rented a 2019 BigHorn Ram 1500

[6DoF]

... and it's goooooood. got a free upgrade from compact SUV to truck since i wanted AWD and i guess most ppl don't want big trucks. i'll take it!

seriously though, this is a great truck. it drives really well, feels good, has torques, and just functions. everything i touched was where it should be and worked as good or better than i could have expected. the U-Connect with AndroidAuto dialed up is awesome. the transmission was one of the best automatic programs i've driven in a looooonngg time, and that's saying something from me.

if i were buying a new truck tomorrow, i'd still go test drive the new GMC (cuz the chevy is butt-ugly) ... but this ram would be hard to pass up.

[champ]

Xeleventybillion on the ZF programming logic for FCA 8spd vehicles. I've been driving the GF's JL with the 8spd and... and... I can't believe I'm saying this, but if I were to buy a JL tomorrow - it would be an automatic. That thing is always in the gear I expect it to be and drives just flawlessly.

On the other hand, my GM designed and programmed 8spd behind the 6.2 is godawful. It's like they didn't even try.

Ram would be the first truck I test drive if I were in the market for new.

[MBood82]

I've rented two Challenger R/Ts recently, both with the automatic. They are honestly faster feeling then my wife's stick version of the same car, and I really didn't miss the stick side the transmission was smart.

I feel dirty for wanting the auto but it's happening...

[6DoF]

Originally Posted by champ

Xeleventybillion on the ZF programming logic for FCA 8spd vehicles. I've been driving the GF's JL with the 8spd and... and... I can't believe I'm saying this, but if I were to buy a JL tomorrow - it would be an automatic. That thing is always in the gear I expect it to be and drives just flawlessly.

On the other hand, my GM designed and programmed 8spd behind the 6.2 is godawful. It's like they didn't even try.

Ram would be the first truck I test drive if I were in the market for new.

Originally Posted by MBood82

I've rented two Challenger R/Ts recently, both with the automatic. They are honestly faster feeling then my wife's stick version of the same car, and I really didn't miss the stick side the transmission was smart.

I feel dirty for wanting the auto but it's happening...

both of you shut your mouth!!

while i'll agree i'm much less annoyed by the FCA 8spd ... i still want to row.

[6DoF]

Originally Posted by champ

On the other hand, my GM designed and programmed 8spd behind the 6.2 is godawful. It's like they didn't even try.

this ... the 6spd in my '08 gas truck is up there with the worst of all time. the first thing i did after getting the truck was to add a superchips for trans shifting. i almost sold the truck, but it's my only complaint.

the BEST thing however is to just put it in Manual-6 and 'trailer mode'. it's basically sport mode and works really well, except for really slow in parking lots. trailer mode by itself is good, but putting it in manual-6 gets rid of the compression braking downshifts.

[Blue XJ]

That’s how I normally drive with my 8 speed as well. It is normally in whatever gear I want it to be in, but after it learns for a while, it seems to be in too high of a gear for the unusual low speed city traffic. I’ll put it in tow mode and it holds out the shifts a little longer instead of being in 5th before I get through an intersection. It’s only annoying when coming out of a very slow turn and it‘s about 3 gears too high.

[6DoF]

Originally Posted by Blue XJ

That’s how I normally drive with my 8 speed as well. It is normally in whatever gear I want it to be in, but after it learns for a while, it seems to be in too high of a gear for the unusual low speed city traffic. I’ll put it in tow mode and it holds out the shifts a little longer instead of being in 5th before I get through an intersection. It’s only annoying when coming out of a very slow turn and it‘s about 3 gears too high.

same, that was my biggest issue. rolling stop pulling out of a parking lot and want to move a little quicker since traffic was coming ... and boooooggggg. i'd pull out and it would be in 3rd at 5mph, moderate accelerator and it goes nowhere. so you push a little more, it starts to pick up but traffic is coming, so you push a little more. by that time it FINALLY realized "oh fawk" kicks it down to 1st where you have your foot deep into the throttle, barks the tires and launches making you look like a complete novice douche.

with "m-6 trailer mode" being SOOOO much better ... i almost think they made the trans that bad on purpose. went full old-man slow comfort and mpg program, and figured anyone who cares can just push this button every time they get in.

[6DoF]

i removed the superchips one time when the trans made a noise just to make sure it wasn't causing an issue. it's so much worse, i put it back on that day "to hell with it, the trans can just die if that's what is happening" it honestly makes most driving tolerable, and i only use sport mode on occasion. the superchips also ditches the torque management and makes the throttle more responsive, so that was nice.

for reference however, got the truck with 50k miles, put the superchips on at like 55k, truck now has 175k and going strong with zero issues. :knockonwood:

[xj_man_646]

The aggressive up-shift trans behavior could be for driving on the emissions cycle. The load is relatively light on the FTP75 so the engine can run lower RPM. Lower RPM overall = less emissions.

But that doesn't explain why Ram is able to have such a different behavior...unless the engines run that much cleaner, which I can't imagine would be the case.

[6DoF]

might have to do with the rest of the fleet and how it all averaged?

but i'd assume part of it is image and customer driven ... obviously Dodge n team are marketing towards a different group with the demon and the like.

[bbaCJ8]

Originally Posted by champ

Xeleventybillion on the ZF programming logic for FCA 8spd vehicles. I've been driving the GF's JL with the 8spd and... and... I can't believe I'm saying this, but if I were to buy a JL tomorrow - it would be an automatic. That thing is always in the gear I expect it to be and drives just flawlessly.

On the other hand, my GM designed and programmed 8spd behind the 6.2 is godawful. It's like they didn't even try.

Ram would be the first truck I test drive if I were in the market for new.

I love the 8 speed with a Hemi, they just rip and feel good. The 8 speed JL on 35s isn't great, but isn't awful. On 37s it's a fair bit worse, no surprise there.

What's bad about the GM 8 speed? Just early shifts and lots of torque management like all their other crap? The combo you have is my primary focus for my next truck, so I'd love to hear if there's something awful to watch out for.

Originally Posted by 6DoF

this ... the 6spd in my '08 gas truck is up there with the worst of all time. the first thing i did after getting the truck was to add a superchips for trans shifting. i almost sold the truck, but it's my only complaint.

the BEST thing however is to just put it in Manual-6 and 'trailer mode'. it's basically sport mode and works really well, except for really slow in parking lots. trailer mode by itself is good, but putting it in manual-6 gets rid of the compression braking downshifts.

Yeah same for the 6L80E in my wife's Tahoe. If you're not heavy into the throttle it upshifts painfully early and always feels like a turd.

[Blue XJ]

As nice as the 8 speed might be, I had an identical ram prior to this one with a 5 speed, I got the exact same mileage. Although this one feels much more powerful, due to the trans gearing. It tows the same, same mileage, maybe a little worse mileage towing actually, to run 65-68 with my camper it’s constantly spinning 32–3300 rpm. My old 5 speed was about 2300.

[6DoF]

I think what pisses me off the most is that GM knows how to do it right ... The 8-speed Auto in the vet is damn near flawless

[Cobound]

My '13 Ram has the 8 speed, LOVE IT! I honestly can't talk enough about this vehicle, best I've ever owned. 6 years and 100k and feel just the same as the day I bought it. And I think everyone here knows just how ADD I am with vehicles

[champ]

Originally Posted by bbaCJ8

I love the 8 speed with a Hemi, they just rip and feel good. The 8 speed JL on 35s isn't great, but isn't awful. On 37s it's a fair bit worse, no surprise there.

What's bad about the GM 8 speed? Just early shifts and lots of torque management like all their other crap? The combo you have is my primary focus for my next truck, so I'd love to hear if there's something awful to watch out for.

Well, her JL is a bone-stock Sahara so that might explain why I haven't been disappointed by the transmission calibration yet.

As far as my truck's 8spd? The overall clunky feeling is horrible at low speeds. The 1-2 shift is probably the worst and the downshift logic is as 6DoF explains: apply gas *nothing*, repeat, repeat, annnnd oh here we go at 5000rpm. The really strange part is that some days, it's totally tolerable, and other days you shake your head in disgust. The TM, honesty, doesn't feel too bad. The only common horror stories seem to revolve around the torque converter ****ting itself in the 15-16's.

One thing I can't quite put my finger on is the 1-2 shift. The best way I can explain this (and I'm drawing from heavy equipment powershift transmission logic) GM messed up on the cold oil apply schedule for 1-2. When I back out of my driveway in the morning, then shift to D, I get a nasty hesitation on the 1-2; the same feeling you get like you just hit the rev limiter but instead its spinning 2k. Then it'll bang into 2nd and continue on its merry way like nothing ever happened for the rest of the day.

If I didn't value the warranty, I would already have a local guy calibrate the ECU and TCU.

[6DoF]

Originally Posted by wrath

It still shifts into 8th at ~33mph but it doesn't shudder anymore.

transmission programming bought to you by a .gov agency full of ppl who have never owned or driven a car.

[xj_man_646]

Originally Posted by 6DoF

transmission programming bought to you by a .gov agency full of ppl who have never owned or driven a car.

My money is still on emissions requirements driving the aggressive up-shift behavior. I can't really imagine another reason that they behave as you describe.

[champ]

Originally Posted by wrath

Go get your GM 8L90e reflashed at the dealership claiming drive-ability issues. It will fix the garage park (delay in applying clutches so it doesn't move) and it will help with the weird part throttle downshift. The part throttle downshift seems to be affected by whether you have the AC on and/or defrosters (I'm guessing so the AC doesn't spin too fast). The last calibration I got was from ~January 2018 and it did fix most of the irritations but I lost 2mpg.

Thanks, I'll have to look into that.

[6DoF]

oh man, i forgot about the shifting whiplash ... that is also a thing. sometimes it's like it pulls all power and compression brakes between power up-shifts.

it really is the worst controller program ever.

ever

and the diesel torque would be way better at dealing with the low R's ... the 6.0 and a 6500lb truck at 1200 r's doesn't go anywhere, no matter what throttle you are at.

[Jeepin Jason]

We had a 2019 Ram 1500 Limited as a dealer loaner right after they came out. People stopped us everywhere we drove it asking about it. Jen LOVED the truck. It had the tablet-sized touch screen dash. Drove like a dream. If they'd had a white one with the Rambox bed, she'd probably have traded her '14 Ram for it on the spot (luckily for me, the Rambox bed wasn't available yet, lol).