What exactly will a tune help with?
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Tuned
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 350
Likes: 3
From: Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
What exactly will a tune help with?
I took my dump trailer loaded with furniture to the mountains this weekend and I was a little disappointed with the performance. It wasn't a huge load, probably about 6,000 lbs of trailer/furniture and maybe 1,200 lbs in the bed.
When I got above 7,000' it was really struggling to stay at 50 mph, mostly in 2nd gear. It was in the single digits out and I know altitude affects power, but I didn't expect that much.
Will a tune help pulling up grades like this? I have heard the 4.30 gears help, but that seems like a lot of money. I have read about tunes helping with shift points and throttle response, but I'm not sure if it could help in a situation like this.
I've been happy with it pulling around town, which is why I was surprised how much it struggled this weekend.
When I got above 7,000' it was really struggling to stay at 50 mph, mostly in 2nd gear. It was in the single digits out and I know altitude affects power, but I didn't expect that much.
Will a tune help pulling up grades like this? I have heard the 4.30 gears help, but that seems like a lot of money. I have read about tunes helping with shift points and throttle response, but I'm not sure if it could help in a situation like this.
I've been happy with it pulling around town, which is why I was surprised how much it struggled this weekend.
Moderator
Joined: May 2004
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From: Home Base Nebraska
When you say 50 mph is that just on the grades or all the time. If it's all the time you have a problem with the truck if it's just on the grades how steep are the grades. If you plan on hauling in the mountains all the time I would change to 4.30 gears to increase your mechanical advantage.
Denny
Denny
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 2,745
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From: West Virginia
A tuner will not unleash gobs of power or compensate for problems your truck might have.
What is does do is alter the engine timing and shift points a bit (simply stated).
However, your truck already has variable cam timing and a tow/haul mode, not to mention the ability to manually select or limit gears.
It sounds to me like your truck is running normally. The 6.2 is not exactly a torque monster, though it is a good solid performer, it's not going to pull you up the big mountains as well as a 7.2L diesel will, I'm afraid.
My personal opinion, based on some personal experience and a lot of observation/reading, is that aftermarket tunes do more harm than good. Lots of folks initially report great performance gains but invariably end up with failures, hard starting, loss of power, and poor idling.
What is does do is alter the engine timing and shift points a bit (simply stated).
However, your truck already has variable cam timing and a tow/haul mode, not to mention the ability to manually select or limit gears.
It sounds to me like your truck is running normally. The 6.2 is not exactly a torque monster, though it is a good solid performer, it's not going to pull you up the big mountains as well as a 7.2L diesel will, I'm afraid.
My personal opinion, based on some personal experience and a lot of observation/reading, is that aftermarket tunes do more harm than good. Lots of folks initially report great performance gains but invariably end up with failures, hard starting, loss of power, and poor idling.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 984
Likes: 8
They aren't a magic like everyone makes them out to be especially on a gas engine, diesel can be a different story. Earlier posts cover it pretty well. Only tune that worked totally trouble free for me is the one that came with the tuner. I can't tell a difference from it and stock. I got tired of the issues and getting revised tunes so the truck was returned to stock. I didn't spend money on a new truck for it to be a testbed let alone if the tuner caused a failure. If you feel the truck is lacking money is better spent on gears. Still lacking you need a different engine.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,292
Likes: 6
From: Ardenvoir, Washington
We have some good mountains passes here in Wash.. Have you tried towing up grades with the manual shift mode ? I find it works a lot better than tow haul or driving in "D".. Very rare do I ever get into 2nd gear driving this way.. I pull a 26 foot Arctic Fox trailer.. about 7K lbs..
New User
Joined: Dec 2015
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I pull a 8.5x20 enclosed and notice that with much incline the truck will downshift all the way to 3rd if I want to keep it from decreasing speed very much. With flat road it doesn't change much all the way up to 70 in high gear. I pull mostly around town, and am curious if a tuner with different settings would help me much too.
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Tuned
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 350
Likes: 3
From: Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Thanks guys! I was figuring a tuner wouldn't help much in this kind of situation, but now I'm convinced not to get one at all even for daily driving. I don't plan on towing up there too often, maybe once a year. If I did it more I would definitely consider the 4.30 gears.
I have 295/70/18 Cooper Discoverers on the truck and I'm sure they don't help it either. I guess I was just surprised with it struggling because I pull 6-8k lbs daily, sometimes as much as12k and I've been really happy with the 6.2.
Next time I pull up a hill I'll try it out in manual to see if it helps me.
I have 295/70/18 Cooper Discoverers on the truck and I'm sure they don't help it either. I guess I was just surprised with it struggling because I pull 6-8k lbs daily, sometimes as much as12k and I've been really happy with the 6.2.
Next time I pull up a hill I'll try it out in manual to see if it helps me.
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2013
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I find with the 5 star tow tune the truck is more useable without having to use manual mode. In stock form my truck hangs in second gear from like 10-100kmhr for no reason and drops to second if I even make eye contact with the gas pedal. With the tune it is just a better shifting strategy other then the factory setting.
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Junior User
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 54
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From: Central ma
What's the average cost to convert to a 4.30 in a 4x4 6.2? I tow a trailer with three sxs atvs up the hills in nh and compared to my 6.7 man it shifts a lot! Was wondering with the combo of a tuner and gear change if it would help me out.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 397
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Up here in canada it cost me 2500-2600 $ CDN for just the gear swap at a good shop. I then took the tuner off and haven't used it since. It shifts so much nicer now with 4.30s that I don't feel the need to have it tuned.
Junior User
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 54
Likes: 4
From: Central ma
That's what I was afraid I would hear lol. Only complaint is the bottom end and I know the gearing would help a lot. There's two things I regret on my recent truck, 1 not being a long bed and 2 gearing
Laughing Gas
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 984
Likes: 8
The dealer was the cheapest for gears. The price was the same as an aftermarket ring and pinion but you also got some of the essentials needed for the install.
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