I just purchased a new truck Ram Eco-Diesel 2wd with LSD, the problem I have experienced is that the truck lacks grip on steeper wet/mossy ramps when the boat has launched, the tires spin less when pulling boat up ramp but zero grip with trailer only. I use even steeper ramps and I'm currently afraid to visit those lakes due to this issue. Do I need different tires or different truck?

I previously had a Tacoma that never gave me any ramp issues, the Ram transmission is an 8 speed and wondering if 1st gear is to high??

Need help in analyzing issue, thanks.

Have had same issues when vegetation etc washes up on ramp. I doubt that different tires would help. I really don't have a good solution. I usually try to push the vegetation out of the way of my tires and that helps some. You might try carrying a bag of sand for the mossy ramps. b

Solution = sell two wheel drive truck, buy 4 wheel drive truck.

Here is the cheap and easy solution... don't hammer the gas!!! The ecodiesel has a good amount of torque and the first gear ratio is very low, making it really easy to break them loose and loose traction.

The slower you get on the gas the less chance of spinning/loosing traction.

Spinning is your enemy on a ramp or pavement, all spinning is, is your loss of traction. Ease on the gas a little at a time until you start moving up the ramp once you start moving you can give it some more gas.

Also a good set of AT tires will help. My Silverado has a locker on the rear end and has no problem on ramps. When I had the first stock set of street tires I would spin both tires on the slicker ramps.

You could also add a little weight in the bed of your truck, like two bags of sand or something. Also, if your vehicle will let you manually select 2nd or third to take off, it will stall the convertor a little and help reduce wheel spin.

Starting with the parking brake on and slowly releasing it as the truck starts rolling can reduce wheel spin. It puts drag on the wheel, reducing torque available to break traction. It also prevents rolling back.

In my 2wd Tacoma I work the foot parking brake like you would a clutch.

add weight to bed of truck

You don't need to add weight, use the brake, or anything easy on the gas and you will be fine. I'm in San Antonio just like you probably fish a lot of the same lakes and use an ecodiesel to pull our 5,000 lb 24' long boat. Yes my truck is 4x4, but I have and probably will never put it in 4x4 on a boat ramp plain and simple because it isn't needed. Throttle control is what you need.

Pretend there is a rotten egg between your foot and the accelerator pedal.

While I agree about throttle contacts trolling and torque, esp if your not used to a diesel, pushing the e-brake down a couple of clicks will usually help get you started off the ramp.

or a Toyota

One trick is to ride the brake pedal just a bit as you pull up the ramp. An open differential (what most vehicles have in them) will transfer power to the wheel with the least amount of traction. Meaning the tire that spins gets all of the torque. Yes, it's a stupid way to do it, but it is safer on the road. Dragging the brake just a bit applies some brake pressure to the spinning wheel side and transfers some of that power to the other side that is not spinning. I've seen it work time and again, and had to do it with my old chevy pickup when it had street tires on it.

Some decent AT tires will help a lot.

Letting a bit of air out of the drive tires might help too.

It is truly amazing how any of us ever went boating before everyone else came to the conclusion that you need a 3/4 ton diesel 4wd to tow a fishing boat to and from the lake.

Saw a guy lose his new RAM Cummings diesel at Ray Hubbard trying to launch 2 jet skis several months ago. Meanwhile I see guys in older 2wd Silveradoes all the time launching huge cc boats.

I, like you have a 2WD RAM, mine is 2015 with the Hemi. Here is my thought process around launching and I've never had any issues sending off or hauling out my 18' bass boat:

- First off, pick a good ramp. Paid ramps are usually a bit better as they tend to be maintained and watched over (as in someone is there to make sure your truck doesn't get easily broken into, or call for help if you start losing your truck in the water)

- Secondly, go slow. What I do whether launching or retrieving is Lower the driver side window, not use a seatbelt, and back slowly up til the boat starts to float. I then engage the parking brake (on our trucks is the foot pedal with pull release). Get out and shove the boat off, moor it on a dock or tree, etc etc. then I hop back in the truck and with the parking brake on, I move the transmission to drive, slowly raise the RPMs, then pop the parking brake off. She starts climbing out smoothly every time.


- if all else fails, and you live or fish areas with absolutely too steep or unmaintained boat ramps, you can get a trailer extension. One of those pieces that extends the reach from your trailer to the back of the truck. I have seen people use them to launch long boats in Galveston from a normal ramp, or normal cc boats at low tide.

That said, keeping some sand bags in your truck bed is another decent idea as it sounds like the problem you are having for sure. Try and dampen that torque with the brakes as others have said and you should be fine. People have launched boats for decades without 4wd trucks just being smart about it.

Agree with above, except. With the parking brake on, get the rpm's up a little truck in drive. Put your foot on the emergency brake. Release the the brake and use your foot on the emergency brake like a clutch. As the truck starts to move release the brake slowly. Don't get on the gas, steady pressure on the pedal and it should walk to the top of the ramp.

Weird. I have a Ram Ecodiesel with the anti-slip differential and it's light years better than my old 2WD Silverado. The Silverado I had to gas it and hold the brake and feather it up the ramp. With my Ram ED with LSD, I just gas it and go with or without a boat on the trailer.

Yeah limited slip makes all the difference at the ramp. Reading this thread made me wonder why all the fuss. Then, at the above post I realized that all my tow vehicles through the years had limited slip. My old '82 Chevy 6.2 C1500 was among the best. My fishing buddy once told me all he had to do was look at the accelerator and the boat came up the ramp.

Yep. Having one with LSD now makes me realize that I never want to own one without LSD again.

Just floor it and let the traction control do its job.

I had a Nissan Titan that was terrible about this...the only thing I could find to help was putting a quality tire (Michelin LTX) instead of the cheapo factory tires and power brake/feather the brake until you got going like others mentioned. If you are fishing with a partner, have him sit on the tailgate instead of sitting in the boat when you are pulling him up the ramp. A few hundred pounds on the axle goes a long way. Also, make sure the boat is loaded all the way forward, meaning the bow eye is resting against the rubber stop on the winch post. Having your boat sitting on the trailer even an inch or two back can effect tounge weight

Too much torque for the weight over the rear wheels. Either put some weight in the bed or get some people at the ramp to sit in the bed.

with a diesel, you really have to manage the throttle. My Dmax 2wd with factory gov-lock rear will spin easily just above idle if I don't ease into it verry gingerly. Diesels have soo much torque right off idle that it is easy to spin the wheels on a wet ramp. The key is not to let it start rolling backward before applying throttle. So I just hold the brake, apply a tiny bit of throttle (until I feel the truck starting to pull against the brake), and then slowly lift my left foot off of the brake pedal (yes you need to learn to use both feet... one on the brake, one on the gas) and let her start pulling. Don't try to accelerate, just keep the speed constant until you are way up on the dry portion of the ramp.

take a day when the ramp is not busy and practice, practice, practice..... you will get the hang of it. If you ever get in a situation where you just can't get up a ramp, air the tires down to 20psi. then drive slowly to somewhere where you can get them aired back up.

For those of you have problems practice , practice and practice take your wife along also .

i think hog jaw is right ----if your ever unsure of what to do ask your wife !

Have someone out at the ramp next time to make sure your LSD is working right. One wheel starts spinning then the other one starts, almost immediately.
Limited slip uses a number of plates, 8 in my 2000 Dodge diesel. When you replace rear end fluids you have to see if the LSD still works. If it does not you add a friction modifier to give the disks more grip.

Check and make sure yours is working right.

An A/T tread would improve traction and make sure the LSD is working properly.

Use your em brake as mentioned above , very little gas , except at Sqaw Creek , you gots to white smoke em and keep your high beams on , they in a hurry over there .