QuestionHi Shayne!
I have a 2002, Super Duty F-250, V-10, with the towing package and 3.73 to 1 gears, 4 wheel drive, single rear wheels. I pull an enclosed 24-foot trailer with a drag car and the total weight is about 7,200 pounds. While pulling my trailer in Western North Carolina and Tennessee, my Super Duty down-shifts a lot to pull the hills. I am considering a 5th wheel trailer with space for my car and living quarters. The weight of the trailer could be as much as 12,000 pounds. I like my 2002 Super Duty and I wonder if I can increase its pulling power and gas mileage (my hope) by adding things such as a cold air intake box, a tuned exhaust for low rpm torque, and maybe 4.10 gears. Or am I at the weight point where I need to seriously consider a diesel? Also, I've heard that single rear wheel trucks that pull 5th wheel trailers sometimes can have lots of wheel bearing issues because of the added weight as opposed to dual wheels distributing the weight less and more evenly. Thanks very much for any guidance you can give me! Best regards, David W.
AnswerDavid,
The only thing that will help keep your truck from revving up and using a lot of gas is to slow down. You can get different performance products to boost power and help pull the load, but they are going to hurt mileage. It's up to you whether you want to keep the truck and slow down on the hills, or get a bigger truck and take the hills like they're not there.
I haven't heard of bearing failures being a problem on those trucks, but I don't frequent the Ford chats much. The concept that duals will distribute weight better is a sound one. This only applies to the force on the ground. The bearings are still taking the same load from the axles. This is all assuming the duals don't have different bearing setups. I am by no means a drivetrain mechanic.
This all being said, it seems like you have more of a philosophic dilemma rather than a cut and dry problem.
Good Luck,
Shayne Peterson
MobileHitch
http://www.mobilehitch.ca/
