Least detrimental gear for WOT

[Aftershock00]

Hey guys, have a 2017 with 68 transmission... it’s my baby, but not my daily driver. Has 15k miles on her. Since it sits Monday thru Friday, I typically take it out on sat night or sun morning. After engine/transmission is fully warmed up, I try to give it some exercise. Typically from a stop, I start normal, then once transmission hit second, I lean into throttle pretty quickly to WOT. I let off throttle before transmission hits 3rd so it’s not shifting/banging into 3rd at WOT.
Is this a bad idea ? Is there a better gear to do this in? Is there something I should do or shouldn’t do to be minimally detrimental to my truck? Or should I avoid WOT at all costs ?
Truck has 35’s on it with 3” Thuren lift btw. Bone stock otherwise.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Run the hell out of it. Leave it in TowHaul so your line pressures are higher.

just drive it!

 

[HVAC2]

Here is our18 getting a bit warm in 45 degree temps, on 70 eastbound up the Rockies yesterday. 8500 lb toy hauler.

 

[Ozymandias]

There is no banging on a 68RFE, keep full throttle if you want to, doesn't harm anything. The ECM reduces Power by itself for a split second while the shift is accomplished.
You'll hardly ever feel that.

 

[Aftershock00]

Ok interesting. Seems like people on this forum are saying that a 2-3 second WOT burst in 2nd gear is really not detrimental at all in bone stock truck. One of those situations where the truck doesn’t even feel it.
On another forum, I asked the same question, and the guys there leaned more toward the why would you beat the hell out of your new truck like that... you took years off your trucks life and reliability, these trucks are built to pull not hot rod around, you’re lucky the truck didn’t break but it will soon if you keep that up, etc etc.

Not looking for an answer I want to hear necessarily, but just trying to find out where this kind of use stands in the spectrum from rental car abuse of a mustang vs grandma driving.

All the posts I see about people working their trucks, tuning engines/transmission, deleting etc, I was under the impression that these mods were more for fun factor of hotrodding them, not for towing.

 

[kthaxton]

I think loading the engine is a more beneficial workout than hot rodding (quick acceleration from stop) it.

 

[Wiredawg]

Aftershock00,

I have 2017 Ram 5500 I primarily use to tow heavy trailers, so I drive it every week or two to keep it running. I seldom hit WOT; I live not far from I-10 and get'r up to about 80 MPH for 30 to 40 miles and back. Not saying you're wrong, just saying I run mine differently.

My truck weighs 12.2KLbs unloaded, so it weighs more unloaded than most loaded.

Anyhoo, you've heard from the conservative TDR member.

Cheers, Ron

 

[gsbrockman]

@Aftershock00

You do realize that your truck is an inanimate object......and does not really need any “exercise” ?

In any event.....35’s and 3.42 gearing and WOT won't put your transmission in the graveyard tomorrow, but not doing so may allow it to see a few more July 4th celebrations on down the road.

 

[GrantP]

Anyhoo, you've heard from the conservative TDR member.

I think I can count the number of times I've gone WOT on one hand in my 06, usually in two lane highway passing situations. Count me in to the conservative TDR member club.

 

[AH64ID]

Here is our18 getting a bit warm in 45 degree temps, on 70 eastbound up the Rockies yesterday. 8500 lb toy hauler.
View attachment 119127

Perfectly normal coolant temp when pulling, getting a bit warm would be 225°.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Don't think I have seen over 217 even in hot temps on a long grade 34k combined.

 

[cerberusiam]

Running it hard empty or going WOT throttle does absolutely nothing except satisfy your inner urges, accomplishes nothing for maintaining or "exercising" the truck. Just uses a little extra fuel. Dragging around 10k for 1 hours even on a flat road will do more than anything you can do empty, better yet go find dome grades and run it up to the shift points in TH several times and get some EGT's into for a solid period of time. Steady cruising at 1100 degrees pre-turbo EGT's will do more to clean up the engine that anything.

 

[Aftershock00]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Maybe the way I asked the question makes it sound like my previous vehicle was a minivan, and my toolset consists of the 15 piece gift set my wife bought me at Macy’s during Christmas. Despite my wording, this is not the case. I’m an avid motocrosser or was in my younger years when I had time, and I worked on all my own equipment down to full engine rebuilds. I also was significantly involved with mustangs and all the things involved with making them faster.
I am, however, not a pro when it comes to diesels. Maybe the word “exercise” is something guys are getting hung up on, but I’m well aware you don’t exercise an engine in the literal sense. I fully agree that a nice 5 hr trip pulling a 8k Lb trailer is probably ideal for making the engine happy and clean running. Since I don’t have the ability or need to do that on a regular basis, I still like to take it for a nice drive with the wife when I’m not working 80+ hr weeks. I have a choice... I can either drive it around town grandma style, park it, and do it again weekend after weekend for months at a time.... or I can take it for a spin, and after it’s full at op temps, make the truck work a little and also have some fun. Although surely not as good as towing for 300 miles, I thought, maybe incorrectly, that gettin on it every so often was a decent substitute for this. Plus, I can’t lie, it is fun.
Maybe the forums and YouTube videos have given me the wrong impression of what these trucks can be used for. As previously stated, I’ve seen all sorts of tunes/upgrades, and I didn’t think it was all for just towing performance.
Isn’t the point of these forums to ask advice ? That’s what I’m doing since I don’t claim to be a diesel guru. Maybe it’s silly, but better to ask than not.

Even if it’s not doing anything to HELP the trucks health, the more important question is if doing this and having fun is doing anything to HURT it’s overall help and life longevity.

 

[Ozymandias]

Oh it sure helps to keep the Turbo vanes happy. Best to find a steep grade and let it run against gravity.
I love to do that with mine, great fun to hear the Diesel really doin hard work.

 

[cerberusiam]

If you are really interested watch engine load percentages empty, that will gauge if it actually does any good. With stock tuning they are so limited to emissions and not hurting themselves that it is hard to get any effect whatsoever. Sans doing brake stands probably not much you can do just driving it hard empty that will hurt it.

 

[Aftershock00]

Ok so just a recap if I can average out everyone’s responses....
Driving it hard/wot empty does not do anything beneficial to help the health of the truck in a way that towing heavy up a slight grade for a few hours would. Do we all agree?

Is there a way to drive WOT/have some fun on an unloaded truck that does not negatively impact the trucks lifespan/performance/health/etc? I thought the fact that I was avoiding the transmission downshifting and letting off the throttle before transmission goes to 3rd, I was avoiding much strain on the motor and especially the transmission. If driving like a grandpa gives me 200k miles of no issues, and driving like this gives me 185k miles of no issues, then I’m cool with that. But if my driving is considered significantly abusive, where I’m lucky to get 120k out of truck before motor/transmission/rearend issues than I’ll stop immediately....

 

[Cummins12V98]

Start truck engage TowHaul and ExhaustBrake, drive as you like. Maintain properly, it won't hurt it's self!

 

[HPSimpson]

Just like Cummins 12v98 said Ram won't hurt self!

 

[Ozymandias]

Start truck engage TowHaul and ExhaustBrake, drive as you like. Maintain properly, it won't hurt it's self!

EB yes, TH is optional especially on a empty Truck.
Some like it, some not - to me it turns way to high in TH without a load on it.

 

[Wiredawg]

Ok so just a recap if I can average out everyone’s responses....
Driving it hard/wot empty does not do anything beneficial to help the health of the truck in a way that towing heavy up a slight grade for a few hours would. Do we all agree?

Is there a way to drive WOT/have some fun on an unloaded truck that does not negatively impact the trucks lifespan/performance/health/etc? I thought the fact that I was avoiding the transmission downshifting and letting off the throttle before transmission goes to 3rd, I was avoiding much strain on the motor and especially the transmission. If driving like a grandpa gives me 200k miles of no issues, and driving like this gives me 185k miles of no issues, then I’m cool with that. But if my driving is considered significantly abusive, where I’m lucky to get 120k out of truck before motor/transmission/rearend issues than I’ll stop immediately....

What we think isn't going to keep your truck safe or destroy it... drive it like you want to, if something breaks, fix it. Don't worry about it. Mine could explode tomorrow. so might yours.

Cheers, Ron