So I flew out west on vacation & on the way back, in TX, bought a 3500 Aisin HO 4.10 equipped w/ all of the utilitarian fundaments that I had to have & some that where just niceities (tow prep, rear slider window, bed liner & that modicum of Chrome, lol...). So I drove back to VT luxuriating in the surprisingly civil HD truck road manners that Ram seems to have bestowed on this mammoth - much refined compared to my light (by comparison) 2006 Ram 2500... not sure how they pulled it off in a 14K GVWR rig (empty)...
So upon hooking up to my 3K empty dump trailer - on my rolling VT pastures, I abruptly found some differences in my manual transfer case, lol... In my 2500 I can be more or less rolling along at any speed and throw that floor lever into 'N' or 'x4 H' / 'x4L' - not so with this new 3500... Does the truck always have to be stopped in neutral before changing the transfer case or do higher speeds facilitate the shift / is it just too new to throw that leaver... not sure what is up with the whole thing? I only tried throwing it a few times (trial by error) on my property w/ about 7K behind me (not much & I tried to find a flat place to do it).
Furthermore, As the "Virgin" tow was about 3K dump trailer going to get a small 4K load - 7K returning I wasn't sure how & when to activate the 'tow haul' / 'exhaust brake'... I have to confess that I don't fully understand the whole thing - i.e. at what speed can one get the exhaust brake to kick in? Tow haul mode (from Youtube seems to only impact transmission shift sequence / 'locking in')
I'm rather embarrassed that I don't know more about the 'rig' I just bought & how to 'eke' every bit of finesse out of it like I do my 2006 Ram 2500 6spd manual (but I don't)... Any tips or suggestions to previous posts would be appreciated! Tks
(pics / new Avatar) coming soon - though I'm keeping my trusty manual transmission 2500, lol - That's for damn sure!
You can shift between 2Hi and 4Hi when stopped or at any speed up to 55 MPH with either the electronic controls or a manual transfer case. A new truck manual shifter is going to be tighter than your old truck. The HO/Aisin also comes with a bigger transfer case. Man up and yank it like you mean it.
4Lo should only be selected rolling 2-3 MPH with the transmission in Neutral. Shifting into 4-Lo while stopped may actually be harder. Don't go too slow on the lever between 4Hi and 4Lo shifts, stalling in Neutral may cut the engine. It also works OK if you are on an incline and just let the truck roll a bit before selecting or shifting into 4-Lo.
P. 249
Shifting Procedure — Manually Shifted Transfer Case
2H To 4H
Shifting between 2H and 4H can be made with
the vehicle stopped or in motion. If the vehicle
is in motion, shifts can be made up to 55 mph
(88 km/h). With the vehicle in motion, the
transfer case will engage/disengage faster if
you momentarily release the accelerator pedal
after completing the shift. Apply a constant
force when shifting the transfer case lever.
2H Or 4H To 4L
NOTE:
When shifting into or out of 4WD LOW some
gear noise may be heard. This noise is normal
and is not detrimental to the vehicle or occupants.
With the vehicle rolling at 2 to 3 mph (3 to
5 km/h), shift the transmission into NEUTRAL.
While the vehicle is coasting at 2 to 3 mph (3 to
5 km/h), shift the transfer case lever firmly to
the desired position. Do not pause in transfer
case Neutral.
NOTE:
Pausing in transfer case NEUTRAL in vehicles
equipped with an automatic transmission
may require shutting the engine off to avoid
gear clash while completing the shift. If difficulty
occurs, shift the transmission into
NEUTRAL, hold your foot on the brake, and
turn the engine off. Complete the range shift
to the desired mode.
Shifting into or out of 4WD LOW is possible
with the vehicle completely stopped, however
difficulty may occur due to the mating clutch
teeth not being properly aligned. Several
attempts may be required for clutch teeth
alignment and shift completion to occur. The
preferred method is with the vehicle rolling 2
to 3 mph (3 to 5 km/h). Avoid attempting to
engage or disengage 4WD LOW with the
vehicle moving faster than 2 to 3 mph (3 to
5 km/h).
Do not attempt to shift into or out of 4WD
LOW while the transmission is in gear.
Welcome to the club. My rig has fundamentally the same bones as yours with a few additions. Ive had mine for 4.5 months now and after about 2000 miles I tried the 4 high push button in a parking lot while going about 10 mph. I threw it in n and hit the 4h button and threw it back in d and took off. Worked as designed with no troubles. I don't often go 4x4 so I was going to make sure it worked and also work the transfer case a bit. I'm sure everyone will have different opinions on how to shift in and out of 4x4 but thats the way I do it for 4h, rolling in n, hit button and back in d. Now 4l is another story. I personnely always stop or are only going 5mph or less and put in 4l while in n then go back to d , then go. 4h is supposed to be able to shift on the fly at normal driving speeds.
Tow haul. Anytime you are pulling a trailer or hauling a ld you should use your tow haul mode as this locks out od.
Exhaust engine brake. When the tow haul is off, the extra braking has a high setting, an auto setting and off setting. We typically use the high setting as it will activate every time you roll out the throttle . The auto setting is smarter than i am and knows when to and when not come on when you roll out of the throttle.
Now if your tow haul is on as your hauling a ld and you turn on the exhaust engine brake so both are on together, you will still have high, auto, and off for your extra braking but with the tow haul also enabled, the exhaust engine brake is much more intense and better working to slow the heavier vehicle.
Also when you post your new pic, you can post your bio so we all know what you have with options so we don't have to ask you all the time. Ive been around diesels all my life but by far am not a pro compared to some of our members. Enjoy and take it all in
Tow Haul will NOT lock out OD. It simply raises the shift points and holds gears longer to reduce shuttling shifts. It downshifts sooner and more aggressively for increased engine braking (p.230) - higher RPM's provide more back-pressure for increased braking. The only way to lock out OD is to use ERS and select the highest available gear (p. 241).
P.231
Automatic “Smart” Exhaust Brake
Automatic “Smart” Exhaust Brake technology
delivers smoother, less aggressive exhaust
braking characteristics during downhill
descents. Although it can apply full exhaust
braking force if needed, Automatic “Smart”
Exhaust Brake may not apply obvious braking if
the vehicle speed is not increasing.
Automatic
“Smart” Exhaust Brake is intended to maintain
vehicle speed, while Full Exhaust Brake is
intended to reduce vehicle speed.
P. 242
When To Use TOW/HAUL Mode
When driving in hilly areas, towing a trailer,
carrying a heavy load, etc., and frequent transmission
shifting occurs, push the TOW/HAUL
switch to activate TOW/HAUL mode. This will
improve performance and reduce the potential
for transmission overheating or failure due to
excessive shifting. When operating in TOW/
HAUL mode, transmission upshifts are delayed,
and the transmission will automatically downshift
(for engine braking) when the throttle is
closed and/or during steady braking maneuvers
P. 244
Four-Position Electronically Shifted Transfer Case
Preferred Procedure
1. With the engine running, slow the vehicle
to 2 to 3 mph (3 to 5 km/h).
2. Shift the transmission into NEUTRAL.
3. While still rolling, push the desired position
on the transfer case control switch.
4. After the desired position indicator light is
on (not flashing), shift the transmission
back into gear.
Source; 2020 Owners manual
They can be boring for some, but it's worth reading through a few times, particularly those subjects that are a little fuzzy.
Happy shifting!
