Hi All,
I have found a 2006 F150 SuperCrew 5.4 to replace my '97 Dodge. I pull about 5,000 lbs. of camper through the mountains frequently. But the truck is not equipped to tow.
I will would add Hitch (duh!), wiring harness, brake control and trans-cooler.
What else does this truck need?
Any reccomendations for towing with this truck?

Thanks!
Will

 

WELCOME
Trans cooler is a must
TCI recomends (check their site) cooler after rad.
slow starts - long stops (love your TRUCK)
dont go to fast
check brakes all 6 or 8
stay out of overdrive (most all the time)
service your trans (now)
double check trailer bearings
take rifle & ammo

 

No OD towing? Even on a flat? Yikes! I do go too fast. I am used towing at 70+ on the interstate.
How is the 3.55 LS differential? This truck does not have one, and I will have to change it.

 

IMHO 70 mph is way too fast for towing. I'm not sure what you ment by the axle ratio, 3.73 is better for towing, the LS is really not that important for towing on the road.
Others will chime in but 60mph is a lot safer and not as hard on equipment. You said Mountains, going up hill you will be lucky to hold 60 with out gas pedal to the floor and going downhill you would be better served to use the engine to brake. OD works for flat ground but if you are pushing a lot of air or have taller tires you will feel it.

 

Thanks for the advice, but this is not my first rodeo. Just my first Ford since '83.
I read in another post that the 5.4 came with a 9.25. Is that correct for the 2wd? Has anyone done a differential switch to the limited slip or a locker?
When did Ford add atow/haul mode?

 

you can tow around 7,000 lbs with these trucks...just dont go too fast or too hard...if you tow a heavy load alot i would say add a trans temp gauge so your trans doesnt end up being big a block of metal from pushing it hard too long...tow haul mode was put in 05 i think...i know my 05 f250 6.0 has it

 

F-150 does not have a tow/haul mode. Hence the caution for using OD. The axle ratio is more important than if it is a LS or not.

 

the Power Stroke Diesel has tow/haul
a tuner would be good ( one that displays functious)
wouldnt worry about the axle

 

Oh, that's good. So you are aware that ALL ST trailer tires are ONLY rated to 60 MPH, right? Exceeding a tire's rated specs is dangerous at best, and deadly at worst.

Secondly, all 5.4s come with the 9.75" rear, which should stand up to heavy towing just fine. The biggest weak link I see without the towing package is transmission cooling. The truck already has a 5-pass transmission cooler, whereas the trucks with the towing package have a 9-pass cooler. It's mounted behind the front bumper, and I'd recommend changing it out for a larger one.

As others have stated, you want to keep an eye on your trans temp, but you're not likely to have large problems with 5,000 lbs, as that's what your truck is rated to tow without the tow package. It'd be over 8,000 lbs with the tow package. Well worth putting the tranny cooler on, though.

 

you wont have a problem towing 5k lbs. i pulled my brothers 05 single cab on an 18ft car hauler at 75mph with no problem. didnt even turn off overdrive. just set my programmer to towing. pulled just fine (at 8.5mpg). his truck and the trailer had to be atleast 7k lbs.

 

Thanks for the good info.
I will probably get this truck if the dealer comes through.
Tom, you probably did more than you know to slow me down since my wife read this post!

 

Didn't mean to get you in trouble!

Seriously, though, I did some more digging, as I hate to mention something without being able to back it up. Apparently, I was wrong about the maximum speed, it's really 65. Oops!

And here are my sources....

Discount Tire

http://www.goodyear.com/rv/pdf/marat...nfo_032806.pdf

http://www.netmdc.com/~desertskies/Tires.pdf

BoatUS.com: Trailering Club

I never really thought much about tires until I started driving a commercial truck...