2015 Ram 2500 HEMI Power Wagon Cold Steel on Ice: 3 Locking Differentials Tested 

So is it 2 years old now?

+SRTifiedRAM It only has 2 lockers LOL

William Todd Didn't realize that was so funny

@@SRTifiedRAM it actually is pretty funny. its funny that the guy from ram doesnt even know the basics of the truck

Well technically they actually are the fastest engines in the world. They currently produce around 10000 horsepower in NHRA. Still 99.9% the same exact design since 1966. Now the new generations have broken more records with the Hellcat.

MG42pillbox I was just talking about the 6.4 in the 2500 trucks, not hemis in general. They have enough power to get the job done, just not the fastest going. I really like this truck though. Keith black racing engines are incredible though.

William Stewart Yea I think ford made a mistake with the short life spanned turbo 6s. GM is more streat truck? Mopar however never uses the right gear ratios in the Rams. -That's their biggest problem. 4.56 was good, the 4,10s really don't make sense. In 1969 Chrysler offered a Dodge or Plymouth B body with 28 inch tall tires /ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-n8oHp2ExJnw.htmlm10s gears... A truck that weighs this much with even 32 inch tires should have 4.56. I guess they really need the 8 speed so 4.10 would work better. Wait for the new powertrain. Old 3.0 ratio vs 4.7!

MG42pillbox​ Yeah I'm surprised the didn't put the Aisin in the power wagon. The 8 speed would work too but I question it's longevity with the weight and expectations of this type of truck. I do agree though, truck manufacturers in general need to start offering better gears, why 4.10s aren't more popular is beyond me.

William Stewart they are using the 8 speed in the 800 horsepower Hellcat... I'm sure it's okay lol the 6 speeds ate great, but the zf design is much more efficient let alone much better ratios.

+crephotos You can get it without that.

I mean it is a kids toy… doesn’t mean someone over 18 can’t have fun with one 😎

Dually?

Tyrese Brown nope 6x6

I believe he was referring too the trex 6x6 concept. It's pretty sweet looking.

Your dream has come true.

Absolutely nothing.

+miccheck11 If you don't understand the demo then you don't understand what it proves.

+Jacob Gambrel Hahaha If you can't read this sentence, then you don't know what it says. :,)

This demo is simply to show all 4 wheels turning on the ice with the lockers on as opposed to open diffs where only one tire on each axle would turn. A very simple and easy to understand display as far as I'm concerned.

Proves that 4 wheel drive dont do shit on ice. Most newbies who buy 4 wheel drive trucks think they can just do anything and wont get stuck.

No no no...he said it doesn't differentiate anything. Its direct drive to the front and back at all times....🤔.... so it does a 50:50:50:50 split....👀🤣😂

I agree with the 5.0, be good enough in a 3/4 ton platform

+Muhammad M Salaam has full underbody shielding.

+ottomatt29 I'm referring to exposed low aperature to approach transfer case differentials that can make abstruction collission contact

It has skidplates on the transfer case and fuel tank for sure, beyond that idk

I'm a Toyota guy also but I would take a Ford Raptor over this any day. Really you can't go wrong with Toyota, Ford, Jeep or Dodge. Just don't get a GM product if you want to go off road!

ZepG why do u say that

What's wrong with GM?

Impala Daily for most people there is nothing wrong with a gm truck for off roading. however they tend to not have as much ground clearance as other off road packaged trucks so if you are gonna go extreme off roading you will want something else. the front lip is removable though so anyone that tell you that the air dam is the reason you can't off road in it they are full of shit and don't know anything

ironsaber2 You got the ground clearance issue right, GM sells most of their "off-road" packages by slapping on new stickers and a locking rear diff. Believe me if GM put as much effort into making a true off-road worthy vehicle as they do making the Z/28, Caddy CTS-V and Corvettes track worthy I would keep my mouth shut.

Its all in the tire

Incorrect. Traction may be drastically reduced, but there is still SOME. Shifting that Power Wagon into 4WD provides roughly twice as much pulling traction if the diffs are completely open. This isn't going to be precise because of slight variance in surface and slight variance in contact pressure. Also locking the rear provides roughly 3x the pulling traction. Also locking the front diff provides roughly 4x the pulling traction of just 2WD with open diff. It still might not be enough traction to move the truck though, in ruts or on an incline.

They're two different classes of trucks. it should be the Ram rebel vs Raptor

Good thing you got a Power Wagon instead of a regular 4wd Ram then

Yes, it's out now.

Chrysler sets them up to only work in 4Low at slow speeds. They unlock if you go too fast.

+davide30541 It only has 2 diffs front and rear. Its a part-time 4WD system thereby there will not be a center diff.

+MultiPurposeReviewer Okay, i hope i can clear this up, Locking the CENTER diff, ensures that there is equal power going to the front AND rear axles, so you don't have your front wheels going crazy, and the back barely turning, or vise versa, for example, there is ALWAYS an equal 50/50 split ( when locked ). This differential allows the front and rear drive axles to behave separate when not locked (not in 4wd) , so you get better road manners. The front and rear axle differential allows each wheel on opposite sides to move freely, like going around a turn, these wheels must move at different speeds to retain drive-ability, and not shake the truck apart, so they cannot be locked. This is called an open differential, and is what almost all passenger cars have. The point when this becomes a downside, is if you are, say, offroading on very un-even surfaces, and you lift a wheel off the ground, that wheel will just spin freely, and the other wheel that has traction, wont move at all, that is just the nature of the open differential. locking these front and rear differentials allows each wheel to move at exactly the same speed, regardless of traction conditions. Hope i cleared some things up!

ToAstYNaChO Yes you did! Thanks! So a locked center diff ensures that at least one wheel on each end of the vehicle MUST be moving; whichever way that motion is split depends on the status of the axle diff. Is that correct?

MultiPurposeReviewer Absolutely, in terms of an open front and rear differential, you will always have at least one wheel on each end receiving power, seeing as its always 50/50 power split.

ToAstYNaChO All right. Thank you!

+ToAstYNaChO Follow-up: That means that center lockers will ONLY be found on AWD or full-time 4WD vehicles, correct?

It uses a Borg Warner 44-47 transfer case, which is manual shifted, as you saw him do. The other 4x4 2500 and 3500's from Ram that have the electronically shifted tranfer case is the Borg Warner 44-46.

+williamg2552 That's good..

I am pretty sure he meant the transfer case

It's not a transfercase literally is a center blocking diff.

juancargts I don't understand why they would not just use a transfer case. It is much stronger than a bunch of clutches.

The Mater​​ transfer case is tougher, less moving parts to fix when they get worn out. But is less flexible when sending power and not meant to be used onroad. I think they went for center diff to target a broader audience, makes sense if want to sell more of these

juancargts According to the wikipedia article, the current power wagon has a Borg-Warner shift on the fly transfer case, so I think TFL messed up.

+rumerboyz HAHA I've been saying that for years. Even the 3/4 and larger trucks have gone to the nanny 4WD knob...and they're supposed to be heavy duty. A damn knob on the dash doesn't look heavy duty to me at all. Its all in the name of laziness...people are just too damn lazy to get out lock in the hubs, and pull a lever...damn it they may have to put down their phone and actually operate the vehicle.

@@wildbill23c Even most 4WDs with a lever-operated tcase don't use manual hubs anymore.

@@RKmndo That's the problem, at least with Ford's SD trucks you can manually lock the hubs....The 90's and early 00's Dodge Ram trucks were live axles, most today have an axle disconnect rather than any sort of locking hubs unfortunately, and sometimes those things...rather a lot of times those things don't work as advertised either LOL. Both my trucks have manual locking hubs and manual transfer cases, and I know on the Ram trucks you can order manual locking hub kits for some of them.

@@wildbill23c Axle disconnects can be easy enough to fix. Jeep YJ disconnects could even be converted to work with a bicycle brake/derailleur cable, instead of vacuum lines. Hubs are nice at all 4 corners for flat-towing a rig though. "Hub fuses" can also protect expensive parts of the drivetrain. A lot of newer 4WDs just spin the front axle all the time, even in 2WD. Wranglers have been like this since TJs (1996/1997-2006). I don't know how new JL Wranglers manage 25+MPG hwy.

@@RKmndo I think many of the early 80's XJ's had a vacuum front axle engagement, everyone grew to hat them LOL. Live axles are a much better solution and you don't really lose economy like you would think...and avoids a lot of the pitfalls with every axle disconnect system out there whether it be locking hubs, or the various electric or mechanical axle disconnects. Having a manually operated transfer case regardless though is a huge plus, no motor or sensor issues to deal with, pull a lever and its engaged and done. The electronic systems illuminate a light and it don't mean squat, it just tells you the computer told it to engage, doesn't mean it is though LOL.

wait what? Which Toyota have front/rear lockers, sway bar disconnect on solid axle, and with a 12k warn winch on 33s.....stock from the factory? I'm genuinely curious Also, I didn't even know Toyota make 3/4 ton truck at all, unless you're designing one for Yota....

As far as pick up trucks. Shut off your selective hearing...

+MountKeverest the raptor?

I'm sorry but I wouldn't know what is the most capable off road pick up

+occckid123 apples to oranges. Two capable trucks purpose built for totally different scenarios.

i have one of these piles of shit mines a 2015 and has to be the absolute biggest pile of shit ive bought in my life. ive replaced the entire wiring harness under the truck had major computor programing issues,replaced bothe headlights, the battery, the front sway bar disconnect is junk mines slopped out to the poing i cant put a load in the box and drive down the road warranty is replacing it but still. ball joints are fucked oh ya and the tires that come on these trucks are junk the duracrap should be discontinued ive replaced them at 34000km. all of this in 46000 KM nice try ram! Buy a raptor!!!!!! im done with dodge.

+yakpenoose I was wondering where they figured the 3rd differential was LOL.

+yakpenoose So are center diffs even a thing even more? I've seen things that say both the Jeep Rubicon and the Mercedes G500 have locking center diffs. Is that incorrect?

MultiPurposeReviewer Not sure on the Mercedes, but the Jeep Wrangler doesn't have a center differential at all. Its a part time 4WD system only...it has locking front and rear differentials.

William Todd Okay, thanks. So, if you locked both Wrangler diffs, would all four wheels turn at the same speed, or would there be differentiation between front two and rear two?

MultiPurposeReviewer When in 2WD mode the rear differential is unlocked like a regular vehicle and the front differential is just along for the ride. When in 4WD you can lock the rear or front differential, or both front and rear and at that point all 4 wheels will turn at the same speed no matter what. Its a part time 4WD system so 50% of power goes to the front 50% goes to the rear when in 4WD.

Center locking diff in the transfer case. It's probably a button like what they have had in the 4runner for over 12 years. Dodge puts it in and it's apparently new.

Tyler Baker There isn't a button, there isn't a center diff. The T-Case is part time its not selectable.

+William Todd (williamtodd) Theres no button. Center diff locks automatically when you shift from 2wd to 4wd.

Eric M There isn't a center diff to begin with.

It doesnt split torque. Their is no clutch no slip. It divides 50% front and 50% rear. My 03 Ram 4x4 had a 40 front 60 rear. Get it? it will eat your 4 runner.

35 years old at this point, my '79 K20 had the chain drive T-case and lockers were around.

chain drive is super common, gear drive is the less used for sure. and yes, selectable lockers have been around for decades, spools since before most of our parents were born. but that doesn't change the fact that offering them on a production pickup is special. especially with that winch. I just wish they still offered this truck with 4.56's and 6 speed. mated with that new (ish) 6.4, this would be so much more beastly than it already is.

4 low provides more torque but you cant go above about 40km/h and 4 high lets you go faster with less torque

Damn right! I'm with you on that. The red grill is pretty cool IMO.

They're probably coming out with the rebel to offer something smaller and more sporty. It'll probably be cheaper than the power wagon too.

Gas mileage.

the Rebel is a 1/2 ton, with bigger tires and more ground clearance than the regular Ram 1500.. it's no where near as capable off road as the Raptor or the Power Wagon..

The Rebel is mostly an appearance/trim pkg. The suspension and tires may be a little better offroad than a typical Ram 1500. A Power Wagon would likely rockcrawl and hillclimb better because of straight axles, lockers, anti-swaybar disconnect, and winch.

Jessica R The G80 is a weak designed auto locker, not meant to do what these lockers can.

That and a locking front and rear diff and a sway bar disconnect. $300 for the winch but that doesn't include installation and everything else if you can't do it yourself.

dan brauner​ My 1998 Lincoln has front and rear electronic locking differentials. I'll give you the sway bar disconnect. That's pretty awesome. The articulation in this truck looks great.

dchawk81 the Power Wagon, not only has front and rear locking differentials, but a gear type limited slip in the rear axle. AAM, the manufacturer of the axles for all the Heavy Duty Ram's makes 3 different differentials.. the Trac Rite GL, the Trac Rite EL and the Trac Rite GTL, the difference is the GL = limited slip, the EL = electronic locker and the GTL combines them into one, a limited slip with electronic locker.

Rexford L Yeah my rear is limited slip too. Trucks have plateaued.

Rexford L Lots of good reviews on that winch. Primary complaint being that it's slow.

It's an old name used from previous generations of Dodge pickups.

Aiden Murphy the knob is to lock the diffs the lever is to engage 4 wheel drive I was confused at first too

The dodge isn't meant for pre running tho, both trucks are built for different obstacles, both trucks would have different outcomes, dodge could win, or the raptor, all depending on where you take them

+letterpool Yes.

Yes, all Ram HD's have solid front axles.. (I believe that Ford Super Duty's have them as well, only GM HD pickups use an independent front suspension)

Other than the differential I mean in real situations do you really have to have all that and own a brand other than Jeep to get you thru life ? If the power wagon was diesel it would sell like crazy it would be the set of off road capable vehicles but it seems like This truck was a waste in everybody’s mind that actually wanted a real off road king , the raptor was a great response the raptor is just what the customers buy after the boring fat raptor I don’t blame them It’s a easy sell but the power wagon is a lazy excuse almost as if it had a budget like the CEO said no diesel allowed it will be too much for anybody to catch up and it will slow down sells for our 2500 base

Idk might be a typhoon situation ahead of its time, now what were messed on a real 4wd experience because the big 3 decided to wait it out and push it when time is slow that’s what they do , just like the 7.3 best diesel ever made wait almost as good as a 5.9 Cummings, what did they do too ford after 2003 ... 6.0 garbage just because they perfected a Diesel, why in the flying F would you walk away from a Legendary Beast you have to try to start a 6.0 ? Because you’re to much against competition funny how the Chevy like a Rock Commercials Started after the Legendary 7.3 was eliminated and for the gas crisis it wasn’t a excuse so don’t try to come with that bs

I work at Pacific auto center ask for Manny if you want to have a Honest Salesman , I don’t know it all but I’m worthy I think I hope

+Zach Tarbell Very few true pickups do. Most have 2, one in the front axle, one in the rear axle. A 3rd differential found in some trucks and many SUV's is found in the transfer case it allows the vehicle to be operated in 4WD all the time as in an all wheel drive mode, but in some cases the center differential as it is often called can be locked to give the vehicle a part time 4WD operation characteristic. This is how the new F-150, the Ram 1500, many of the Jeep vehicles, and a few other brand 4WD/AWD vehicles get their full time 4WD option, by having a center differential that can be unlocked or locked. Otherwise a regular 4WD truck only has 2 differentials, and the 4WD system is part-time only meaning it cannot, or rather shouldn't be used in 4WD on paved roads without causing drive train binding and damage.

It's a Cummins not a Cummings

Mark Schaefer sorry

it still has a limited slip in the rear end.. Trac Rite GTL (locker and limited slip built into one differential)

Rexford L he never said a word about rear being limited slip so.

They are.. the AAM GTL combines the torsen type limited slip with a e-locker in one unit, and all Ram Power Wagons have them.

I want a dodge ram and im a chevy guy

Glock Man Nice

I'm a Ford guy and I'd love to have a powerwagon but this video wasn't much of a burn, all he did was talk about what transfer cases and differentials do

raptor out sells the power wagon way over 2 to 1 ratio

coner watson cause its a cheaper alternative to the power wagon