Towing with an Automatic

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I just bought a 1990 W250 with the 727 and 3. 07's. (my first cummins powered Ram #ad
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I am planning on towing a large 5th wheel (about 10,000 pounds) and I am wondering if anyone else has done any serious towing with this setup? The first thing I plan to do is add a full set of gauges, but I'm wondering what else I might need to do. Will the transmission hold up to this? Is the stock cooler enough? Are the 3. 07's ok?

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'90 LE W250, 727, 3. 07, Line-X bedliner, 140k miles,

 

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I think the 3. 07 rear will have to be changed. That is an awful ratio for a pickup to have. Must be from the flat country!

Any mods at all to the truck?

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Stan
93 2WD extended cab, Banks Power Pack, K&N Air Filter, PW Injectors,Auto w/4. 10 rear with limited slip, US Gear Exhaust Brake, 31/2" Exhaust, 5K air bags, Boost/Pyro/Tach Gauges, Green/Silver, new 40-20-40 bucket seats, 149K

 

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No, it's completely stock although I'm planning on modifying it. If I go to a lower ratio then I'd probably need to add an aftermarket overdrive or a 4 speed transmission to be able to keep up on the freeway. I don't have a tach, but at 70 the engine sounds like it's turning pretty fast.

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'90 LE W250, 727, 3. 07, Line-X bedliner, 140k miles,

 

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Terry,
I'm sorry that I didn't greet you a little better the first time. Welcome to the group and we are glad to have you here. It's a good group of people and there is lots of help available for just about anything that can come up.

I'm concerned that the 10,000 # trailer is going to be a problem getting moving. Lets see what some of the other 89 owners have to say.

Get a pyrometer first thing. Without an intercooler, I suspect you will have some high EGT's, especially pulling the trailer. Do you know if the truck came with a towing package from the factory? You may need to install air bags to keep the truck sitting level under the weight of the 5th wheel. Have the transmission serviced to see what may be laying in the pan. Hopefully it will be clean inside. Also change the rear end lube, I would go with a synthetic, probobly 80-140 wt. Some will disagree with the weight, but with the heavy trailer I think it will give better protection.

Also check out the brakes. Ya gotta be able to stop! #ad


There will be some other suggestions I'm sure

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Stan
93 2WD extended cab, Banks Power Pack, K&N Air Filter, PW Injectors,Auto w/4. 10 rear with limited slip, US Gear Exhaust Brake, 31/2" Exhaust, 5K air bags, Boost/Pyro/Tach Gauges, Green/Silver, new 40-20-40 bucket seats, 149K

 

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Greetings, My info may not apply but I remember reading that the93"s anyway only were rated to tow about 8000 lbs with a 3. 27 rear end and stock cooler, I would recommend a large aftermarket transmission cooler. The raason for the lower rating with the auto vs manual was dodge wanted to be sure the transmission would run cool enuf... Im on my second rig, had a 2x4 manual 1993 and now have a 4x4 1993 with auto trans.
Best of luck pard and I will be watching posts to see how you do. .

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1993 d250 4X4, forrest green club cab, tonneau cover, tach, auto 3. 54. Honda shadow 1100, 1977 vw Bug

 

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I'd be really tempted to convert to an OD transmission and maybe scare up a better gear ratio. Use a large under bed transmission cooler with an electric fan and rock shields.
On the engine side, an intercooler is a must. You can tweak it a bit for better scoot too.
The engine redline will keep your top speed under 75 mph I bet.
These mods would make a night and day difference. It'd be a totally different truck.

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'92 D250 Club Cab "tweaked", '65 Plymouth Max Wedge clone twin turbo 440 4 speed, and high powered plinkers!
Too much power is just right!

 

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You think 10,000 is too much with this setup?

Will an intercooler significantly lower egt's? I would like to put on a full Banks kit at some point anyway. I plan to put on a Mag-Hytec rear diff cover and trans pan and Amsoil in everything.

I'm not sure if it came with the factory towing package. It's got a 5-pin connector on the back, and what looks to be a home-built receiver-both are getting replaced with Reese parts.

 

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Terry,
I just found out they have created a forum just for towing and hauling! You should go there and post your original question. See what happens.

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Stan
93 2WD extended cab, Banks Power Pack, K&N Air Filter, PW Injectors,Auto w/4. 10 rear with limited slip, US Gear Exhaust Brake, 31/2" Exhaust, 5K air bags, Boost/Pyro/Tach Gauges, Green/Silver, new 40-20-40 bucket seats, 149K

 

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Terry, I have an '89 4X4 that originally was equipped with 3. 07 gears and a 727 transmission. The 727 seems to be bulletproof, but here are the other mods that have been done to this truck to make improve its towing ability.
3. 55 gears and a Gearvendors O/D. This made a major difference in the towing performance.
The Chrysler under bed transmission cooler, which I think is part of teh reason I have had such great success with this transmission.
The most recent upgrade was to a '93 model year radiator. Additionally I have added a Banks exhaust and intercooler. and a full set of guages. I do have to watch the pyro on long grades.
This truck has hauled different trailers many, many, miles, including quite a few miles towing a Massey Ferguson tractor, (11000 lbs. ).
As to which modification is teh most important, I don't know. I think I would start with teh trans cooler, then the gears and O/D. Without teh O/D I can still cruise 55 mph without any strain. The radiator was teh most recent upgrade and I wish that I would have done it 7 years ago, this truck has always run on teh high side of hot when pulling. Anyway, I am 190,000 miles!!

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'89 4X4, Banks intercooled, Banks Powerpack, 727 Auto, 3. 55 gears, GearVendors O/D, full guages, Ramsey winch, Transferflow 50 gal. tank, Alcoa rims, 265/75-16 tires, Chrysler trans cooler, National Spring 2. 5" lift springs, and a few odds and ends

 

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I converted mine to a 518 transmission, but should have used a later model tailshaft. The early ones don't lube well. With Amsoil it's holding up and never overheats. Check just ahead of your muffler for a restriction. Mine went from 3" down to 2-1/2" there for about two inches and then into a three inch muffler. I replaced that section with three inch and added a straight-through Dynomax. The 89 pulls strong, but could use an intercooler. If you've got the bucks, keep your 727 and add a Gear Vendors OD. The combination is bulletproof.

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http://coffeewithJesus. homestead.com/web1.html 89 1-ton, Amsoil System 3000 5-30,K&N air filter, cleaned-up exhaust, Dynomax straight-thru, rebuilt pump, 12cm wastegated turbo (not installed), thermostatically controlled twin 14" Permacool electric fans, intercooler (installed, not plumbed), modified 518 OD transmission, Gear vendors OD controler, R-134 refrigernt, louvered front fenders, 93 aftermarket smoothie grille, new Dupont Chroma-colr black, black-and-red rubber rubstrip, Cummins badges, black headlights; 78 35'Avion, 93 Lance 900 slide in with generator and power jacks. Jesus saves!

 

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My early '91 does fine with our 8,000 lb fiver (see sig), but I have added the Banks stuff indicated below. It did fine before, does better with the added stuff - and I have a friend with a TALL fiver well over 10,000 lbs, and he does fine with his stock '92 extended cab. Engine cooling in the older Rams IS a factor, and I have had an internal baffle installed inside the top radiator tank to divert hot coolent completely ACROSS the radiators surface, rather than allowing it to "short cycle" directl yfrom the inlet down to the outlet directly below it. I also use one of the cooling system temp reducing solutions for further temp control, and it does seem to help. Without some sort of OD option, you DO want that 3. 07 differential, or your top speed on the freeway will be WAY too low for freeway operation - these rigs top out at 80 mph with the 3. 07! My exhaust temp up long Sierra 7% grades, fully loaded, never exceed 1150 degrees, and I always maintain 60 mph or better, depending on traffic and road conditions. I now have over 106,000 miles on my truck, with a high percentage of towing involve, much of it in the mountains - absolutely NO problems of ANY kind!

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Early '91 250, 727 AT, 307 rear... Banks Stinger exhaust, intercooler... US Gear OD... MORE than a match for every new PS Ford encountered so far...