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Old 08-28-2020, 01:36 PM   #105
Sarge2
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: Richmond
Posts: 625
Quote:
Originally Posted by sourdough View Post
Sarge you have witnessed, by the seat of the pants, the evolution of trucks, 1/2 ton specifically - ain't it great!

The 5.7 will be considerably stouter than the 5.4 was then the 3.92 and 8 speed really pick it up. I'm glad you got the 8 speed, the old 6 speed had too many holes in the shift points and was aggravating to me. Don't worry about not going into 8th gear when towing, I'm not surprised. T/H is doing its job. If it didn't you would wear that tranny out by the constant up/down shifting when towing the trailer. Put it in T/H then Drive and go. Listen to the engine and let it tell you where it likes to be power wise. Watch the terrain ahead and help it with grades etc. and you won't be bouncing from 1800 rpm to 4000 every hill you get to. Congrats on the truck. It's plenty of truck for that trailer so go have some fun...
Quote:
Originally Posted by JRTJH View Post
The difference in towing characteristics is probably the difference in a 3 speed transmission with a 4th gear overdrive and a 8 speed transmission with 6 gears and two overdrives coupled with the slight difference between 3.73 and 3.92 gear ratios and the increased HP/torque response curves between the old 5.4L engine and the 5.7L engine....

There have been SIGNIFICANT refinements in transmission/engine computer controls since 2004 that also factor into the differences you're seeing between the two trucks....

It takes a certain amount of "energy" in the form of gasoline burned to move any vehicle. That said, vehicles that are similar in size will typically use similar amounts of energy to move similar loads. Honestly, achieving 10+ MPG towing 6500 pounds of "flat box" behind any vehicle with a gas engine is "better than should be expected"... Most, me included, typically got 8-9 MPG, only attaining 10+ on long downhill runs with a strong tailwind.....
I appreciate everything you've said... (and not getting a WTH were you thinking..lol) I do understand the benefits of the latest and greatest technology but until you drive something so much more advanced than my old Ford, you don't appreciate what they've accomplished... I own a few older vehicles.. classics by years...63 Pontiac and 53 Ford Customline... I enjoy those as well.. my F150 is still in use by my Wife... She love driving it so much that she sold her Trailblazer to her sister... lol... She likes driving something that sits her up higher than the cars do... Happy wife, happy life..
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