Forrest Nearing

stock? doesn't matter... if it needs to be downshifted, you'll know... it won't have any power, and you'll downshift...

meanwhile, my truck EMPTY will get hotter at 1/4 throttle at low RPM in 6th than it will at full tilt!

you'll be fine, stock, your truck won't fuel when it "shouldn't"

Equalizer 2

Check on this as I seem to recall reading something in their advertising saying it is not designed to be used for towing. I may have misread that and that is why I am saying to check on it.

From what I have seen the Quadzillas are a good choice, the ZXT or the standard set on 60 hp. Of course having other mods makes this a horse of a different color.

DodgeCowboy

I agree with forest in my truck if i want to keep the egts down i drop to 5th an ramp the rpms to 2200 and seems the more boost obviously i throw at it the cooler the egts are.


This is just my bias opinion but if your towing and want a mild box try checking the Van Aaken out it has little better lower end and and seems to win more likes for a towing box than the ez does. With my truck with the Va and the 4'' exhaust my towing needs are met

quantum610

After towing 32k gross once a week for over the last year the proper way to shift is not until you fall over the torque curve at 1600. If you shift before then your just wasting time and losing speed. Trust me on that one. As far as going down hill in the same gear you go up. That is a pipe dream. Don't give out bad information that could be harmful to someones health. With a big load I drop at least one gear maybe even 2 or 3. It is a lot easier to shift up rather than down.

qwest

Thanks All , for the replies,

Next trip I will watch the egt's and coolant more closely..

I don't know if running a 3.55 rear with 285's makes any difference. Maybe 5th is better....

FAY

The EGT reading will remain below or right on the maximum safe temperature as long as the computer does not need to drastically increase fuel resulting in the engine pulling significantly harder to maintain engine speed. As the incline becomes steeper, or the grade carries on a lot further, then the engine will have to work harder to take up the decrease in the unit's initial physical momentum helping the engine get the unit up a hill. Allow the EGT reading to determine when you need to gear down and make the pulling easier for the engine, so it does not have to work so hard. In the very short term increases in EGT a little over the maximum safe temperatue will not damage aluminum pistons. During a climb and gearing down when necessary, I have finally kept an I-6 Mack mechanical fueled engine losing rpms while pulling hard down to 950 rpm going up over the crest of a hill instead of dropping another couple of gears for the short term. The other side of the incline was a gentle decent. Mack engines have lots of torque at low rpms; just watch that the EGT does not get too high or the engine rpms too low resulting in lugging the engine.

When you are going over the crest of a hill is when the loaded unit's velocity will be the least, and that is the optimum time to down shift a few gears if the load is heavy and the decent is steep or curvy. The engine compression will aid the brakes in keeping the decending velocity under control. A Jake engine brake is most valuable when pulling heavy loads in the mountains.

CoastalDav

Pulled that same route several times with my fifth wheel in tow. Ran 5th gear alot North and South of Scranton. Easy to maintain 60mph in Fifth going up.
Exhaust Brake in 5th coming down. When I towing in 6th I try to stay around 65mph to keep from lugging the engine to much. Gets about 10.5 to 11mpg.
In 5th at 55 to 60 its much better 12-13 and sometimes 13.5mpg. In my opinion if you doing nothing but towing a 4:10 is the way to go. Keeps the R's up and takes a lot of load off the engine at 65. Also passes more air through the heads and exhaust system for less egt's.

Dave

StrokeThisCTD

But we all said 6th

qwest

Thanks all, 6th gear it is......err 5th, ummm 6th... except when it's in 5th...

Mt Ram

I pull a 4 horse bumper pull trailer with my stock truck. I like to let the torque of the engine do the work, so I pull it down to 1600 rpm, then shift to 5th. There is a 500rpm split between gears, so that puts me back up to 2100 rpm. I have never seen my post turbo pyrometer over 1150 degrees. I seldom get my rpms over 2200. This Cummins has LOTS of torque, why not use it?

Bob Wagner

WRONG] Smarty works great for towing, best low end power on the market.

The fuel saver program is not recommended for towing

REF>Lancer

Another good idea is staying at a reasonable weight for the tow vehicle..
Not that I've never overloaded,but I don't flame anyone over "bad Information"

quantum610

I think losing control down a hill could be cause for very careful driving down hill. As I said in my earlier post its a lot easier to shift up instead of down. I just want people to drive carefully while loaded. No intentional flaming.

Patrick Campbell

I agree with quantum. Going down and up in the same gear is a thing of the past when vehicles were not so ridiculously powerful. When I drove up I-17 in Arizona just with a little 6x12 u-haul, there is a huge downhill grade, I'd say it's 10% or more. I put it in 3rd and let it rev to 3200 and coasted the entire way down while watching all the idiots riding their brakes. I could go up that hill in 6th gear going 80MPH if I wanted to, probably more.

kas83

Highest grade % on Interstate Highways is 9%, no more. One thing, about everyone saying use 6th, is the fact that it is a overdrive gear, and inherently weaker. Personally, if I have a load on, I will slow down and shift into the 1:1 drive gear, 4th or 5th depending on the tranny, and go that route. Yes, you don't go as fast, but it's easier on your drivetrain. And, having come from driving semi, just because you can accelerate up hill doesn't mean you should. If you're pulling in hot weather, it's better to ease off to keep the coolant temps down. It is easier on the truck all around to back out a little on an uphill climb: cooler egt's, engine oil and coolant temps will be seen, cooler transmissions and cooler rearends. Having driven a semi with those gauges and monitoring them, it is fact. A pickup is obviously smaller, the trailer is obviously lighter, but works out to be about the same in proportion to vehicle size/weight to a semi. Just my two cents though.