fourth gear towing

rubicon03 · **Joined:** Sun Jan 06, 2008 1:52 pm **Posts:** 28

Has anyone come up with a way to keep the transmission from going into fifth gear while towing? 3rd gear is really not needed most of the time for the towing I do.Fourth would be perfect.
Any input here??
rubicon03

chrispitude · **Posted:** Fri Feb 08, 2008 10:33 pm

Tell me about it, 4th locked up would have been perfect. The only solution is to keep it just under 63-64mph in 4th.

- Chris

rubicon03 · **Joined:** Sun Jan 06, 2008 1:52 pm **Posts:** 28

Both of my crd's retain the original shift point of around 57-58 mph to 5th gear,great for most conditions but not the preferred for towing.
rubicon03

chrispitude · **Posted:** Sat Feb 09, 2008 10:07 am

rubicon03 wrote:

Both of my crd's retain the original shift point of around 57-58 mph to 5th gear,great for most conditions but not the preferred for towing.
rubicon03

Doh. The shift points are one of the F37 changes that I actually liked, for this very reason.

- Chris

logiclee · **Posted:** Sat Feb 09, 2008 12:33 pm

I only had F37 done a couple of weeks ago and haven't towed yet. The maximum speed limit while towing in the UK is 60mph so legally I can't use 5th anymore while towing.

Pre-F37 I didn't have to many problems as I usually tow at an indicated 65mph which is a GPS speed of around 61mph. At this speed Pre-F37 running in 5th with 3300lbs wasn't a problem apart from long steep inclines.

I'm wondering if I'll have a problem with excessive shifting now the shift point is closer to my usuall towing speed and I now have less torque.

I'll find out next month when I take the trailer out.

Cheers
Lee

Cowpie1 · **Posted:** Sat Feb 09, 2008 3:51 pm

That is one of the great things I like about electronics in heavy trucks. You can set the computers to all kinds of settings to make things work better.

Early on, I tried thru the dealer to find a way to put the CRD on the console and set shift points and such. Dealer claimed no way to get in and do that.

Oh well.... maybe someday someone will have a machine for us to get in and change such things. I doubt it!

ColoradoCRD · **Joined:** Sun Dec 10, 2006 9:25 am **Posts:** 60

Why do you want to stay in 4th? I pull a 3,000 pound trailer long distances and find 5th perfect even when pulling gentle interstate grades. RPM stays around 1,800 to 2,000 depending on speed.

To your question, I thought the button on the shift knob prevents upshifting to 5th, allowing the transmission to go no higher than 4th. Anyway, I use the button when towing in the mountains.

BlackLibertyCRD · **Posted:** Sun Feb 10, 2008 10:35 am

The overdrive cancel button on the shifter cancel both overdrive gears so it transmission would shift to third. Pulling a steep grade the rpm will go from 2000 to 3000 rpm a very big change. :shock:

When traveling cross country going through the passes, I wished for 4th overdrive many times.

That's also towing 3000 lbs trailer.

logiclee · **Posted:** Sun Feb 10, 2008 3:04 pm

As well as preventing the gearbox shifting into 4th and 5th the OD Off button also gives the ability to lock the torque converter in 3rd which can be usefull if towing around 40-50mph.

Cheers
Lee

Uffe · **Posted:** Mon Feb 11, 2008 3:44 am

I just can't believe anyone would want to tow heavy stuff in OD gears at all. Those gears aren't made for towing dudes...

chadhargis · **Posted:** Mon Feb 11, 2008 12:19 pm

The issue with not being able to tow in overdrive is that 3rd gear is WAY too short for highway speeds. To do 70mph, you're winding the thing out like crazy.

The most I've towed is maybe 2000lbs, and it did just fine in 5th gear, even going up a steep grade it didn't downshift until I got behind a slow vehicle and fell below 60mph.

Now, I guess if I were pulling 5000lbs, I wouldn't want to be doing 70mph as the little beast doesn't have the brakes or wheelbase for that sort of load.

RTStabler51 · **Posted:** Mon Feb 11, 2008 12:22 pm

chadhargis wrote:

The issue with not being able to tow in overdrive is that 3rd gear is WAY too short for highway speeds. To do 70mph, you're winding the thing out like crazy.

The most I've towed is maybe 2000lbs, and it did just fine in 5th gear, even going up a steep grade it didn't downshift until I got behind a slow vehicle and fell below 60mph.

Now, I guess if I were pulling 5000lbs, I wouldn't want to be doing 70mph as the little beast doesn't have the brakes or wheelbase for that sort of load.

I've towed my cars in OD just fine. obviously when I hit a steep grade I kick it out of OD, but when its flat and I'm cruising, I leave it in OD. Otherwise you are doing 50mph to keep RPM reasonable. I cruise at 70 with ~4500lbs no issues and get 19mpg.
A little whoring
My 3.0L Contour SVT going buh bye (terrible picture)

New toy coming home all the way from Detroit

i've also towed my 84 TBird and my brothers old 87 TC.

chadhargis · **Posted:** Mon Feb 11, 2008 12:29 pm

Sweet SVO you got there. I always liked the turbo mustangs. Fast has hell!

I had an SVT Contour the first year they came out. I loved that car. Comfortable and handled really well. Needed a little more ooomph that the 195hp gave it. They should have kept buying the SHO V6 engine from Yamaha and put that sucker in the Contour. That would have been wicked!

One of the most shocking cars I've ever driven was the Thunderbird Super Coupe. That sucker would haul booty for a huge car. Just amazing.

logiclee · **Posted:** Mon Feb 11, 2008 3:01 pm

Some of you guys are still thinking gas.

Look at the Torque curve of the CRD, staying in third at 60-70mph on a CRD is crazy.

70mph locked up in 5th is around 2000rpm which has the diesel bang in it's sweet zone, the same goes for 55-60mph in 4th.

Cheers
Lee

RTStabler51 · **Posted:** Mon Feb 11, 2008 3:51 pm

chadhargis wrote:

Sweet SVO you got there. I always liked the turbo mustangs. Fast has hell!

I had an SVT Contour the first year they came out. I loved that car. Comfortable and handled really well. Needed a little more ooomph that the 195hp gave it. They should have kept buying the SHO V6 engine from Yamaha and put that sucker in the Contour. That would have been wicked!

One of the most shocking cars I've ever driven was the Thunderbird Super Coupe. That sucker would haul @$#% for a huge car. Just amazing.

I've had all those, and I I loved my 89 SC the most out of all of them and she was bone stock!

logiclee wrote:

Some of you guys are still thinking gas.

Look at the Torque curve of the CRD, staying in third at 60-70mph on a CRD is crazy.

70mph locked up in 5th is around 2000rpm which has the diesel bang in it's sweet zone, the same goes for 55-60mph in 4th.

Cheers
Lee

Lee - that was my same thought process too.

chrispitude · **Posted:** Mon Feb 11, 2008 4:04 pm

I can tell you that when I am pulling my 5000lb trailer up a hill, there is nearly no difference between the pulling power of 4th and 3rd gear at 60mph. All those extra RPMs don't buy you anything with this engine's torque/HP curve.

- Chris

Uffe · **Posted:** Mon Feb 11, 2008 4:25 pm

logiclee wrote:

Some of you guys are still thinking gas.

Look at the Torque curve of the CRD, staying in third at 60-70mph on a CRD is crazy.

70mph locked up in 5th is around 2000rpm which has the diesel bang in it's sweet zone, the same goes for 55-60mph in 4th.

Cheers
Lee

Yes, I wasn't thinking in terms of power but in terms of reliability for the transmission. The 3rd gear is the strongest of them all. Thus use this for towing unless land is flat and no real headwind.

chrispitude · **Posted:** Mon Feb 11, 2008 4:44 pm

Yep, I used to lug in 4th because I could, but I've since switched to 3rd for the steeper grades to be kinder to the rod bearings and the transmission internals. It doesn't pull any better but I feel better about it.

- Chris

logiclee · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2008 7:01 am

I wont let the engine struggle on an incline and will select 3rd lockup if my speed is around 40mph but does anyone think this is still an issue post F37?

I know my KJ wont let me get anywhere near full throttle when locked up in the maximum torque zone of 1800-2300rpm. I get to about three quarter throttle and it will either unlock or shift down anyway, the new software doesn't let you put full torque on a locked up gearbox.

Cheers
Lee

Uffe · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2008 8:00 am

logiclee wrote:

I wont let the engine struggle on an incline and will select 3rd lockup if my speed is around 40mph but does anyone think this is still an issue post F37?

I know my KJ wont let me get anywhere near full throttle when locked up in the maximum torque zone of 1800-2300rpm. I get to about three quarter throttle and it will either unlock or shift down anyway, the new software doesn't let you put full torque on a locked up gearbox.

Cheers
Lee

That just means you aren't going fast enough

fourth gear towing

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