i have an 09 ram and i feel stupid for even asking this but what is the 2nd prime i keep hearing for trucks is this something with all of them does mine have it what does it do... sorry might be a dumb question but i just have no clue what this is.... Please Someone Help Me Out With This

Our "Multi-speed" 545-RFE Transmissions actually have 6 forward gears in them. This includes a total of 3 reduction gears, drive, and 2 overdrives.For some retarded (to me anyways) reason you have two 2nd gears - a normal one you go through when upshifting (called 2nd prime), and another you go to when you step on it WOT at 50-60 mph (called 2nd kickdown). The 2nd kickdown is a higher gear (lower numerically) than 2nd prime.

Due to this and the fact that our "4th" and "5th" gears are about the same (0.75:1 and 0.67:1) our "technically 6"-speed transmission is no better than any basic 4-speed out there.

so with tuning do they get rid of this second prime or adjust it in some way.... higher speed... or does it stay the same im just new to that 2nd prime thing. thanks alot i really appreciate it.

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Originally posted by 05daytona:
so with tuning do they get rid of this second prime or adjust it in some way.... higher speed... or does it stay the same im just new to that 2nd prime thing. thanks alot i really appreciate it.

Not yet. It's been requested that SC have an option to disable 2nd Prime but it may not happen. I hate it because it seems like it over revs the engine and really raises hell with the tranny. At 60MPH and you punch it, it'll drop into 2nd Prime and the rpms will spike to over 5700 and there's no gain in torque or speed.

thank you guys for the help... i had no idea what that was

Another "brilliant" idea from the engineers are chrysler. They obviously don't drive one of these stupid "5 speeds." I guess it's good in theory but in the real world it doesn't do us any good.

2 second gears makes absolutely no sense in any way you look at it. I guess since our 1-2 shift is so huge (1st 3:1 and 2nd 1.6:1) they thought they would make up for it by having a second second gear for downshifting??????

And wtf is 4th gear for? Mine won't stay in 4th gear for more than 1 second no matter how hard you try. Not to mention the rpm difference is only about 100 rpms from 5th gear. WOW great gas savings!!! Who designs this sh!t?

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And wtf is 4th gear for? Mine won't stay in 4th gear for more than 1 second no matter how hard you try. Not to mention the rpm difference is only about 100 rpms from 5th gear. WOW great gas savings!!! Who designs this sh!t?

Hit the tow/haul mode on 06+, and it locks out 5th, and sets 4th gear as your highway gear. I like it, because i am in Tow/Haul most of the time when in town, or when hauling atvs down the highway, and at highways speeds or 65+ it makes a 400-600 rpm difference, and pulls wayyy better at 2300-2600 rpms, and 5th gear does at 1800-2100.

at 70 mph the RPM difference between .75 and .67 is less than 200 rpms but it pulls harder but not by much. OD off makes all the difference in the world...if you like cruisin down the highway at 3K

At 75 I'm usually right around 2000 RPMs. With Tow haul on I'm between 2100 and 2200. WASTE of gearing

In the city I drive around with OD off of it's real city stop and go I'll just leave it in 2nd.

On the 09 with the tiptronic shifter, you can put it in whatever gear you want, 3rd on the indicator is 2nd prime, just fyi for the 09 guys!

if you leave the triptronic in 1st and say go to race will it sift through all the gears itself or will it over rev and not shift? j/w thanks again guys