What to upgrade first?

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JD522

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I have a 2015 Ram 1500 4x4 that I am about to lift and put 35s on. Im not looking to take it to the drag strip. But, Im curious what upgrades will give it some added power. Name what you think are the top two or three. Cold air intake? Better muffler? Chip reprogrammer? Please include brands.
 

NJMOPAR

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Pedal Commander first.
5" tips first before any muffler, you might be happy with the deeper sound.
Only CAI that will actually give you horsepower is Vararam, others are no better than the stock setup.
Unless you're comfortable with swapping computers, I'd avoid programmers that require that. I use a Superchips Flashpaq. Plug into OBD port, make changes, done.
 

tidefan1967

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What gears do you have and do you have limited slip? If you have 3.21s I would at least look at upgrading to 3.92s as they're pretty easy to find and of course you don't have to have LS but it comes in pretty handy sometimes. Now upgrading gears can be pretty expensive for a 4WD(up to 2 grand) so the tuner/custom tune route like NJMOPAR suggested is a good start but you will need an unlocked PCM so you're looking at around a grand for that setup. I would suggest a custom tune over a canned tune(costs even more money) but much more noticeable gains more tailored to what you're looking for.
 

Wild one

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I have a 2015 Ram 1500 4x4 that I am about to lift and put 35s on. Im not looking to take it to the drag strip. But, Im curious what upgrades will give it some added power. Name what you think are the top two or three. Cold air intake? Better muffler? Chip reprogrammer? Please include brands.

Long tube headers and custom tune will make a noticable differance in the butt dyno.But as stated above you have a 15 so you'll need an unlocked pcm to tune it. You can get away with long tube headers and no tune usually,but you won't see the same power gains.If you have 3.21's as stated above 3.92's are a good upgrade,but they aren't cheap.The best way to upgrade to 3.92's is to try and find a wrecked truck or a wrecker and buy both diffs,you can swap both diffs on a driveway in a day,then sell you're original diffs to recoup some of your money.You can't swap gears in your front diff,so you need to buy a 3.92 geared front diff anyways,might as well buy a rear one to,that way you get a diff that's been factory set-up,instead of trying to find a shop that can set up your rear diff properly
 
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JD522

JD522

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Sorry, I should have put that in my original post. My truck came with 3.92 and limited slip diff. I read a couple of "top 5 things to improve your ram" articles online. Most focused on cold air intakes which is why asked about those. One did mention pedal commander. what exactly does that product provide? I thought it decreased response time but did not increase power. One article focused on reprogrammers. Can you tell me more about those and my locked pcm?
 

NJMOPAR

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Pedal Commander removes acceleration lag.
Instant throttle response. Doesn't add hp, just let's you tap into what's already there.
A drop in K&N will make your factory airbox as good as any tube-type CAI. Only a Vararam will add hp.
As I said before, if you're leery about messing with the computer stay with a simpler tuner that just changes settings via the OBD port. No breaking clips on the ECM at the firewall to worry about, no downtime swapping them out, etc.
Read about problems with those types vs something like the Superchips Flashpaq.
Just my opinion, but food for thought.
 
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JD522

JD522

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The Superchips Flashpaq page says a PCM swap is needed. What am I missing?

There are two Vararam options, Air Grabber and Hemi Under Glass. Is one a lot better than the other?
 

NJMOPAR

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Not for my 2010, I've disabled MDS, rev & speed limits, set a 93 octane tune, set tire size & shift points. All without touching the ECM, just through the OBD port.
Mine is the F5 Flashpaq.
 

NJMOPAR

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Just saw the 2015+ do require a PCM swap, once again I'm glad my 2010 isn't a 'smart' truck. :)
Good luck with your tuning search.
This is the only Vararam I know about, guessing it's the 'under glass' model.
0419211005b-1.jpg
 
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JD522

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Is there anyome here with a 2015+ running with a swapped PCM usimg Flashpaq or similar device?
 

Pull Ya

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The two foundational mod's that will give you the most performance difference, with the exception of forced induction or happy gas, is a tuner with a custom tune and a set of long tube headers. Once you have these two mod's other mods can be added to further enhance the performance of your truck. The Pedal Commander is what I consider a "fun mod" as it doesn't increase the hp. or tq. of the truck but it makes the truck accelerate much faster by reducing the lag in the acceleration. Your truck will need to have the PCM unlocked and you'll need to purchase a tuner. You can contact Moe's Performance for a tuner, PCM and custom tune as well as a set of long tube headers. They are a preferred vendor on this forum. The stock intake will do a good job for you until you start to add mod's to your truck, and then the Vararam CAI is the best you can get for performance increases. You should also look into a catch can.
Jay
 
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JD522

JD522

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Are there any downsides to an unlocked PCM?
 
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