[Accused]

SO i was playing around on the RAM website and I noticed something interesting.

The 5.7L HEMI is rated at 395 hp and 410 ft-lbs with a MAX tow of 10,450 and MAX payload of 1,720

The 3.0 EcoDiesel is rated at 240 hp and 420 lb-ft with a MAX tow of 8,200 and MAX payload of 490.

Considering the F150 EcoBoost with an identical 420 ft-lbs of twist will tow a MAX of 11,300 lbs.

I guess the only logical conclusion I could come to is that the RAM must be structurally inferior. Can anyone shed insight on this?

 

[LCR]

That HEMI is the MAX meaning regular cab long bed.
The ECO Diesel has a MAX of 9,200 tow and 1,510 in the same configuration. The Eco Diesel on the chart is a fully loaded Laramie and weighs 1,000lbs more than the next 1/2 ton which has a gas v-6 meaning that they are most likely a a stripped down entry level truck.
Another thing to consider is HP, HP is how fast the work(torque) is done. in order to keep a load moving at high speeds you need that torque to work faster (i.e Horsepower) So a hemi or Ecoboost has nearly identical torque as the Diesel although at different RPM, but the ecoboost and Hemi make more HP to keep the load moving at upper highway speeds (70-80) My guess is that they lowered the ratings based on that so people wouldn't complain they can't tow their 10 or 11,000lb trailer at 80mph up hill.

 

[Accused]

That HEMI is the MAX meaning regular cab long bed.
The ECO Diesel has a MAX of 9,200 tow and 1,510 in the same configuration. The Eco Diesel on the chart is a fully loaded Laramie and weighs 1,000lbs more than the next 1/2 ton which has a gas v-6 meaning that they are most likely a a stripped down entry level truck.
Another thing to consider is HP, HP is how fast the work(torque) is done. in order to keep a load moving at high speeds you need that torque to work faster (i.e Horsepower) So a hemi or Ecoboost has nearly identical torque as the Diesel although at different RPM, but the ecoboost and Hemi make more HP to keep the load moving at upper highway speeds (70-80) My guess is that they lowered the ratings based on that so people wouldn't complain they can't tow their 10 or 11,000lb trailer at 80mph up hill.

Thanks for the response. So would adding some kind of water-methanol system help compensate for the lack of power? I should be able to get a higher tow capacity no?

 

[LCR]

I already posted in that thread but the short answer is no. That diesel with 3.92 gears will pull whatever you need without a problem at 70mph and if you're towing 7-8,000lbs you don't need to be going much faster than that anyway.

 

[DieselTech69]

The diesel weighs more, reducing cargo and towing capacity.

Towing capacity is based on many factors: torque/HP, gear ratio, transmission torque rating, axle rating, frame strength, brake capacity, cooling system capacity, and I'm sure some other stuff (like potential warranty costs maybe?).

LCR is partially correct in his explanation of HP vs. TQ. HP is a product of TQ and RPM, or a measurement of work done over time. 2 engines of the same peak TQ, but at different RPM, will result in different HP, which is exactly what you see between these 3 engines. The hemi and EB will ALWAYS have more HP, because they can spin more RPM (one caveat: I'm talking mostly stock or lightly modified here; a full-on race build could result in the diesel with more HP than a gas engine). The formula to figure HP from TQ & RPM is: Torque (in lb/ft) X RPM / 5252 = HP

The interesting thing is to take a look at the RPM that the torque is made, in comparing these 3 engines:

Ford 3.5L EB = 420 @ 2,500 RPM (or about 200 HP)
Hemi 5.7L = 410 @ 4,000 RPM (or about 312 HP)
ecoDiesel 3.0L = 420 @ 2,000 RPM (or about 160 HP)

Now, which one do you think will tow best, based on this info? (Hint, see my last comment below). Does that coincide with what was stated about HP in a previous post?

All 3 of these engines would be turning approximately 2000 rpm at highway speeds (65-70 mph) in top gear. Which one will have the most available torque at that RPM?

 

[tugboat]

thanks for sharing the wealth of info! diesels offer great power and torque at lower rpms

don't have to rev it as high to get it to work.

 

[The Diesel Guy]

SO i was playing around on the RAM website and I noticed something interesting.

The 5.7L HEMI is rated at 395 hp and 410 ft-lbs with a MAX tow of 10,450 and MAX payload of 1,720

The 3.0 EcoDiesel is rated at 240 hp and 420 lb-ft with a MAX tow of 8,200 and MAX payload of 490.

Considering the F150 EcoBoost with an identical 420 ft-lbs of twist will tow a MAX of 11,300 lbs.

I guess the only logical conclusion I could come to is that the RAM must be structurally inferior. Can anyone shed insight on this?

LOL ! As tested price.
Look real close at this chart. It's the stupidest thing I've ever seen. Where do these people come up with this stuff for there comparison.

 

[DieselTech69]

I know, right? I think maybe they tried to match these trucks up based on engine size only (retarded).

 

[tugboat]

even that didn't work very well since the Ram Diesel has the smallest engine