Re: General 99 Ram thread
Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 7:30 am
This is gonna sound weird but I floored it for the first time in the truck today and wound out 2nd gear.
It has a very long pedal travel. Seemed to shift around 4750 or something which I guess sounds right considering the HP peaks around 4,400 and redline is 5,000. The shift felt the same as part throttle, which means it is at least ramping up line pressure properly.
Other comments: the gearing feels tall-ish for a truck. In B-body terms, OD is like a B-body with 3.23 gears which sounds reasonable but it is a truck (aero) and also the 318 maybe doesn't have quite as much grunt at ~2,000 as a 350 would. Third gears are both 1:1, so the 3.23 feel applies here, too. Second gear in the truck is like a B-body with 3.08s and first is like a B-body with 2.93 gears. The steeper 1st and 2nd of the GM 700R4 really do help in low speed situations while still allowing for a decent overall axle ratio for highway.
Aside from the crappy 2-3 feel, the programming is also really weird. At low speeds like going up a hill at 35mph, as you add throttle it will do a 4-3 and almost immediately after that a 3-2, and then almost immediately go back to 3rd. It also does this at higher speed at part throttle. Stupid Dodge. You also feel like you are really deep into the pedal and it'll still do a 2-3 under 3,000 rpm which just feels so wrong. It is really hard to beat Corvette/9C1 700R4 transmission calibration from the 80s and 90s in my opinion.
Fun fact: if you disable OD (button on the end of the shifter), it goes to 3rd and almost immediately locks the torque converter. This is good, like while towing - it won't generate a ridiculous amount of heat. The tall-ish gearing also is good so towing in 3rd is at least semi-usable on the highway. It would cruise at 2,600 rpm @ 65 mph for example which isn't too bad (would be 1,800 in 4th lockup).
Power wise, this truck can get out of its own way if you really bury it, which is good to know. You just need to be liberal with the throttle. In my Caprice, you go to like 1/2 throttle on the highway at 70mph and it kicks down to 3rd and accelerates like you'd want. In this you need to really mash on it if you want similar thrust.
I should probably adjust the rear brake shoes as the brake pedal has really long dead travel, which I hate.
Handling wise, I am getting much more comfortable with it. Basically everything is exaggerated compared to my Caprice. Everything takes way more input - more throttle, more brake travel and pressure, more steering, more bracing yourself with your left leg when turning right. But once you account for that, I don't find it nearly as bad as I did initially.
I cranked up the stereo on my way home from work yesterday (to FM - meh). It really sounds halfway decent with the aftermarket speakers my Uncle put in. The 6x9s in the front have decent bass. I want to try out a cassette adapter. I could try some CDs if it works just to test, assuming that works (used to be a rite of passage for a new vehicle for me).
It looks like there is an aux in adapter but only if this head unit has hardware for a CD changer (DIN plug in the back).
http://www.oemautosound.com/p-42-chry-a ... input.aspx
According to the buttons on the front it does not, though I may still take it out and see if there's a DIN plug on the back because I'd really like real aux in. The sound is good enough that I'm sure I could hear the difference.
The check engine light still hasn't come back so hopefully I am at least good from an emissions standpoint tomorrow morning. In fact I know I am. I am worried about safety. Mainly the driver's side mirror, and I guess potentially other random things (rust?).
What I really need is to find a damn cap and then I think this is ready to replace my Ranger.
It has a very long pedal travel. Seemed to shift around 4750 or something which I guess sounds right considering the HP peaks around 4,400 and redline is 5,000. The shift felt the same as part throttle, which means it is at least ramping up line pressure properly.
Other comments: the gearing feels tall-ish for a truck. In B-body terms, OD is like a B-body with 3.23 gears which sounds reasonable but it is a truck (aero) and also the 318 maybe doesn't have quite as much grunt at ~2,000 as a 350 would. Third gears are both 1:1, so the 3.23 feel applies here, too. Second gear in the truck is like a B-body with 3.08s and first is like a B-body with 2.93 gears. The steeper 1st and 2nd of the GM 700R4 really do help in low speed situations while still allowing for a decent overall axle ratio for highway.
Aside from the crappy 2-3 feel, the programming is also really weird. At low speeds like going up a hill at 35mph, as you add throttle it will do a 4-3 and almost immediately after that a 3-2, and then almost immediately go back to 3rd. It also does this at higher speed at part throttle. Stupid Dodge. You also feel like you are really deep into the pedal and it'll still do a 2-3 under 3,000 rpm which just feels so wrong. It is really hard to beat Corvette/9C1 700R4 transmission calibration from the 80s and 90s in my opinion.
Fun fact: if you disable OD (button on the end of the shifter), it goes to 3rd and almost immediately locks the torque converter. This is good, like while towing - it won't generate a ridiculous amount of heat. The tall-ish gearing also is good so towing in 3rd is at least semi-usable on the highway. It would cruise at 2,600 rpm @ 65 mph for example which isn't too bad (would be 1,800 in 4th lockup).
Power wise, this truck can get out of its own way if you really bury it, which is good to know. You just need to be liberal with the throttle. In my Caprice, you go to like 1/2 throttle on the highway at 70mph and it kicks down to 3rd and accelerates like you'd want. In this you need to really mash on it if you want similar thrust.
I should probably adjust the rear brake shoes as the brake pedal has really long dead travel, which I hate.
Handling wise, I am getting much more comfortable with it. Basically everything is exaggerated compared to my Caprice. Everything takes way more input - more throttle, more brake travel and pressure, more steering, more bracing yourself with your left leg when turning right. But once you account for that, I don't find it nearly as bad as I did initially.
I cranked up the stereo on my way home from work yesterday (to FM - meh). It really sounds halfway decent with the aftermarket speakers my Uncle put in. The 6x9s in the front have decent bass. I want to try out a cassette adapter. I could try some CDs if it works just to test, assuming that works (used to be a rite of passage for a new vehicle for me).
It looks like there is an aux in adapter but only if this head unit has hardware for a CD changer (DIN plug in the back).
http://www.oemautosound.com/p-42-chry-a ... input.aspx
According to the buttons on the front it does not, though I may still take it out and see if there's a DIN plug on the back because I'd really like real aux in. The sound is good enough that I'm sure I could hear the difference.
The check engine light still hasn't come back so hopefully I am at least good from an emissions standpoint tomorrow morning. In fact I know I am. I am worried about safety. Mainly the driver's side mirror, and I guess potentially other random things (rust?).
What I really need is to find a damn cap and then I think this is ready to replace my Ranger.