towing with o.drive

[Hippo]

I Have a 2002 Ford F250 V10 Engine the mannual says do not use overdrive for towing. I have had no problems with the trans.
Chuck

[Kyle401]

My '92 C1500 with the 700R4 transmission did not recommend towing in OD. The manual for my '04 K1500 with the 4L60E transmission states that OD may be used if the transmission does not shift excessively (gear hunt). The 4L60E also has a Tow/Haul mode. If I remember correctly, the manual indicates that the Tow/Haul mode is designed for use when towing 75% or more of your towing limit.

[wbrownrr]

Ok... Let's see if I can state my question clearly. I own a 1997 Dodge Ram 1500 (1/2 ton). The engine is 5.9L, original rear end was 3.55. The owners manual says do not tow in overdrive. I've owned the truck and my 22' CCD (5,000 lbs GVWR) for two years, and have never towed in overdrive per the manual. Towing mileage has averaged between 11 and 12 mpg. I tow a lot in the Sierras, and on the steepest grades I've wished for a 3.78 rear end. Making a long story short, I recently replaced a the rear end and chose to go with a 4.10. This should give me enough torque to pull my little CCD up a wall, although I haven't towed any long, challenging grades with the new set up yet.
My question is this: Will it be OK to tow in overdrive with the new 4:10 rear end on flat stretches of interstate? I plan to tow hills, mountains, headwinds, and even in-town with OD off, but am curious about OD on interstates with my new, higher RPMs. The manual makes no mention of the 4.10 rear end.
Any input, opinions, etc. would be appreciated.

[ticki2]

Much depends on how close you are to the maximum tow rating of your TV and if your transmittion is hunting gears to maintain speed . If it is hunting or getting hot you are in too high a gear. If you are maxed out on tow rating don't use OD. I would be disapointed in an F250 with a V10 that could not tow a 5800# trailer in OD on an interstate.

[wbrownrr]

I tow at about 80%-85% of the GCWR of the original tow vehicle (with the 3.55 rear end).... pretty conservative.

[ticki2]

Originally Posted by wbrownrr

I tow at about 80%-85% of the GCWR of the original tow vehicle (with the 3.55 rear end).... pretty conservative.

your original set up (3.55) would give you a final drive in OD of approx 2.52 and in third of 3.55.

With the 4.10 rear it will be 2.90 in OD and in third 4.10.

Basicly you have gone up half a gear , I would try OD on the interstate and monitor how the trans behaves,temperature and hunting for gears.

[wbrownrr]

Thanks Tic!
Your numbers are VERY helpful... confirm what I suspected. I haven't towed on the freeway yet, so I"m anxious to see how the new gears perform. I'll try O.D. on the flat stretches, monitor temp and "hunting", and see how things go.

[uwe]

Originally Posted by wbrownrr

My question is this: Will it be OK to tow in overdrive with the new 4:10 rear end on flat stretches of interstate? I plan to tow hills, mountains, headwinds, and even in-town with OD off, but am curious about OD on interstates with my new, higher RPMs. The manual makes no mention of the 4.10 rear end.
Any input, opinions, etc. would be appreciated.

The short answer is YES.
I owned a 1 ton Dodge van with the same powertrain. I would take it out of OD depending on the circumstances, much like you have described. If it starts laboring at all, I would have it out of OD. I never had a problem with this powertrain and the 4:10 rear end.
I sometimes towed for many hours on flat freeways in OD, and would only take it out of OD when encountering grades, or headwind. You will have to pay close attention to the sound of the engine and the rpms, so that it won't slip in and out of lockup, or hunt gears. If you're not good at that, then better leave it out of OD all the time.

[wbrownrr]

Thanks for your input, uwe. We plan a trip to Zion, Bryce and the north rim of the Grand Canyon in just about a month. That will give the setup a good workout! Plenty of flat freeways followed by some climbing. No OD, of course, on the climbs and a chance to try things out on the flats.

[wunderful62]

i too tow a 1962 19 ft globetrotter, with a 98 gmc sierra xcab long bed pick up.on long trips and level ground i use the overdrive, mine is a lowered truck with 17 inch wheels and low profile tires,this equals lower gearing ,higher engine revs at a given speed and throws off speedo calibration by a low no of miles,but i am careful with hills,frequent trans services etc and i tow a lite trailer ,and with my setup dont think it is that big a deal.it is good to understand they are breakable and you wont be going anywhere once you damage an overdrive.

[DAFuller]

A friend with a Dodge 2500 (2000, I think) killed his auto trans by towing in OD (at lease that is what the mechanic who fixed it told him the cause was). He was towing on fairly level terain, trying to save a bit of gas.

[scottanlily]

hello everyone,

My input in this discussion is (speaking from a auto/truck mechanic techs
experience) With some exceptions ,towing in overdrive is NOT recommended generally speaking .the overdrive ,lowers the engines RPM and with a load
(part of the exception here) that is not great ,say a 60s bambi or utility trailer it can be done. Increasing the towing load greatly such as an excella
or late model 25ftr can cause the trans to hate life and overheat ,that heat destroys and breaks down the transmission fluid ,the clutches and bands burn up,the converter goes south .There is no maybe ,it will in time as others here have found out .Silvertwinkie added trans cooler ,PCM upgrades and changed the behavior of the trans .Thats what the tow/haul is also for ,the trans is controlled by the PCM or power train control module .the shift points are raised ,the converter is in lockup so no slippage happens .Still if you have an axle ratio that is a tall gear even in tow/haul ,too much towed weight or load will take it's toll on the trans .Remember HEAT is the automatic transmissions enemy .So follow the owners manual recommendations above all else ,they build the vehicals so they know what they can handle .But as noted some setups can tow in OD ,as some are doing ,I know for certain that
shifting out of overdrive on the hills will solve alot of problems.On my setup i have a fuller 5 speed overdrive in the travelall and definatley have to put it in 4th or sometimes 3rd on the steep hills with my 60 tradewind ,if I did not i would lug down the engine and damage to it will result .The aftermarket chips and modules from JET PERFORMANCE or HYPERTECH raise the shift points and converter lockup times so they are a good upgrade as well. EVERY auto trans towing needs the biggest trans cooler they can fit ,and a temp gauge so you can monitor your trans temp while towing and that alone will give you more peace of mind and control of your vehical.

Happy towing

Scott

[Boondocker]

This weekend, driving across 250 miles of prarie, I had ample oportunity to think about using that 5th grear. I restrained myself, but couldnt help but wonder if I wouldnt be better off using it on the flats. On a second note, does anybody know what the optimum RPM zone is for towing with a 91 F 150 with a 302 or where to find out?
thanks

[jcanavera]

On my 3/4 GMC Savana Van, 6.0 liter 4.10 axle, tow/haul configuration with transmission oil cooler, my manual does note that OD towing is permissible as long as you do not have excessive hunting. Tow haul pretty much steps down the shift points so the tranny will downshift sooner, and hold the lower gear longer.

From what I can determine, this combo will handle the OD towing reasonably well. Its not unusual to see that I still haven't gone in OD at speeds as high as 55, until the throttle position and load on the engine decreases. I towed in third in all other vehicles prior to this one, this being the first to state that its okay to use OD.

Jack

[SafeHarbor]

Hi, wbrownrr,

The flip side of having the 4.10 rear end in the Dakota was climbing the hills in Kentucky and Tennesee at 3500 rpm at less than 60 MPH in 3rd gear. That was no fun at all.

Lamar

[scottanlily]

Hello Gen Disarray,

I tow in fifth OD all the time with my travelall except where i noted in my previouse posting .It depends on your drivetrain .I have a big v8 392 cid and 4:10 gears ,32" all terraine BFG tires so the gear ratio to RPM is very good .The engine is at about 2000 rpm at 65 mph in fifth gear so It works well .That 5 speed gives me total control of the gearing ,when I aproach a grade of signifigance ,I will pull it into 4th or third if needed then put her back into 5th ,its all about keeping the engine RPM in the torque range thats
needed .

Scott