I'm gonna be towing a 7500lb excavator with a 1500-2000lb. trailer. I don't tow too often (my truck's a daily driver) and when I do its just a flat boat or 3-4000lb. bay boat. My grandpa insists that I should disable the overdrive while towing a large load such as the excavator. Are his concerns valid?

possible helpful info:

2003 2wd 85,000 Miles
I live in SE Louisiana (no hills)

Thanks in advance,

Rhodester

 

quick response that will probably get me into trouble: if the power response to towing that load is OK and the temps aren't going haywire, then OD is oK.

I have a handshaker so this may not apply to you.

 

I agree ... Ford design this truck to TOW.. leave in OD unless the trans starts going back and forth between OD and 3rd gears.. only then turn off the OD until you get more on level roadway.. I been towing a 8k trailer on my 99 for 10 years now.. in OD.. no problem yet.!!

 

DO you have gauges? If not the take it out of overdrive, if so then just watch your EGT's.

 

LOOK in your owners manual, I'd BET it says DO NOT USE overdrive towing.

 

You can use OD. The only way its going to hurt is if its searching for the right rear and that creates heat. Our trannys don't like to much heat for to long of time. I tow our 10K TT in overdrive all the time, but I am doing at least 55MPH when I let it go into OD.

 

go into any tranny shop and ask them about towing in overdrive.

 

I have towed in OD since purchasing it new in 2001.
I pull a gooseneck trailer about once a month. ( My friends could not believe it when i cut a large hole in the bed of a new truck for the GN plate).

 

I just read my 99 owner's manual for "driving while your tow" .. It does not say anything about not using OD while towing.. It only states to use a lower gear when towing up or down steep hills and the trans is designed to do this automatically... But, I do agree you should have the proper gauges EGT and trans temp while towing heavy loads..

 

and there going to tell you somethings wrong so then you spend money in there shop. When I tow IN OD my tranny temps are about 160*. Now a tranny shop cann't tell me thats going to hurt anything even in OD. As long as its not down shifting up shifting down shifting.......... you will be fine.

 

I can't speak to these particular trannys, but generally, there were a LOT of trannys, especially the NV4500, that would loose it in overdrive. It could be that these are fine, but I still say generally, best be watching damn close.

 

Your missing the point guys, in this case it isn't so much about the tranny as the engine EGT's.

 

There are far too many of us on here that tow comparable loads to the one in the original post in OD for many thousands of miles each year. If you have good gauges and you stay below 200-210 and the tranny isn't hunting around, then OD is fine. Now most of us have gauges, at LEAST an auxiliary cooler and a beefed up Valvebody, but you most certainly can tow with these trucks in OD all day long. Just watch the temps.
I have a 7700lb 29ft travel trailer that I pulled over 1000 miles round trip last year in late July in the middle of a heat wave with temps 90+ all week long to RRE in the mountains of Tn. 95+% of that mileage was spent in OD. I also have a three horse bumper pull trailer that I haul quite frequently 5-6 times a month, loaded down with horses and tack, and that is in OD. I also haul a Bobcat 873 on a dual axle trailer from time to time, yep you guessed it in OD. Just keep the temps good and you will be fine.

 

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.

 

I'll bet you're wrong.