98 4x4, 5.2L with just about every option in the book.

Dallas

Originally posted by StinkBug
98 4x4, 5.2L with just about every option in the book.

Dallas

Whatever the #, it's higher than the legitimate capability of the rig. Buddy of mine has one with a 5.9L. He tows a 26' lightweight camper. Towed weight is somewhere between 4 & 5,000 lbs. Pushes him all over the road. He's looking at 3/4 ton trucks now.


TEX

The '03 models are rated at 7500 pounds, but that seems like an awful lot for a 1/4 ton, short wheel base truck.

should be 7000#. You will be able to tow just fine. Make sure that you have decent trailer brakes and fine tune your tongue weight.

Travel trailers are very front-heavy and will push rigs quite a bit. Trailered jeeps are much easier to tow.

Originally posted by SeanP
Travel trailers are very front-heavy and will push rigs quite a bit. Trailered jeeps are much easier to tow.

I really wasn't all THAT comfortable towing a Jeep behind my 1/2 ton Z71, and it's a step up over a Durango. I'll stick by my recommendations of saying that even occasional towing still requires a MINIMUM of a full-size 1/2 ton truck/utility, 3/4 ton being ideal.


TEX

this would be a one time only trip to moab and back, and only if i can get permission to use said vehicle.

Dallas

Just take it slow and easy, lot of following distance too;)

Originally posted by StinkBug
this would be a one time only trip to moab and back, and only if i can get permission to use said vehicle.

Dallas

Okay, I thought we were talking about a potential purchase. Take it easy & slow as mentioned. And for God's sake, OD Off, OD Off, OD Off, OD Off - and yes, that includes when you're running on the flat or even downhill for miles at a time. OD Off, cannot stress that enough :)

OD OFF!!!

TEX

Originally posted by TEX


Okay, I thought we were talking about a potential purchase. Take it easy & slow as mentioned. And for God's sake, OD Off, OD Off, OD Off, OD Off - and yes, that includes when you're running on the flat or even downhill for miles at a time. OD Off, cannot stress that enough :)

OD OFF!!!

TEX

Tex..do you think it would be ok to use overdrive when towing?

































:flipoff2:

I had a 2000 and it towed my rig ok. Capacity is 6500 or 7000 if I remember correctly. Gas mileage sucked at around 9 mpg. Best thing I did was buy a weight distributing hitch, around $250. I didn't find the OD off in the manual, did I skip that page? Regardless I used it always, including a doxen trips up Jellico MTN in TN, maybe the 5.9 had enough power not to hunt for gears, dunno.

What I did like about the D was folding the seats down and sleeping in it. But from the day I traded it in for the big dog I have had a smile on my face when towing. Get a real truck if you can!

Originally posted by SpaceGhost
maybe the 5.9 had enough power not to hunt for gears, dunno.


Problem is, in any gear other than 1:1 the tranny will build heat. Jumping from 3-4, 4-3 makes it worse, but even if it STAYS in OD, it'll build heat. Dad fried the tranny in his 5.9 powered Ram towing just a 2-horse trailer :(

TEX

Originally posted by TEX


Problem is, in any gear other than 1:1 the tranny will build heat. Jumping from 3-4, 4-3 makes it worse, but even if it STAYS in OD, it'll build heat. Dad fried the tranny in his 5.9 powered Ram towing just a 2-horse trailer :(

TEX

Anytime the converter is NOT locked up they build lots of extra heat. Including when they are shifting since most unlock for this. I am not disputing your comments or experience but shifting to overdrive locks the converters. If your vehicle is in its power range I don't see how or why they would build anymore heat than 1:1.

On the Stroke it is instructed to tow in overdrive, I think because Ford wants the TQ locked to spare the junk they unloaded on us unsuspecting consumers! I know my new program that I am running locks it up immediately after the shift to 3rd, can you say 33lbs of boost!

Originally posted by SpaceGhost


Anytime the converter is NOT locked up they build lots of extra heat. Including when they are shifting since most unlock for this. I am not disputing your comments or experience but shifting to overdrive locks the converters. If your vehicle is in its power range I don't see how or why they would build anymore heat than 1:1.

Anytime you're not in 1:1, there's extra heat. That's true even of standard trannies. Extra friction. Now, if the vehicle is in its power range, that extra amount of heat isn't usually enough to cause a problem. But, I think that if you check the specs on a 5.9, you'll find that the peak torque is much closer to the RPM you'll be running in "Drive" than the RPM you'd be running in OD ;)



On the Stroke it is instructed to tow in overdrive, I think because Ford wants the TQ locked to spare the junk they unloaded on us unsuspecting consumers! I know my new program that I am running locks it up immediately after the shift to 3rd, can you say 33lbs of boost!

Most auto trannies will lock the torque converter up in 3rd as well as 4th. As for why you tow in OD with the Powerstroke, I would imagine that gearing puts you more in the 'stroke's power range. Ditto my 6.0L GMC. In "OD", I'm still churning along at 2,500 RPM's, so dropping to 3rd is really not necessary. With my old TH700 & Dad's 5.9 Ram, running in OD has us at LESS than 2 grand at Interstate speeds. Way below useful powerband for a smallblock (even if ideal for a diesel).


TEX

I have a 2000 Durango w/a 360, tows my CJ easy. We take it to the Badlands and made a trip to Moab for the EJS this year. My buddy with an 86 F250 4x4 and a built 351W couldn't keep up! Just keep the OD off and use a distributing hitch, like mentioned earlier.;)