Re: [A/S] Towing

["Jim Dunmyer" <jdunmyer@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jerry,
 One thing that an axle ratio change will do for Gary is lighten the load on
the transmission. That tranny isn't really very good for towing, so anything
he can do to help it will be money and trouble saved, down the road. He
would be well-advised to install a transmission cooler, as they're only
about $100.00 from places like NAPA, and take only an hour or 2 to install.
A temperature guage is a good idea also, especially if Gary tows in the
hills at all.

He should never, ever tow in O.D. I'm pretty sure that the convertor will
lock up in 3rd, keeping the heat to a minimum during most towing. The main
thing is that the line pressure in the transmission  is much higher with the
O.D. locked out than when in O.D., particularly under light throttle. That
low pressure will cause the clutches to slip, causing a very expensive
failure.

The owners' manual tells you to tow in 'Direct', but doesn't really explain
the reason. Many folks tow in O.D. with that tranny, "as long as it doesn't
hunt between 3rd and 4th too much", but more than one person has learned an
expensive lesson due to this practice.


<<Jim>>