Is it ok to tow? break-in

[dpope]

Just took home a Silver 03 2500 Quad Cab LWB 4x4 HO/48RE. Only has 36 miles on it.



Is it OK to tow a 6000 lb trailer if I take it easy/slow? I'm only going on a 200 mile round trip on flat land.





Thanks

 

[BFC]

Towing is a good way to break it in, no worries.



Glenn

 

[Rosco]

As far as the Cummins goes it would probably love it. However, the owners manuel says not to tow for the first 500 miles and I belive this is so the differential gears, transmission gears, wheel bearings, and so on can seat themselves.



I had to go snowplowing in my new '03 with 250 miles on the clock. I just took it as easy as I could while still getting the job done.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

dpope, be sure to check the fluid level in your differentials before you tow. Actually, do it right away, there have been many underfilled.



Vaughn

 

[Casey Balvert]

If your rear axle grenades and you only have 300 miles on the clock you may have an issue with warrantee. It doesn't take long to put five hundred on the truck. Drop it off here and I will have it at 500 by tomorrow night.



Casey

 

[DPKetchum]

As mentioned in previous posts. Diffs etc need lite breakin. I would'nt until 500 plus miles of normal driving

 

[dpope]

Thanks everyone

I think we'll wait untill the differential is broken in.



Checked the fluid level in the diff. it was about 1/4" to 1/2" below the plug.



Thanks again for the input.

 

[pstillo]

Load it up and go. I called cummins on my 97 2500 when it was new and they said its better to break it in with a load. I had about 75-100 miles on it and went from N. Y. to FLA. with 8000 lbs in a trailer. I have done nothing to the truck for 6yr but change the oil. Oo.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

On flat, level ground, at 1/2 inch BELOW to fill plug, yer differential will take a full quart to bring up 'til it starts flowing back out the fill hole - the differential is spec'd to hold 4 quarts of lube, so at the lower level you indicate, yer 25% low on lube!



That is probably no big deal empty and around town - but towing a load, might create problems with heat buildup with less lube to keep gears cool... I frequently tow a 7000 lb fiver - did so with very few miles on the truck, and as a maintenance issue, use 85w/140 Valvoline Synthetic blend lube in my differential, and park on a slight downhill slope and fill until the differential will take no more without it running back out...



Just FWIW...

 

[Briman]

Go to this link and see what they say about differential break in. Here is one line from it:



"The greatest damage to a new gear set results when it has been run for ten minutes or more during the first 500 miles and the oil is very hot. "



http://www.diferentials.com/gear/g0698.shtml

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Gary, unlike the Dana axles, the lube on the '03s supposed to be 1/2" below the fill hole (at least for the 11. 5" rear end I belive)



Vaughn

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Vaughn - another senior moment - I forgot the '03's no longer used Dana differentials...

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

No problem Gary. I think we can blame Joe Donnelly for getting into our noggins that parking with the nose downhill and fillin' er up 'til the fluid runs out is the right way to do it



Vaughn