Ford 1/2 Ton Towing (Problems and Solutions)

[old40ford]

I have to ask, do you leave it in cruise control? If you do, that will cause it to shift all the time unless there is flat road and not wind.

I vote with all the others here, change the rear gears, you will be money ahead.
good luck

[kurtsont]

I would change the rear end gears to 3.73. I had a 2012 f150 with the 5.0 and 3.73 gears and it pulled fine. A tune will not do much unless you run premium gas and even then it’s not worth the money. Use that money for gears.

[brandon 2]

My mechanic at coffee this morning said the worst thing people can do on long hills is to leave their cruse on. Firstly the engine is working like crazy to maintain the speed selected and the tranny is continually shifting to compensate for the speed.
The engine oil can almost reach boiling temperature not to mention the tranny. He has seen where the engine oil has actually expanded so much with heat that it can come out of the hole for the dip stick.
He loves people that drive this way because he makes bags of money replacing cooked engines and transmissions .


Brandon2

[Tom48]

Originally Posted by LynnGlaze13

I agree with Dustman_STX!

Since you have the 5.0L Coyote it needs to rev to stay in the power band. With such high gears (3.31) you will be right at the shift points running the speed you do.

Swap the gears out to 3.73's and enjoy your truck for many more years...while keeping your wife happy at the same time.

We tow with a Ford diesel but then we tow
9000 lbs +/-. With under 5k you seem to have plenty of truck. One Ford of ours has OD lock out which would serve you well, the other has tow haul which generally keeps us geared down about Right. I am guessing you only have the TH or the shift lever so I agree with getting proper towing gears.

Yes non tow milage may suffer a bit but you won't be tearing up the tranny when you tow. And maybe stay below 80 not towing and be fine.

Good luck

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by kfergiez

I'm going to go against the grain on this one. Being from Montana, we tow over passes all the time.

There is nothing wrong with disabling OD for this. In fact, that's what that button is for. When cruising on long flat roads, towing with OD is fine, but once the passes start, I just disable it. In your truck's owner's manual it actually says to do this if your transmission starts hunting for gears.

Anyway, that's my 'old school' method and I would say just keep doing that, but I'm sure there are going to be MANY other opinions. You've opened a can of worms today.

My truck has a "Manual Shift" mode on it's 5 speed automatic. Engine can rev nicely (and safely) up to 6.000 RPM but has more than enough torque for my "tow" right around 3,000-4,000 RPM. Old School is the way to go when presented with a hill. Find a gear that handles the hill, run your engine speed higher than what you usually do, and turn up the radio/stereo to keep your mind off the engine rev's.

If you don't have a transmission temp gauge, get one. Letting the transmission shift on it's own while towing often results in high tranny temp due to the fact you don't get enough engine/road speed to lock up the converter. This creates a lot of fluid friction that translates to heat.

When I see the tranny temp rise above normal I just grab a lower gear and the needle drops like a rock.

Today's engines are designed to run at much higher RPM's when heavily loaded than engines of old that would start shedding parts at 4500 RPM.

Problem with gear changes is that that's what you're stuck with all the time. If only towing a few days a month and using the truck for running around the rest of the time that''s a lot of gas mileage given up when you can just shift to a lower gear and get the job done.

[HappyGuy]

If I was in your shoes and the truck is towing well in 4th gear then I would invest in the biggest trans cooler and engine oil cooler you can fit along with some dynamat for your floor and firewall. The earlier post stating that you won't get a dime back swapping to 3.73 gears is right especially when you get accustomed to the improved acceleration. If you accelerate normally around town you won't see much of a difference for in town mileage but your unloaded highway cruising mileage will probably drop 2 -3 mpg.

However, the lower gears will decrease the overall strain on your transmission helping it to live a longer and happier life so if you're someone that likes to keep your truck a long time I might still do the gear swap along with the coolers to keep your truck happy for the long haul.

[josheaton]

I love this forum, so much information!

I think I already knew the answers to my questions in some capacity, but either way I’ve gotten some great stuff from you all.

My best takeaways:

• I’m going to immediately stop using cruise control when towing. I know for a fact that is one of the reasons the tranny is constantly searching
• Hook up my SCT X4 while towing (and not towing) to keep an eye on transmission temp to get a good baseline
• Look into the cost of a rear axle 3.73 gear swap

[Mad Cow]

Originally Posted by brandon 2

My mechanic at coffee this morning said the worst thing people can do on long hills is to leave their cruse on. Firstly the engine is working like crazy to maintain the speed selected and the tranny is continually shifting to compensate for the speed.
The engine oil can almost reach boiling temperature not to mention the tranny. He has seen where the engine oil has actually expanded so much with heat that it can come out of the hole for the dip stick.
He loves people that drive this way because he makes bags of money replacing cooked engines and transmissions .


Brandon2

Quick! What is the boiling temp of oil? The motor or trans will grenade long before that.

I know, I know... it was stated for dramatic effect. Just couldn’t resist. But his assertions about driving style are correct. This is why I will manually drop a gear in my auto at the start of hard pull to get RPM’s up and will shut off cruise and moderate power. Just the commercial trucker in me.

[youroo]

Originally Posted by ronheater70

First of all Don't look for a new truck.

If your not happy with your performance towing, and especially since its a 2wd and only one diff.. Do a gear swap. Nothing else on the market, tuners or other performance items will have the bang for your buck benefit of a gear swap.
One axle you probable are looking at 1200 bucks or less and thats WITH it installed. My brother and I had identical trucks ( he still has his) I had 3:31 ratio, he had 3:55 ratio.. There wasnt much of a difference between the two.
So if it were me, Id jump on up to the 3:73 ratio and then your solid if you ever want more trailer .
You will probably notice a slight increase in fuel economy towing as well. It will certainly be more friendly to your tranny.

This is the way I would go also 3.73! The only program that would help is the "Radio"! Youroo!!

[acadianbob]

You don't need a diesel to tow 4,500 pounds . . . .

[nate_]

I'm in the same boat as you. Had a 2011 F150 with the 5.0 and 3.73. Pulled perfect at 65-70. My 2014 is identical except it has the 3.31. What a difference. 65 mph is a pain now. If it wasn't 4x4 I would swap out the gears. But for now I just shift manually and keep it out of 6th completely. And gas mileage was actually a little better on the 2011. Not sure why. It actually had more options and was a little heavier

[Mad Cow]

3.73 would indeed be better. Over several decades, I have become quite fond of 4.10. And if one uses good driving techniques, the mpg hit is minimal. But boy, the result is fantastic.

[Greg0]

Camping should be enjoyable. The drive is the first step and often sets the mood for the entire trip. Get the diesel, you’ll never regret it. You can hunt hogs with a 22, but would you?

[ronheater70]

Originally Posted by Greg0

Camping should be enjoyable. The drive is the first step and often sets the mood for the entire trip. Get the diesel, you’ll never regret it. You can hunt hogs with a 22, but would you?

There is zero logical reason to have a diesel for what the op is pulling.. Now if you WANT a diesel just to say you have a diesel.. well then its all good, but his weight is a far cry from diesel necessity territory or even 3/4 ton in general.

[Mad Cow]

With that logic, I have a Class 8 semi tractor to sell to anyone who want to pull their TT around. Never have to worry about lack of power. And it has a jake that will hold you back even taking a 7% downgrade at the speed limit with a TT hooked on. Built in fridge for snacks and drinks so that one doesn't even have to stop and get in the trailer for something.

I rather like my gasser 3/4 ton for my towing needs. My tow needs are no more than the 7000 lb mark also. More than ample power, great chassis/suspension/brakes, etc. Really can't think how a diesel would do any better except lighten my wallet.

[SlfMdeFam]

I don’t want to start another bash on 1/2 tons comment.

I’m highly interested in understanding why you would buy a 1/2 ton only to have to modify or change the factory set up to either tow safely or more comfortable. In that case, buying a 3/4 ton gas or diesel would seem to make more sense...

Can someone please explain this to me. I see many many posts of people saying how they are so happy with their 1/2 ton but just did this or that to be able to handle their trailer. How their 1/2 ton gets low mpg while towing or they are limited on what they can carry along with them. (Not EVERYONE but many so save it) I understand there are many people too who have a great set up and it all works for them well and I’m good with that. But to spend more and more money or time to get what you want but say “I didn’t want to pay xxx for a diesel” but in the end sometimes spend more on the 1/2 ton finding the right set up...

I don’t get it. I’m highly open to a good open minded conversation about this with no personal opinion given.

[youroo]

I thought the OP was pretty plain to the fact they like there 2016 Truck and don't want to upgrade! He has already Waisted $$ on Programs and realizes that a Simple gear change will fix their issues without buying another truck! Youroo!!

[Mad Cow]

Unfortunately, neither a 1/2 ton nor a 3/4 ton is ideal for every situation. It has to be a balancing act. Where one does great, the other doesn't do so well.

And given the prices in the stratosphere for pickups these days, once one has gotten something already, it may be rather difficult to just eat the cost and go get another pickup on a whim.

The 1/2 ton will work for the OP's needs. But it will require more from him in terms of good sense and driving properly, taking into account limitations of the pickup. Even with a ring gear change, the rest of the pickup is still the same critter, and that has some limitations also. A numerically larger ratio will just be able to start off easier and help keep the engine in a more ideal working RPM range while towing.

It won't cure anything, but it will help compensate and make the pickup more of what it should have been from the factory.

[old40ford]

Originally Posted by youroo

I thought the OP was pretty plain to the fact they like there 2016 Truck and don't want to upgrade! He has already Waisted $$ on Programs and realizes that a Simple gear change will fix their issues without buying another truck! Youroo!!

X2 The man already had his truck, he did not go buy it just to pull his camper.

[RACarvalho]

I have a 2018 with V8, 3.73 rear end and 10 speed auto.
My suggestion is to block the overdrive(s) manually and any gear that will make the engine run below 2000rpm.
I block the 8, 9 and 10th when towing and keep it on cruise control - @ 65mph the engine is @ 2500rpm.
That is enough to eliminate the shifting.
If I leave to Ford transmission programing do its thing, the truck will be shifting all the time, even in tow/haul mode.
With a 6spd 3.31 rear end, you probably need to block the 5th and 6th gear and tow in 4th.
Try that and let us know how it goes.