truck axle ratio to pull a 297rsts

[jabhoyt]

Getting ready to purchase a 297rsts instead of a 2970rl. Was planning to purchase a 3/4 ton truck with a 6.4 gas engine with a 3.73 axle ratio. Is that axle ratio good enough to handle the 297rsts easily? Is the engine strong enough to pull in hills with empty water etc.?

[jasonl78]

I use a Ram 3500 with 6.4L Hemi and 3.73s to pull my 11,000 lb fifth wheel. I feel the engine is plenty strong. Your 10,000 lb GVWR trailer should tow fine in the flat. I can't speak to the hills of TN though. I think you'll have a lot of shifting going potentially. It surely won't perform like a diesel but depending on how often you tow may help make your decision easier.

[Coheeba]

Here is a good explanation:

https://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/h...kup-truck.html

Understanding Axle Ratios
Automakers build trucks with a range of optional axle ratios. The term refers to the gears in the truck's differential, which is a mechanical device that links the rear axle to the driveshaft and then the engine. Technically, the number should be expressed as a ratio, such as 3.55:1, meaning the drive shaft turns 3.55 times for each turn of a wheel. But that gear ratio would most commonly be referred to as "3.55" or simply "three fifty-five."

The key to understanding gear ratios is to remember that, as the numerical ratio goes up, towing capacity increases but fuel economy goes down. A numerically higher axle ratio provides a mechanical advantage to send more of the engine's available torque to the rear tires (and front tires, in a four-wheel drive vehicle), but you pay the price at the fuel pump.

So, a truck with optional 3.73 gears will tow a heavier trailer than one with 3.55 or 3.21. But it will also use more fuel in all situations because the engine's rpm will be higher. For example, Ford says the 2018 F-350 Super Duty 4x2 regular cab pickup equipped with the 6.2-liter gasoline engine can tow up to 16,700 pounds when fitted with a 4.30 axle ratio but just 13,200 pounds with the numerically lower 3.73 axle.

[jabhoyt]

Thank you for the reply to the post. I really appreciate it!!!!