6.4l 8 speed towing review

[hvac]

I'm in the market to replace our eco diesel. Its exceeded expectations as a tow vehicle,but after the AEM, its not the same truck. I know a tune will solve the problem but I have personal issues with violating the federal clean air act.

So, looking for reviews from fellow rvers on the new 8 speed/6.4l ram hd series, and if you have the 4.10 gears.This combo or the new Ford with a 10 speed is on the short list.

[hvac]

Grit dog wrote:
^ I don’t understand that rule.

Its vern diesels and works. No matter the grade or temp. Keep it under 3k rpm. It won't overheat.

[kellem]

The " ike " is mostly hype anyway.....been across it twice and experienced tougher stuff in WV. Lol

[hvac]

The ike is interesting though. We do all The major passes throughout fall through spring. It to me speaks to a criteria on how I will enjoy the truck. Just sayin. I always like the comment of low drama. The eco diesel got that.

[VernDiesel]

Grit dog you made me look and calculate it out. Right at 11,000 hours.

[Grit_dog]

While I think the tfl videos are pretty silly, the Ike is a good benchmark kind of test that is easily accessible and consistently repeatable. (IE don’t get stuck doing 20mph up some grade 1/2 the time and have to make repeated attempts at a “best” run.)
Does everyone drive I70 in CO? Nope, but there’s a 99% chance your rig, apples to apples will perform as well or better in the vast majority of conditions as it does pulling that grade.
If a person is not interested in performance and only getting from point a to point b, then it probably doesn’t matter to that person.
Doesn’t dispute the validity of the test though.

[ib516]

Bionic Man wrote:

hvac wrote:
From my side its reviews from owners that are towing at altitude and poor gear spacing. Possibly your 4.10 is the solution. Google ike gauntlet and the ram 6.4l vs the ancient 6.0 Chevy. It did poorly.

I always get a kick out of the amount of reviews that say to buy or not buy something based on how it performed in the “Ike Gauntlet “. Because really who cares how it does there? That is a pass very few people on this forum ever drive. And even if you do, it’s a 10 minute segment in your journey. As long as the vehicle gets up the pass, who cares how fast it makes it? I pull over that section maybe a dozen times per year, and as long as the vehicle can make it over the hill, it doesn’t matter to me if it does it in 8 minutes or 18. It is insignificant in the whole journey, and especially true for 99% of the population who will never drive it.

Well said. Nobody seems to remember than on any other grade (like the Davis Dam) the Ram 6.4L Hemi left the others in the dust. One that one grade in the whole of North America, something in the ECM kicks in to limit performance for some reason known only to the engineers at Ram. I never experienced that in my use of the 6.4L Hemi anywhere in the Canadian Rockies I towed.

[Grit_dog]

That’s phenomenal service life out of the trans!
10,000hours dang...

[VernDiesel]

Good read on the 68RFE. The versions of the 8 speed that come in the 1500 5.7 & Ecodiesel and I’m assuming the 6.4 is rated to 520 TQ. FWIW I do have an engine & transmission tune in my ED. About 465 TQ as conversion to how Ram would rate it. Truck is used to tow TTs & boats daily and especially across the west.

This transmission has been great up & downshifting, quick crisp shifts, no hunting, pulling grades plus it’s held up 592k now. No repairs 5 fluid changes 3 filter changes. Truck has towed to almost 16k CVW over 6 percent grades. I think it will prove a game changer for the 6.4 2500. That’s not to say that the 68RFE doesn’t work just fine in the flats and with moderate weight especially if it’s not pushed hard.

[Bionic_Man]

hvac wrote:
From my side its reviews from owners that are towing at altitude and poor gear spacing. Possibly your 4.10 is the solution. Google ike gauntlet and the ram 6.4l vs the ancient 6.0 Chevy. It did poorly.

I always get a kick out of the amount of reviews that say to buy or not buy something based on how it performed in the “Ike Gauntlet “. Because really who cares how it does there? That is a pass very few people on this forum ever drive. And even if you do, it’s a 10 minute segment in your journey. As long as the vehicle gets up the pass, who cares how fast it makes it? I pull over that section maybe a dozen times per year, and as long as the vehicle can make it over the hill, it doesn’t matter to me if it does it in 8 minutes or 18. It is insignificant in the whole journey, and especially true for 99% of the population who will never drive it.

[ib516]

cliffy49 wrote:
I was looking at the 2019 6.4 with the 8 speed today. Almost pulled the trigger but wanted to research a little more. MY question to you guys is, does this truck come with the tranny and engine oil coolers. I have looked all over the web, dealer sites and Ram site and have not been able to find this information. I can not find it even as an option.

Salesman I spoke with today said that since the truck as configured is rated to tow 16k it did not need these two items. Since his mouth was moving, I am not real sure about that comment. I just want to be sure as I don't want to make a 45k+ mistake. Thanks in advance for all your help

When I towed 12K with mine (a 37' 5er) in the Canadian Rockies, I watched the engine coolant, engine oil, and trans temps. That's with the AC on and 5 people and a dog in the cab. Not once even came close to getting too hot. The cooling is very robust on the 6.4L.

[Grit_dog]

^ I don’t understand that rule.

[hvac]

Grit dog wrote:
^ In particular, haven't peeked under the hood or behind the grille of a new Ram 6.4.
But, of the multitude of gas pickups I've had in recent years, all used for work (towing and hauling), none of them have needed any sort of cooling enhancements. I'm certain that is standard across the board now and has been for quite a while....if a vehicle is rated to tow xxxx lbs, it has the equipment to do it.

Don't even have to think about it, unless a eco diesel. But, 3k rpm and under rule works..

[Grit_dog]

hvac wrote:
My 8 speed ZF is a marvel of engineering. I'm anxiously awaiting reviews towing heavy and at altitude with the 2500 series. It has to help big time, I trust ZF will do their magic and really wake up the 6.4.

Any trans that can complete a shift in under 1/4 second is pretty impressive.
I recall the 8 HP trans SRT cars can up or downshift in something like 180ms?
I know in track mode, our SRT, if you hammer the brakes from highway speed, it will drop 3 or 4 gears as fast as the car can decelerate with 6 piston Brembos clamping down. Freaked me out the first time!

[Grit_dog]

^ In particular, haven't peeked under the hood or behind the grille of a new Ram 6.4.
But, of the multitude of gas pickups I've had in recent years, all used for work (towing and hauling), none of them have needed any sort of cooling enhancements. I'm certain that is standard across the board now and has been for quite a while....if a vehicle is rated to tow xxxx lbs, it has the equipment to do it.