cjp26

Hi, my first time posting. I am recently retired and purchased a 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 to haul my 8000# 5th wheel. The truck is 5.9 diesel with AT and 3:55 rearend. We took it out on a little shake down trip, and I am trying to figure out how to best use my AT for towing. I got that I take it out of overdrive unless I am going about 55 - 60 with a tail wind. However, I am not sure about how tight to wrap the RPMs going up hill and do I stay in drive and let the truck shift down itself, or do I slow up (already going slow) and manually shift into 2nd. Also, on a steep 6%+ do I shift down and use the lower gears to help slow it down? I am unsure about how much to wrap up the RPMs on the transmission. Previously I hauled the 5th wheel with a F250 with AT and 460. Of course that is why I got the Dodge. My gas mileage was 7 mpg! and no power. one more thing, it was suggested that I get a thermostat temp gauge on the transmission, any thoughts?
Thanks for any advice.

j_martin

A lot depends on what's been done with the truck if anything.

I'm running a 93 D350 pulling a double about 10,000 lbs. Tranny needed work anyway, so I had an expert molest it about 2 grand worth, mostly Goerend converter, better frictions and steels, a couple of levers and a reverse band that are known weak spots.

If you're doing mountain driving, an exhaust brake helps a lot. You can do downhills faster and safely without heating up your service brakes.

The shift kit and Goerend converter I had put in mine enable me to downshift to second at 55 and do some serious braking with the PacBrake. The down side is I about have to turn up the engine power to compensate for the tighter converter. I have some friends that have done that (both transmission and engine mods, mostly air and exhaust) and their rigs are quick, powerful, and economical.

Mine's first gen, mostly mechanical. Yours is third gen, which is dealt with by molesting the computer and maybe fuel pump and injectors. Also your transmission behavior is controlled by computer. Check in with the third gen section and see what they're doing.

Transmission's the weak point. The Dodge CTD has been described as a million mile motor that beats the crap out of everything behind it.

And yes, transmission temp can quickly get out of hand when pulling hard. With a gauge, you can compensate by gearing down, slowing down, or both. Mine has the coolant cooler, a coil in front of the radiator, and a fan coil cooler underneath in the frame. It stays cool (150F) no matter what I do, but if something fails, it'll go off the top in a New York minute.

supr

8k is not much for a 2500. A tranny temp gauge and bigger/extra AT cooler is not a bad idea. Get the gauge first and see how warm you run. Get an FP gauge too. 1800 -2000 rpm is ideal for best mileage, 55-65.
Shift down manuallly on grades, both up & down hill.
I would keep at least 1500 rpm and shift down going up a grade. 2300 to 2500 is the most I ever do, but that is me.
Unless the torque converter locks up, an exhast brake does not work with the AT.
Enjoy!

KATOOM

As supr mentioned, keep the RPM's up on hills to help keep EGT's down. Dont ever pull a hill with the torque convertor unlocked otherwise tranny temps will skyrocket. Planning ahead and manually shifting out of OD and letting the torque convertor re-lock for the upcoming hill is the best way to make sure it doesn't unlock on you because it wont relock on a grade. 8000 lb is not heavy for your truck and should not be a problem. You can get an exhaust brake to make down hills much more controllable, enjoyable, and brake component friendly but you'll need to make sure that you also get the torque convertor lock switch. You may want to look into a new valve body for the tranny and probably have the bands checked or tightened. Also, investing in gauges is very smart. A pyromter, boost, fuel pressure, and tranny temp gauge will help you drive sound knowing that all mechanical components are working as they should. Not sure how much you want to spend on any of this or just hook up and go so just know that there are lots of choices out there and plenty of advice and opinions too.