I have a 1994 F-150 supercab with a 351W & automatic transmission. I am pulling a 25 foot travel trailer on weekends. Any ideas on how I can get a little more pulling power without spending tons of money ???
The rear axle is a limited slip 3.08.....

 

Chang gears,3.08's suck for towing.Be sure you're towing in D not OD.Towing in OD with 3.08 gears will ruin the tranny.A gear change would be the cheapest most effective way to help with towing.With the OD tranny you could go 3.73's. 3.55 will not be much of an improvement and 4.11 would not be good for a daily driver.If you only use the truck to tow on weekends I would go 4.11.

Billy

 

Yes I suggest a gear change and maybe some headers and dual exhuast, and a K&N filter
Chase

1979 F-250 4x4
71 460 Holley650, MSD OFFROAD, L&L Headers
C6-B&M Transpack
Dana HD44Front/60Rear
35 inch Goodyear Implement Tires
4 inch Skyjacker System
Much more to come

 

How much does this thing weigh? Two reasons for this question: Are you still within your vehicle's towing capacity, and does the trailer actually pull your truck?:-staun Remember, you have to account for the loaded weight of your truck when calculating how much you can safely pull in a trailer.
First, put in some real gears, something made for pulling, 3.73's or 4.11's. That will make a world of difference, more than any chip or bolt-on will ever do. Never pull in OD w/ 3.08's with any sort of weight behind you, especially if you hit hills. You'll also want a tranny cooler and maybe an engine oil cooler, especially if you're towing in hills.
Next, do some suspension work to make the truck better suited for that much weight. Even if your truck has the 7700lbs tow package, think about air bags or other leveling devices, and maybe some break upgrades.
Then, a turbo or supercharger.
Make sure that you have the right truck for the trailer you're pulling, then worry about beffing it up. In my opinion, half ton trucks weren't made for any more weight in a trailer than 4500lbs, and that's assuming it came with the 7700 lbs towing package. Because your truck had 3.08's, I'm assuming it doesn't have the tow package. The capacity of a truck is the whole picture from powertrain to suspension, not just brute strength. You can have 1000HP at your command, but you won't have any more towing capacity than a stock half ton because the suspension is still the same.
Hope this helps,
Ben

 

The trailer weighs 5000 pounds empty, 7000 pounds loaded...it pulls O.K. in the flat lands of South Texas, but I want to take it to Colorado... Will A 3.73 give me what I need to pull the "big hills" ???

 

They'll do okay if you like pulling up hills at 35 mph, which is all the more you'll get with the small block Windsor and that much weight. Don't be disappointed, this is a fact of life, and there is nothing wrong with poking up a hill.
More importantly, I would not advise pulling that much weight with an F150, and in fact I advise against it. That sort of load is what the 3/4 ton was made for. Have you noticed that your bed sags a bit when you hook up?
But, since I can't convince you to buy a bigger truck, here's what you've got to do. Make sure you have a good quality tranny cooler. This is a must, you CANNOT skimp on this if you're pulling that much weight with an automatic. Also, if the fluid hasn't been changed recently, get it changed. You may also consider an engine oil cooler because the Windsor is going to heat up. Also make sure that all of your hoses are in good shape, no coolant leaks, and a working temp guage.
Here's what you have to consider: Your trailer is 7,000lbs, right? How much does your truck weigh dry? 6000lbs? How many people are you taking? 150-600lbs? Two full tanks of gas? 114lbs? Luggage? Misc junk and snacks? Point is, you're pulling 14,000lbs with a half ton truck!
Just my oppinion. Can you do it, probably. Should you, no.
Later,
Ben

 

>Here's what you have to consider: Your trailer is 7,000lbs,
>right? How much does your truck weigh dry? 6000lbs? How many
>people are you taking? 150-600lbs? Two full tanks of gas?
>114lbs? Luggage? Misc junk and snacks? Point is, you're
>pulling 14,000lbs with a half ton truck!
>Just my oppinion. Can you do it, probably. Should you, no.
>Later,
>Ben


GCVWR for that truck is around 11,500lbs max. That's the weight of the truck, fuel, accessories, cargo, tongue weight, trailer and it's cargo, everything. The F-150 is a "light duty" truck. The limiting factor is the frame. Change the rear end to a 3.55 or a 4.10 adding a tranny and engine oil cooler, and your truck's GCVWR will still be 11,500lbs. But your truck will pull it much easier and will live longer. If you overload the truck, all bets are off.

 

Dan summed up what I'm trying to say. Like I said in another post, you can put a 700hp 460 stroker into a half ton, but you haven't increased that trucks towing capacity. It's still a half ton.
I have a pic somewhere of a half ton that a guy was using to pull a 5er around, and it split his frame, litterally. I'll dig it out if you want.
Later,
Ben