The DT Ram 1500 uses the 8HP75 eight-speed behind every engine, and it is sealed: no dipstick, no fill tube under the hood. You drain about five to six quarts out of the pan plug, pump fresh fluid back in through a plug on the side of the pan, then set the final level with the engine idling and the fluid in a narrow temperature window read off a scan tool. It is not hard, but it is unforgiving of shortcuts.
The mistake people make is pulling the drain plug first. If the fill plug is seized and you have already emptied the pan, the truck is stuck until you get it out. Break the fill plug loose before anything else. The other common error is checking the level with the truck nose-high on ramps or with the engine off — both give a false reading and lead to an overfill, which shows up as shudder and foaming fluid.
| Item | Type | |
|---|---|---|
| Floor jack 2-ton minimum, long reach Lifts the truck at the frame or axle to get it on stands. | Required | shop |
| Jack stands 3-ton pair, used in fours The truck must sit level on all four corners for an accurate fluid level check. | Required | shop |
| Wheel chocks Rubber pair Keeps the truck from rolling while it idles in gear during the level set. | Safety | shop |
| Socket set 3/8 in drive metric, 10-18 mm Removes the underbody/transmission skid plate and any splash shielding on Rebel, TRX-style off-road and EcoDiesel trims. | Required | shop |
| Ratchet and extensions 3/8 in drive, 3 in and 6 in extensions Reaches the pan plug and the side fill plug past the exhaust and crossmember. | Required | shop |
| Hex bit socket 8 mm internal hex, 3/8 in drive Standard size for the 8HP pan drain plug and side fill plug; verify yours before buying. | Required | shop |
| Hex bit socket set 5-10 mm, 3/8 in drive Insurance in case your plugs take 5 mm or 10 mm instead of 8 mm. | Recommended | shop |
| Torx bit socket T-40 / T-45, 3/8 in drive Needed for the pan-to-case bolts if you drop the pan, and some plugs are Torx rather than hex. | Recommended | shop |
| Drain pan 10 quart minimum, wide Catches the 5-6 quarts that come out and the overflow during the level set. | Required | shop |
| Fluid transfer pump Hand or electric, 1/2 in hose, quart-marked There is no dipstick tube; fluid goes in through the low side fill hole against gravity. | Required | shop |
| Scan tool OBD-II with live data, transmission sump temperature PID The overflow level is only valid in a narrow fluid temperature window you cannot guess. | Required | shop |
| Torque wrench 3/8 in drive, 5-80 ft-lb Sets the drain and fill plugs; the pan and case are aluminum/composite and strip easily. | Required | shop |
| Inch-pound torque wrench 1/4 in drive, 20-200 in-lb Only for pan bolts if you replace the pan/filter assembly. | Recommended | shop |
| Mopar ZF 8 and 9 Speed ATF MS-11655 spec, approx. 6 quarts for a drain and fill The only approved fluid for the 8HP75; ATF+4 is not a substitute in this transmission. | Consumables | shop |
| Drain and fill plug seals O-ring/washer kit for ZF 8HP Both plugs use a seal that should be renewed to avoid weeping. | Parts | shop |
| Pan and filter assembly ZF 8HP75 one-piece pan with integrated filter Optional; the filter is not serviceable separately, the whole pan is replaced. | Parts | shop |
| Brake cleaner and shop rags Non-chlorinated Cleans the pan sealing area and the mess from the overflow. | Consumables | shop |
| Safety glasses and nitrile gloves Hot ATF drains out fast and runs down your arm. | Safety | shop |
| Creeper or cardboard You will be under the truck with the engine running during the level set. | Recommended | shop |
The transmission, plug sizes and procedure are identical across the 3.6 Pentastar eTorque, 5.7 Hemi eTorque and 3.0 EcoDiesel — all DT 1500s get the 8HP75. What changes is access: EcoDiesel and off-road/Rebel trims often carry an extra skid plate or underbody shield (10 mm, 13 mm or 15 mm bolts) over the transmission, and 4x4 models have the transfer case crowding the passenger-side work area. eTorque trucks add 48V cabling you must not disturb while under the vehicle.
| Transmission pan drain plug | verify in the service manual (typically low, around 15-25 ft-lb — do not overtighten) |
| Side fill/level plug | verify in the service manual |
| Pan-to-case bolts (if pan replaced) | verify in the service manual (ZF spec is commonly around 70 in-lb / 8 Nm) |
| Skid plate / underbody shield bolts | verify in the service manual |
The transmission (8HP75), fluid spec (MS-11655) and the standpipe temperature-based level procedure are certain for all DT 1500s; the 8 mm hex plug size and torque values should be confirmed against your own plug heads and the FCA service manual, as ZF used both hex and Torx plugs across production.
Mopar ZF 8 and 9 Speed ATF meeting FCA spec MS-11655 (equivalent to ZF LifeGuard 8). ATF+4 is not approved for the 8HP75 and should not be used as a top-off.
Roughly 5 to 6 quarts comes out of the pan; total system capacity is around 11 quarts because the torque converter does not drain. Buy 7 quarts so you have extra for the overflow during the level set.
Not properly. The overflow standpipe only reads correctly in a specific fluid temperature range, commonly about 104-122 F, and there is no dipstick or gauge to tell you the temperature otherwise. A cheap OBD-II scanner with a transmission sump temp PID is the minimum.
No — the drain plug lets you do a fluid-only service. The filter is integrated into the one-piece pan, so changing it means replacing the whole pan assembly, which most people do every second or third service or around 100,000 miles.