Towing Upgrades - NHT Shocks, Mirrors, Air springs etc

FL335i · June 29, 2017

At the end of the day a gas powered 3/4 ton might be a better ticket if I were to trade-in. I wonder why they have not put the 6.2L into the 2500's yet....

sdeeter19555 · June 29, 2017

At the end of the day a gas powered 3/4 ton might be a better ticket if I were to trade-in. I wonder why they have not put the 6.2L into the 2500's yet....

Because the 6.0l is tried and proven, and they probably have a larger displacement engine in mind for the 2500 in the near future (at least one can hope).

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FreeAmerican · June 29, 2017

At the end of the day a gas powered 3/4 ton might be a better ticket if I were to trade-in. I wonder why they have not put the 6.2L into the 2500's yet....

Keep an eye out when you see a landscap 3/4 ton truck pulling a load of mowers or construction crew pulling equipment. Bunches of them are gas the owners would squeel if they suddenly had to start putting premium gas in it for a 6.2.

There is a thread about towing with the 6.0 and high rpms up a grade. You can run that 6.0 at 4500 - 5000 rpm up a grade for a long time and it will just laugh at you. And honestly the Ford 6.2 gas in the 250 is no slouch. If I were buying a Ford 250, with their track record of diesel issues, I would get the 6.2 gas.

FL335i · June 29, 2017

I built a Silverado 2500, crew cab, 4wd, gas powered, LT with the same all star package mine has. $51k. 13k Lbs tow rating. So it's actually cheaper to buy a 2500 LT than a 6.2L LTZ 1500. I'll keep my eyes peeled in the coming years to see what GM does to replace the 6.0 SFI engine. For me, towing about a dozen times per year, and wanting a 27' boat, the 2500 gas is the way to go.

FreeAmerican · June 29, 2017

I also got more money off from the dealer on the 2500 than I did the 1500.

FL335i · June 30, 2017

^Good news to hear.... And the 3/4 tons have a Full Floating rear axle which is pretty cool and still come with a G80 locker. Throw some nice 32-33" BFG KO2's on there like I did with my truck, Rip the chin spoiler off and I'll have a beast that's a good Daily driver.

FL335i · July 2, 2017

For the interim I've decided to do the small air bag kit from Air Lift and the wireless inflation kit. This is easier to install and supports more when loaded and unloaded I have my non-NHT springs. This will level me out when towing and helps the lights aim straight when towing at night.

https://www.airliftcompany.com/shop/59565/

https://www.airliftcompany.com/shop/25870/

CDNSS · July 2, 2017

Airlift will work fine I had that kit on my 2010 1500 CC. however I did have slow leaks in the bags and compressor coming on bugged me

Airlift were great 5 yrs later they replaced the bags awesome customer service

I do like the Summo springs better though simple nothing to break and when not towing stock ride height and no wt in box they dont stiffen the ride

DougIrby · July 4, 2017

All good input views. Much appreciated. reading this thread makes me want to scratch the NHT shocks and radiator. I've never warmed the truck up. I tow for work some. Construction equipment and such. Looking at my list, the top two mods i would actually benefit from are the mirrors and air bags. As for the power, I guess I could switch to E85 fuel. I've used it before and the truck was a beast on it. Never towed with it though. E85 is popping up at Racetracs all over Tampa.

I have a 2015 5.3 with NHT and flex fuel.

The shocks on the NHT are not that great IMHO. However, running E85 is the cheapest way to boost your power, from 355 HP to 380 HP. You will get about 20-25% less fuel mileage on E85 but the much higher octane will be detected by your sensor and it will advance your timing, giving you the added HP. The higher power is easily noticed, especially when towing.

I tow a 5,000 pound (when loaded) Lance Travel Trailer and I wish I could get E85 everywhere I go, but it's often unavailable. So I carry three 5 gallon gas cans to buy more when I get the chance.

At high altitude, our engines loose power and if towing in the mountains the engines don't have enough power to satisfy me. I am considering adding a supercharger, and would appreciate any advice from anyone who has had one installed.

FL335i · July 5, 2017

Doug- I looked at the supercharger option. It's big dollars that you really won't get back on the truck, especially if it's wrecked or stolen. $5-7K is trade up money in my book. I agree the E85 is the best thing for power adding, but like you I am limited to a few stations around my area that carry it and never see it on trips. I'm moving forward with the 2K LB Air Lift system. That will patch me over until my next truck.