I've been kicking some tires and thinking about trading my 2011 Silverado in. I really like the Ram 1500 with the 5.7 Hemi. I'm running into some that have a 6 speed automatic and some have an 8 speed. Is either tranny more dependable?

I am running the 8 right now. I haven't had it long enough to give a comment on dependability. That ZF 8 speed transmission is used widely throughout the Dodge/Ram/Jeep lineup. I haven't read of many problems at all in recent years. I get very good economy with my Hemi and the 8. Is that 6 a heavy duty tranny?

I'm not sure if its HD or not. I know the 8 speed completely replaced it but that doesn't necessarily mean the 6 speed wasn't a good transmission.

That ZF 8 speed transmission is used in a LOT of vehicles in various configurations. I had one in a BMW 535i, it was flawless in the time I had it. The 6 speed auto is a 545RFE with an extra gear basically, which is an in house transmission from Chrysler. Chrysler automatic trannies haven't had the best reputations over the years. Given the choice, I'd prefer the 8 speed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZF_8HP_transmission

I know Chrysler has had major issues with automatic transmissions but I hear they've been better since 2012 no?

...................I bought new a 2015 Ram Hemi Express; std cab; 6'4" bed; 8 spd trans; 3:21 rear diff; 2WD.........Love the thing......Just did a round tripper to from Calif to Texas and back. At 90 mph, engine rpm at 2,000.

My suggestion is to go with the 8 speed trans because imo you will have more gearing versatility, better acceleration and less engine RPM at fwy speeds. 85K miles on my truck. No trans issues.

Now if ya go with a Ram Hemi, here is a list of things I have added to mine for a 'lil more gitty up and slightly better gas mileage as well...

Cold air intake. Adds about 15 to 20 hp, more torque and a lower throatier sound when accelerating. Mine is an AFE.
18" Magnaflow straight thru muffler. Dump the OE muffler. Too restrictive. Beautiful sound. Much better than OE muffler.

Stage 3 Performance chip from www.chipyourcar.com. Plugs directly into the OBD2 port below the steering wheel under the dash. 60 seconds to install and forget about it. 45 to 60 hp gain. IT WORKS!

A complete conversion over to Amsoil Signature Series engine oil at 38,000 miles (15K change intervals), Amsoil trans fluid and Amsoil rear diff fluid at 55K miles. Doing that made the engine quieter, the trans shifts more crisp and the truck just a wee bit faster and smoother running still.

From the OE 395 HP; 410 ft lbs torque,,,,to a verified dyno test of 465 HP; 460 ft lbs torque.

It does love to go!.......

Not the 545rfe. Run away from that one. My dad had to replace one at super low miles with no towing. Of course, putting a transmission in a HD truck that was originally for something the size of a Cherokee is the Ram way. The dealer was dumb enough to brag they have replaced ‘thousands’ of them under warranty. Ringing endorsement.

I’ve a 2018 Ram 1500 4x4 with the 5.7 and 8 speed trans. I love the powertrain in the truck, but there’s a few potential issues to be aware of. I work in the mining industry so the truck sees a LOT of off-road use. Beware if you get much mud buildup on the trans/transfer case that the electronic shift actuators don’t like to work. Just finished a job where the last four days were rain/snow coupled with 300t haul trucks churning it all up into 8” of mud on the roadways. On the last day my truck was throwing the service transmission message at me every time I drove it. After the job I put on my rain gear at the local car wash and got under the thing to power wash the 500# of mud I had accumulated on the undercarriage. After the trans/transfer case were cleaned, no more problems. We have a few of these and they all exhibit the same problem if they get much buildup. It’s an easy fix, but can be a messy one too.

Mine gets around 20 mpg and has lots of power. Just turned over 50k miles with no issues other than the above. I wonder why folks go for the eco-diesel version. The gasser, in the half-ton performs exceptionally well.

My 2019 ram 1500 has the hemi and the 8 speed. I don't have many miles on it but I like it so far. Shifts great and no problems yet. I was always a GM or Toyota guy before and never thought I'd own a ram but I like this new generation ram. Although mines only been averaging around 15.5 mpg.

Bb

I have a 2013 ram 1500 that has the 6 speed automatic and have had no issues. I'm currently at 163k miles. I had an 04 1500 before this one and I believe it had the 6 speed auto in it. It had 203k miles with no issues when I sold it.

Thanks guys for all the good info! It will help me tomorrow when the car salesman are back to work and ringing my phone off the hook again.

Question: how's the engine compression on downhills with the 8 speed? We have a Toyota Highlander with an 8-spd. It seems like it has no compression at all on downhills. I have to shift clear down to 4th to feel it at all. What does the Dodge do when you need to slow down on a hill?

I am getting ready to turn 100K on my 2015. Not a single problem. Still getting 19+ mpg combined, mostly hwy with oversized tires and leveled 2.5".
Going to trade for the 2500 in a few months... with 8 speed.

..............On my 2015 Ram located on the steering wheel, there is a gear down button and right next to that there is a gear up button. Those buttons do the same thing as other vehicles equipped the paddle shifters located directly behind the steering wheels.

So when going down hills, depending on the speed limits, and without over RPM 'n the engine, I will use the gear down button as needed IF imo, the trans does not automatically shift down low enough to my liking to either slow down or to maintain a safe speed while conserving the brakes. And on my dash there is a digital readout that tells me what gear # I am in.

The computer or sensor on your Highlander that controls the trans shifting, probably is not programmed from the factory the same way the Rams are. As a result when you go down a hill your trans does not automatically shift down to your particular liking because you are coasting down the hill too fast......When that happens to me, I simply use the gear down button.

You may want to have it checked. My 2016 ram has never got that low unless pulling my boat or atv.

Don't buy a phuggin Dodge! There's a valid reason why they are cheaper.

Both are fine, we have a 15 4x4 with the 8sp. It gets 21 on the hwy with the 5.7. I don’t know anyone that’s had issues with either.

The Allison Transmission in my 2011 Silverado HD has been bullet proof along with the rest of the vehicle 137 K no issues.

.........Oh yeah? No explanation?

.................A 15.5 mpg average is not bad for the Hemi if you include in town driving as well. My mpg is a little less on average. On my recent round tripper from So Calif to Texas and back, I averaged 16.9 mpg. At the beginning of the trip just before getting on the freeway I reset the trip meter odometer back to zero, topped off the gas tank right up to the top of the filler tube and after I got back refilled the tank up to the exact place at the top of the filler tube for best mpg accuracy.......Cruz 'n along at 80 to 90 mph and getting on it occasionally (like alot) hitting 105 mph when passing the trucks. Did not baby it.........

No point in having a Hemi if ya gonna drive like a grandma.

There's nothing out there better than Ram trucks. IMO At one time it was rare to see a Dodge truck, now Ram trucks are everywhere.

The ones we tried in the fleet at work sure were crappy, they bailed and sold both before the service life was up due to excessive repairs necessary. The two RAMs needed more work in a year than the 70 Fords.

Of course I know guys around town with them and nothing but good stuff to say. Maybe they were lemons, just odd for two in a row to suck

Now thats funny chit.

My 15.5 mileage I stated is combined but mostly town and country roads. I haven't had it on the interstate much and last time I did there was a strong headwind.

My 2016 silverado had a 5.3 and 6 speed and averaged around 17 mpg same type of driving. I had the same 20" 8 ply ko2s on the chevy that I now have on the ram. My chevy got 24 mpg one time on a state highway 70 mph trip to bear lake. I've never seen anything like that on the ram. I think the old gm 5.3 is pretty efficient but the hemi has a bit more power.

Bb

We have both Dodge and Ford 1/2 tons in our fleet. My fleet manager reports the Dodges have more maintenance issues. So far, my 2020 Dodge has been pretty good. It has a couple quirks, but nothing major.

What happens if you have the cruise control on, does it down shift then? Trying to maintain the set speed.

I haven't tried it on a steep enough hill to notice.

Having had an '11 1500 and currently a '19 Durango, I'd be more worried about the cylinder deactivation. I know on the '11s and a few years after, the roller portion of the lifters can go bad, especially on the ones that get deactivated. Look it up. There are several places on line with pics and video documenting it. You can count on $2500 for a junkyard and $4500+ for a remanufactured engine. The magic number seems to be between 85k to 120k miles. I keep my cylinder deactivation off on my Durango. Also the TIPM is crap on '11s through about '13 or '14. It is the fuse box under the hood that also has the relays in it. Several people have been stranded when their fuel pumps won't work because the relay is intermittent. This was also a problem on several other CJD products.

Comment on descending hills. With 6 or 8 speeds the ratios are close to keep a happy engine so pulling down to 4 in an 8 would be about the same as 2 or 3 on the old 4 speed autos.
My 06 sorento wants to go into passing gear pulling a hill, wifes trax does less so, but still shifts. If you feel the pedal position all the cars and trucks it will floor it for long grades to maintain speed. I learned that turning off the thing works better for mileage, even with a clutch truck. This is for hills in places like I80 in Wyoming; long grades with traffic light enough dropping from 80+ to 70 doesnt make you a road hog

That's about what happens with our Highlander. At freeway speed, I need to go down to about 4 or 5 to notice any engine braking at all. On steep dirt roads, I've gone all the way down to 1 and still had to ride the brakes. I guess I'm spoiled by the compression brake on my Dodge diesel. Now THAT's a brake.

After Chrysler's first bankruptcy.......

30% of a Chrysler vehicle was union shop content
70% of a GM vehicle was union shop.

Now suppliers might have been in different unions, but the lack of using so many union shops supposedly made Chrysler more competitive.

Great for the folks making the big items like engines, transmissions, and doing assembly.

Sucked for the smaller stuff like electronics, seats and whatever..........prev UAW plants that closed.

Slam the door on an American's dick so a window can be opened for a messican.

Back in the 90's...........I forget what % of Mitsubishi was with Chrysler.,
Think GM had 17% of Isuzu. Maybe a bit of Nissan too.
Ford was in bed w Mazda.


I know a GM plant used to make some electronics for Toyota, Fuel Vapor Sensors the first ones.

Sure. I’ve owned 2 Dodge trucks, and we’ve had several of them in our work fleet. Every single one of them were nothing but trouble. The new ones may be great, but my experiences with them have turned me off to the brand.

Great details. We are all thankful to have someone like you to enlighten us.

Mine will downshift on its own with cruise ctrl engaged in order to maintain the set speed. 2018 Dodge 1500

...........Maybe older Rams were in your work fleet?.....I will concede that the earlier Rams (pre 2008-09?) had issues. Beginning 2009-10 IIRC began the major improvements.

Saw a beautiful yellow w/black racin striped V10 Ram just the other day. They go back to around 2005. Too bad he turned left at the light. I was going straight. No traffic, no cops...LOL. Might have been interesting.

That’s good to hear. They are nice looking trucks.

I could write a book on the subject.

Start the book with what year trucks are you talking about.

I could write a book on internet blowhards.

Start by looking in the mirror, boss.

In fairness, they are no longer late model trucks. We stopped buying them because of poor service.

I have a 2003 Ram 3500, with Cummins 5.7? manual 6 speed that just turned 99K miles. It came with a 3,000lb Lance camper.

Front end redone, blown clutch, factory hubs went to hell, water pump went south, power steering pump replaced, I think a U joint or two...factory shifter knob or whatever it is called, was completely gone at time of clutch failure, and just replaced injectors, sleeves, headgasket. Sitting mostly idle for 8 years while we were in the Bush likely didn't do the seals and bearing much good, nor did the time my wife put gas in it (tank drain, replaced factory fuel pump - bad rep - with an aftermarket under the hood one per mechs recommendation, since they were there anyway). No tranny problems yet-tho there were metal shavings in itat fluuid rplacement last summer (It's first -way overdue!)

But then I'm at a mechanics mercy anyway....Got a good one now, I think. He hasn't screwed me yet.

That I know of...

I love the way the thing drives, but really......

Last one was a '90 Chev 3500 HD, diesel, auto trans.., which I got rid of a couple months ago with over 200K on it. One front end replacement, shocks, alternator, one engine replacement (wife tried to drive it home when it deveoped a ping one town over...), two brake jobs, several U joints I think...

One before that was a '80 150 with a 6 cyl,. A moose ate it at @ 130K. IIRC, one king pin and tie rod replacemt, alternator, shocks and a brake job. Mechanics kept commenting on how good the compression was yet. That's it...

Next one, if any, will again be a Ford most likely. Maybe a Chev. if Dave Smith is nice to me.

No more diesels, Unless like the last two, it's a deal I can't refuse. Tho I'm not so sure about the last one.

I bet you could.I can write one on Fords & Chebbies.LMAO

So you now get 30mpg with the magic chip.

..................Cute!....Wish I could get 30 mpg. .Did I type that I get 30 mpg in my post? "Slightly better" is what I typed...Magic chip? No! It is a performance chip that sends its own signals to the ECM thereby modifying the original factory ECM performance settings. I can also unplug the chip at any time, which will within a few minutes automatically reset the ECM back to factory and re-install it after I leave the dealer should I have any warranty work done.......Sneaky!!.......For performance along with added HP, it DOES work as advertised on their site. 3 to 5 mpg increase? Nope!....But I did not install it for any potential increased gas mileage.

Don't have a clue, put 150K on a stock trans in my 1 ton Dodge, shameless plug for Firepunk Diesel, they sent me a trans good for 750 HP and did away with all the weaknesses of the factory Dodge transmissions.

I bought the new Silverado instead. I get tempted by other makes but it's pretty hard to pull me away from Chevy in the end

It just got easier for me to get pulled away. Lifters and camshaft on my 2013 gone at 100K, Something failed in the mechanism where the engine drops 4 of the cylinders at highway speed. Over 4 grand to fix. My 04 was and is trouble free at over 250K, so I am very disappointed at the moment.

...........OK! Put ya in a cold air intake, a Magnaflow or Flowmaster (dump the restrictive OE muffler), and getcha the same performance chip that I did which simply plugs into the OBD2 port under the dash below the steering wheel.......Installing a cold air intake and new magnaflow or flowmaster will not affect your OE factory warranty. And the chip will not harm your ECM.

You will notice a big difference.

AFM unit is a known disaster and the guys who know bypass the system with a Tuner. Cylinder reduction is overrated anyhow

Roger

Congrats, hope it makes you a nice dependable truck.

Thank you

Keep that oil fresh. Those 1k's dont like dirty oil. Valve bodies are very picky and plus the way the tranny is set up. Good trannies if you keep on maintenance.

I work in an allison shop and have many hours on those things.

Well, it is a disaster which is known to me too, now. And the fix will definitely bypass the system. I could have bought a heckuva lot of gas for what the repair bill is costing. Shoulda got Car Shield :=(