towing capacity

jd hauler · May 31, 2002

I plan on doing some heavy towing with my truck and I need to ask you guys with heavy towing experience, is there any thing to be aware of with my 4L80E? I hear it is a tough tranny , but what are the limits and is there any thing else I should know? I had a 97 ford diesel and this thing would tow a house, but my wife could not use the 5 speed in it, any comments, thanks.

Shaners · May 31, 2002

Your truck should be rated to tow approx 8300 lbs. The limiting factor here is the 3.73 gears in your rearend. With the 4.10 gears (which you don't have) your rating would jump to 10300 lbs.

I have the 6.0L and 4.10 gears and I have towed close to 12000 lbs with my truck before. Normally I tow approx 8000 lbs with no problems. I have never seen my tranny temp gauge over 190*.

The other limiting factor is the factory installed "class V" hitch is only rated to 10000 lbs.

jd hauler · May 31, 2002

What do you think it would cost to have the gearing changed? I thought I heard about a trade in program , or is this false? Do the one ton trucks have the same tranny as mine ? , unless it has the allison? thanks Mike

Shaners · May 31, 2002

Mike,

Your truck and mine both have the 4L80E transmission. The 1500's have the smaller 4L60E tranny. This is an excellent tranny and since it has been time tested, I expect that neither of us should have any unforeseen problems with it.

I don't know what a gear change would cost. DiHappy had his gears changed from 3.73's to something like 4.56's when he put on the lift and tires. He might be able to give you an idea on what they cost.

(BTW, the 2500HD's and the 3500's with the 6.0L and 4.10 gears are all rated to tow approx 10K lbs. +/- a few hundred lbs based on cab configurations)

jd hauler · June 1, 2002

thanks shaners for the help, I'll do a couple pulls the way it is, and then re-evaluate, I know it will pull my 30 ft camper ok, but I tow antique pulling tractors, and this will be the real test,plus I have really never towed with an auto before, Mike.

Jpshostr · June 4, 2002

I'd be really surprised if you have any trouble at all pulling two antique tractors around with that truck. Take a look at the pulls you go to and you'll see quite a few trucks like yours there hitched up to GN flatbeds with two tractors backed up on them. We have had two trucks with 4L80E trannys and have had no trouble with them, and we tow quite heavily quite regularly. Just keep the tranny locked out of OD in the hills and on acceleration, drop her into OD on flat stretches if she'll hold the gear and you should have no trouble at all.