I have a 98 Expedition with the 5.4 that I tow a boat with frequently. The boat and trailer weigh near 4600 lbs, plus gear. the truck seems to shift down even on small inclines, and I have recently had the transmission replaced, I suspect due to the load I'm towing. Would the chip firming up the shifts help the tranny and help with power driving? Also, what mods would you recommend to help with the power/towing. I am on a limited budget, so prioritizing the mods are a must.

 

my diablo chip ken payne burnt me made the shifts nice and firm- - manufactures leave the carlike shifts soft for comfurt - but this in reality is bad for the transmissions- as far as towing- what gear ratio in rear end do you have? also with my mac inatke, diablo chip, and 3" magnaflow exhaust- towing my my 7x14 dual axle "tall" race trailer with 3 bikes in it and 1000 lbs of water and gear- i'm near your weight- has made toing 25-30 % bettter-phil

 

Yes, it will help with towing, especially on an automatic. The transmissions have a certain amount of slippage to soften up the shifts. A by-product of this is increased heat, even more when towing. You'll get far better shifts when towing without that shift lurch you get when towing now.

 

Ok. Now my question would be: What typically works best, a tuner or chip? How much does a burned chip cost and does it require premium fuel? When I looked at the chips in the store section ,there were so many and stages, I was not sure what I needed. ALso, is it necessary to buy an entire intake system? I saw an article test where they wrapped the stock airbox in insulation and put a K&N filter which supposedly gave the best results.

 

I guess what I am asking, is what is my best bang for the buck and what brands have been proven performers? I know I will do a computer enhancement and the tuner looks good now, but I am not familiar enough to know. As for as Air intakes, I recognize the K&N brand name, but I have seen several posts of people ******* it.

Ken, just reading some of your posts, I tend to trust what you are putting here. What brands that you sell seem to have the most happy customers. I saw you mention MAC and Airraid, are those your top 2? As far as Diablo versus Supertuner, where would you put your money. I do not forsee going the pulley route, nitrous, etc. Maybe an exhaust and a MAF if I get crazy, after the computer and intake.
I am not looking for super power, just better towing and to play with the Expedition some.

Thanks

 

As far as K&N's go, just getting the filter replacement will do almost nothing, getting a FIPK will help some but needs to have the Exhaust opened up to get the max, benifits of it. It doesn't matter how much air you can get in if you can't get it out any better. I have an intake and exhaust that seems to hav helped my ranger noticeably. I would think that a chip would only benefit more from these upgrades.

 

I have a 3 stage Diablo chip (87 octane and 93 octane program). Just came back from a camping trip pulling my 27' 5th wheel. The 93 octane program made a world of difference! I would highly recommend it.

I am wondering about using a K&N filter. I am afraid that the filter itself won't do much. More air in = more exhaust and w/o a new, wider exhaust system ... doesn't seem to make sense. Am I missing something?!?!?!!?

I am running a 3.08 rear end! Would changing the diff. make things better???? How much (typically) for a new differential?!?!?

The chip worked great, I too am looking for ways to further enhance performance on a limited budget!

 

going to 3.73 gears would make a dramatic difference in the towing dept!

 

Don't forget to factor in decreased mileage with the gear change.