Ive heard this before and it is farse.

Do you think the 7.3 had a narrow powerband? Me neither. The hpcr cummins has a wider powerband than the 7.3 ever had, if you look up the definition of powerband. It also has exactly the same powerband as the 6.0. Just does it with less rpms. So according to your logic the 7.3 would need the 7th gear just to compete with the hpcr cummins.
PSK posted that link that said that a 6 speed will work in almost all medium duty applications. We are not towing medium duty kind of weight just light duty. So for some reason us light duty guys, with a wider powerband than any medium duty diesel, need an extra gear. I dont think so. Your gonna have to come up with a new comeback. That ones old and its moot. Its a myth made up by guys who are v8 loyalists to make themselves feel better. Unfortunately its not true.

The old 12v had such a narrow powerband it was flat on its face before you got it started. Still towed pretty good. Wouldnt win any races but you could overload the hell out of it and it would still pull it down the road alright. The 24v had the same powerband as the 7.3. Though many overlooked it because it did the same job with less rpms. Now as we have progressed we get wider and wider powerbands. In 03 the cummins got the widest powerband ever available. So then comes the next part of actually analyzing the powerband. The hpcr cummins makes more torque for longer. So even though it has the same powerband as the 6.0. Its making more hp the whole time. Up until peak hp. The cummins is making almost as much at 1400 as the 6.0 makes at 2000. 555 compared to 570. 15lb ft less 600 rpms earlier. Thats a lot of low end torque.
Powerband cummins 1600-2900 1300 rpms
powerband 7.3 1800-3000 1200 rpms
Cummins is the winner.
Powerband cummins 1600-2900 1300 rpms
powerband 6.0 2000-3300 1300 rpms
Its a tie. I guess they all need more gears just to compete with each other. BTW unless youve towed with both. You really wouldnt know. I just cant see you behind the wheel of a goat so your speculating on something you have no personal experience with. Actually its worse than that. Your repeating something that you heard someone else say that had no basis in fact. So I highly recommend you get out there and get some first hand experience and report your findings.

 

L H , I respectfully disagree .... I would love at least one more gear above 5fth. to keep the RPMs at or below 2000 RPMs . And as far as "medium duty kind of weight" , many are into that relm ( and some above ) when pulling fifth wheel trailers and such . Todays dually PUs are getting up into what was considered medium duty weight ratings just a few years ago ! With the horse power / torque wars and the ever increasing weight / tow ratings on new PUs , soon we will be driving what are essentially medium duty trucks !

 

We are probably on the same page. Just got different ideas where the ratings end.
The article referenced was refferring to weights double what we are rated to pull. Its not cdl territory until 26. Thats where our ratings end. I think the us gov. considers anything under 26 light duty. The epa alsa rates duty cycles on this number. Some fellas tread a little over 26 with these light duty trucks but not by far. The article was referring to well into the 50s, at least that was my take. In almost all circumstances 6 gears will cover these guys just fine. Cummins or powerstroke. Theres always that one instance where your climbing a 4% bucking a head wind where the gear just isnt quite right.

Also I was referring to six speeds. A well spaced 6 speed is invaluable. The zfs spacing leaves me wondering, Why. 3rd to 4th is too big. Perhaps overdrive could be a smidge taller. Seems like .72 or .71 is the norm. They are runnin a .76. Its designed to keep the rpms up. If you want lower rpms you gotta get the auto.

What kinda speed you runnin where you need to lower your rpms. 2000 really felt like the sweet spot when I was towing. I like to be a hair north of 2000 with a load. Of course Im not a flat lander either. Maybe this is the deciding factor. You runnin 411s?

 

Hey Logical Heritic , RUN AN AUTO !!!! NEVER !! Any way , yeah I'm running 4.11s with a 5 speed , 235 85R 16s , and 2000 Rs is about 58 MPH. and if I want to run 60-65 MPH. it kills the MPG., its fine in the mountains pulling a 30' TT ( 10000 LBs. ) but on flat ground I'd like a double overdrive . I bet if the truth were known there are a lot more that are not only treading over the 26000 lb. BUT stomping it into the ground ! Just read some of the posts... " can my truck tow" or "I've done it for years" . Any way I'd like to see a ( insert you favorite brand ) offered with a 7 speed double over or a two speed rearend .

 

Boy am I glad for Daimler when it comes to at least one thing - they take their manual transmissions seriously. Just test drove an 05 Ram 3500 QC with DRW, with Cummins/G56 six speed....lol.

I gotta give them credit on a few things;

1.) Clutch is very light and engaged consistently about a third of the way from the floor.

2.) Nice to have a deep granny again.

3.) Very quiet transmission and shifts are even closer and smoother than the NV5600.

4.) Thankfully they kept 1st and 2nd in the same shift gate. Reverse is all the way to the left and then down.

I like the ZF transmission just fine but the pattern is'int the best really. Yes toggling between granny and reverse is a bit easier for low speed trailer manuvering or plowing work, but with those kinds of low speeds, I don't mind taking a bit longer to row between gears.

But for pulling loads or weight which require a start in granny first, I'd rather have 1st and 2nd in line with each other rather than sitting in two seperate gates and possibly blowing a shift.

This is a Mercedes transmission BTW and is supposedly used extensively in Daimler med duty trucks. As far as long term durability - it's not too fair to make too many assumptions yet. Afterall nobody really knew how good the ZF or NV 6 speeds were going to be when they debued either.

And so I don't simply hijack this thread, I'll give my opinion on the Mega Cab.

Dodge has needed this for a long time. I'm glad they are going for it. The current quad cab is not comparable in terms of comfort or interior space to any crew cab. One thing though - at least the Dodge quad cab DOES offer USEABLE space in comparision to Ford and GM extended cabs.

Dodge needs to do three things to ensure total success with this model.

1.) Make a long bed version available. For the few -like me- who value bed space.
2.) 6.1 Hemi option. Again for the few who would want it.
3.) Cummins...this truck without the Cummins option would be like offering pizza without cheese.

 

Edited agin on thin ice if we are dreamin lets do it right. A 7 speed double overdrive with a 2 speed rear end. Seen a truck like that one day. It was built to tow airplanes around on a dirt field. Big airplanes. In top gear its max speed was 35 mph.

You could go to a larger diameter tire for the extra 7 mph.

Most Ive heard of is 38k lbs. Still way under the 50k lbs the article was referring to. Youd like a six speed.

 

Actually what I'd like Is a 3406 with a 13 speed double over in a small window , needle nose Pete !! Yeah I think I would like the six speed , but I'll probably keep the five speed that's in the truck untill I replace the truck . If I could find an over/underdrive for cheap ( LOL ) I wouldn't mind one of those either !

 

Is there a trans made with double overdrive? I haven't ever heard of one. You can get double over with an auxillary trans though, like a brownie, gear vendors, etc. A 4 speed brownie (~2.5 granny low, ~1.20 under-split, 1:1 direct, ~0.75 over) would be cool with a wide ratio 4 speed main trans where first is low but not a granny and 4th is over. Use second on the brownie to split gears for 8 close spaced highway gears, 4th for double over, and low multiplies all ratios by 2.5-ish for the grunt work. For really low gearing, put the 4wd transfer case in low too .

 

The Eaton-Dana Road Ranger Super 13 is esentually a double over With a 73%and an 86% overdrives .

 

LOL i saw a new duely today and it looked great all black. only time will tell about the new improvments from dodge. i used to be loyal to a brand but not too much any more,it's all abot price now. i looked at 05 f250's larait package and duely's and it was for sale for 48k!!!! SEEMS ALL OF THE DEALERS HAVE GONE UP IN PRICE. crazy aint it ?

 

$48000 !!!?? at that price it better come with a house to live in ......Because the wife ain't gonna go for it !!

 

just for fun, i built up an 05 f-250 r/c l/b 4X4, PSD, 6 speed, XLT, most options, and it was $40k! for a regular cab XLT! but of course that was msrp, without rebates.

 

I think the test rigs in the magazines are comin in at 40 plus.

I remember going to buy a new truck in 97 thinking they were gonna cost about 15-17 thousand. Boy was I wrong. My brother got an advertiser ranger for 15 that year. It wasnt the best truck he had ever owned. Im wondering if the dealership knew it was a monday strike truck and sold it cheap. Tires unzipped and he flipped it. Insurance gave him 13k for it so he came out alright. Couldnt use one of his hands for 6 months though. Stretched the nerve in his arm when he was ejected.

 

the 545fre (or whatever the name is of the auto behind the hemi) currently is a double overdrive tranny (both fourth and fifth are OD).

 

http://www.autoweek.com/files/specia.../T2006_001.jpg
http://www.autoweek.com/files/specia.../T2006_007.jpg
http://www.autoweek.com/files/specia.../T2006_000.jpg

>>> A 34.5-inch opening for the rear passenger doors, which Dodge says is the widest in the industry.

>>> The pickup segment's first reclining rear seats, which angle back 22 to 37 degrees. Additionally the 60/40 split seats fold forward to create a flat cargo floor.

>>> And, the creation of 7.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat, inside the passenger compartment. The area is capable of holding several small suitcases.

The 2006 Mega Cab pickup sits on a 160.5-inch wheelbase. To create this pickup, engineers re-proportioned the cab and the pickup box by replacing the 8-foot box with a 6-foot, 3-inch box. This provided an additional 20 inches of space in the cab.

"We kind of created space in a different place," said Mike Donoughe, vice president, body-on-frame product team, Chrysler Group. Dodge says the Mega Cab's passenger compartment is a little over 12 inches longer than the 2005 Ford F-250 Crew Cab pickup's.

The Ram Mega Cab pickup will be available in 1500, 2500 and 3500 series, and depending on series, with either a 325-hp 5.9-liter Cummins Turbo diesel with 610-pounds feet of torque or the 345-hp 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 with 375 pounds feet of torque.

Ram Mega Cab sales begin this fall. The Ram regular and Quad Cab pickups will continue to be offered.

Additionally, all 2006 Ram pickups feature restyled headlamps, grille and front fascia.

The Ram instrument panel has been redesigned and now can accommodate an optional navigation system. Other new options include rear seat DVD player, power sliding rear window, heated front seats, power sun roof and adjustable pedals. .