What tuner should I get?

[jacoblane216]

Alright 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT Sport Rumble Bee 5.7 Hemi

I was wanting a 500 wheel hp daily but I’m quickly realizing I just cant afford to get the truck there I’m far too impatient to save for the things I’d love to have like a procharger kit at just under $7,000 not including 10% tax… ridiculous I could buy a totalled srt-10 truck for that, I know a fella. Anyway, all I’ve done so far is exhaust stuff(short Flowmaster high flow cats, Black Widow Widowmaker 10”, and a Borla 4” resonated tip) and plan on maybe some long tubes. Other than that everything else is cosmetic upgrades. I plan on a Volant cold air intake and later on running 305/45r22 srt reps all around on nittos and getting new bilsteins in all 4 corners. Moral of the story everyone seems to say a tuner, intake, and exhaust is the best bang for your buck that actually makes a feelable difference so I wanted to know what tuners are my best options for my year truck and my plans for it I see superchips a lot but know nothing about any of the available tuners. Hopefully one of you has had experience with tuners and know what I’ll need for hp gains with my planned mods, mpg gains, calibrating the new wheels and tires, removing the speed limiter, removing the thrown codes to get rid of warning lights and so on and so forth. I also don’t know how to do my own custom tunes and I know there’s built in presets but is there someway to get the perfect tune made for my personal setup?? Thanks in advance

 

[HemiLonestar]

Cheap route, get an unlocked old Superchips tuner. They never changed their tunes for the 3rd gens the entire run. Custom tune will get a little more, however if you don't have cats you may not find a tuner willing to touch it after the recent EPA crackdown.

 

[MADDOG]

Diablosport

Plus a custom tune for real bang for the buck results. Make sure the programmer you purchase will accept custom tunes.

I got my custom tune from Hemifever for my 2014 Big Horn 6.4L Crewcab.



2014 Ram WOT Test

 

[jacoblane216]

Old tuner as in preowned? Or old as in an older tuner? I keep seeing the superchips f5 for right at the $400 mark that claims to have the biggest gains and the ability to do all that other stuff, is making my own tune pretty straight forward though or is it as complicated as I think it is? Like could I maybe watch a few videos that’ll tell me what to look for and make changes to? I mean the truck is far from slow considering mopar is the best and its a hemi obviously but it’s never seen a tune in its life and with my exhaust changes I suspect more than likely it’s way too rich causing loss in mpg but it still manages to surprise me, one of the newer Camaros pulled up next to me revving up his ****** straight piped v6 and I beat him. I was shocked cause these newer v6’s will get up and run but I guess Chevy don’t know how to make them properly. I’ve also seen the Diablo tuners as well, a couple claiming the same numbers as the superchips but a little more costly than the superchips. Anyway sorry for rambling I just really want to know what I’m getting into and I wanna know exactly what I need for what I want with little to no complications so I won’t just pick one and regret it

 

[HemiLonestar]

Old tuner as in preowned? Or old as in an older tuner?

Either. Both. If you don't intend to custom tune then Superchips is a better call (03 to early 04's sometime shave ABS module issues with Diablo). I don't think HPT goes back that far so you're stuck with Diablo (CMR) for custom tunes. You'd have to buy the CMR software and license from Diablosport to try and do it yourself. Hemifever was mentioned; Sean has been doing these trucks so long that he probably already has the perfect file for your truck and has had it for the better part of decade lol. Don't forget to ensure your tires are speed rated to at least 130 mph before you remove the speed limiter. Your stock limiter is 105 for a reason; the tires that come with it are only rated to 112 mph. Your truck can hit 120 mph stock even as heavy as it is with the aerodynamics of a barn. Don't cause a bad day for you and anyone around you; upgrade your tires first.

I mean the truck is far from slow considering mopar is the best and its a hemi obviously

Don't get cocky, there's always someone faster lol.....stock these trucks are good for about 15 sec, maybe very high 14's in a reg cab. That's not fast. That's quick enough for almost 5000 lbs. Same engine in a 4100 lb car is good for low 14's to 14 flat. The 5.7 (especially the early one) was never designed as a performance engine; it's a testament to the cylinder head design. They're also woefully undercammed from the factory.

one of the newer Camaros pulled up next to me revving up his ****** straight piped v6 and I beat him. I was shocked cause these newer v6’s will get up and run but I guess Chevy don’t know how to make them properly.

Driver mod. The math supports 305 hp + 3700 lbs vs 345 hp + 4800 lbs to win. If he lost it's because he just sucked at driving lol.

Something else to keep in mind, the 22's you have planned will slow you down. The SRT-10's had them because it was chosen as the best trade off between tire width for that V10 and sidewall for handling. It's more unsprung weight for a smaller engine and less gearing (3.92 vs 4.10-4.56 + alot more torque). If you're going for the handling aspect then you won't be disappointed. Adding a rear sway bar will make it even more fun.
One other thing that hasn't been touched on yet is your trans. The more power you put to it the shorter it's life is going to be. RFE's are not fans of anything beyond 400 hp....sometimes they aren't fans of anything stock.

This is my suggestion list that will fit your budgeting; you haven't stated if you can do this yourself or have to get a friend or shop to do it. Most of this recipe goes back years and can be found in this thread: https://www.ramforum.com/threads/cam-parts-list.16607/
- Comp 260 if you don't wanna pay for custom tune, 268 (or similar) if you're willing to tune (260 will run on a canned tune, the 268 will not & requires custom tuning)
- 16 6.1 hemi exhaust springs (same height as early 5.7 springs; 6.1 uses different heights for the intake and exhaust)
- Full set of 6.1 pushrods (both intake and exhaust; aftermarket cams use the 6.1 base circle, which is different than the early 5.7 factory cam base circle)
- Timing chain (or at least a new tensioner)
- Oil pump depending on mileage (the old upgrade was the 6.1 pump but factory 6.1 pumps are all but impossible to find now; Melling makes a good 5.7 upgrade)
- The thread I linked lists all the small parts you'd need (like cam and crank bolts, etc)
- Another big bang for the buck is gears, more mechanical leverage works to get a heavy load moving faster; 3.92's to 4.56's is a good jump and the gearset is made for the 9¼ rear

 

[jacoblane216]

As far as transmissions go I have a couple spares. Not saying I’m aiming to destroy them but if something happens to happen I have a few extra. The cams and stuff like that is where I realized it was just way too expensive for me to do all the things I’d love to do to the truck like just rebuilding the entire engine with a cam and heads, the whole nine yards. And by the time I had finished I probably could have found a totaled srt8 or something like that for the same price and could just do a 6.1 or 392 swap, computer and all. And for tires I’d be on 305/45r22 nittos nt420v and they have an “h” speed rating which should be good for 130 if I'm remembering correctly, and im not sure why but my truck actually won’t let me past 90. I'm not aiming to fly everywhere I go but maybe just a pull on these nice open country roads every now and then when my foot starts feeling funny and I’m past the showing out stage already thankfully, the truck shows itself off, all I gotta do is keep her clean and drive. I get more middle aged older women talking about how they love it more than people closer to my own age. I’ve done decided that exhaust, intake, and tune is all I really need for what it is. The poor thing ain’t no spring chicken anymore it’s high miles that’s why I’m leaning more toward a swap and just use this motor for my duster or just keep as a spare. But then that brings me back to what tuner should I get for just headers, full exhaust, intake, and the tune from whichever tuner has for what I’m looking for. Model name or part number would be helpful. And on a side question, has anyone had any experience with these decently cheap long tubes. They’re the cheapest long tubes I could find and they have a good rating but I’m curious if they’re junk or not and I should just spend more and get a bigger name brand?

04-07 Dodge Ram 1500 5.7L Full Length 3" OD 3-Bolt 16-Gauge Piping Exhaust Manifold Headers

www.protuninglab.com

The brand says “dna motoring”

 

[HemiLonestar]

Yes, H is 130, generally what I go with. Factory speed limiter is 105, if you're stopping at 90 there is something amiss. Those headers look like a Pacesetter rip-off. The most popular long tube for our trucks for years was the Pacesetter 72C2211 (I have a set in mine) but I don't even know if they make it anymore. Tuner any Superchips model 3865 or newer or Diablosport 7137 or newer.
A 6.1 will bolt in and you can mount your front cover and accessories on it however your RFE's will live shorter lives, even with the stock 6.1 cam. Unless you mean a 5.7 or 6.1 stroker, you cannot run a VVT engine (which is what a factory 392 or 09+ 5.7 is) in your truck..............................unless you are willing to go standalone engine management. It has been done. There is a 2004 quad cab with a 6.1 based 392 hooked to an 8HP70 running around using a Holley standalone. I've talked to the guy at length (mainly about the ZF swap) and it is definitely not easy nor cheap.

 

[RLee276]

As far as transmissions go I have a couple spares. Not saying I’m aiming to destroy them but if something happens to happen I have a few extra. The cams and stuff like that is where I realized it was just way too expensive for me to do all the things I’d love to do to the truck like just rebuilding the entire engine with a cam and heads, the whole nine yards. And by the time I had finished I probably could have found a totaled srt8 or something like that for the same price and could just do a 6.1 or 392 swap, computer and all. And for tires I’d be on 305/45r22 nittos nt420v and they have an “h” speed rating which should be good for 130 if I'm remembering correctly, and im not sure why but my truck actually won’t let me past 90. I'm not aiming to fly everywhere I go but maybe just a pull on these nice open country roads every now and then when my foot starts feeling funny and I’m past the showing out stage already thankfully, the truck shows itself off, all I gotta do is keep her clean and drive. I get more middle aged older women talking about how they love it more than people closer to my own age. I’ve done decided that exhaust, intake, and tune is all I really need for what it is. The poor thing ain’t no spring chicken anymore it’s high miles that’s why I’m leaning more toward a swap and just use this motor for my duster or just keep as a spare. But then that brings me back to what tuner should I get for just headers, full exhaust, intake, and the tune from whichever tuner has for what I’m looking for. Model name or part number would be helpful. And on a side question, has anyone had any experience with these decently cheap long tubes. They’re the cheapest long tubes I could find and they have a good rating but I’m curious if they’re junk or not and I should just spend more and get a bigger name brand?

04-07 Dodge Ram 1500 5.7L Full Length 3" OD 3-Bolt 16-Gauge Piping Exhaust Manifold Headers

www.protuninglab.com

The brand says “dna motoring”

Find a place to get a dyno tune. Diablosports tunes and even the email custom tunes leave a lot to be desired

 

[Tominator223]

Just get the yellow injectors from a flex fuel 5.7. 30lbs I think. And a150 shot of happy gas. You’ll get to 107 faster no tune needed. No liability or warranty expressed or implied .

 

[2Tallguy]

Your trans will be cooked in one block.