towing question....

[Tomeygun]

i just purchased a 28 foot pace enclosed trailer, i put my 71 challenger in it and hooked up for a test drive. Like my sig. says i have a comp on setting one.

Anyway, the performance was lack-luster to say the least, i expected much better compared to what the truck feels like when empty, the total weight with car was about 7900 LBS...

it felt like the automatic would just wind up and never shift until flat land... any way, but when TC locked up, then perf. was a little better



What is the best way to tell if my transmission is slipping??



Last note, when i got home after test run with trailer, i forgot that i should have had the O/D off, would that help noticably?



Forgot to say i have 265 tires, and 245's came on truck... .

 

[pwr2tow]

If you have 3:54 gears then that is part of the problem when towing. Towing out of OD will give better performance at cruiseing speed but your fuel mileage will suffer from high RPM's.



To tell if your TC is slipping drive down the highway at 68 mph in third (OD locked out) then push throttle to the floor and if rpm's raise faster than speed then the TC is slipping. The TC can only slip in when it is locked. The speed described above is for 3:54 gears I do not know what speed the TC will stay locked up for 4:10 gears, I would say that 2700 rpms would be the spot though to try.



Remember that a diesel does not have the get up and go that a gasser has but once you get going it stays going and it can tow more weight than a gasser.



Hope this helps, if not let us know and we will try and answer your questions.



EDIT:: You could also try running the comp on level 2 even if the pump wire is not hooked up, I know everyone says that the comp run on level one is all the extra power you will get without hooking up the pump wire but one of the people that sells the comp says it will make more on level 2 than level 1 without hooking up the pump wire. Did you install the boost elbow along with the box.



Ron

 

[Tomeygun]

yes the boost elbow is on.



i am going for another ride tomorrow and will try without the o/d on, it almost seems as if i have too much stall in the TC, i guess thats where the 91% TC comes in... .



thanks for the reply, do you think the 265's made it even worse?

 

[Cummins Corvette]

You can tell if the transmission is slipping by determining what tc you have. If it is stock, it is slipping. :-laf

 

[Rob Thomas]

Yes turning your OD off will help,you'll burn up your trans if you keep towing like that,don't ask how I know.

 

[juicedcummins]

Stock converters are Junk!

A good after market is the only way to put it all to the ground.

 

[pwr2tow]

The taller tires actually gives you a worse gear ratio but could be a god send for towing in third direct as it will lower the rpm's slightly and maybe better fuel mileage but they make towing worse due to the effective gear ratio in OD.



Too much stall in the TC has nothing to do with power in lockup, it only counts from zero to lockup.



Some say the TC is junk in the dodge ram and compared to most after market it is but the transmission in the dodge ram will take quite a bit of abuse if used as intended without power enhancements. I know of alot people who have gone way over 100,000 miles and some 150,000 miles towing more than max weight with less than crediable people behind the wheel and the transmission held together well. Then there are some that take a dump before 20,000.



Good and regular maintenance is key to transmission longevity.



Ron

 

[Lsfarm]

Weight!!

Tommygun, you have to look at what you are expecting your truck to do. Putting a 7900# car and trailer behind your truck is more than doubling the total weight, and therefore halving the power to weight ratio.



How good would your challenger run if you doubled it's weight? In the 16 second bracket??



I've towed at 17,700# when stock, and the truck was no ball of fire, but it held speed on the hills well, and didn't have to kick down and run redline rpms to climb a hill on the freeway. [like a gasser would have to do] I also got 12-15 mpg instead of 6-9 mpg @70-75mph.



Now with the extra power I have I can accelerate up the same hills, and pass almost at will. The danger now is that the go-power vastly exceeds the stopping-power.



If you are really disappointed, I'd suggest borrowing a gasser, and tow with it for a while, you'll probably hug your CTD when you get back!!



Greg L