WHYDTYTT: What Have You Done To Your Truck Today?

[Gary Lewis]

Gary,

Yes that was the old one. Patiently waiting for my package in the mail now. Wrote that last night after battling a big ponderosa pine stump for two days. I was beat. Stump won.

Dennis

Sorry you lost the battle to the stump. Must have been a big stump!

As for what I did to my truck, over the last several days I've been driving Blue on our jaunts to decorate graves. Just pulled into the driveway and have driven 435 miles and the Lie-O-Meter says I've gotten 22.5 MPG, which is pretty much the best I've ever gotten.

I've not filled up yet, but typically the LoM is off by 7%, so that translates to 20.9 MPG. But at least it will be north of 20.0 MPG, and that's excellent in my books.

I think I've finally figured out how to drive Blue for max economy - do NOT light off the turbos. For the 435 miles I drove the speed limit, which included probably 100 miles on the turnpike at 75 MPH. But, I didn't use cruise control at all, and I kept a close eye on the boost gauge. If at any time the gauge started to show some boost I backed off the throttle. And on a 65 MPH stretch of highway that usually meant we'd crest a hill at 60 MPH.

I'm not saying that's the best way to drive, but I found it interesting that by babying it I could get what is probably close to 21 MPG out of a truck that can tow so doggone well.

[salans7]

Sorry you lost the battle to the stump. Must have been a big stump!

As for what I did to my truck, over the last several days I've been driving Blue on our jaunts to decorate graves. Just pulled into the driveway and have driven 435 miles and the Lie-O-Meter says I've gotten 22.5 MPG, which is pretty much the best I've ever gotten.

I've not filled up yet, but typically the LoM is off by 7%, so that translates to 20.9 MPG. But at least it will be north of 20.0 MPG, and that's excellent in my books.

I think I've finally figured out how to drive Blue for max economy - do NOT light off the turbos. For the 435 miles I drove the speed limit, which included probably 100 miles on the turnpike at 75 MPH. But, I didn't use cruise control at all, and I kept a close eye on the boost gauge. If at any time the gauge started to show some boost I backed off the throttle. And on a 65 MPH stretch of highway that usually meant we'd crest a hill at 60 MPH.

I'm not saying that's the best way to drive, but I found it interesting that by babying it I could get what is probably close to 21 MPG out of a truck that can tow so doggone well.

Well I made some plans to pick up something big tomorrow after work. Still need to look it over, but if all checks out for what it is, I'll be coming home with it.

[Nothing Special]

.... (Although I guess I've got to admit, the charts I've seen have only had F-250HD/F-350/F-Superduty, so I suppose the lighter trucks might be rated differently.)

I was wrong. I HAVE seen a chart for F-150 through F-350 here http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/towing.html. No differences except by manual/auto trans, engine and axle ratio. The tow ratings in my '97 owners manual are the same way, but they only cover F-250HD through F-Superduty.

Of course not all engines were offered in all trucks, so giving a high tow rating to a 460 or a diesel won't affect an F-150. But still, the charts are just trans, engine and gearing.

I'd hope so!

Brake size, and power assist v non-assist make a huge difference.

Auto v manual gearbox seems to as well. Though imho a T-19 is a LOT more stout than an AOD.

Certainly 5 v 8 lug wheels (and that stud size) are important!

The ply rating and max air pressure of the tires too.

Truck weight and WB have to be a factor. Sometimes the cart pushes the horse. With a shorter lever, too much tongue weight will tend to lift the steering wheels.

It's the transfer case that's limiting in 4x4

I know, I know. But psychics doesn't change no matter how fuzzy your math, nor how wishful you are.

I don't disagree with anything you say (except possibly the transfer case limiting 4WDs). But as I noted, that's not how Ford tow ratings work.

Of course Ford tow ratings don't always make sense. In the chart in the link above it gives a 7800 lb GCWR for my old '85 F-250HD (351 2bbl, manual trans, 3.55 gears). That was in a truck with a GVWR of 8,600 lbs. So I guess I could only load that truck to the max if I was towing a trailer that weighed NEGATIVE 800 lbs!

 

[ArdWrknTrk]

.... (Although I guess I've got to admit, the charts I've seen have only had F-250HD/F-350/F-Superduty, so I suppose the lighter trucks might be rated differently.)

I was wrong. I HAVE seen a chart for F-150 through F-350 here http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/towing.html. No differences except by manual/auto trans, engine and axle ratio. The tow ratings in my '97 owners manual are the same way, but they only cover F-250HD through F-Superduty.

Of course not all engines were offered in all trucks, so giving a high tow rating to a 460 or a diesel won't affect an F-150. But still, the charts are just trans, engine and gearing.

I'd hope so!

Brake size, and power assist v non-assist make a huge difference.

Auto v manual gearbox seems to as well. Though imho a T-19 is a LOT more stout than an AOD.

Certainly 5 v 8 lug wheels (and that stud size) are important!

The ply rating and max air pressure of the tires too.

Truck weight and WB have to be a factor. Sometimes the cart pushes the horse. With a shorter lever, too much tongue weight will tend to lift the steering wheels.

It's the transfer case that's limiting in 4x4

I know, I know. But psychics doesn't change no matter how fuzzy your math, nor how wishful you are.

I don't disagree with anything you say (except possibly the transfer case limiting 4WDs). But as I noted, that's not how Ford tow ratings work.

Of course Ford tow ratings don't always make sense. In the chart in the link above it gives a 7800 lb GCWR for my old '85 F-250HD (351 2bbl, manual trans, 3.55 gears). That was in a truck with a GVWR of 8,600 lbs. So I guess I could only load that truck to the max if I was towing a trailer that weighed NEGATIVE 800 lbs!

Well you know a trailer like that won't push....

How do you figure a 4x4 is less equipped to tow than the 2wd version of a similarly equipped F-Series?

[Nothing Special]

.... How do you figure a 4x4 is less equipped to tow than the 2wd version of a similarly equipped F-Series?

I don't think the GCWR is any lower. At least the '85 towing guide here and my '97 owner's manual don't have any lower ratings.

4WD trucks weigh more than their 2WD counterparts, so the same GCWR with a higher truck weight I suppose does mean a 4WD can't tow as heavy a trailer if the trucks are carrying the same payload weight. So I suppose you could say that the weight of the transfer case affects the tow rating. But not its strength.

If there were differences in 2WD/4WD tow ratings I'd lean more toward ride height as the factor that would make the most difference. But as already noted, none of the factors that actually affect how much weight a truck can safely tow seem to be considered in Ford's GCWR tables, only the factors that affect how much weight can be accelerated.

[Angelo Voltura]

.... How do you figure a 4x4 is less equipped to tow than the 2wd version of a similarly equipped F-Series?

I don't think the GCWR is any lower. At least the '85 towing guide here and my '97 owner's manual don't have any lower ratings.

4WD trucks weigh more than their 2WD counterparts, so the same GCWR with a higher truck weight I suppose does mean a 4WD can't tow as heavy a trailer if the trucks are carrying the same payload weight. So I suppose you could say that the weight of the transfer case affects the tow rating. But not its strength.

If there were differences in 2WD/4WD tow ratings I'd lean more toward ride height as the factor that would make the most difference. But as already noted, none of the factors that actually affect how much weight a truck can safely tow seem to be considered in Ford's GCWR tables, only the factors that affect how much weight can be accelerated.

Not my truck, but I got the swap done on my friends 78 and got his 410" beast fired up and running decently. Could be retimedand jetted but for now, I'm happy with it and this will serve as the basis for my build.

Also, I got rubber and traction bars that I painted Daytona yellow.

[Gary Lewis]

Not my truck, but I got the swap done on my friends 78 and got his 410" beast fired up and running decently. Could be retimedand jetted but for now, I'm happy with it and this will serve as the basis for my build.

Also, I got rubber and traction bars that I painted Daytona yellow.

Sounds good!

[Angelo Voltura]

Sounds good!

Kept it pretty tame with the cam, I think heads have a lot more in them. Has a comp cam 270HR with 6 initial 30 degrees at 3000 all in. Just wanted something to pull the trailer with. 3.50 gears and 35s with a NP435 and stock 400 just wasnt cutting it. Couldnt have gone anymore smooth. Everything was first try and didnt even have a single leak.

 

[salans7]

Well I made some plans to pick up something big tomorrow after work. Still need to look it over, but if all checks out for what it is, I'll be coming home with it.

Well that something big followed me home today....

The accessory brackets alone are worth what I paid for this thing.

[Gary Lewis]

Well I made some plans to pick up something big tomorrow after work. Still need to look it over, but if all checks out for what it is, I'll be coming home with it.

Well that something big followed me home today....

The accessory brackets alone are worth what I paid for this thing.

Cool! A carbed 460. Non-cat. Are you going through it?