Gave my pickup some TLC ...

[Hay Dude]

When I bought my Ram in 2020, I promised myself this will be the first truck I will let the dealer service it’s entire length of my ownership.

After 6 years, I have excellent service records and whoever buys my truck, will get one that was given impeccable service by only one technician, who went to Cummins diesel tech school and worked at my Ram dealer.

I hope it pays off, but my confidence level ain’t all that high….

 

[4570Man]

I dislike steering column shifters. A 1950’s design that takes up too much physical space for it’s purpose. It’s no longer a shift stalk connected to cables. It’s a giant electronic switch.
Time to go to an Allison style push button key pad.

View attachment 4416922


Or the Volvo truck shifter.

View attachment 4416923

But our smaller trucks need a park pawl.

My Volvo has a push button shifter and so did the Mack I drove. I honestly like the column shifter better. The button isn’t instant and you have to hold it down like 3 seconds.

 

[Hay Dude]

My Allison touchpad in my IH is instant.
No 3 second delay here.
2 foot long column shifter stalks that are simply an electric switch are a waste of space.

 

[4570Man]

My Allison touchpad in my IH is instant.
No 3 second delay here.
2 foot long column shifter stalks that are simply an electric switch are a waste of space.

What else were you going to put there? I think we can agree that the column shifter is a heck of a lot better than the console shifter.

 

[Hay Dude]

What else were you going to put there?

On the column? Nothing would suit me.

I think we can agree that the column shifter is a heck of a lot better than the console shifter.

I’d take a well placed Allison type pad on the dash, with a smaller +/- buttons on the steering wheel for manual shifting like my Ram has.

 

[4570Man]

My Allison touchpad in my IH is instant.
No 3 second delay here.
2 foot long column shifter stalks that are simply an electric switch are a waste of space.

I assume the Volvo one is shifting with air. I know it won’t take gear until it’s over 60 psi.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

The column shifter on my Kenworth, is on the right side of the steering column, twist it to shift to Drive, then flick it forward (away from you) to down shift one gear, pull back to up shift one gear ... Depress button on the end to lock it in gear.

My controls are electric, but the actual transmission is air operated, need at least 98 psi to go from neutral to either Drive, or Reverse ... Once in gear, if air pressure drops it will shift, until about 85 PSI ...

Yesterday morning I had to stop on a exit ramp, started to leave the stop sign and a car came, so back on the brakes, this has "hill assist" which spikes the brakes! Then I started to go again, another car came, did this four times ... Since it was already in gear, when I finally got going, I was down to 80 PSI! It would shift up until it built air up to 86 PSI

 

[dnw64]

smaller +/- buttons on the steering wheel for manual shifting like my Ram has.

That is one thing I miss on my F250. The +/- buttons on the column shift are not at all convenient.

 

[Oaktree]

I dislike steering column shifters. A 1950’s design that takes up too much physical space for it’s purpose. It’s no longer a shift stalk connected to cables. It’s a giant electronic switch.
Time to go to an Allison style push button key pad.

I don't mind the old-school column shifters, not sure how it "takes up too much physical space". Of course now that huge center consoles are pretty much the rule, might as well put the shifter there. I don't like it when automakers get "creative" with shifters...pushbuttons, knobs, that weird one on the pic of the Volvo truck you posted. My wife's car has one that works like a joystick, I find it really awkward and non-intuitive.
Yeah, I know it's all electronic now so a physical shifter isn't really necessary, but I find it much easier to use, and you can tell at a glance what "gear" you're in.

 

[Hay Dude]

I don't mind the old-school column shifters, not sure how it "takes up too much physical space". Of course now that huge center consoles are pretty much the rule, might as well put the shifter there. I don't like it when automakers get "creative" with shifters...pushbuttons, knobs, that weird one on the pic of the Volvo truck you posted. My wife's car has one that works like a joystick, I find it really awkward and non-intuitive.
Yeah, I know it's all electronic now so a physical shifter isn't really necessary, but I find it much easier to use, and you can tell at a glance what "gear" you're in.

I’ll tell you “how”. Try running 3 guys across the front of a regular cab, or 6 guys in a six pack cab. The front seat middle passenger’s left leg leaves little room for the automatic transmission column shifter. Especially bigger guys.

Plus it’s just an outdated stupid design to have a 24” long rod sticking off of the steering column to do the work a small electric stem, or touchpad could do.

Tractor trailers don’t have this problem, so why do pickups?

 

[tacticalturnip]

Ugh, reminds me of being a young man. My stepdad had a single cab, manual transmission, 3/4 ton Chevrolet when I was a kid. My tall and gangly self was jammed between my parents with the shifter between my legs.

THAT was not fun.

 

[paulsharvey]

Nice! My 2019 Ram 1500 classic, crew cab, hemi, 4x4 SLT was one of my all time favorite vehicles.

2019 Ram 1500 Classic, 4x4, Bighorn, crew, long bed, 5.7L here, and I have really liked it. Just got done doing tire rotation and new brakes on all 4. Took about 3 hours, because I didnt have enough jack stands to jack everything up, and rotate. I still do the X pattern rotation, left front to right back, ect.

 

[Jstpssng]

whoever buys my truck, will get one that was given impeccable service

I could be mistaken, but based on your posts this likely is true of anything you own.

 

[Hay Dude]

I could be mistaken, but based on your posts this likely is true of anything you own.

Very nice of you to say, thanks.
The Ram has been better cared for than anything else, the rest is at least above average.
Then you meet someone who tells you they’ve never greased their tractor and it’s 10 years old.

 

[paulsharvey]

I did notice something I thought was odd/cheap on the Ram. The back calipers are small, single piston caliber. The fronts are larger, dual piston. Not saying piston count equals stopping power, but thats what, $15/wheel they saved by going to a single on the back?

 

[dodge man]

Most of the braking done by the front. A pickup even more so because they are light in back unless you carry a load all the time.

 

[paulsharvey]

Most of the braking done by the front. A pickup even more so because they are light in back unless you carry a load all the time.

Yeah, but it seems like kinda a cheesy cost savings; go ahead and put the same on back, it can't cost manufacturers for than a couple dollars.

 

[rontaki]

Yeah, but it seems like kinda a cheesy cost savings; go ahead and put the same on back, it can't cost manufacturers for than a couple dollars.

Maybe too much stopping power causing lockup, for the average user cruising shopping malls without a load in back?

 

[Jstpssng]

It wasn't so long ago that it was a single piston on front and drums on back.

 

[Gregster613]

I could be mistaken, but based on your posts this likely is true of anything you own.

I second what Jstpssng said!