Towing w/ Overdrive
#61
04-03-2008 | 08:05 PM
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,946
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From: Right Coast
Originally Posted by alsupercab
I'm done with this thread. I have no idea why you people even want to tow in OD anyway. Overdrive is a less than 1:1 ratio. IE the engine turns 1 rev, the wheels turn more. The slower the gears in the tranny turn, the less lubricated they are. Go ahead tow in OD all you want, but it isn't going to be a overnight thing that causes your tranny to fail. Itll be on down the road. But go ahead, knock yourselves out.
As Raoul said, you have to apply some measure of common sense at some point. With fuel at $3+ per gal its going to cost you alot more money to run those higher rpms when there is no need for it if the trans is not hunting. Now you stated that your dad said that he lost his trans because of that. Hell I toasted my trans in my old 97 F150 and hadn't towed with it prior to that. Does that mean I should have driven with the OD off its whole life and it would have survived? Come on, you gotta pull your head out of the sand once in awhile.
On a side note I have driven this rig across the country with loads like this many times. 80k worth of miles like that and its still going strong. Its the same engine and transmission as an F250. FYI, I drove this rig from Houston, TX (where the pick was taken) back to New Holland, PA with that load. Also went from Bunkie, LA to Greenville, MS, and then to Houston prior to that. No problems towing in OD the whole trip. Gross weight of the whole thing was 27k and some change. I was just a touch overweight.
