Gear Ratio - Help Needed
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Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 1,678
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From: Central Tx.
"I have had my 01' V10 Ex for just over three months now and just recently did my first towing here in CO. Here are my initial impressions...
Ex Set-up - 01' V10, 48K miles, all stock drivetrain (stock exhaust, no tuner etc), stock 4.30 gears, 285 BFGoodrich K02's, X/Mod C's from ATS, Ride Rite Air Bags in the rear.
Trailer Set-up - 16' flat deck open car hauler, total weight @7,500 pnds.
While I was set on borrowing a weight distribution hitch for the recent trip my buddy convinced me to try without for this trip. I'm glad we did as the Ex handled the load better than other diesel trucks I have towed with in the past. I attribute this to the HD leafs and the roughly 7,200 curb weight of the Ex. I don't think I even need the airbags in the rear, we left them at 10 psi and was good to go. I also do not have a rear swaybar.
Having towed with diesels in the past I was prepared for the different feeling of having to use the RPM's on the big hills. There aren't many, if any, other locations in the country that are as rough as the passes in CO. We chose to run at about 4K RPM's up the big passes and maintained 50 mph or so. I was pleased overall and for the price I paid for the Ex a diesel is no longer something I am dreaming about (for current needs of course). It is possible we could go faster if we "wanted" to but I am not in a race when towing, safe and secure is always my goal.
I also added a Scangauge II before the trip and it was very comforting being able to watch trans temp on the trip. Never saw over 190 but its not summer yet."
NOW THAT'S, WHAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT
Ex Set-up - 01' V10, 48K miles, all stock drivetrain (stock exhaust, no tuner etc), stock 4.30 gears, 285 BFGoodrich K02's, X/Mod C's from ATS, Ride Rite Air Bags in the rear.
Trailer Set-up - 16' flat deck open car hauler, total weight @7,500 pnds.
While I was set on borrowing a weight distribution hitch for the recent trip my buddy convinced me to try without for this trip. I'm glad we did as the Ex handled the load better than other diesel trucks I have towed with in the past. I attribute this to the HD leafs and the roughly 7,200 curb weight of the Ex. I don't think I even need the airbags in the rear, we left them at 10 psi and was good to go. I also do not have a rear swaybar.
Having towed with diesels in the past I was prepared for the different feeling of having to use the RPM's on the big hills. There aren't many, if any, other locations in the country that are as rough as the passes in CO. We chose to run at about 4K RPM's up the big passes and maintained 50 mph or so. I was pleased overall and for the price I paid for the Ex a diesel is no longer something I am dreaming about (for current needs of course). It is possible we could go faster if we "wanted" to but I am not in a race when towing, safe and secure is always my goal.
I also added a Scangauge II before the trip and it was very comforting being able to watch trans temp on the trip. Never saw over 190 but its not summer yet."
NOW THAT'S, WHAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT
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Senior User
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 280
Likes: 0
From: Noblesville, IN
Hey harely4jcs,
I've been swamped with work this week and haven't really had any time to research in the detail I had planned. I can tell you that based on the FAQ's from Gear Vendors (Gear Vendors under/overdrive, Frequently asked questions.) it doesn't offer a true Under Drive. Here is a blurb from the FAQ's.
I plan to shoot them an email and/or give them a call, hopefully tomorrow, to discuss some questions I have about my GVOD and hopefully identifying the exact model I have installed on my rig.
I've been swamped with work this week and haven't really had any time to research in the detail I had planned. I can tell you that based on the FAQ's from Gear Vendors (Gear Vendors under/overdrive, Frequently asked questions.) it doesn't offer a true Under Drive. Here is a blurb from the FAQ's.
WHY IS GEAR VENDORS CALLED AN UNDER/OVERDRIVE™?
Isn't it just an overdrive?
Which is better an underdrive or an overdrive?
No competing underdrive or overdrive on the market will give you the performance of a GEAR VENDORS UNDER/OVERDRIVE™. In fact you could install both an underdrive and an overdrive of any other brand and still not have the performance of a GEAR VENDORS. The only thing an underdrive could do, that the GEAR VENDORS products will not, is get you a gear below 1st but for the few times this would be of any value virtually all customers would greatly prefer the performance, features, and other benefits of a GEAR VENDORS.
Let's cover the difference between a GEAR VENDORS and competing products for automatic transmission equipped vehicles (manual customers should read this but understand that outside of racing we do recommend you use your clutch when shifting). All other brands of auxiliary transmissions are simply dual ranges. They are meant to be put in low range when you are towing and high range when you are not. But the problem is that your vehicle has too few gears. Simply making your gears all lower or taller still leaves you with the same gap between each gear. So you could actually go slower with a dual range than you do now. You could shift these products while moving (one of them you need to go to neutral before you can shift and the other has no synchros but will perform a non-synchronized shift if you let off the gas), but these products are simply not designed to shift behind automatic transmissions.
The GEAR VENDORS, on the other hand, is built like an automatic. It has the expensive and reliable reaction planetary system, which is why it's compact and cylindrical in shape like your automatic. The GEAR VENDORS is designed to shift under any and all throttle conditions continuously, so when you need power you can go up or down just half a gear at a time (GearSplitting). Sure the GEAR VENDORS has always been the most expensive, but it also offers far greater performance and quality.
After the GEAR VENDORS is installed in your vehicle you will have twice as many underdrive ratios as you do now (1st, 1st-over, 2nd & 2nd-over) plus an overdrive gear (3rd-over) suitable for towing. If you also have factory overdrive you will now have 3-overdrive gear choices. Six or eight forward ratios that you can shift to sequentially, one after the other, for power unmatched by any other auxiliary transmission. There are many more differences ie: Automatic shifting, pressurized lubrication, fluid filters, 4500# roller clutch, etc., that you can read about elsewhere in this web site.
So, our trademark UNDER/OVERDRIVE refers to the fact that a GEAR VENDORS is a unique overdrive. One that can do everything both an underdrive or overdrive can do, better than any underdrive or overdrive available, except get you a gear below 1st.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION customers also gain several unique benefits related to horsepower handling, ease of shifting and other specific engineering differences between the GEAR VENDORS and other auxiliary transmissions. All other brands of auxiliaries are themselves small manual transmissions, so in order to gearsplit with any competing product you will either have a 2nd shift lever to move (difficult) or a non-synchronized box controlled by a button (not intended to shift often). Only the GEAR VENDORS is truly a convenient GearSplitter and designed to withstand the abuse of shifting continuously.
The idea that just having lower gears when towing or taller gears when running empty is not going to solve most customers problems. The problem is that there is too much rpm drop between some gears to maintain performance on grades and while towing. Another significant advantage with the GEAR VENDORS is that you can do all your towing with your main transmission in 1 to 1 (direct drive no gears) not in overdrive, using the GEAR VENDORS to take the stress of overdrive.
This greatly lowers transmission temperature and extends its life. We have many commercial customers that have found the main transmission reliable if they only use the factory overdrive gear when empty.
Isn't it just an overdrive?
Which is better an underdrive or an overdrive?
No competing underdrive or overdrive on the market will give you the performance of a GEAR VENDORS UNDER/OVERDRIVE™. In fact you could install both an underdrive and an overdrive of any other brand and still not have the performance of a GEAR VENDORS. The only thing an underdrive could do, that the GEAR VENDORS products will not, is get you a gear below 1st but for the few times this would be of any value virtually all customers would greatly prefer the performance, features, and other benefits of a GEAR VENDORS.
Let's cover the difference between a GEAR VENDORS and competing products for automatic transmission equipped vehicles (manual customers should read this but understand that outside of racing we do recommend you use your clutch when shifting). All other brands of auxiliary transmissions are simply dual ranges. They are meant to be put in low range when you are towing and high range when you are not. But the problem is that your vehicle has too few gears. Simply making your gears all lower or taller still leaves you with the same gap between each gear. So you could actually go slower with a dual range than you do now. You could shift these products while moving (one of them you need to go to neutral before you can shift and the other has no synchros but will perform a non-synchronized shift if you let off the gas), but these products are simply not designed to shift behind automatic transmissions.
The GEAR VENDORS, on the other hand, is built like an automatic. It has the expensive and reliable reaction planetary system, which is why it's compact and cylindrical in shape like your automatic. The GEAR VENDORS is designed to shift under any and all throttle conditions continuously, so when you need power you can go up or down just half a gear at a time (GearSplitting). Sure the GEAR VENDORS has always been the most expensive, but it also offers far greater performance and quality.
After the GEAR VENDORS is installed in your vehicle you will have twice as many underdrive ratios as you do now (1st, 1st-over, 2nd & 2nd-over) plus an overdrive gear (3rd-over) suitable for towing. If you also have factory overdrive you will now have 3-overdrive gear choices. Six or eight forward ratios that you can shift to sequentially, one after the other, for power unmatched by any other auxiliary transmission. There are many more differences ie: Automatic shifting, pressurized lubrication, fluid filters, 4500# roller clutch, etc., that you can read about elsewhere in this web site.
So, our trademark UNDER/OVERDRIVE refers to the fact that a GEAR VENDORS is a unique overdrive. One that can do everything both an underdrive or overdrive can do, better than any underdrive or overdrive available, except get you a gear below 1st.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION customers also gain several unique benefits related to horsepower handling, ease of shifting and other specific engineering differences between the GEAR VENDORS and other auxiliary transmissions. All other brands of auxiliaries are themselves small manual transmissions, so in order to gearsplit with any competing product you will either have a 2nd shift lever to move (difficult) or a non-synchronized box controlled by a button (not intended to shift often). Only the GEAR VENDORS is truly a convenient GearSplitter and designed to withstand the abuse of shifting continuously.
The idea that just having lower gears when towing or taller gears when running empty is not going to solve most customers problems. The problem is that there is too much rpm drop between some gears to maintain performance on grades and while towing. Another significant advantage with the GEAR VENDORS is that you can do all your towing with your main transmission in 1 to 1 (direct drive no gears) not in overdrive, using the GEAR VENDORS to take the stress of overdrive.
This greatly lowers transmission temperature and extends its life. We have many commercial customers that have found the main transmission reliable if they only use the factory overdrive gear when empty.
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