8, 9 and 10 speed transmission vs 6 speed

[Roadyacht1]

The main negative is a considerable more complexity and moving parts.
I would think 6 is plenty.

[BPTS]

Originally Posted by JCM

You think you are old, I remember 2 speed automatics.

Powerglides were “the tranny” for our 1/5th mile circle track cars. Hi/lo.



I haven’t towed with my 20 F250 enough yet to really make a strong statement. I will say for the 40 miles I have pulled the 24RLS the 7.3 seems to handle it well, the tranny shifts smoothly and the transitions are smooth with about a 500 rpm drop when it downshifts, not enough to lug/bog the engine.

[CaptronNZ]

When loaded, the more gears you have, the more you can keep the engine in its peak torque range as you accelerate. This is especially true for low torque engines like gas engines.

We have a turn of the century Class A with the 460 and a Four Speed Ford Automatic.

I can't tell you how many times I have cursed that underpowered engine and especially its mate the 4 Speed. I even looked up what I need to move up to a 6 speed.

The engine we can do something about: Long headers and exhaust system is one choice but expensive.

The Transmission however is another story.
The engineer who decided the gear ratios must have been drunk on the day they locked this one down. It REALLY needed to be a 5 speed - minimum.
3rd (1:1) down to 2nd is huge gap. Many times I have crawled along on hills in 2nd when another gear would have been right on. And, last week I reveressed up a hill and then the tranny would not shift into 3rd or O/D! Nearest auto repair was 300 Kms away, in 2nd gear, you do the math. DW was very patient. I hope all Automatics in RV's s are not like this.

I like to (need to) shift the tranny semi-manually on hills and descents. More cogs are better, and if you nominate peak torque to be your best friend your mileage will improve as well. Yes more gears are supposed to be more complex, but my first car was a turbo-hydramatic 2 speed, so 4 speeds would have been a dream come true and ten speeds science fiction. If they are bullet proof, who cares. They are the right tool for the job.

Now if they could just get the programming right....

[BPTS]

Wanna really wake up that old 460?
Swap the timing chain set out for a set from a 70 Lincoln with a 429.
This was the first thing I did when I bought my 94 F350 and that truck was a beast. Really helped mileage as well.
Ford retarded the cam timing on them, the claim was for emission reasons but the reality was they got sued by some clown that drove through a wall and blamed Ford for it being too powerful (that is what I was told by a dealership tech way back when.)

[tuffr2]

I am trying to think how long the 6 speed has been around. I know since 2011 but how much earlier I do not know. I am thinking maybe 2008 or so in trucks. I had a 2011 F-150 with the 6 speed.

And I guess it will be fair to say in 2020 the 6 speed is just about dead. I think only 2 trucks in 2020 have the 6 speed. The GM 2500/3500 with the 6.6 gas engine and Ford the the 6.2 gas engine.

Is the 8 speed on the Ram 6.4 hemi 2500/3500 standard now or can you get the Ram 2500/3500 with a 6 speed still?

[Teledoc]

Ram gas trucks now use the ZF (8HP75) 8 speed transmission, since 2013 for 1500 hemi, and since 2019 for the HD hemis.

The HD diesels still use either the Ram 68RFE 6 speed or the Aisin 6 speed (for the higher output Cummins).

[bneukam]

Cost of these new 8, 9, 10 speeds has to be crazy expensive. Repairs must also be complicated. So, I think even though they save us money at the pump, in the long run the consumer will be the loser.
Coming up on 50k on a ZF 8 speed, with about 15k of that towing. When should we change fluid? The manual doesn’t give anything for the transmission. Dealers say 100k. Thinking somewhere between 50 to 60k. But not sure.

[abartleman]

I came from a 2014 F-150 3.5 with 6-speed and I loved that truck. I now have a 2018 3.5 10-speed and I think it is awesome. I went from a combined just over 18mpg to almost 22mpg with essentially the exact truck (but better payload/tow capacity in the 2018). The 10-speed does run a bit warmer than the 6-speed but not much at all. I pull a 6900# dry camper and the 10-speed handles it more efficiently and is always in the right gear. The 10-speed keeps the 3.5 in the right powerband at all times too so driving experience is great to me. And no, not all gassers need screaming RPM to get power. To me, the 3.5 ecoboost is the closest gas motor you can get that feels like a diesel from a power delivery stand point. At a low, for a gas motor,RPM range.

[JCM]

My Honda CRV with a 5 speed automatic recommends changing oil in the transmission at 20K (k)

[kdauto]

Originally Posted by bneukam

Cost of these new 8, 9, 10 speeds has to be crazy expensive. Repairs must also be complicated. So, I think even though they save us money at the pump, in the long run the consumer will be the loser.
Coming up on 50k on a ZF 8 speed, with about 15k of that towing. When should we change fluid? The manual doesn’t give anything for the transmission. Dealers say 100k. Thinking somewhere between 50 to 60k. But not sure.

2018 RAM 1500 w/ZF states 96 000km (60 000 mile) intervals for fluid and filter if towing frequently. That sounds about right to me. Make SURE you use the proper ZF fluid on these, it's very important or you'll eat a tranny. Don't let someone con you into using ATF+4 or anything else with an additive!

I'd recommend an OEM filter and fluid to be on the safe side.

[tuffr2]

Talking about the 2500/3500 Rams the 8 speed ZF transmission is only available starting in 2020 right? Or 2019 too?

[tuffr2]

Ugh, I asked if the 8 speed ZF is available, I should of asked if it was standard with the 6.4 Hemi?

kdauto - thanks for the advice to used the exact right trans fluid. I would have messed that up.

[kdauto]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

Ugh, I asked if the 8 speed ZF is available, I should of asked if it was standard with the 6.4 Hemi?

kdauto - thanks for the advice to used the exact right trans fluid. I would have messed that up.

Changing trans fluid is best left to professionals these days. Many trans no longer even have dipsticks. Adjusting fluid level sometimes requires special tools, a quality scantool, and service info that the average DIY manual won't necessarily have.

A real pro will also check for TSBs on new versions of fluid,filter etc.

[bneukam]

Thanks for the info kdauto. ZF8 fluid is easily available, but the stock pan with integrated filter is only through Mopar.
I have the lifetime power train warranty so will be having a dealer do the work.