Towing With A 4.8 And 3.23 Rear Gears?

[prerunner]

This is my first post and I've only had my Silverado since Saturday (11/24).

 

My truck is a 2008 Silverado 1500 Ext. Cab with a 4.8 and 3.23 rear gears.

 

I wasn't thinking of towing and didn't even check the gear ratio until after I got it home.

 

My friend is thinking about selling his truck (2003 Silverado 2500HD) that he uses for towing his boat and asked me about towing it with my truck (he always uses the boat with me). I have no problem using my truck, but I'm just not sure about how capable my truck is.

 

The boat weighs over 4000lbs loaded and don't know how well my truck with the tall rear gears will work at the boat ramp.

 

Has anyone here towed and launched a boat with 3.23 gears?

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

[hubbycap]

This is my first post and I've only had my Silverado since Saturday (11/24).

 

My truck is a 2008 Silverado 1500 Ext. Cab with a 4.8 and 3.23 rear gears.

 

I wasn't thinking of towing and didn't even check the gear ratio until after I got it home.

 

My friend is thinking about selling his truck (2003 Silverado 2500HD) that he uses for towing his boat and asked me about towing it with my truck (he always uses the boat with me). I have no problem using my truck, but I'm just not sure about how capable my truck is.

 

The boat weighs over 4000lbs loaded and don't know how well my truck with the tall rear gears will work at the boat ramp.

 

Has anyone here towed and launched a boat with 3.23 gears?

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

Deja Vu and Welcome again (I think). Not knowing anything about your towing terrain, distances, and frequencies, you may find the information you need in yesterday's thread:

 

Big discussion on towing with a tall gear.

[pm26]

If the truck has 4WD, the 3.23 ratio is immaterial for pulling a boat up the ramp, as you can shift the truck in 4WD low, which effectively turnes you rear end gearing into 6.46 because of 2:1 reduction. If you have a 2WD truck, traction, rather than gearing will be the main concern on the ramp. Other than that, the truck should pull a 4000 lb boat our of water with ease. You can have two guys jump in the truck bed to give it additional weight for better traction.

 

BTW, your truck must be a 2WD truck because no 4WDs were sold with 3.23 gears.

[C & A s Dad]

Chris, you can read the link and other posts but bottom line is if you are in flat ground, keep it in 3rd gear and are not pulling very far, your truck can do it.

 

My bet your truck does not have an Aux Trans Cooler. You have to install a good stacked plate designed cooler. The climate of your area will determine the size I would recommend. If you are in an area with little to no winter temps, I would use an nice 11" x 11" x 3/4" model. If you have some winter weather in the teens or lower, a 5" x 11" x 3/4" is about all you want to use unless you are willing to install a themostat that will keep you from overcooling the fluid.

 

I use the 11" x 11" but in the deep south where I live, overcooling the fluid is not an issue.

[prerunner]

My truck does not have a trans cooler, but one will be added by the end of the year.

 

As for terrain, I'm in Miami, FL about as hot and flat as it gets.

 

Thanks for the replies.

[GM Dude]

If the truck has 4WD, the 3.23 ratio is immaterial for pulling a boat up the ramp, as you can shift the truck in 4WD low, which effectively turnes you rear end gearing into 6.46 because of 2:1 reduction. If you have a 2WD truck, traction, rather than gearing will be the main concern on the ramp. Other than that, the truck should pull a 4000 lb boat our of water with ease. You can have two guys jump in the truck bed to give it additional weight for better traction.

 

BTW, your truck must be a 2WD truck because no 4WDs were sold with 3.23 gears.

 

 

As stated...if in 4LO moving slowly up the ramp you will have no problem. If your going up even the slightest grade at higher speeds, expect a lot or downshifting and upshifting and downshifting.........I know this from experience, 3.23's are junk even in the small grades in TX, I finally re-geared to 3.73's and love it