Ram tradesman 1500 with a hemi and 6 speed

[solst1ce]

Hi friends
I am looking to order a RAM tradesman 4x2 ... not to say I'm cheap but it's a big bang for the buck. When "building" a truck online I could actually save about $690 by choosing the 5.7 hemi with a 6 speed tranny.
I hear good things about the 8 speed tranny but can't find much about the 6 speed mated to the 5.7 hemi. Are the first and the final drive ratios similar in both trannys?
I'm hoping for some guidance here... is the 6 speed & 5.7 hemi a good match? Also interested in opinions about what gear ratio to choose on the rear end.
I may want to hook up a travel trailer but it will be used mostly for local driving and light loads.
Durability is a big concern for me as I expect to keep my vehicles for a long time... the F-150 I'm replacing is 18 years old and has 210,000 miles.

 

[Bird]

That's what I've got. Rear ratio is 3.21.

I've never driven the 8 speeds so I can't comment on them. But I gotta say I love my truck, I ain't ever had any problems with it, I'm fixin' to roll up to 50k miles within the next month or two.

 

[Hemi450hp]

The 8sp would be worth an extra $5000 if that's what they wanted to sell it for. I don't know why they even list the 6sp as an option anymore with the 8sp not only being a better performer, but also much more reliable.

 

[Jerry1984]

I'd recommend the 3.92 rear end. It's a 50 or 75 dollar option that will be much more later if you want to swap to them. Unless you travel over 75mph your mileage may actually be better with the 3.92s.

 

[7777xm]

Go test drive the two. It's night a night and day difference. It's worth the extra money.

Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk

 

[reek]

avoid the 6 speed. Sold my 2014 1500 express after 14000 miles mainly because the 6 speed. the 2-3 gear spacing is way too wide, not sure who thought that would be a good idea. the TCM is programmed too far towards economy to not be frustrating not only for daily driving but also towing. Pay what ever you need to, to get the 8 speed. otherwise I'd buy a different brand truck. Yes, I hate the 65rfe 6 speed that much.

 

[jag1886]

I have a 2014 Ram 4x2 5.7 6 speed with the 3:92 gear and it works perfect. If you want to save the money and aren't drag racing or pulling 10,000 bless you will probably like it just fine.

 

[clh1220]

I wouldn't of bought my truck with a 6 speed. The 8 speed and hemi did it for me. I have the 3.21 and it runs all over my old 08 Z71 with 3.73, 5.3.

 

[chris1965]

If the 8 speed would not be around, I would say perfect. Since I've got the 8 speed with 3.92 rear, I can not understand, if someone would save $600 not to have it. Drove both and yes, the big gear gap between 2nd and 3rd is the 6 speed deal breaker.
I'm all about buy not more than you need but the 8 speed is a have to have.

 

[baum]

when i bought my old '13 i test drove a v8 with the 6sp and the v6 with the 8sp. i ended up with the v6 because i dont tow. as a daily driver they felt very comparable at the time. now when i went from my v6 8sp to my v8 8sp i could really tell a difference

 

[Ramzaq]

You could possibly recoup your cost just driving an 8 speed.

The ZF 8 has 20% less parasitic loss (Less friction) than the 66RFE. This makes it more efficient using less gas to run. Up to 2 mpg better, possibly a little more. Also the the lower gears make it easier for the truck to get moving from a stop, again, more efficient. Better gear spacing between shifts, more efficient. More gears to choose from for optimal performance, again, more efficient.

The 6 speed is a better trans than it use to be but the 8 speed is much better and more reliable, a better option.

8 speed is a win no matter how you look at it.

 

[sriley531]

When I was truck shopping, a Ram wasn't actually at the top of my list. Drove a HEMI 6 speed and liked it alright, but still hadn't decided. Next day I went back and drove an 8 speed for the heck of it. That's what now inhabits my garage! The 8 speed is the cats meow in my opinion, totally worth the extra coin.

 

[danmp]

I bought a 2014 with the 6 speed and like it so far, I know 2 people with the 8 speed and they got the same mpg than me on the highway. For city driving there is a minimal difference.


The annual average is less than 1 liter per 100km ( i don't know how much it is in mpg ) but it cannot pay itself with that minimal difference.

Also you can't talk about durability on a 2 year old tranny model, only time will say.

I think it's a personnal choice about how the tranny react. I don't like the " compression feeling " when we brake. I prefer the feeling of the 6 speed.

Also don't expect to save hundred of dollar in fuel, especially if you driving mostly on highway.

If you drive mostly in city it maybe a better choice to choose the 8 speed, but if you don't like me , the 6 will do the same job .