wanting, except this dealer opted not to order it with the 3.92 gear ratio. it is the 3.21. I don't do a ton of towing and when I do once or twice a year, it's a small trailer. I won't lift the truck, however I will level it and run 33 inch 10 ply tires. Would the 3.92's handle the heavier tire ok or is that a deal breaker that I should hold off for and look for one with the 3.92's?

mine had that 3.21 recall and they broke the nut testing said axle was bad ! but had done years ago 3.92 so went and got it fix 200.00 was told bad axle and all perfick no was fine just needed a better spindle nut dodge has a crappy one cheep small ! as for 3.21 ya well work ! but for me want it a strong truck to pull anything ! bet if u ask they change it 1,000.00 I m sure ? see if they can just fine one another truck out there I know ok ! see all kinds of deals sure they have one close by u can find have them send it to the dealer ! I bet if selling people would turn down the deal too !

 

[scott lass 18]

A lot of good points going both ways. I went to a closer dealer today and told them exactly what I want and with the 3.92. He is supposed to call me tomorrow and let me know what he finds. If he can find me one and cut me a deal close to the good deal on the other one, I'm going to go with it. I'm thinking it will be hard for me to get him down though because the other one with the 3.21 is a dang good deal. However it's about 250 miles away as well. I'm just going to see what I find out from this local dealer and then go from there I reckon.

when I was looking one dealer couldn't even meet me when my 59,000 truck was in for repairs ! the other dealer 50 miles away is still here for me finding all the time something I may want but no money so not now !

 

[Dodge 1500 4X4]

A lot of good points going both ways. I went to a closer dealer today and told them exactly what I want and with the 3.92. He is supposed to call me tomorrow and let me know what he finds. If he can find me one and cut me a deal close to the good deal on the other one, I'm going to go with it. I'm thinking it will be hard for me to get him down though because the other one with the 3.21 is a dang good deal. However it's about 250 miles away as well. I'm just going to see what I find out from this local dealer and then go from there I reckon.

I also have 3:21 gears and its the one I wanted on the lot, one thing to consider is the 3:92 gears make the engine rev higher when accelerating in some cases, My thought less higher revving the longer the engine will last.

 

[corneileous]

I also have 3:21 gears and its the one I wanted on the lot, one thing to consider is the 3:92 gears make the engine rev higher when accelerating in some cases, My thought less higher revving the longer the engine will last.

Egh, I doubt it. I dunno, I guess maybe that could help it somewhat but using good oil, a good filter and changing that oil a lot more often is what will help your engine the most to last. Another thing, maybe if you don’t tow anything or if you’re not spending a whole lot of time in mountainous/hilly areas, that might be fine but if you do, you’re essentially making your transmission work harder and it’ll spend more time searching for the better gear to run leading to possibly increased trans wear from all that excessive shifting. Not to mention that when that trans downshifts, you’re gonna be revving your motor up a lot higher anyways. ...and it’ll be doing it a lot more often less you’re just trying to pull the incline as fast as you can with the lower-geared truck.


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[Elkman]

No problems with a light trailer with the larger tires. Check the height of the stock tires against the ones you want to put on the truck. In most cases it is a difference of 1-2 inches and a change in gearing of 3-6 percent.

I want the ability to tow up to the capacity of the truck and get the gearing I need. Ram specs that with the V-6 engine the towing capacity is 6400 lbs with the 3.21 gears and 7,400 lbs with the same engine and 3.55 or 3.92 gears.

When I buy a new truck I know I will need to special order it to get what I do want and to avoid paying many thousands of dollars for items I do not want at all. Dealers order the trucks configured to maximize profits which is why they have "chrome appearance" and similar add-ons that provide only cosmetics and no added functionality.

Dealers tend to order the 3.21 gears, small gas tank, anti-slip rear differential, crew cab, short bed, and for me these are all items I do not want with my next truck.

 

[Floyd1979]

I wonder why they dropped the
3:55 . It’s was a good gear

I had a 2009 with 3:21. Crewcab hemi, Rambox
Put 442,150 on original power train
Standard 20” tires
Pulled ok , towing 6,000 I had to drop it in 4th gear to pull or it would search the gears back and forth .
2020 Lonestar crewcab Rambox hemi, 3:92 . This is a great gear
Pulling , in-town , highway
Might lose 1-2 mpg on highway.
If they don’t make the
3:55 anymore , take the 3:92

 

[Cmsharp]

I wanted the 3.92, but they were hard to find in my area unless you order one, which didn’t offer the same incentives at the time. If the price was close, I would go with a 3.92 for the fun factor. If the 3.21 is a much better deal, I would take it instead. I’m a tightwad though!

 

[pacofortacos]

I have 3.92's and highway mileage suffers greatly. Stock 17 mpg @ 74 mph.
Something to remember.
with 3.92's - 8th gear = 7th gear with 3.21. 7th = 6th, starts to change a bit below 6th gear but not a lot.
With the 3.92's, I am out of 1st gear within 15 feet or so in normal driving - just a few mph.

3.92's for towing they are great, for stoplight racing a tad quicker, for cruising around at 45-50 mph on the back roads they are excellent. For highway 65+ mph they hurt and cost you 2-5 mpg depending on terrain, and mostly speed.

 

[Truck Fun]

After having one truck with a 3.42 and another with a 3.55, I wasn't going to get anything less than a 3.73/3.92 when I was shopping for a new truck. I only tow utility trailers at times and I am planning on upping the tire size at some point. It's not always a towing question; it's also a where and how you drive. I feel that a ratio like the 3.92 helps keep a transmission from downshifting so much in hilly areas.

 

[pacofortacos]

You would think, but they still downshift quickly and way to early - though it is usually only limited to a one gear downshift vs. 2-3.

You would also think that the extra torque multiplication would enable a longer time in MDS to maximize highway steady state cruise mpg. Alas, it does not.

 

[KlatuBaradaNikto]

Hey guys, I've found the exact truck I'm looking for in a 2020 Laramie with the sport appearance package and off-road group. It has every option i'm wanting, except this dealer opted not to order it with the 3.92 gear ratio. it is the 3.21. I don't do a ton of towing and when I do once or twice a year, it's a small trailer. I won't lift the truck, however I will level it and run 33 inch 10 ply tires. Would the 3.92's handle the heavier tire ok or is that a deal breaker that I should hold off for and look for one with the 3.92's?

Well depends on the elevation that you live at. Remember that you lose 3% of your total horsepower for every 1000’ of elevation because there is less air (non- turbo). I live at 7700’ above sea level so a 400 hp gas engine is actually derated to 320 hp.

 

[Jim Bowker]

With 8 gears and a tow/haul switch, 3.21's do just fine for me towing a heavy 21' boat.