Ok guys I need some peace of mind here. I am pulling a travel trailer lets just say 9K on the heavy side. My truck, 05, 4X4, QC, SB, 6-speed (NV5600), 3.73 ring gear. No mods but for holes in the air box and 285-70-17's. I pulled a few 8%-9% grades this past weekend and found myself in 5th pushin pretty hard to hold 55mph. My questions is, is this on par and what I should expect with the 285's, other than these few steep hills 6th was plenty. For a test on my next trip I was going to put a new fuel filter in since that seems to be the first point of failure to eliminate. Thanks for the help folks.

Tom

 

on a 9% grade, 55 for stock is darned good. passing any PSD's?
just be sure to get gauges because even stock you can exceed the limits of egt's when flogging it hard.

 

oh yeah, welcome to dtr tom, fill out your signature so we can see what you're driving, it will help with diagnosis.

 

If you're pulling that heavy, and still running 55, I say you are doing dang good up that grade. I second the gauges recommendation... A necessity at that point. Hell, I was glad to have them in my truck when I was pulling 7500 lbs of trailer last month..

Scott

 

When your truck is pretty much fully modified, (everything from twins, to intake, cams exhaust, etc etc.) what is the highest you should allow your EGT's to get to ?

 

Thanks folks, I feel a tad better now. I hear and read all of these stories of people pulling 10-15K without ever dropping out of O/D and comparing that to what I am getting out of mine I just figured I may be missing something.

Any way thanks for the welcome, I have been reading A LOT on here since about June of last year, havent posted much as I feel I am still in the learning curve here. There is a pile of knowledge on here and anyone that takes the time can learn a lot.

Gauges, they are pretty much the only mod on my list right now. I am thinking a boost and EGT are in order but now I am concidering a fuel pressure gauge as well. Thoughts on this are welcome.

Tom

 

sustained egts are ok in the 1100-1200* range, spikes to 1300*, for CR motors, any more than that and you are drastically shortening the life of pistons, valves, etc. who cares about the turbo, cant wait to kill mine stocker to get an edge jammer.

 

8%-9% is very steep. Lots of vehicles couldn't pull that grade at 55 mph without a load!

 

The one hill I know for sure was 8%, it had a sign at the top...the other I am guessing at, it seemed steeper because it sure drug the truck down by the time I got to the top, crested that one right at 50. From what I am reading from you guys I am seeing what I should from my truck and that is what I was concerned about. I know what you mean about the unloaded vehicle and the hills...been there done that!!!

Tom