Help Needed pulling in overdrive

[largemouthman]

Hello All. I have a couple questions. Can you pull a trailer of about 9000 lbs in overdrive with out damaging the tranny? I pull a 4 place sled trailer to Canada and have allways pulled in 3rd OD locked out. I have gages pyro, boost. Have wicked wheel, 4" exh, super tuner programer, cold air intake. I am going to install trans temp gage and a hughes deep pan and would like to install a shift kit, (transgo Tugger or sonnex) Don't know which, any suggestions? also thought about converter lockup switch. any help would be greatly appreciated. THANKS

 

[JLDickmon]

It's really hard on the lock-up clutch in the torque convertor. I would have to caution against it.

 

[wpfd571]

we pull in od most of the time. im not saying its the best but we do it, i only take it out when it starts to down shift more than normal

 

[Zookie400]

the tranny was designed for a truck with heavy towing in mind, dont worry about hurting anything in OD.

i have 3.55 and if i didnt let it into overdrive the engine would be screaming and SUCKING DOWN the fuel! i couldnt imagine what it would be like with a lower gear ratio.....it will pull fine in overdrive, just take it out if its hunting for a gear. 9000lbs isnt that bad anyway, your truck shouldnt even feel it!

 

[BJS]

Tow in OD, keep an eye on the trans temps, if it starts hunting for gears then you choose where you want it.


I can say that on my stock transmission & stock poewr was towing 14k in OD routinely. No tans problems until I started adding more power.

 

[sagebel]

Like stated above: tow in OD. I will lock out OD if the truck down shifts on a grade on its own. Most of the time I will down shift it myself in order to build rpm/boost and drop the egts.

IIRC the Tugger and the Sonnax do different things. Have you had your trailer weighed? 9k sounds a little heavy for a 4 place and sleds.

 

[dmd]

It's really hard on the lock-up clutch in the torque convertor. I would have to caution against it.

Must be a 90's Chevy driver. Manual states OD is just fine. I tow my 10K
TT in OD. With the mods it rarely shifts out. You will actually get the trans
hot at speed if you do not tow in OD. If it starts to lug, of you need the
power to climb then shift out of OD with the little button on the shifter.

Get a trans temp gauge installed if you do not have one, even stock I could
overheat the trans.