the torque shift is great tranny, especiallly behind the PSD. you will be just fine towing with your truck, especially with the tow/haul mode and occasionally using your brakes oin steep hills.
as a side note, my work truck is a 92 3/4 ton cheby with a 350, and its 3rd trans with only about 100 miles on it since i blew the old one up. ooopppss. anyway, at times i tow a dump trailer which can weigh 12000 lbs. you need to be very careful to not over heat the brakes. i have smoked the brakes to the point they no longer work and scared the stuff out of me.
This is alot different from my truck which can tow the same trailer and stop it in 1/2 the distance.

 

I did plan to start towing without exhaust brake: I just thought would be nice to have an option to add it later (if I need it). Unfortunately I do not have any friend with 6.0l PSD and Torqushift that I can check my self. The only guy that I know that pulls heavy (11.5k) has Duramax/Allison combo. After few trips across Rockies he added Banks exhaust brake (actually GM dealer installed it)…I think ’05 PSD is much better truck: looks like real truck, rides better and can pull more.

 

Ok my horse trailer weighs 9000+ fully loaded
I have a 03 F350 srw cc lb 4x4 with the 6.0 and torqshift and I live on the top ridge of the Santa Cruz mts. I regularly tow up and down Black rd which is 6 miles long and has an average grade of 10% [hits 15% in a few stretches]
the tranny holds my speed so well that I only have to use the brakes on the hairpins. Works for me.....

23000 miles on the rig and no problems so far

 

That's certainly a testament to the Torqshift. I don't think an exhaust brake is really necessary unless you are someone who loads your truck beyond the manufacturer's ratings.

 

This is very good info. Thanks Buzz. Can you also add what gear you use and what was speed at the bottom.

 

for the most part "D" although it is in either 1st or second gear and in tow haul. Black is a 1.5 lane twisty steep road I may hit 25 coming down loaded so 2nd gear max. there are 12 turns that exceed 180 degrees and 3 are darn near my minimum turning radius.

 

Sounds like time for a land luge skate board...yeeeehaa

 

I was reading last night some older posts on Torqshift. One interesting information was that December’s (’03) flash was disabling engine braking in 4th and 5th gear. Is that still valid or Ford fixed this issue?

 

If you are worried about the trans go here

http://www.jwtt.com/

GENE

 

My towing rig: '88 F350 4X2 crew cab dually w/ 7.3 IDI, C6 tranny, and 3.53 rear gear. I have towed my 40' Chaparral race trailer all over Calif, Arizona, and Nevada. I weighed once in Bakersfield and received a 21,450 LB weight slip. Yep, 21,450 total weight, i.e. truck & trailer. I've been up and down "the Grapevine, Cajon Pass, Baker Grade," and all the ups & downs between NHRA race tracks on the best coast and Orange County, So Calif. No exhaust brake, and or added assists. The 40' trialer does have electric brakes, and they 'usually' work... What ever gear it takes to get over the hill is usually what I use going down the other side. If the down side is not as steep as the upside, then I will go a gear over, or what holds the speed to a reasonable limit with out "excessive braking..." The '88 has disc front and drum rear brakes. Brake fire? Yes, ONCE only. Front calipers had a small wisp of flame emitting after a heavy/panic style at the bottom of the Grapevine. That stop was a last second decision to stop for breakfast at the Ranch House Inn, located at the bottom of the Grapevine, a 6%'er.

All the above 'bull scrap' to say that I do not anticipate any problems towing the same 40' trailer with a new '05 F350 4X2 6.0L, 5 sp automatic, and the Tow Command option. The built in trailer brake control has to be a quantum leap over the 'inertia' style controller on the '88 that was sporadic, and the retarder in the auto 5 sp tranny should also assist driving the ups and downs getting out of the So Cal basin. Truck is in the final $$ stage of negotiating a really good, deal???

Bottom Line: "IF" you drive correctly, you can tow with just about any combo. "IF" you do not drive with respect for your vehicle combination, whatever it may be, then 'we the others on the road,' are in trouble...

 

Sounds a lot like Tunitas Creek Rd off Skyline by 4 corners in La Honda!

 

Mine has been Dec flashed and it still has the tran brake, you need to tap a bit harder...but it is tstill there

 

Mine also has the Dec. '03 flash and 4-5 gear breaking is working.

 

The main difference I noted after the Dec '03 flash was that the TC no longer stays locked in 4th and 5th gear when you let off the throttle. The truck will now freewheel if over 45 MPH or so.

It takes an actual press of the brakes to lock the TC and a second press of the brakes to start the first downshift.

 

I am confused, at what speed, mine only freewheels below 30mph