Improve towing performance: gears, tires, or different truck?
#16
Which is why in 5 or so years I will likely get another one, even if it doesn't make the most sense financially! It will be my reward for being financially smart for 43 years!
#17
#19
Or the other side of the coin, spending 1500 bucks on gears would help make a nice down payment on a newer truck.
The 6spd transmission alone is a huge gain in "tightening the gap" as you say it.
FWIW my 2014 5.0 gets 10.5 to 11mpg while towing 7k+ and has lifetime averaged 18.3 (daily driven, plus towing)
I have heavy towed with both of my 2003 4.6 trucks, and the 2014 is night and day difference as far as power, transmission, braking, suspension etc.
The 6spd transmission alone is a huge gain in "tightening the gap" as you say it.
FWIW my 2014 5.0 gets 10.5 to 11mpg while towing 7k+ and has lifetime averaged 18.3 (daily driven, plus towing)
I have heavy towed with both of my 2003 4.6 trucks, and the 2014 is night and day difference as far as power, transmission, braking, suspension etc.
#20
Looks like 4.10's it is!
Used truck prices up here are still insanely high. As I have said before spending $20-$30k right now on another truck that will sit most of the time is not $$ well spent IMO when $1100 gets the job done for the next 5 years. Total I have spent on the engine swap and this roughly = $4k. Divide that over 5 years and it's nothing.
Used truck prices up here are still insanely high. As I have said before spending $20-$30k right now on another truck that will sit most of the time is not $$ well spent IMO when $1100 gets the job done for the next 5 years. Total I have spent on the engine swap and this roughly = $4k. Divide that over 5 years and it's nothing.
#22
Short of the long, the 4.10's have worked out.
Granted tuning and other factors could impact my numbers, but fuel economy is definitely impacted. Around town with short trips I have gotten as bad as 12. Highway is tough to say. I'm always hauling something, but my very best has been 16-17.
Towing has been a night and day improvement. 7k pounds is noticeable for sure, but the 4.10's and the 4 speed work well. Towing in the relatively flat lands of northern Ohio have been great. Towing in the mountains is doable, but on a 5% grade forced the engine to turn 4500 rpm's to barely maintain 50 mph.
The most impressive part has been towing mpg. My 700 mile round trip worse tank was about 8 with a best of 9.5! That's better than a gen 1 ecoboost 3.5! With the 3.55's I couldn't do better than 7.5 mpg on flat land.
Granted tuning and other factors could impact my numbers, but fuel economy is definitely impacted. Around town with short trips I have gotten as bad as 12. Highway is tough to say. I'm always hauling something, but my very best has been 16-17.
Towing has been a night and day improvement. 7k pounds is noticeable for sure, but the 4.10's and the 4 speed work well. Towing in the relatively flat lands of northern Ohio have been great. Towing in the mountains is doable, but on a 5% grade forced the engine to turn 4500 rpm's to barely maintain 50 mph.
The most impressive part has been towing mpg. My 700 mile round trip worse tank was about 8 with a best of 9.5! That's better than a gen 1 ecoboost 3.5! With the 3.55's I couldn't do better than 7.5 mpg on flat land.