Tow ratings
Hotshot
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 17,398
Likes: 317
From: Whittier, CA
The question was, why does Ford rate the 5.4 to tow less than the diesel.
Ford no doubt has specifications for minimum acceleration and cruising speed that they consider safe. Safe meaning, not an obstruction to traffic, not harmful to the engine, and not excessive warranty claims. They don't tell us what those specifications are exactly. But they do tell us the limits that they determined were appropriate for each engine, trans, body style, and gear ratio. Seems pretty obvious to me that ratings for a diesel would necessarily be higher than for the 5.4.
Or you can choose to not believe Ford, and assume that they only rated them differently for marketing reasons. Which is really the only other rational thought on the matter.
Can you tow more than the rating? Well duh! Of course you can. But that was not the question.
Ford no doubt has specifications for minimum acceleration and cruising speed that they consider safe. Safe meaning, not an obstruction to traffic, not harmful to the engine, and not excessive warranty claims. They don't tell us what those specifications are exactly. But they do tell us the limits that they determined were appropriate for each engine, trans, body style, and gear ratio. Seems pretty obvious to me that ratings for a diesel would necessarily be higher than for the 5.4.
Or you can choose to not believe Ford, and assume that they only rated them differently for marketing reasons. Which is really the only other rational thought on the matter.
Can you tow more than the rating? Well duh! Of course you can. But that was not the question.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,000
Likes: 4
From: Nowthen, MN
I get the point perfectly. Diesels pull better than gas, I have towed with many diesels and many gas engines, and I agree 100% that diesels pull better. My point is, if you are moving a trailer from A to B, a gas truck will get it there just like a diesel truck will get it there. If it was a 14,000 lb trailer, I would much rather be driving a diesel, but the 5.4 will get it there all the same.
Originally Posted by RussF350
And if the point I am not getting is durability and reliability, I will have to disagree. If you are pulling heavy loads constantly, I do not believe a gas motor will require more maintenance, I believe it will be the other way around, as diesels, as a rule, require more maintenance. And to reiterate my point, If I had a choice to pull with a gas or a diesel, I would choose the diesel any day of the week.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,000
Likes: 4
From: Nowthen, MN
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 23,174
Likes: 1,678
From: Stephensville WI
OK, I am a huge 5.4L fan. I own one. I tow with one. I tow more than Ford says I should tow, yet I don't have any problems.
BUT
Of course the more power you have, the easier it will be to tow a load. The 5.4L will never tow a load as well as a V-10 or a Power Stroke. I know any respect what my truck can do. I know the load I can tow here in Wisconsin is a lot heavier than the load I an drag over a mountain pass. I know what my truck can safely tow and respect that. No, I am not going to win any drag race. Yes, a diesel or a V-10 can tow the load easier, but the point is the 5.4L is capable of towing.
Also, 3V 5.4L engines (and 6.8L for that matter) do not spit spark plugs. That is the issue with the 2V engine, but at the same time the gas engines won't have the head gasket/EGR cooler issues of the 6.0L Power Stroke.
BUT
Of course the more power you have, the easier it will be to tow a load. The 5.4L will never tow a load as well as a V-10 or a Power Stroke. I know any respect what my truck can do. I know the load I can tow here in Wisconsin is a lot heavier than the load I an drag over a mountain pass. I know what my truck can safely tow and respect that. No, I am not going to win any drag race. Yes, a diesel or a V-10 can tow the load easier, but the point is the 5.4L is capable of towing.
Also, 3V 5.4L engines (and 6.8L for that matter) do not spit spark plugs. That is the issue with the 2V engine, but at the same time the gas engines won't have the head gasket/EGR cooler issues of the 6.0L Power Stroke.
Junior User
Joined: Mar 2010
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Joined: Aug 1999
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From: SE Florida
Part of the tow rating that Ford assigns to a truck is performance. In order to get a tow rating the combination has to meet certain performance specs. If it can't tow the load fast enough to meet those specs it doesn't get that tow rating.
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2011
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Hey guys, I was just thinking about the trucks we drive today, and have come to an interesting realization. Diesels have higher tow ratings obviously, but why? A 5.4 truck has the same tranny, brakes, frame etc. I understand that the diesel or V10 will accelerate better, but is there really any reason why a 5.4 couldn't pull the same load as a diesel or V10? I am in NO WAY saying that towing over ford's ratings should happen, but was just wondering why the differences are there. Thanks!
IIRC
a 2012 6.7 diesel has about 400 hp and 800 ft lbs of torque
a 2012 6.2 gas engine has about 385 hp and 405 ft lbs of torque.
A diesel can engine brake.
To quote a few people I talked to when I bought my new truck-
"a lot of guys have been going to the 6.2 because they have been burned by Ford on their diesels in the past."
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 3,098
Likes: 136
I thought I remembered reading in a truck magazine that some standard (J-some numbers I cannot recall) that was used by Toyota. Not sure if it was an independent thing or not but there were ratings that followed certain acceleration guidelines and temperature (outside and truck) ratings. I know how my 5.4 And v10 have performed. I would honestly like to be able to drive a diesel with the load to compare. I don't need to drive up some massive grade and my speed limits are not above 45 so very fast acceleration isn't an issue ( and should it really ever be with a load near max??). But there must be a reason why diesels are used in heavy equipment and not gasoline.
From what I remember the (05+) SRW diesels were rated at 12,500 lbs conventional towing and the SRW 5.4 with a 4.30 gearset was something like 11,400lbs. So off by around 1,000lbs which isn't too different. My 5.4 with 3.73's was only 9400lbs, ouch. Now when you looked at 5th wheel towing the gas motors stay at the same weight where the diesels added a few thousand pounds. Again I'd really just like to be able to try the diesel with a load so I'd have a comparison for myself.
From what I remember the (05+) SRW diesels were rated at 12,500 lbs conventional towing and the SRW 5.4 with a 4.30 gearset was something like 11,400lbs. So off by around 1,000lbs which isn't too different. My 5.4 with 3.73's was only 9400lbs, ouch. Now when you looked at 5th wheel towing the gas motors stay at the same weight where the diesels added a few thousand pounds. Again I'd really just like to be able to try the diesel with a load so I'd have a comparison for myself.
Hotshot
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 17,398
Likes: 317
From: Whittier, CA
Tow ratings are mostly a lot of snake oil. And that goes for all manufacturers. They don't tell us bupkis about how they compute the ratings. Often they change the ratings just because the competition one-upped them on something.
Someday soon that may change, when the SAE ratings go into effect. At least then we will know that all the manufacturers had to follow the same rules when establishing their ratings. I don't expect it to be a perfect system, but it has to be better than what we have now. I think we will at least know the parameters that SAE establishes. I think that is supposed to start in 2014 or there abouts.
Somewhere out there is a load that a 5.4 simply cannot move. That load will also be too much for the diesel, even though it may move it. In both cases, it would be far more than the rating allows.
Someday soon that may change, when the SAE ratings go into effect. At least then we will know that all the manufacturers had to follow the same rules when establishing their ratings. I don't expect it to be a perfect system, but it has to be better than what we have now. I think we will at least know the parameters that SAE establishes. I think that is supposed to start in 2014 or there abouts.
Somewhere out there is a load that a 5.4 simply cannot move. That load will also be too much for the diesel, even though it may move it. In both cases, it would be far more than the rating allows.
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,524
Likes: 2
From: CA Bay Area
Safety of blocking the traffic and finding gas station aside
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