I am curious how these two trannies compare for towing. I am interested in your thoughts on durability/reliability, fuel mileage, driveability and overheating. Thanks.
One thing that I have hated about my 6spd was if I was towing up a hill and I was forced to stay in 2nd, because by the time I switch to 3rd and try to rebuild boost I was lugging again and had to re-shift to 2nd. I think there is some driver error on that though. I was attempting to shift at 2k rpm, like I would when unloaded, but when towing I guess I need to run it up to 2500.
i own a f250 with the 6spd, and my father owns a f250 with the automatic, both trucks are 2001's and i've towed with both. My truck has a few mods and i've towed some heavy loads with it, and you do have to shift at higher rpm's with a load. I've never had a problem with mine. My dads truck has had some heavy loads too and never had problems. To me its a personal preference, but i would much rather tow with a manuel trans, it seems to be a little smoother, and you can control the truck and the load a little better when coming to a stop
I have to have an auto due to a bad left knee. It does just fine. Like previously said add a cooler and go. And a decell tune makes coming down a mtn or stopping easy.
Love my 6-spd for the occasional time I tow, or pull heavy. Low gear in low range is just incredible. I'd venture to say I can get a hair better fuel mileage with a 6-spd, but that probably depends on the driver 100%.
I think it's preference, but I wouldn't trade my 6-spd for an auto for my needs.
Me personally like my auto just lock out od when you hit an incline. hate shifting up and down. A chip with a good tow setting will get the job done.The auto will keep the boost you need between shifts. My tow setting from swamps shifts at about 2100 rpm with about 10k behind it. But as everyone has said its personal.
I like the feel of a stick shift.. I feel like I have more control over the pickup and load with a stick. imho the stick is nice when you tow in the hills..Because you can use the engine to slow down and help hold your speed going down hill..
But it all comes down to what you like.. for me i will take the manual transmission..
But like CSIPSD said point and go is nice. I like the auto for the gassers
I like the feel of a stick shift.. I feel like I have more control over the pickup and load with a stick. imho the stick is nice when you tow in the hills..Because you can use the engine to slow down and help hold your speed going down hill..
But it all comes down to what you like.. for me i will take the manual transmission..
But like CSIPSD said point and go is nice. I like the auto for the gassers
I tow a lot with my BTS tranny. I also have 3.73 gears and 34" tires(about to be 35") so that plays a big role in where my shift points are, and where i need to lock OD out. I really wish i had another gear or two, but it is still not bad. The way my truck is setup at its current state, and for the area i tow in i would rather have a manual. But if i wanted the perfect setup, i would probably put 4:10's in the back, and ad a Gearvendors overdrive behind my BTS for the times when im not towing.
I have had both manuals and autos. 6spd in a dually and auto in a srw. Honestly I much prefer a built auto to a 6spd anyday. It takes more money to make a auto reliable but they are much better for towing in the hills IMO. With the 6spd My biggest problem was losing boost on the hills here in California. Downhills were not a problem as I have had exhaust brakes on both trucks which work great. It's just a personal preference. I am also one of the weird ones who went from a srw to a dually....and then right back to a srw. But I use my truck in the dunes, snow and desert a lot so te dually just wasn't cutting it. It really wasn't any more stable feeling either. All of my f350s have had almost identical suspension so really the only difference was an extra tire on the outside in case of blowout and or if you happen to max the suspension out side to side you have a little extra width. There was not one single difference in the way they handled.
In my opinion, a diesel truck is alot like a tractor and i use it as such, when pulling a big load i hate having to wait for the torque converter to lockup and when working in the snow or mud i prefer the 6 speed because of the ability to lug the motor without spinning the tires, to me it just feels like a more solid platform and i dont have the money to send an auto off to get built the right way even though i will say i do like my 5R110 alot more than the 4R100 i used to have but it still isnt a 6 speed
you should experience the new auto in my 2011. 6 speed and has a manual setting with + or - buttons so you can control the gear your in. downhill control, push tow button and hit the brakes more than a couple times the tranny senses the rpm climbing and automatically downshifts and keeps the convertor locked to use the motor to assist braking. Really quite a few suprises in this new truck, great upgrade from my old 2000 psd auto.
I towed a 6k load recently with my inlaws Escalade that has this and a 6.2l gasser. It was really awesome. Empty, no worries but loaded I used it like a manual. You are correct, this is the way to go.
I preffer a manual, but an auto is nice you lock out od and pull.... I'm an obs guy I love my zf5 and wouldn't own an auto only because I like to shift lol but when you going up and down hills all day it gets old that's were an auto comes in nice for me lol but like they said it all about what you like what you want.... nothing better than the sound of a manual truck tho... lol
Everyone remember, the torque converter is an infinite gear splitter...
Hit a bad hill and don't want to downshift but need just a little help getting back on top of the charger? Unlock the converter.... get your boost, lock it back up, never let off the throttle.
You can split EVERY gear. Think the 4R100 is a 4 speed? More like an 8 speed....
Also, you can lock the converter in the lower gears and idle along, lugging through pastures just fine too.
It's really a shame how UNDERutilized the autos are by the OEM's. They don't use half of the capability of them. Then people drive them with stupid shift strategies, and dumb ass sh*t like how they go straight to OD at like 10mph I swear, or how they UNLOCK the converter when you hit the brakes..... yeah, that's right, UNLOCK the converter when you're trying to slow down...
:doh:
I haven't the foggiest idea how these people retain a job. Honestly. The shift strategies on the 7.3L trucks are HIDEOUS.
I refuse to drive a full auto 4R truck. Can't take it for longer than say a half-hour at a time. Just constantly stupid sh*t.
However...... pry that dipsh*t factory computer away from one long enough, and you can see what an amazing trans they can be. Full manual shifts with full control over converter lockup and a trans that WILL NOT EVER make a shift up OR down unless you SAY SO and the 4R100 really shines.
I have no idea why we only now see full manual control on these newer trucks. The capability was there all along. I guess somebody finally pulled head from ass on that one with the 2011 trucks.
i agree with the fact that the 4r100 shifts is pretty much a joke ( in stock form) but isnt locking the converter at low speeds and low rpms hard on certain items in the trans? I remember being told weather it was right or wrong, that somthing about there was enough pressure built up at low rpms to properly lock the converter and that it would somehow fry the trans???? forgive me for possibly asking dumb question for i honestly have no clue what im talkin about when it comes to the workings of the auto trans
After getting the built auto in the sd I couldnt think of towing with the manual again. Could be even better with the pcs controller. I hated loosing ground on some of the shifts...
If you need to shift down on a hill,, You need more power..
I just stick mine on OD and that is were it stays. unless i am in a 55 mile an hour zone and going up A hill.. Then i might down shift if a loos speed..
If you need to shift down on a hill,, You need more power..
I just stick mine on OD and that is were it stays. unless i am in a 55 mile an hour zone and going up A hill.. Then i might down shift if a loos speed..
hey now i live in oregon........ its 55 when you get caught lol #### ill pull a hill at 80 if there isnt a cop around lol i never lose speed when down shifting i dont get what the big deal is just keep your foot in it
It all depends where you live.... honsetly out here in Oregon we've got some pretty good mountain ranges, so i know what joe is referring to. Its tough to keep your speed out here...
But some places a "hill" is more like a bump in the road and pulling a trailer over it isnt too difficult.
Just for the record our 55mph speed limits, occasionally bumping to 60, combined with the cascade mountains and coastal mountains its nearly impossible to hold over drive on anything, in fact i rarely use over drive just becuase i like having the turbo wound up and power on tap RIGHT NOW
Wouldnt you say its true, or at least a popularly accepted notion, that turning more rpms and having the charger at a boil, even slight, keeps egt's in check? I kinda figured you'd have a better chance at cooling the 'pump' with boost than if you're low on it and lugging. Thats been my approach with an auto diesel. I tend to not use the o/d and if Im running a flat stretch Ill click it on.
I understand what you are saying.. The Longest hill i have to climb is about two miles long.. 6% plus grade.. But the speed limit is 70 and I have 4:10 so OD work good now if the speed limit was 55 or 60 i would tow up the hills in 4th gear.. The speed limit make it easy to stay in OD..
A lot of it is RPMs, if you can hit the hill with 20lbs boost and 2900 RPMs and get it to spool up youve got quite a chance.
Hell around here i cant hit any hills in OD with any boost hahaha, its all lugging
I like towing with my manual. As for which I prefer, obviously I prefer my manual, but the one truck I've been in towing with a BTS towed really good. Much better than any other auto trans truck I've been in with a load behind it. If your talking fairly stock auto transmissions, I will take a manual any day over the auto. Built auto vs the manual? It's all personally preference.
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