Overdrive Towing Question
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 17,988
Likes: 207
From: La La Land
bojo,
I'd bet YOU didn't look in the Owner's Manual at all.
Do you even own one of these trucks?
Why do people come in here believing they have a license to spout off about things they know nothing about?
How do we expect to maintain the most factual information site when we tolerate this?
{/rant}
Pop
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,500
Likes: 14
From: South Carolina
Im going to put gauges on mine but I have many years of shop expierence working on 1 tons but my rule of thumb is OD off and keep it below 2500 rpm if it taks you a little longer to get there your tranny and exhaust valves will thank you. We all are guilty of pulling too much weight but if you tow it right you will be ok. During the summer I pull hay wagons that can be up to 20k up some big grades with no problems but I can only pull them to 35 or so since they steer and weeve and dont have brakes.
Now THAT makes me nervious and may be a bigger issue than OD of the transmission.
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,502
Likes: 2
From: Bend Oregon
The OP didn't state if he had any mods done to his truck, so "assuming"
stock tuning are EGT's that much of a concern? I have never towed with a stock truck and a pyro so I have no idea.
As to the towing/OD question...
I am on tranny #2 299,000 on truck. Stock trans sheared the input splines on the clutch drum at 220,000. I saw the clutches that came out of that transmission and they looked great, probably over 50% life left on them if I had measured. I always tow with the OD ON, unless the truck is hunting gears or starting to lug (lug=high EGT) then I turn off overdrive until I top the hill, headwind go's away, load falls off the trailer whatever.
So all in all Clay is money on. I have never seen my trans temps climb because it shifted in to OD, it get hot as heck when the torque converter doesn't lock so the only real concern with towing in OD is EGT's.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,515
Likes: 0
From: Jonestown PA
just some general observations and thoughts...
The OP didn't state if he had any mods done to his truck, so "assuming"
stock tuning are EGT's that much of a concern? I have never towed with a stock truck and a pyro so I have no idea.
As to the towing/OD question...
I am on tranny #2 299,000 on truck. Stock trans sheared the input splines on the clutch drum at 220,000. I saw the clutches that came out of that transmission and they looked great, probably over 50% life left on them if I had measured. I always tow with the OD ON, unless the truck is hunting gears or starting to lug (lug=high EGT) then I turn off overdrive until I top the hill, headwind go's away, load falls off the trailer whatever.
So all in all Clay is money on. I have never seen my trans temps climb because it shifted in to OD, it get hot as heck when the torque converter doesn't lock so the only real concern with towing in OD is EGT's.
The OP didn't state if he had any mods done to his truck, so "assuming"
stock tuning are EGT's that much of a concern? I have never towed with a stock truck and a pyro so I have no idea.
As to the towing/OD question...
I am on tranny #2 299,000 on truck. Stock trans sheared the input splines on the clutch drum at 220,000. I saw the clutches that came out of that transmission and they looked great, probably over 50% life left on them if I had measured. I always tow with the OD ON, unless the truck is hunting gears or starting to lug (lug=high EGT) then I turn off overdrive until I top the hill, headwind go's away, load falls off the trailer whatever.
So all in all Clay is money on. I have never seen my trans temps climb because it shifted in to OD, it get hot as heck when the torque converter doesn't lock so the only real concern with towing in OD is EGT's.
I'm alittle lost on the high EGT and OD thing. What would high EGT's in OD have anything to do with tranny temps when the converter is locked in OD? I know when climbing a hill in OD, when the EGT's go up to high, I take it out of OD. Tranny temps hardly move. Just tring to learn me something thats all.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,292
Likes: 6
From: Ardenvoir, Washington
Jeremy, I think the point they are trying to make is, it is more important to worry about EGT's when driving in OD cuz might will cause damage to the engine pistons and turbo first..before hurting the trans, without watching your gauges..and I agree. This would be extra important if you are using a tuner or chips, which increase these temps a bunch.
Freshman User
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 44
Likes: 1
here is a wagon and my truck and this isnt a full load
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Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,500
Likes: 14
From: South Carolina
I understand that you do what you have to do.
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 2,365
Likes: 0
From: IOWA
What do you know Mark! 
No offense to the OP, but use common sense. If the truck is lugging up the hills in OD, or seaching for gears all the time, lock it out of OD. If you don't have hills and are just cruising down the highway with a "light load" like that, you should have no problem with running in OD.
Our 30' flatbed alone weighs 7500# and when empty I set the cruise and let it go. If I put a tractor on it (~12,000#), I gotta be more attentive and actually 'drive' the truck.
No offense to the OP, but use common sense. If the truck is lugging up the hills in OD, or seaching for gears all the time, lock it out of OD. If you don't have hills and are just cruising down the highway with a "light load" like that, you should have no problem with running in OD.
Our 30' flatbed alone weighs 7500# and when empty I set the cruise and let it go. If I put a tractor on it (~12,000#), I gotta be more attentive and actually 'drive' the truck.
Super Moderator
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 29,380
Likes: 118
From: Central Coast of CA
Yet you still did. And you posted bad info. Because you have no clue about these transmissions.
Thanks Marv for saying it better than I could.
Stewart
Junior User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
{rant}
bojo,
I'd bet YOU didn't look in the Owner's Manual at all.
Do you even own one of these trucks?
Why do people come in here believing they have a license to spout off about things they know nothing about?
How do we expect to maintain the most factual information site when we tolerate this?
{/rant}
Pop
bojo,
I'd bet YOU didn't look in the Owner's Manual at all.
Do you even own one of these trucks?
Why do people come in here believing they have a license to spout off about things they know nothing about?
How do we expect to maintain the most factual information site when we tolerate this?
{/rant}
Pop
I've built enough trannys to know that towing in overdrive is a BIG problem for many, I did not say it was for this one, simply suggested looking where it counts.
I'm curious what exactly your point is. Are you ticked because you think that your so good that somebody can't suggest looking in the owners manual, but should do it FOR you?
Maybe your point is that having seen failures in many overdrive trannys, and not owning one of these particular ones, doesn't make me good enough to have the temerity to suggest that you look in your owners manual. (what a sin)
Going by what the guy that claims to have been a ford tranny engineer sez, it tends to appear that these don't suffer the maladies that many do.
That said, it still doesn't make me out of place to suggest looking at owners manual. Admittedly, I suspected otherwise, BUT I DID NOT STATE IT AS FACT.
I'll tell you one way you'll get better info in here, not pulling stuff like this.
Junior User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
I did no such thing, take reading comprehension 101.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 17,988
Likes: 207
From: La La Land
That's right, I didn't. Further, I never spouted false info either. I simply suggested checking owners manual. No, I don't own one of these trucks.
I've built enough trannys to know that towing in overdrive is a BIG problem for many, I did not say it was for this one, simply suggested looking where it counts.
I'm curious what exactly your point is. Are you ticked because you think that your so good that somebody can't suggest looking in the owners manual, but should do it FOR you?
Maybe your point is that having seen failures in many overdrive trannys, and not owning one of these particular ones, doesn't make me good enough to have the temerity to suggest that you look in your owners manual. (what a sin)
Going by what the guy that claims to have been a ford tranny engineer sez, it tends to appear that these don't suffer the maladies that many do.
That said, it still doesn't make me out of place to suggest looking at owners manual. Admittedly, I suspected otherwise, BUT I DID NOT STATE IT AS FACT.
I'll tell you one way you'll get better info in here, not pulling stuff like this.
I've built enough trannys to know that towing in overdrive is a BIG problem for many, I did not say it was for this one, simply suggested looking where it counts.
I'm curious what exactly your point is. Are you ticked because you think that your so good that somebody can't suggest looking in the owners manual, but should do it FOR you?
Maybe your point is that having seen failures in many overdrive trannys, and not owning one of these particular ones, doesn't make me good enough to have the temerity to suggest that you look in your owners manual. (what a sin)
Going by what the guy that claims to have been a ford tranny engineer sez, it tends to appear that these don't suffer the maladies that many do.
That said, it still doesn't make me out of place to suggest looking at owners manual. Admittedly, I suspected otherwise, BUT I DID NOT STATE IT AS FACT.
I'll tell you one way you'll get better info in here, not pulling stuff like this.
Reading a couple of your other posts, you apparently have a history of this, as you are being taken to task in other forums for the same kind of thing. An example:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...ml#post9069021
and another:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...ml#post9067926
and another:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...ml#post9067895
You begin here with zero credibility. Good start, bojo68.
Pop
Junior User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
By all means, don't address the problems you raised, just change the subject and avoid your own problem. Why am I not surprised?
We do have one thing common, lack of respect.
I'll give you a break though, the more people like you I run into here, the less I'll be here.
We do have one thing common, lack of respect.
I'll give you a break though, the more people like you I run into here, the less I'll be here.
I'll not waste further time on you beyond this, but bojo68, I WILL remember your screen name as one who spouts things about which he knows nothing.
Reading a couple of your other posts, you apparently have a history of this, as you are being taken to task in other forums for the same kind of thing. An example:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...ml#post9069021
and another:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...ml#post9067926
You begin here with zero credibility. Good start, bojo68.
Po
Reading a couple of your other posts, you apparently have a history of this, as you are being taken to task in other forums for the same kind of thing. An example:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...ml#post9069021
and another:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...ml#post9067926
You begin here with zero credibility. Good start, bojo68.
Po