Towing with high gears?

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cumins01

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Wanting to know if most people tow there rigs with 3.55 or 4.10 gears? Someone said towing a 20,000 trailer with my tuck on it with 3.55 would be he!!. Just want some opnions. Mileage, EGT's on what you are seeing when towing with 3.55 gears. The truck used will be a 02 6spd ecsb with stock turbo and minor performance options (box, inj, intercooler, etc). Thanks for the input.
 
3.55 gears and 5th gear will be ok. I tow about 12K and I have 3.55, 285 tires, and 6th gear is a little steep, but I run a s300 with a 13cm SS housing. It will tow great above 2000, but much less than that the EGT's will creep. To save your trans you don't want to tow heavy in 6th.
 
I am towing a 11k fifth wheel with 3.73's and it tows just fine and most of the newer trucks come with 3.55's or at least the Fords do. You should have no problem towing that with your truck at all you may be a little slower up hills with those gears but that's about it.
 
I would not tow in 6th. I have a temp gauge in the diff and trans and they get pretty hot in the heat of the summer. To the tune of about 235-245*. I did do the the gear vendors and I tow in 5th over. Now the temps only get to about 190. The last time I weighted it I was over 26K GCW
 
I hate 3.55's for towing. Behind and automatic they really suck, they mite not be as bad behind a six speed though.
 
silvercummins14 said:
I hate 3.55's for towing. Behind and automatic they really suck, they mite not be as bad behind a six speed though.
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My 3.55's, 33's, & 5spd in my 97 were the cats azz for towing!

My 3.55's, 33's, & Auto in my 99....not so much...but oh well that's what the little OD button's for.
 
I don't have any problems with my 31's, 3.55's and auto. But I don't tow heavy or often either. Max about 7k maybe twice a year...so it really has nothing to do with the question at hand. LOL
 
Got Smoke? said:
My 3.55's, 33's, & 5spd in my 97 were the cats azz for towing!

My 3.55's, 33's, & Auto in my 99....not so much...but oh well that's what the little OD button's for.
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My 97 with a 5spd and 4:10's will pull awesome

My 98 with an auto and 3:55's sucks even with od cancelled
 
SHughes said:
I don't have any problems with my 31's, 3.55's and auto. But I don't tow heavy or often either. Max about 7k maybe twice a year...so it really has nothing to do with the question at hand. LOL
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Throw 15,000lbs behind it and go through some Ky hills! :kick: :doh:

silvercummins14 said:
My 97 with a 5spd and 4:10's will pull awesome

My 98 with an auto and 3:55's sucks even with od cancelled
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Its not so bad with 265's/31's and OD canceled on the hills.... 4.10's would prob be better, and not that its not a DD I could prob live with 4.10s also.
 
Got Smoke? said:
Throw 15,000lbs behind it and go through some Ky hills! :kick: :doh:
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no thanks. I plan to add the GV I have sitting on a shelf, then find a first gen rear axle with 3.07's in it...and do some land speed racing.
 
SHughes said:
no thanks. I plan to add the GV I have sitting on a shelf, then find a first gen rear axle with 3.07's in it...and do some land speed racing.
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EVerybody has different requirements. ;) :Cheer:

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true dat!!

I wish I could afford a dedicated tow rig...nice simple 6.7 litre, six-speed mega cab....
 
I tow for a living now hauling campers and my o1 dually is a 5sp. and tows great with 3.55's but I do want a gear vendors because them 40' toy haulers tow like a popup and I can really let her breath going out across I-80 if I had just one more gear. That truck is bone stock and it may take a couple miles to get it up to 65 but when she is there it will stay right up around that speed unless a decent hill comes up.
 
I avg grossed out any where from 32k to 38k and have no issues towing with 3:55's or 3:73's with a 5spd or 6. Been thru the hills of ky and tn and the rockies. Had one auto and it sucked with 3:55's
 
Isnt the gear vendors a 25% OD unit? If so it would be like towing in high gear anyways other than less stress on the weaker OD gear. 3.55s work fine with a modded motor for pulling a heavy trailer on occassion but I would rather have the 4.10s for a tow only truck. The later trucks came with 3.73s and are a very good compromise. Just a little more gear but not enough to make interstate travel suck. My DD has a 3.55 gear and a short OD G56 trans and is the cats meow in my opinion. Its like running a 3.90 rear in comparison to the factory OD ratio of the NV4500.
 
I switched from 410's to 355 on the tow rig. I pull a 40 ft enclosed trailer that is right at 19000 with the puller in it. Had 305's on it all the way around(dually) and it didn't like it at all EGT's got really hot due to the low rpm and it has a 64 over HTB3 twins on it. Switched the tires back to the stock 235's and it runs a lot better with the trailer behind it and gets 10-11 doing it. The truck with the TST on level 1 is 490 hp that's as detuned as I can get it without pulling the injectors. Depending on your tire and charger setup I would probably stick with the 410
 
3:55's in 5th with 265's is almost perfect in my '02, a tad slow, but steady and temps are very manageable with a 62/14. I can pull in 6th but I'll burn a metric ass load of fuel and their won't be a mosquito for miles.

#27,360 on the scales and no problem.

moto_0107.jpg
 
4x4dually said:
3:55's in 5th with 265's is almost perfect in my '02, a tad slow, but steady and temps are very manageable with a 62/14. I can pull in 6th but I'll burn a metric ass load of fuel and their won't be a mosquito for miles.

#27,360 on the scales and no problem.

moto_0107.jpg
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Is that the new high dollar trailer? LOL
 
235/85R16's, 5spd, and 3.55's is good to about 40-45K gross here in the Midwest. I've been from Missouri to Pennsylvania and down through Kentucky and Tennessee and haven't found a hill it wouldn't pull unless I was below freeway speeds.

Of course I only run a 58mm charger
Chris
 
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