Pulling Capacity (1 Viewer)

[Schnieb]

Hello 100 series guys...Im an 80 guy myself. I'm doing some research for my friend who owns a 100, we've lifted with slee and been offroad many times and has 32 BFG's.

With all that said, they want to pull a 4000lb camper trailer. They hitch is factory and rated at 5500lbs. The engine has 220,000 miles but is still running strong and is well maintained. I'm sure it can handle it but I would just like some advice and reassurance. Thanks guys.

 

[ToHiHy]

Pull that regularly with mine all winter long. Bit slow on the steep uphill grades but it does it. Thirsty pig though.

 

[Schnieb]

Thanks ToHiHy.

 

[TheForger]

Shouldn't have a problem at all as long as you know when to turn overdrive off!

 

[Schnieb]

Thanks Forger, I forgot about overdrive. Thanks for reminding me. I had a friend cook his trans on a F150 pulling a fifth wheel in OD.

 

[mr111]

I'll bite...When is the right time to turn od off? I've often heard "never tow with od on" and that's just not practical. I click it off on long up hills to keep the tranny from searching, but usually leave overdrive engaged 95% of the time to keep the motor from taching out. Granted this is experience gained from towing a car trailer with my diesel ram since I've never towed with the 100 yet, but the principle should be the same.

 

[OregonLC]

When the trans comes unlocked or starts hunting hears. Unlocked = heat and repeated shifting under load = wear. Even not towing I click the button on long grades. I'd rather have 3,000 rpm in 3rd.

 

[TXLX100]

I'll bite...When is the right time to turn od off? I've often heard "never tow with od on" and that's just not practical. I click it off on long up hills to keep the tranny from searching, but usually leave overdrive engaged 95% of the time to keep the motor from taching out. Granted this is experience gained from towing a car trailer with my diesel ram since I've never towed with the 100 yet, but the principle should be the same.

Seems like a good method to me, that's basically what I do. If it starts cycling between 3rd and 4th I'll turn OD off. Mainly because it's annoying... I don't think it will kill a transmission unless you are letting it hunt all day AND the fluid gets very hot.

 

[TheForger]

Going up long steep hills is a good place to turn it off. When overdrive is on it allows your transmission to jump into the 4th gear and lower your rpm's to improve gas consumption. Turning it off puts a cap on the 3rd gear and allows you to run your rpm's up higher than normal to make it over those steep hills. I've also heard it's helpful in snow and ice when you're at speeds above 45-50mph because it engine brakes more preventing fishtailing in turns. Not sure how true that is though...

 

[Topmounter]

Hitting the PWR button also helps since it doesn't wait so long to down shift and doesn't up shift so easily if you stay on the gas.

 

[hoser]

I'm not even sure why they have overdrive anymore. Why not make the transmission's top gear a direct 1:1 ratio and lower the 3rd member/diff gear ratio? The driveshafts would turn faster but wouldn't the transmission and diffs be more efficient? Any mechanical engineers out there?

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

I pull 5K regularly in the summer months and since I started monitoring trans temp I dont use OD at all

 

[re_guderian]

Thirsty pig though.

plan on 8-9 MPG, anything higher is a bonus...

 

[TheForger]

I'm not sure if this is the best place to ask my question but I didn't feel like it needed a dedicated thread and it somewhat has to do with pulling capabilities. But when recovering a stuck vehicle using a strap, would it be a good idea to lock the center diff or would that be a quick path to a broken diff? I've always wondered what the best technique is for safely extracting someone with a strap because sometimes the winch is unnecessary and a hassle to string out. If not the CDL, then what about a lower gear?

 

[CreeperSleeper]

it depends on the terrain. Pulling someone out of a ditch and you have all 4 tires on pavement, I wouldn't lock my CDL. In most off road situations, the CDL is already locked in and I leave it there. I usually try to slowly pull people out in 1st gear, low range and go as slow as possible without "bumping" them.