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Suggestion's for upgrade's for Heavy 5th wheel towing?

GreenRiverCummins
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AH64ID

AH64ID

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I'm going to suggest a different route and say gear swap!!!

 

If your already at 30psi and 1150° adding hp isn't going to do much but add heat and you don't have a lot of room left for more air or fuel. I am surprised you are pushing 1150° with stock fueling and 30 psi thou. You might be able to squeak a little more power out, but you won't run cooler.

 

4.10's will give you an additional 16% torque to the rear wheels.

 

I haven't seen the pic's but I'll call BS on the 1500, the rear tires wouldn't hold the weight nor would the axle.. let alone the frame or suspension. Could it have been a 2500?? Same body panels.

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Mopar1973Man

Mopar1973Man

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I tend to agree with AH64ID about the gearing. It would really wake up any rig changing from 3.55 to 4.10 gears in the axle(s). Now ol' CajFlynn has been using 3.73 gears for towing and enjoyed them for the life of his 2001 Dodge till it finally gave it last breathe at 1.3 million. (Vehicle accident)

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AH64ID

AH64ID

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I tend to agree with AH64ID about the gearing. It would really wake up any rig changing from 3.55 to 4.10 gears in the axle(s). Now ol' CajFlynn has been using 3.73 gears for towing and enjoyed them for the life of his 2001 Dodge till it finally gave it last breathe at 1.3 million. (Vehicle accident)

 

I honestly didn't know 3.73's where an option for those axles. Has to be aftermarket, 3.73's were not OEM until 2003 with the AAM axle.

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diesel4life

diesel4life

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There are a few companies that make the 3.73 Gears for the Dodge Dana axles but your right they are not OEM.

I would love to have a set, I hate my 3.55s but have also had 4.10s in a 2nd gen and they are just a tad too low for my needs. I loved the towing mileage with them compared to 3.55s but empty mileage tanked compared to the 3.55s I have now. Being my empty/loaded miles are pretty close to equal the 4.10s would not be worth the cost to change unless I could find someone willing to swap me straight up, in which case I would probably do it just to ease the strain on the drive train and compensate for my 285/75/17s. 3.73 Would be the perfect combo gear but the price for a 4wheel drive pick up makes it hard to justify the cost unless you work your truck for a living like Caj. I'm sure in his case the gears paid for themselves once or twice over with the miles he put on that truck.

Hopefully Caj is ok? I'm sorry to hear he lost his truck, I bet he had some good memories and saw some really neat stuff behind the wheel of that ol' rig.

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AH64ID

AH64ID

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I'd like something in the 3.90 range..

 

Honestly I really like 3.73's and my 245/70R19.5's in 5th, and all the other gears could be a little lower. I am not sure I want 5th lower, as it's pretty aweseome at 45-65 when loaded.

 

I guess that's why Dodge went with the low ratio's in the G56 AD. They where about 6% lower than a NV5600 in all gears but 5th, so it was the best of both 3.73 and 4.10 worlds.

 

And there is where I throw in my usual rant about wanting  a 7 speed with two OD's and .85:1 and a .68:1.

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MnTom

MnTom

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Just remember the final ratio isn't any different.

 

6 speed - 0.73:1 (6th gear)

5 speed - 0.75:1 (5th gear)

 

6 Speed - 1:1 (5th Gear)

5 Speed - 1:1 (4th Gear)

True. First, second, and third shift fine for power, but the difference between third and O/D is quite dramatic.

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Mopar1973Man

Mopar1973Man

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You aren't finding roads with enough curves :D

 

Try Goose Creek grade from New Meadows to McCall (7% grade). Last trip up that I still had zero problems. 4th gear all the way up towing the RV. Very rarely have I touched 3rd gear. Whitebird grade again 7% grade pull in 4th gear no sweat. Lewiston ID grade another 7% grade pull it again in 4th gear. 

 

https://goo.gl/maps/C9oQa

 

Here is going down Goose Creek.

 

Tow this up Goose creek in 4th also easy as pie! Close to 7,000# worth of trailer if not more...

post-1-0-09951400-1410738050.jpg

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diesel4life

diesel4life

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Without trying to sound argumentative or derailing this thread from it's original content, there really is no argument as to the advantages of more gears in a transmission. Why is it the 5 Speed was eliminated after 2002? And why did they go from a 4 Speed to a 6 speed in the automatics (and in some cases 8 speed) Yes the Cummins has the torque to manage moderate loads like you or I pull with the wider spaced gear ratios but more gears will always keep an engine closer to it's peak power curve and allow it to operate more efficiently. Easier to get away with with loads under 10k but with the higher tow ratings of trucks within the last 8-10 years a 5 Speed wouldn't survive and be nearly as reliable as they are in the older trucks.

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Mopar1973Man

Mopar1973Man

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Diesel4life is right to a respect being if we where all playing with bone stock trucks (235/460 at flywheel or 245/505 at the flywheel). Then you would have a way different playing field, where my truck would spend most of its time in 3rd gear pulling grades. I will admit it would be nice to have a 6 speed in the mountain pulling really heavy 5th wheel like Hex0rz because of the shear weight and mass of that beast. I will admit also the 3rd to 4th jump on a 5 speed give very little room for crossing form gear to gear. Where yes on a 6 speed it would be easier with 3rd and 4th overlapped. But the fact remain flat running of either the 5 or 6 speed transmission isn't going to change a huge amount being the final ratios are so close on there last two gears. But if I was to be a CajFlynn hotshotter and towing day in and out I would look at a 6 speed hard core. But recreational towing like RV's or toy trailer I'd be still opting for the 5 speed.

 

Without trying to sound argumentative or derailing this thread from it's original content

 

I always love being stab with a stick... :poke:

 

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