Weighed my truck, trailer and load for the first tome the other day. I had a combined weight of just over 20,500 lbs. About 7000 was trailer and 7000 of it my truck with the other 6500 being tools, camping gear and my mud truck. Made a 140 mile round trip and averaged about 14 mpgs running between 60-65. Truck handles the load nicely but the NV4500 leaves much to be desired.

Have two questions tho about hauling with these beast.
1st: what is the combined weight rating on a 3/4 and a 1 ton dually?
2nd: what's the heaviest anyone has safely hauled with a 1st Gen?

 

I will be up around 24,000 with mine this summer. I have a triaxle gooseneck rated for 18,000 and the truck is about 6. That will only be for running to the fair with 2 of my tractors, so it will be only once or twice a year. The rest of the time will be 16 to 18,000.

 

I just weighed out my crewcab last week, it scaled out at about 6300lbs with me in it and 1/2 tank a fuel. So remove 275lbs, for me, and top up the tank I figure it should be a hair over 6100lbs.

So what did you not like about your NV4500? I'm really starting to be annoyed by the wide gear ratio split between 3 and 4.

 

The wide 3 to 4 sucks but I also hate that I can't pull in 5th. I know Ivan change axle gears but don't wanna. When that trans was built the company talked about how it would be so strong. When they were done they told me it can't really pull anything other than itself in 5th

 

I wasn't pulling as much weight as you, maybe 14-15K lbs total, but I pulled in 5th when I brought my 48 Desoto back from Oregon. I just used 5th when it was mostly level, then any grades I brought up the RPM and stuffed it into 4th.

 

The first time it burned up I was pulling my 23' wakeboard boat. It weighs around 5-6 on the trailer and the trans was barely 1 year old and maybe 10,000 miles on it.

 

Are you running the Syntorque tranny fluid? I also installed a Geno's oil filter kit, so I have a little over 5 quarts of fluid in there now. Plus you get a little extra cooling from that as well.

 

Running their recommended Amsoil fluid bought from them when I picked up the trans.

 

I have read conflicting reports on the Amsoil fluid. The only true recommended fluid is the Syntorque stuff. Although more expensive it is what the New Venture says it has to have. Maybe that's the reason it burned up??

 

My truck averages 8,850-9,000lbs empty and I'v hauled a little over 7,500lbs of gravel on the bed a couple times, it did ok. I'v never pulled anything heavy behind it tho. The GVWR is 10,100 on my 1ton, is that what you were talking about?

 

There really isn't anything to burn up in 5th gear, other than the oil and bearings themselves. The main thing is luggin the engine in 5th gear. It tends to work the 5th gear loose. There are aftermarket shafts and gears available to basically eliminate this problem. If a trans shop were to use some of the cheaper fixes for 5th, they might be leary of towing in OD. Also the oil selection has more to do with the syncro's than the gears and bearings. It is a balance between oil that won't deteriorate the sync's and doesn't allow the bearings/ gears to overheat. $0.02

I have had my '93 up to 23K combined, it basically sucks with the getrag. The same big jump from 3-4 plus horribly slow shifting. Hopefully the NV5600 will work better for me.

 

I have hauled heavy only a few times most of which was around 18K but one of of times pushed the scales just shy of 21K. I don't have a trans gauge yet so hills were pretty slow going. Btw this is with a bone stock auto with 160000 on the ticker. I know it won't last forever at these weights and I don't run them very often, but I sure am impressed with the old girl. I do plan on doing a rag or nv swap in the future but think I'll wait until the trans finally gives up.

 

That's just it I didn't loose 5th or the nut. I lost the whole trans. Ate the gears off the main shaft and the counter shat and I wasn't lugging 5th I was actually pushing it to keep boost up and egts down.

 

In that case, IMO, it was a lack of lube or some bad/previously damaged gears. Did it let go all at once or slowly eat itself?

 

One loud pop then nothing no grinding or anything. Trans did not and does not leak fluid. I don't like the Amsoil fluid but Thad what they said I had to run.