I know I should buy a diesel but I cant afford the extra $,$$$

I'm towing with a 93 Chevy 35000 Dullay w/ a 454TBI and it sucks. It sucks towing up hills.... about 45mph, It sucks gas about 7mpg towing.

I'm looking at the new '02 Dodge Ram Ext.Cab 4X4 with 5.9L Gas with a towing capacity of 8,250lbs. Who has actually towed with one??????

Thanks

If you don't like your 454 then I doubt that you would like a 5.9 L Dodge. My dodge tows light weight trailers fine up or down, but put something heavy behind it and I can't keep up with my friends 454, not by a long shot. Whenever I'm towing, I'm wishing I had bought the ¾ ton diesel.

I agree, if you are going to keep towing keep that 454. Mileage will suck but it should pull alot better than a 5.9 gasser. I tow my CJ or Toy with my 1500 gasser and it does ok, pulls hills alright but it has to be down in 2nd gear and really revving. I can't imagine how towing could possibly improve by going to a smaller engine. Maybe there is something wrong with your 454 or your gearing is way off compared to your tire size?

I tow with my 360 Magnum (5.9L).

It has never had a problem towing even 14,000lb GCVW. Just needs a better radiator and a highflow fan to keep cooler.

Last trip, I was coming up the vantage hill from the columbia river going west. Anyone that left the NWRCA and went toward seattle, knows what kind of bitch that hill is.) Towing 7,000lbs behind my 6,000lb 1500 dodge, I was able to pull the hill doing 55mph in 2nd gear. Engine just got REAL warm. But, the two RV's behind me only were able to pull 35mph, and I was able to accelerate up the hill..... sorta.

Now climbing that hill out... I got 6.5mpg. (oh yeah, my 1500 has 31.6" tires and 3.92 gears, if I continue to tow with it like this, I'll prob ably get 4.20 or so, to drop the RPMS in the sweet spot for towing at 60-70mph on steep hills)

For towing a trailer and jeep around, its not too bad, it tows better than a ford F250 does, even a diesel. (so said the diesel F250 owner that was riding with me towing 6,500lbs) Catch is... you can't be afraid to push the engine HARD.

I had a 5.9 in my 96 2500hd
upgrade the computer add duel exhaust and a k&n filter. You will have enough power to tow what ever you want. It pulled just as good or probably better than my 8.0 That I have now.

Originally posted by digem
I had a 5.9 in my 96 2500hd
upgrade the computer add duel exhaust and a k&n filter. You will have enough power to tow what ever you want. It pulled just as good or probably better than my 8.0 That I have now.

How much of an improvement did you get on the dual exhaust? Like totally noticeable and nite and day difference? Also.. how did it affect your engine compression brakeing?

My truck is stock exhaust 1500 360 V8, Automatic. The engine normally has enough compression to force me to accelerate down mountain passes (even some 7% grades) while towing a 7,000lb trailer, otherwise I slow down. I don't want to loose that, its nice knowing you don't have to use the brakes. :)

Originally posted by twaldher


How much of an improvement did you get on the dual exhaust? Like totally noticeable and nite and day difference? Also.. how did it affect your engine compression brakeing?

My truck is stock exhaust 1500 360 V8, Automatic. The engine normally has enough compression to force me to accelerate down mountain passes (even some 7% grades) while towing a 7,000lb trailer, otherwise I slow down. I don't want to loose that, its nice knowing you don't have to use the brakes. :)

What sort of mileage do you get towing that 7000 lb trailer? I'm considering towing my old Powerwagon (6500 lbs counting the car dolly) to Ram Jam next month with my '99 1500, 5.9 auto and 3.54 gears, and I'm curious what sorta mileage I'll get.

The exhaust didn't seam to efect the copresion braking at all. As for preformance I think the complete set had more power than my 99 v10 so if the computer gives 25hp and k&n 15hp thats still at least 25hp in the exhaust.

Originally posted by tv_larsen


What sort of mileage do you get towing that 7000 lb trailer? I'm considering towing my old Powerwagon (6500 lbs counting the car dolly) to Ram Jam next month with my '99 1500, 5.9 auto and 3.54 gears, and I'm curious what sorta mileage I'll get.

Well... I'll have a better idea of true fuel economy after memorial weekend. I'll be towing it on more level ground between tank fill-ups. I think I'll pull 11mpg cruising at 70mph, but won't know till I try.

The last pull was up a very steep, long grade. The RV's, some empty could pull no more than 35mph making it up the thing. I
did 55mph, floored most the time, in 2nd gear, got 6.5mpg.

I have 3.92 gears w/ 31.6" tires, do know how much of a difference that makes compared to 3.54 gears and the same size tires.

I got the K&N, when I find money I'll go for the dual exhaust.

i have 3.55 gears in mine and tow on the highway with the OD off. this puts my RPMs at between 2500 and 3000. the 360 Magnum makes peak torque at around 3200 RPM. i have upgraded the transmission (49rh), added remote tranny filter and aux cooler, installed K&N drop-in filter, and a Random Technology Catalytic Converter. i have no problems pulling 6-7K lbs on the highway at 75mph all day long. matt

Ever consider adding a tranny temp gauge? I have thought about it. But can't find out what "normal" is temperature wise for those trannys. Let alone what hot is.

yeah, i have the b+m gauge in my 96 ram. works good.. it tells you the temps.. but my tranny guy bypassed the factory cooler, so i normally dont get over 160.. if not sitting at 110... does anyone know how bad that is?
Also, has anyone towed with a reg cab short bed 318 ram? Right now i have 3.55 gears and 33".. i think i need 4.56 gears.. anyone know if dodge put 3.90 gears in rams with the 318? Also, i had to keep it in second gear doing the grapevine this past weekend.. i was accelerating the whole way.. but my engine got up to an easy 245-250*... not where iw ant it to be...

Originally posted by PW
yeah, i have the b+m gauge in my 96 ram. works good.. it tells you the temps.. but my tranny guy bypassed the factory cooler, so i normally dont get over 160.. if not sitting at 110... does anyone know how bad that is?
Also, has anyone towed with a reg cab short bed 318 ram? Right now i have 3.55 gears and 33".. i think i need 4.56 gears.. anyone know if dodge put 3.90 gears in rams with the 318? Also, i had to keep it in second gear doing the grapevine this past weekend.. i was accelerating the whole way.. but my engine got up to an easy 245-250*... not where iw ant it to be...

Mine did the same thing. I have looked at electric fans, but realistically I would need a 3-5,000cfm pressure drop rated fan. They gottem, only $600 or so. (That and I'de sound like a chinook) A 4 core radiator and new fan clutch I think is in order.

Myself... with my tires and gears, pulling that grade out of vantage. I have considered dropping down to 4.20's or so.

did u read my earlier post on my 1/2 ton dodge am with the 5.9

it ran good but frame weak i dont know how many times i had to weldon my rearframe.. the hitch was beng ripped off the frame..
the frme stareted to crack on the bottom etc..


wont buy another dodge!`

Which post... there's like 16, none talking about frame damage in teh subject line.


how much were you towing to cause that? How much tongue weight?

btw - instead of dual exaust... thinking cat-back custom 3-3.5" exhuast. shouldn't run in to any legal problems with emissions and flow just as much air as a dual. All for about $250 or so. hmmmmmmm.......

i think some of the factory hitches have been recalled...i have a Draw-Tite and love it!

PW, try turning your OD off.


here is a link to trans fluid temp vs. fluid life:

http://www.niehoff.com/techtips/trans.html

Originally posted by jeepnmatt
i think some of the factory hitches have been recalled...i have a Draw-Tite and love it!

PW, try turning your OD off.


here is a link to trans fluid temp vs. fluid life:

http://www.niehoff.com/techtips/trans.html

When you say.. OD off. Are you refering to his overheating problem? Or just his towing in general. The overheating (running hot) problems isn't OD's fault. I blame Dodges stock 1 CORE radiator, and maybe a bad clutch fan.

I'll have to double check my receiver. But last couple times I have been under there, I've seen no signs of fatigue at the frame.

Oh... thats when the fluid breaks down. But I also have been told.. that cold tranny fluid can be just as hard on teh tranny. Thats why I was also wondering how cold is too cold.

Originally posted by jeepnmatt
i think some of the factory hitches have been recalled...i have a Draw-Tite and love it!


I have one of those hitches. The recall added a reinforcing bracket on each side of the hitch to the frame. I have no worrys about exceeding my hitches' limit with my 1/2 ton.

What years did that recall cover?

You can go here to check TSBs on your Dodge.
http://www.dodgeram.org/tech/tsb/index.html

The hitch specifically was for '98-'00.
http://www.dodgeram.org/tech/tsb/recalls/recall_872/recall_872.htm

http://www.dodgeram.org/tech/tsb/recalls/recall_872/Hitch.jpg

ok.. I normally dont even get my truck's tranny up to 160*... when i do, it is after driving for over an hour at a constant speed... in commuter traffic (30 miles each way) i normally sit at 120*.. I have hit 220 3 times in 9k miles.. rocking the truck when it was stuck, something else, and haulin up the gapevine in second gear (and the OD was off too.. all that button does is lock up the torque converter in 3rd insted of 4th)... So I dunno... and also dont know what type of hitch to buy.. a class IV Draw Tie, or Reece? What about for trailer breaks? Also, should my ram beable to tow a 7000# truck on a 1500# flatbed trailer.. and will i need a load stablizer? lookin into trading work for a flatbed trailer right now.. and we'll see how it goes (my truck didnt come with the tow package)

Garrett

i'll look at my hitch at lunch time, but its a Draw-tite and i think its a class IV or V. i also run a Draw-Tite Activator 2 brake controller and absolutely love it! i have used quite a few others, and this one is by far the best. hopefully, i'll get a chance to install my tranny temp gauge this weekend and we'll be able to compare note on temps. matt

ok cooling the Dodge. I went and found a 18" electric fan off a 97 Crown Vic. (Mechanic buddy told me he worked on one. as soon as the electric fan came on.. it pulled enough air to stop the clutch fan that is also on those cars, and actually spin the clutch fan backwards slowly! :eek: )

Problem.... would be nice to find a place for a temp sensor. 96 Magnum V8 360. is there two ports on the thermostat housing? I know there is already a sensor there. any other ideas where to put the sensor?

Thanks.