Polarlys

I have the '06 Megacab with the 5.9 and plan to keep it stock for daily driving and towing. I tow a travel trailer ( approx. 8000 lbs) about 10k miles per year. Do hit the western mountains. I have no complaints with the truck and it's handling. It has done all I've asked of it and done it nicely. I am thinking about a tuner that will help with economy while towing. ( And when not towing of course).

So, my question is, is it worth it ????? Will they help me out enough to make it worth the cash outlay ?? Which unit will fit my needs the best ??

Appreciate the input.

Thanks all,

Spooler

Smarty Jr. will be your best friend. If you have an auto, be prepaired to upgrade it to handle the extra power.

justen920

2nd the Smarty.

Polarlys

Thanks for the input. I do have an auto trans I am not interested in pouring on the power. I don't need it and don't want it. I hope not to need to do a trans job on it. I would hope to upgrade it if the time comes that it need a re-build but I'm hoping not to accelerate that time. So, I don't get why a tuner ( smarty or otherwise) that's not powered up would lead to a transmission job ??????

justen920

Smarty will give you all you want and more. It really opens up these trucks for towing and dd. My truck felt like it should have new, with the throttle response, little smoke and just enough power to help tow if I need it. I don't drive like a maniac so my auto has zero issues, knock on wood. I would suggest the jr. to anyone, and have had 0 complaints. Do a search on here and you will see a lot of info on it.

soulezoo

Smarty jr and just keep it at level 2 and you'll be ok.

A tranny mod like a trans go kit just to help with line pressure in your stock tranny is a good idea even with stock power.

I'm not the best tranny guy to answer your question, but in stock form your tranny does have a couple of weaknesses. That doesn't mean it is a bad tranny, just that it can be vulnerable. Slippage is the biggest enemy. Increased line pressure helps to keep the torque converter locked and prevent clutch slippage within the TC. There are other reasons, that is just one to use for an example.

Rednax

Leave it alone is easiest and probably long-term wisest.

TT fuel mileage upgrade

Spooler

Any programmer or box will make the tranny more vunerable. I could slip my TC with my Quad box on the 30hp setting towing in 4th a 60 mph going up a hill. Tranny upgrade is one of the best mods you can do really notice a hugh difference in the way the truck tows.

PoorMansCat

Would recommend the Smarty Jr. and set it on SW1 which is the Economy setting...
To help protect the trans., make sure you keep up with the band adjustments and fuild changes..
The stock torque converter is marginal at best... I got mine to slip the other day when I briefly turned the Jr. up to SW2...
Personally, i think that with proper maintenance and responsible driving, the torque converter will live for a long time..
No boosted launchs, allow the converter to lock and gain some RPM before really calling on alot of power...etc... Seems tow/haul mode helps alot...

Lost Lake

First you should know that your transmission is NOT capable of handling the power of your stock 5.9. Dodge limits the power available to help protect the tranny.

There is a LOT that can be done electronically to unleash the power of your engine. You can also make the throttle more responsive and improve mileage. The first thing you will notice when you put a Smarty jr. on is your throttle response is right there, waiting for you to go. If I take the Smarty off my truck my wife instantly notices it. It's THAT apparent.

So what you have is a de-powered engine and a trans that is BARELY hanging on to the little Dodge feeds it. Lucky for you, we have done the leg work and have an answer for you.

You NEED a Smarty jr. This magic box will improve response, mileage and make your engine last longer. It changes timing and injection and as far as I can tell, guys have fewer injector problems running Smarty's. That is just my opinion, but ask around.

You NEED to beef up your trans if you pull. Once you do you will be shocked at what you were missing. An easy boost is a shift kit. I put a $75 Transgo kit in my valve body in a couple hours and was very happy. I ran my Smarty on SW3 (100 hp) for 128,000 miles pulling some pretty hefty loads (25K gross) and the final demise of my trans was the front band wearing out. I had the stutter shift and didn't address it for tens of thousands of miles. See, I learned for you!

If you want to really make your trans tough, install a shift kit (or buy a valve body) and put in a good torque converter. Now you have a pretty decent trans! A few more parts and you have a beast.

You have to decide what works for you. I decided to run a stock trans with a shift kit until she went. I flogged it pretty dang good too. If I would have paid the extra $1,000 up front for a TC, I'd be running the stock trans still.

txarrowhunter

Since you have an 06 have you thought about getting a tune specifically for what your going to do with your truck? I've been reading alot about it, EFI live is what it's called and will give you clean power. I'm going to get a tune from them pretty soon hopefully.