Towing & Hauling

Improve towing performance: gears, tires, or different truck?

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Old 10-01-2015, 06:51 AM
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Originally Posted by MitchF150

I might not even make it out of the bathtub tomorrow... You just never know..

Mitch
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!
 
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Old 10-13-2015, 10:41 PM
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I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on parts. Last question is, should I go to a 4.30? My gut says no. With a 4.10 in 3rd I will turn about 2800 at 65mph. About 3k with a 4.30. Thoughts?
 
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Old 10-13-2015, 11:53 PM
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Can't get 4.30's for the front axle in a F-150. It's 4.10's or 4.56's.
 
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Old 10-14-2015, 12:07 AM
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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.
 
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Old 10-14-2015, 07:15 AM
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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.
 
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Old 11-21-2016, 11:16 PM
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How did the 4.10s work out? That's what I have in my 07 and don't think I've ever seen below 12mpg
 
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Old 11-22-2016, 09:34 AM
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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.
 


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