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BETRAYED BY MY K5/Lazy Heffa

G

GalDemSuga

1/2 ton status
Joined
Nov 2, 2008
Posts
590
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0
Location
ATLANTA, GA
I've lost faith in my girl after my first ever attempt to use her as a tow rig. I was towing a 24ft travel trailer weighing about 4500lbs max and man did she struggle from Atanta to Gilbert, WV.

Now it's all uphill driving but I was expecting more from my favorite truck. It ran hot the entire time and the trans boiled over and vented alot.

So it's either I upgrade her or she's gotta go. I'd accept any input from you guys. Presently she's got a 350 TBI and 700R4, 33" BFG AT's with no lift.
 
Definitely more cooling, especially in the tranny area.
What gears you running?

Depending on what you are towing through, you might consider getting a set of rims and some standard size tires.

In good weather towing, its the same as a gear change. Plus lower center of gravity which will help on curves to control the tow weight, better stopping, often better traction depending on the tread pattern of your big'uns, and you don't wear out your expensive off road tires.

When I was using my 250 both as an offroad hunting truckand DD during the off-season, I had a set of the 16.5 rims that I am trying to find one more of, with the 12.50-33s and a set of 16 inch rims with Michelins for the summer.

When I got my SUV, I gave the tires and rims to a friend for his truck. Wish I had them now, I could get my truck back on the road while I look for a rim.

Going off road, I would not take anything for the 33s, but the street tires made it a whole new truck on the highway.
 
Thats the thing man, she's gotta tow my camper and go offroad too. I work offroad and these camp grounds up here are all on mountain tops. I've got stock 373 gears in there, should I go lower? and maybe a 454 swapped in?

Presently I'm getting my 1995 2dr Yukon ready to take the place of the K5 but after this miserable showing I know the Yukon wont handle it either. So it would mean upgrading the power and drivetrain or find some 3/4ton that can do it all.

Fordum said:
Definitely more cooling, especially in the tranny area.
What gears you running?

Depending on what you are towing through, you might consider getting a set of rims and some standard size tires.

In good weather towing, its the same as a gear change. Plus lower center of gravity which will help on curves to control the tow weight, better stopping, often better traction depending on the tread pattern of your big'uns, and you don't wear out your expensive off road tires.

When I was using my 250 both as an offroad hunting truckand DD during the off-season, I had a set of the 16.5 rims that I am trying to find one more of, with the 12.50-33s and a set of 16 inch rims with Michelins for the summer.

When I got my SUV, I gave the tires and rims to a friend for his truck. Wish I had them now, I could get my truck back on the road while I look for a rim.

Going off road, I would not take anything for the 33s, but the street tires made it a whole new truck on the highway.
Click to expand...
 
Forget the 454. All that is going to do for you is make you real good at changing U-joints.
373s with 33s are a bad towing combo.

You have got the worst of all possible scenarios. Long distance towing with off road capabilities needed.

Going lower with the gears, will take the strain off the engine and drivetrain and put it on the axles where it belongs.
I would suggest you look into going to a good synthetic in the rear end.

But, its going to increase your engine speed, which might be good or bad.
Depending on where the most economical rpm is, you might get as good or better gas mileage.
Plus, if the tranny was boiling over, it will be much happier with less load than more load which it would have with just a 454 swap.

In your case, you might want to consider one of the aftermarket overdrives out there.
Change the gears for uphill and acceleration, and then if you hit a flat spot, or around town, slip it into overdrive to get some lower RPMs and maybe better gas mileage.
 
I dont know how low to go on the gears without creating an issue for my trans. I will definitely look at a better gear oil when I make the swap.

Fordum said:
Forget the 454. All that is going to do for you is make you real good at changing U-joints.
373s with 33s are a bad towing combo.

You have got the worst of all possible scenarios. Long distance towing with off road capabilities needed.

Going lower with the gears, will take the strain off the engine and drivetrain and put it on the axles where it belongs.
I would suggest you look into going to a good synthetic in the rear end.

But, its going to increase your engine speed, which might be good or bad.
Depending on where the most economical rpm is, you might get as good or better gas mileage.
Plus, if the tranny was boiling over, it will be much happier with less load than more load which it would have with just a 454 swap.

In your case, you might want to consider one of the aftermarket overdrives out there.
Change the gears for uphill and acceleration, and then if you hit a flat spot, or around town, slip it into overdrive to get some lower RPMs and maybe better gas mileage.
Click to expand...
 
GalDemSuga said:
I dont know how low to go on the gears without creating an issue for my trans. I will definitely look at a better gear oil when I make the swap.
Click to expand...
UUHH, no, I was not real clear. The 454 I mentioned in reference to the transmission, was an engine swap without changing gears. That would have put tons more load on the tranny,
The lower you go in gears, the less load on the tranny.

The only problem with changing gears as far as the tranny is concerned, is the speedometer, and that is easily fixed.

Just put a couple of pieces of duct tape over the speedometer and use a GPS......:laugh:
 
:D I'm already using the GPS. I want to keep the 350 (less cost) but I can look for something between 308 and 373 gears for her. I was gonna try and move my timing from 0 to 4, I need a little pep in my step.

Fordum said:
UUHH, no, I was not real clear. The 454 I mentioned in reference to the transmission, was an engine swap without changing gears. That would have put tons more load on the tranny,
The lower you go in gears, the less load on the tranny.

The only problem with changing gears as far as the tranny is concerned, is the speedometer, and that is easily fixed.

Just put a couple of pieces of duct tape over the speedometer and use a GPS......:laugh:
Click to expand...
 
OK, we have a major disconnect here. :eek1:

You are aiming the wrong way on gears. You want to go lower, which, confusingly, is higher in number.

Minimum I would consider is 4.11.
Not sure what gear sets are available for your two axles, but whatever you put in there had better start with a 4.

This takes lots of the strain off of all the drive parts before the axle. The drive shaft, transmission, transfer case, and even the engine will see less load.

And I would wait until you get the gears in before adjusting the timing. The gears are going to make it a lot more peppy.
 
I plan on swapping in some electric fans to aid cooling. I already have oil and transcoolers on her. The gear change I need to figure out. I need to replace my heater core as well.
 
Ah Ha, now I get you. I recall 4x4High recommending 410's sometime ago.
Plus the electric fans and I maybe set.

Fordum said:
OK, we have a major disconnect here. :eek1:

You are aiming the wrong way on gears. You want to go lower, which, confusingly, is higher in number.

Minimum I would consider is 4.11.
Not sure what gear sets are available for your two axles, but whatever you put in there had better start with a 4.

This takes lots of the strain off of all the drive parts before the axle. The drive shaft, transmission, transfer case, and even the engine will see less load.

And I would wait until you get the gears in before adjusting the timing. The gears are going to make it a lot more peppy.
Click to expand...
 
If no one jumps in here after a while, try re-posting with a title along the lines of Gear Ideas wanted.
Or something like that.
Lord knows there are enough guys here who know gears the way I know electronics.
 
if you plan on going to electric fans then you need to consider a bigger alternator. They put a large drain on the charging system and you don't want to be sitting at a light and watch things flicker.
 
and if o.d. 2 things deep gears . and do not tow in o.d. bad jew jew.
Click to expand...
I almost never do any spelling or other type correcting here. As long as I can figure it out, I don't really care.
Plus, this does not bother me. And I DO NOT do politically correct.

But, just for the record and to keep everybody happy, its Ju Ju, not Jew Jew. :D

Right continent, just farther south.

African, not middle eastern...........:p:
 
o.k. i fix it. had 4 dubble caption & coke tonight forgive me please. :doah::haha:

edit and i real bad at spellinz crap.
 
Sounds like another $2000 in mods here, the wife isnt gonna fall for this. She already hates my girl because I love no other truck like this one.
 
I used the title because I felt let down by my girl, I'm an emotional mess:o

Fordum said:
If no one jumps in here after a while, try re-posting with a title along the lines of Gear Ideas wanted.
Or something like that.
Lord knows there are enough guys here who know gears the way I know electronics.
Click to expand...
 
Heck, you think that is bad, I just found out one of my favorite sayings is racist.

I don't have a huge problem with saying stuff that is racist, but I want to know when I say it.
After I mentioned Juju, I went to look it up.
I knew it was an African word for magic, especially black magic or bad luck, but was curious as to where it came from.

In reading about it, I discovered the word Maroon.
I have called people that for years.
I got it from Bugs Bunny.
When he pulled something good on somebody, he would say: "What a bunch of Maroons".

Meaning Morons. Or so I thought and still think.

But, it turns out it also is a name for a bunch of runaway slaves that formed independent settlements for themselves.

They called themselves the Maroons........

I'm going to keep using it until someone calls me on it.

BTW, I never did one before, is this what they call a hijack???

Sorry about that.
 
The Maroons I'm very familar with as they are a part of my ancestry and my native home's history. I'm a West Indian:)

Fordum said:
Heck, you think that is bad, I just found out one of my favorite sayings is racist.

I don't have a huge problem with saying stuff that is racist, but I want to know when I say it.
After I mentioned Juju, I went to look it up.
I knew it was an African word for magic, especially black magic or bad luck, but was curious as to where it came from.

In reading about it, I discovered the word Maroon.
I have called people that for years.
I got it from Bugs Bunny.
When he pulled something good on somebody, he would say: "What a bunch of Maroons".

Meaning Morons. Or so I thought and still think.

But, it turns out it also is a name for a bunch of runaway slaves that formed independent settlements for themselves.

They called themselves the Maroons........

I'm going to keep using it until someone calls me on it.

BTW, I never did one before, is this what they call a hijack???

Sorry about that.
Click to expand...
 
GalDemSuga said:
The Maroons I'm very familar with as they are a part of my ancestry and my native home's history. I'm a West Indian:)
Click to expand...
JEEZE, What are the odds.....

I think I may just go to bed now, things are not looking good.....:doah:
 
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