Attention: TDR Forum Junkies Howdy!
I just returned home this weekend from a trip out to the Black Hills of South Dakota. I'll spare you the time it would take to tell you all about the vacation, suffice it to say the wife, my 15 month old son and I had a great time seeing Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park and the wildlife therein.
But for this post I wanted to tell you guys about 3 Fords I had the priveledge to outpull to and from the campground(s). I towed about 2,600 miles, and put over 3,000 miles total on my truck in 2 weeks. It ran great, and is still stock. Only problem I had was a mysterious 4th gear noise a few times pulling uphill (this is a topic in "24V Engine. "
On the way out there, once I got in MN & SD heading west on I-90 I encountered severe headwinds. Severe enough that 6th gear would not hold 65 mph, I had to shift to 5th to sustain my speed (disadvantage: 3. 54's).
But in order to keep my rpms around 2,000 in 6th gear, so that the turbo could build more boost and the truck would pull the hills better I would run between 68 and 70. I started catching up to two other 5th wheelers. I managed to catch them at the bottom of a very large hill (and I don't remember if it was in MN or SD). Both trucks were Fords I found out once I caught them, the rear one was a non-SD, and the front one was a SD, both were PSD's. I pulled the hill in 6th as long as I could, and shifted to 5th as I started catching these guys. The rear one's trailer was a little smaller than mine I noticed as I went by him easy enough. Then I noticed the lead guy was stretching the gap between him and his buddy in order to not let me pass on the uphill grade. So I kept the hammer down in 5th. The grade of the hill dragged the speed down to probably 55 or so, but I managed to pull past him on the grade by about 2 mph. His trailer was about the same size as mine. His SD was an extended cab 4X4 like mine, not a 4 door. So I figure we were about as equal as possible. I didn't want to be a smart-a$$ so I kept my
on the inside as I passed him... great fun.
Then on the way home, in SD, just before reaching the Missouri River, a 4 door 4X4 non-SD Ford PSD came by me at about 72 mph with about the same size trailer as mine. I was running 65 in order to be safer and use less fuel. But because I knew the Missouri River was coming up, and on the east side there was a good climb up from the river, I decided to keep up with him til just over the river. Then I'd see what he had under the hood.
I was figuring he must have been modified cause he was running between 72 and 75 on flat country, and no other Fords had been running that fast. And as a matter of fact, my truck runs with much more power at that speed because I'm tipping over 2,000 rpms and my stock truck can build more boost at that rpm (besides, 24V trucks peak power is about 2,200 to 2,400 rpm).
At the bottom of the hill we were still running about 72. I knew I'd wind up going into 5th during the course of pulling the hill, so I slowed to 70 and put it in 5th at the bottom (about 2,800 rpm). We immediately hit the grade and I put my foot to the floor. As I did I saw the black smoke start coming from his PSD, not a lot, but enough to tell me he had his to the floor too. He had about 7 or 8 truck and trailer lengths on me as we started up. At about halfway up the hill, I didn't just pass him, I blew by him fast enough that he'd had trouble seeing this
on my face. My speed dragged down to about 50 mph. My guess is that his speed went down to about 35 mph or so. So his truck must have been stock too.
Anyway, I wanted to tell you guys about how good these trucks are stock. But due to my 3. 54's and the frustrations the headwinds gave me, I'm gonna go with 275's and an EZ box. If my stock truck can out pull stock PSD's this good, I can't imagine how good it'll pull with 275's and an EZ. That's as far as I want to go because I want to stick with the stock clutch as long as possible.
Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to share this with you guys.
- JyRO
I just returned home this weekend from a trip out to the Black Hills of South Dakota. I'll spare you the time it would take to tell you all about the vacation, suffice it to say the wife, my 15 month old son and I had a great time seeing Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park and the wildlife therein.
But for this post I wanted to tell you guys about 3 Fords I had the priveledge to outpull to and from the campground(s). I towed about 2,600 miles, and put over 3,000 miles total on my truck in 2 weeks. It ran great, and is still stock. Only problem I had was a mysterious 4th gear noise a few times pulling uphill (this is a topic in "24V Engine. "
On the way out there, once I got in MN & SD heading west on I-90 I encountered severe headwinds. Severe enough that 6th gear would not hold 65 mph, I had to shift to 5th to sustain my speed (disadvantage: 3. 54's).
But in order to keep my rpms around 2,000 in 6th gear, so that the turbo could build more boost and the truck would pull the hills better I would run between 68 and 70. I started catching up to two other 5th wheelers. I managed to catch them at the bottom of a very large hill (and I don't remember if it was in MN or SD). Both trucks were Fords I found out once I caught them, the rear one was a non-SD, and the front one was a SD, both were PSD's. I pulled the hill in 6th as long as I could, and shifted to 5th as I started catching these guys. The rear one's trailer was a little smaller than mine I noticed as I went by him easy enough. Then I noticed the lead guy was stretching the gap between him and his buddy in order to not let me pass on the uphill grade. So I kept the hammer down in 5th. The grade of the hill dragged the speed down to probably 55 or so, but I managed to pull past him on the grade by about 2 mph. His trailer was about the same size as mine. His SD was an extended cab 4X4 like mine, not a 4 door. So I figure we were about as equal as possible. I didn't want to be a smart-a$$ so I kept my
on the inside as I passed him... great fun. Then on the way home, in SD, just before reaching the Missouri River, a 4 door 4X4 non-SD Ford PSD came by me at about 72 mph with about the same size trailer as mine. I was running 65 in order to be safer and use less fuel. But because I knew the Missouri River was coming up, and on the east side there was a good climb up from the river, I decided to keep up with him til just over the river. Then I'd see what he had under the hood.
I was figuring he must have been modified cause he was running between 72 and 75 on flat country, and no other Fords had been running that fast. And as a matter of fact, my truck runs with much more power at that speed because I'm tipping over 2,000 rpms and my stock truck can build more boost at that rpm (besides, 24V trucks peak power is about 2,200 to 2,400 rpm).
At the bottom of the hill we were still running about 72. I knew I'd wind up going into 5th during the course of pulling the hill, so I slowed to 70 and put it in 5th at the bottom (about 2,800 rpm). We immediately hit the grade and I put my foot to the floor. As I did I saw the black smoke start coming from his PSD, not a lot, but enough to tell me he had his to the floor too. He had about 7 or 8 truck and trailer lengths on me as we started up. At about halfway up the hill, I didn't just pass him, I blew by him fast enough that he'd had trouble seeing this
on my face. My speed dragged down to about 50 mph. My guess is that his speed went down to about 35 mph or so. So his truck must have been stock too. Anyway, I wanted to tell you guys about how good these trucks are stock. But due to my 3. 54's and the frustrations the headwinds gave me, I'm gonna go with 275's and an EZ box. If my stock truck can out pull stock PSD's this good, I can't imagine how good it'll pull with 275's and an EZ. That's as far as I want to go because I want to stick with the stock clutch as long as possible.
Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to share this with you guys.
- JyRO
