California Bass Fishing Forum

09-24-2011 02:24 AM

scottyj

Re: Towing your boat. Was Boat Carpet Cleaning Question??? Long!!

Well Bill I feel ur pain. I've done a lot of thinking on what my next vehicle would be and came to the same conclusion as you. I would like something enclosed like an SUV but with the power/durability of a deisel powertrain. As of now the only options I could come up with is to buy a used Ford Excursion or build something custom. Good luck.

Scott

09-23-2011 05:17 PM

b2customrods

Re: Towing your boat. Was Boat Carpet Cleaning Question??? Long!!

I do have the tow haul switch and do you use it. I have over 750,00 miles driving all over our country in a big rig and I do know a thing or two about towing and what gears to use.

Here is the thing you guys amy or may not know on your tranny's. Automagic tranny downsifts by demand or by how much foot you have in it. It upshifts by a set programing for the electronic tranny's. The tow haul mode changes that programing allowing the tranny to stay in a lower gear longer or to a higher rpm to use the upper power band to tow.

You should not need to manually shift to a lower gear if your transmission is working properly. As the demand for power goes up the tranny will unlock the convertor drop to third gear and if that isnt enough it will drop to 2nd gear. The unlocking of the convertor you will notice when accelerating in OD on the freeway.

Going down hill there is no demand so it will stay in gear unless you manually shift it. I usually manually shift down one gear and use stab breaking for speed control and also to save on brakes. I usually only have to stab the breaks once or twice and can cruise down a hill without pressing on the brakes to often I f I do then I slow down a little more. Always drop 5 mph when stab breaking and wait for it to go back up 5 mph then stab again.

In the case of my tranny it was slipping OD on straight and level driving it always comes out of OD going up hill just like it should.

I went by my buddies shop to see what condition the tranny was in. The 2nd and 4th gear (OD) band was trash and it had scored the clutch drum to a point that it needs to be replaced. Some of the gears were in bad shape also. So there was some real issues going on with it. So now the 2nd and 3rd gear band is another 25% wider. The clutch pack has 9 clutches now instead of 6. One bearing was swapped for a heaver wider bearing from Ford. Shifting is changed to a much better firm shift for 2nd to 3rd. Some other HD parts were swapped out. So this tranny should hold up with all the neat little tricks you can do with the 4L60E. The one I had in my 98 Z28 was tricked out even more with cross drilling the clutch pack drum and changing to blue plate clutches (racing clutch plates) I never had an issue with that tranny once it was tricked out.

Now if you have a 3/4 ton truck there are no worries as you probably have the 4L80E but if you have a 1500 series IMHO opinion that you will have issues if you tow allot. My tranny towed my race car and now my boat and I dont think these newer electronic tranny's will hold up long when you get closer to 5000lbs using a 1500 series GM vehicle.

Next tow vehicle will be a used 2500HD Diesel or a F250 Diesel 2WD unless GM and Ford come out with the 1/2 ton 4.5L Diesel they were planning on building but put it on the back burner.

09-23-2011 12:05 PM

scott h

Re: Towing your boat. Was Boat Carpet Cleaning Question??? Long!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by backseatk

why are you towing in the hills w/ uphill grades w/ the over drive on.......?????

+1, if you do not have the tow haul option on your Yukon then you should manually shift down to the next lower gear, I have a gmc seirra 04 with the tow haul option and the only time I tow in o.d. is on flatland freeways any type of incline or even a decline I either shift down or use tow option.I have70 grand on it all towing and the only problem I have is the fuel economy but it is paid for and I figure I can afford alot of gas versus another truck payment.

09-23-2011 11:39 AM

backseatk

Re: Towing your boat. Was Boat Carpet Cleaning Question??? Long!!

why are you towing in the hills w/ uphill grades w/ the over drive on.......?????

09-22-2011 07:34 AM

Greg Cornish

Re: Towing your boat. Was Boat Carpet Cleaning Question??? Long!!

Lol, touché, I'm going to quit while I'm behind. If I see you stranded on the road I'll tow your boat for you.

09-22-2011 07:21 AM

JIGS

Re: Towing your boat. Was Boat Carpet Cleaning Question??? Long!!

09-22-2011 12:11 AM

b2customrods

Re: Towing your boat. Was Boat Carpet Cleaning Question??? Long!!

ah no your van is one of the ugliest vans ever produced. I wouldnt drive anything that Kate + 8 drives LOL!!

Lets get the tranny issue setled. There are trannies then there are Tranny's. The later is mounted behind a engine. Trannies get mounted from behind and usually are attracted to people driving vans

09-21-2011 11:39 PM

Greg Cornish

Re: Towing your boat. Was Boat Carpet Cleaning Question??? Long!!

My van is a chick magnet. I can't keep them away. And stay away from, those trannies. People will start to wonder about you.

09-21-2011 11:05 PM

b2customrods

Re: Towing your boat. Was Boat Carpet Cleaning Question??? Long!!

No offense Greg but those vans to me are just butt ugly. They look so top heavy and besides that I would never own a van. Large SUV or Pickup for me.

I can see why you got one though. If I was wheelchair dependent I would have to go with either what you got or a van.

I looked into a conversion for my Yukon but **** I could save a bunch of cash by just buying a used 2500HD 4X2

Now if GM would produce the 4.5L Diesel they were working on for there 1500 series trucks and SUV's man I would be all over that!!!!

Regardless for me to buy another GM vehicle it would have to be a diesel! I refuse to buy anymore GM gas powered vehicles. I have had it with them putting in cheaper components to save money only to have customers have to constantly repair the crap there putting out. You dont put a cheap 4L60E tranny behind a 325hp stock Z28 Camaro and dont get me going about the Corvette. I cant imagin the issues one would have with a 1/2 ton 4X4 if they drove it and used like a truck instead of some street queen.

09-21-2011 10:15 PM

Greg Cornish

Re: Towing your boat. Was Boat Carpet Cleaning Question??? Long!!

Towed my 4000 lb pontoon with a lot of wind resistance over 4000 miles last year over the Rockies, through Yellowstone, Badlands, Black hills and back without a hitch with my 08 Sprinter. They are a 3.0 6 cylinder diesel. It never overheated and never slipped. Great for security as they are enclosed and tinted windows. I can stop with my pontoon on a 30 degree hill and start without a problem. 5 speed transmission. Cargo vans or light duty 3/4 or 1 ton and assembled in South Carolina.

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