ninja12
Needs a job
Posts: 3310
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posted December 05, 2003 01:17 PM
Towing with auto OD trans questions??
How do you tow your bikes (2 or more ) with or without over
drive when on the open highway? I've heard that if you use OD it will burn up your trans. Comments on a transmission cooler?
  
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k bryant
Needs a job
Sponsor
Posts: 2911
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posted December 05, 2003 01:24 PM
What model trans do you have (700R, 4L80, etc.), and what is your rear end gear ratio (3:73, 4:10, 4:56, etc.)???
Much depends on weight, hills or flat land, RPM. It's always a good idea to drop it down to "D" or 3rd going up hill (or sometimes downhill). Depends if we're talking older model or newer model.
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Outlaw1
Zone Head
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posted December 05, 2003 03:47 PM
 Edited By: Outlaw1 on 5 Dec 2003 15:50
I don't lug my rpms below 1800 climbing hills gas engine. Flat ground I always run OD. I will run faster speed to keep my rpms up. I tow at 75 mph. I tow a V nose 6x15 trailer. If your towing a open trailer like a utilty trailer your fine in OD the whole time. The enclosed trailer its not the weight but the air its pushing in front of trailer that causes resistance.
If you don't have a trans cooler get one now if your towing enclosed trailer. Is my advice.
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ninja12
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Posts: 3310
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posted December 05, 2003 09:32 PM
Edited By: ninja12 on 5 Dec 2003 21:41
The question was in general because a few of my buds have trucks and when we are local everyone drives their own bike around, but when we travel out of town
we need to team up , 2-4 bikes. We have utility and enclosed tralers availabe
but nobody wants to donate a trans to the test. Mostly 90-95 chevys with 350's and OD and a dodges 2500 with a 5.9 (360) with OD.
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fly zx12
Novice Class
Posts: 38
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posted December 06, 2003 04:29 PM
I have a 95 GMC with a 350 and there is a sticker on the drivers door that says if you are towing to use 3rd instead of OD. I found it easier on the engine and transmission.
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wannabe
Pro
Posts: 1931
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posted December 06, 2003 06:17 PM
If you have a Toyota, definitely get a transmission cooler, or you will definitely wish you that you would have bought a stick shift.
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ninja12
Needs a job
Posts: 3310
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posted December 06, 2003 07:51 PM
Guess the newer stuff has me spoiled, the motor sounds like it
is working so hard running at hwy speeds without it.
Do you guys really run your trucks at 75 mph without OD for
500 miles?
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Outlaw1
Zone Head
Posts: 803
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posted December 06, 2003 08:04 PM
I run 75-80 in OD to keep RPMS up I have a 98 Silverado with 5.7 3:73 rear gear and factory towing package that includes trans cooler.
If I drop it in to D3 its only for hills. It will climb at 70 mph I think its about 2600 rpm
No I don't run 500 miles without OD
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swft
Needs a life
Full throttle!
Posts: One MEEEEEELLION
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posted December 07, 2003 07:14 AM
Running on the flats in OD is fine. Pulling hills is a bad idea. If you were to look into the parts manual for your tranny, you'd be suprised at just how small that OD gear is.
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Hells Dark Lord
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living life, and loving it.
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posted December 07, 2003 07:21 AM
ok here is my expierence....I have dontated the tranny already out of my 98 1/2 Ton with 3.43 gears....I pulled my 14x7 ft enclosed trailer with 4 bikes in it.....after a while of pulling that trailer throught the mountains in OD, it toasted.....I now use D with that truck and have no issues at all......I pull that same trailer loaded the same way with my 02 3/4 tn, with 4.10 gears, I pull the trailer now in od with the tow button pushed. with this truck the tranny temp never gets over 190 degrees......so the bottom line if you are using a 1/2 ton to tow, anything over a small load, use Drive....if you have the heavier duty truck and TRANNY....use od.....if you start getting up in weight in the 3/4 ton, drop it to Drive as well......should have asked my buddy that owns a tranny shop, before, not after....just glad he cut me a deal on the rebuild on the 1/2 ton....JMO
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When in doubt, lean farther and go faster....
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silver01bullit
Expert Class
on here too much
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posted December 07, 2003 07:43 AM
I pulled a 5x7 LOADED with our '98 Nissan Maxima from Wisconsin to Arizona at about 75 mph. We didn't have a problem but we went to Texas first (to see family) and then west to AZ. We had a tranny cooler installed and, like everyone here said, drop into drive up hill and OD on the flats. Lugging the engine under load is what causes detonation and you might as well be pouring sand in your engine instead of oil. If the Maxima can do it then I'm sure just about any truck will be ok.
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ra12r
Zone Head
Posts: 919
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posted December 07, 2003 10:48 AM
Dark Lord, your issue is the 3.43 gears...........Your milage and power would suck pulling much of any load on the road. Plus to get your rpms 2400-2700 you would probably be doing close to 85 in OD?!
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All must bow to the "Ra Supremecy"...
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Hells Dark Lord
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living life, and loving it.
Posts: 7981
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posted December 07, 2003 07:10 PM
I know the issue is with the gearing, it should have a 3.73 in it, but the 3.43 gives me better gas mileage with out the trailer, than the 3.73 would. And letws face it, the truck spends more time without the trailer than with it. so it was a trade off I was willing to make. With the 1/2 ton in d, I run about the same rpm at the same speed as the 3/4 ton in od, with the 4.11 gears.....I got the lower gears in the 3/4 ton, because it was bout for towing.....I talked to my buddy Chris who owns the shop here in town, basically he says if you are towing anything over a moderate load with a 1/2 ton truck, use D. OD will toast the tranny eventually. I guess I would define moderate as 1/2 of your vehicles towing capacity..my 1/2 ton being 6800lbs, anything over 3400lbs I am using D. Or in the hills. JMO....been using this practice since Chris rebuilt the tranny almost 3 years ago. Chris serviced both trucks last week, and said they we both in great shape..so it must be working.....
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When in doubt, lean farther and go faster....
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zx12richard
Pro
The Green Monster..
Posts: 1133
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posted December 07, 2003 07:54 PM
We have drug this trailer about 80,000 miles using overdrive.... 4:10 gears in the truck.... No troubles to speak of other than a turbo going out at 90,000 miles Truck now has over 100,000...
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Koz
Expert Class
Posts: 304
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posted December 08, 2003 04:40 AM
Everything depends on your set-up (Motor, Trans, Rear gearing). The best way to determine weather or not to use OD is, if your in OD and every time you hit an upgrade it disengages/down shifts, you need to disable the OD. If it still is downshifting alot you need to change your set-up. First you need to find out what the stock set-up is safe to pull. The rear-gearing ratio is probably the most important part of the set-up. Just changing the tire size on some vehicles requires gear changes. A good gear ratio for towing starts at 3:73. I use 4:10s.
Tip - A Trans cooler and synthetic trans fluid really makes a difference in cooling.
Koz
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