NA IDI Towing Test

frankenwrench · Apr 22, 2020

Il testify that it will, in fact, do what your asking. But my 2wd regular bed and extended cab with zf5 is 6600 according to the cat scale, empty on a quarter tank in rear and I removed the side tank long ago. As already mentioned, it will be a slower pull, but I've pulled very similar loads before I turboed mine and did fine grossing around 47k.

Enginerd · Apr 22, 2020

frankenwrench said:
Il testify that it will, in fact, do what your asking. But my 2wd regular bed and extended cab with zf5 is 6600 according to the cat scale, empty on a quarter tank in rear and I removed the side tank long ago. As already mentioned, it will be a slower pull, but I've pulled very similar loads before I turboed mine and did fine grossing around 47k.

That's quite a load, a good one for the books! Now you've got me wondering what my truck weighs...
Full fuel in both tanks, this heavy 80"x100" flatbed which actually squatted the truck putting it on, got all my tools in it, 4 wheel drive, maybe I'm actually closer to 8,000?

That would put me grossing 33,000. It'll be a healthy load regardless.

chillman88 · Apr 23, 2020

Enginerd said:
That's quite a load, a good one for the books!

I don't know bud, I've dealt with DOT and I'm pretty sure that's a good one to keep OFF the books LOL

frankenwrench · Apr 23, 2020

chillman88 said:
I don't know bud, I've dealt with DOT and I'm pretty sure that's a good one to keep OFF the books

I agree. Lol.

Enginerd · Apr 23, 2020

So I want to make sure this is okay before I try it and blow up a transfer case. Is it okay to start with the transfer case in the low range, travel through to like 4th gear, then go to the high range? I guess I would shift like Lo1234-N-Hi234? That won't damage anything to shift the transfer case while moving right? I have a little incline I'll have to start on and just want to be prepared in case I have to use the low range since I have 3.55 gears

Jake_IN · Apr 23, 2020

If its only 10 miles away and you are really worried about the truck why not just drive the backhoe home?

I wouldn't worry about towing it though. I hauled a double framed Ford C600 cabover 110 miles with my truck and it didn't have any troubles. I pretty much drove by the pyrometer but that didn't bother me. There were two decent (for central Indiana) hills that i had to climb.

Edit: I might as well add that i think pulling that load for that long was one of the best things i had done for my truck in awhile. Getting it good and hot for that long had it running better than its ran in ages. I think it kind of "cleaned" itself out while i was pulling that load.

Enginerd · Apr 23, 2020

Jake_IN said:
If its only 10 miles away and you are really worried about the truck you why not just drive the backhoe home?

I'm not worried about the truck at all. And the backhoe is a project. As in like the brakes don't work right now, the hydraulic fluid is leaking out of a few cylinders, this thing has a top speed of like 10 miles an hour, the tires are dry-rotted and the front right tire is flat. So I wouldn't be able to drive it home. And it's actually 12 miles, so that's a decent drive on an old backhoe like this haha
I just figured I'd start this thread just to show another opportunity of the IDI working hard and to see what others have accomplished.

Jake_IN · Apr 23, 2020

Enginerd said:
I'm not worried about the truck at all. And the backhoe is a project. As in like the brakes don't work right now, the hydraulic fluid is leaking out of a few cylinders, this thing has a top speed of like 10 miles an hour, the tires are dry-rotted and the front right tire is flat. So I wouldn't be able to drive it home. And it's actually 12 miles, so that's a decent drive on an old backhoe like this haha

Oh yeah that might be a more exciting drive than you want to experience lol.

I say just load er up and go for it!

Enginerd · Apr 23, 2020

Jake_IN said:
I might as well add that i think pulling that load for that long was one of the best things i had done for my truck in awhile. Getting it good and hot for that long had it running better than its ran in ages. I think it kind of "cleaned" itself out while i was pulling that load.

I really do think you are right on this. I think you have to put a good load on diesels and run them hard ever once in a while. Maybe it helps clear out some buildup. I'm no expert though
I saw a study at one point showing that tug boats that were never let to idle and were run full throttle their whole life actually achieved quite a bit longer engine life before a major overhaul compared to the engines that were babied a little more. It also said they had to rebuild the transmission stuff way more often slamming it in forward and reverse all the time

Black dawg · Apr 23, 2020

Enginerd said:
So I want to make sure this is okay before I try it and blow up a transfer case. Is it okay to start with the transfer case in the low range, travel through to like 4th gear, then go to the high range? I guess I would shift like Lo1234-N-Hi234? That won't damage anything to shift the transfer case while moving right? I have a little incline I'll have to start on and just want to be prepared in case I have to use the low range since I have 3.55 gears

I wouldn't do that, I have never had one that would come out of low range while moving.....without some noise. Use low range until you get it on the highway then stop and put in hi.

nelstomlinson · Apr 23, 2020

Enginerd said:
Is it okay to start with the transfer case in the low range, travel through to like 4th gear, then go to the high range?... just want to be prepared in case I have to use the low range since I have 3.55 gears

I would assume that you're not going to be able to shift from 4lo to 4hi while moving. I know I never succeeded.

With 3.55s, you might just want to stay in 4lo the whole way. You can probably hit 40 mph in low, anyway; do you need to go faster?

Enginerd · Apr 23, 2020

That's why I asked because I haven't been able to pull out of 4 low while creeping along, but I wasn't trying to pull super hard. That would be a cool trick though. I guess that would be why people still put a splitter on these trucks when they tow often.
I didn't even plan on going over 35 except on the straightaway. Then maybe 40. It's a curvy and bumpy road I'll be on.

DaveBen · Apr 23, 2020

The transfer cases don't have syncros. You will never be able to sync the shift point. You will trash the transfer case.

Jake_IN · Apr 23, 2020

At low speed I think you can shift it with nothing majorly bad happening. This guy appears to do 1lo 2lo 1hi 2hi and so on (34k gross).

If the time stamp doesn't work skip to 4:09.

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Oledirtypearl86 · Apr 23, 2020

I run like the USPS if it fits it ships also IV done the old 4lo to 2 hi trick and yeah it wasnt happy to say the least I mean nothing came apart but it kinda acted like it wanted also I hauled a pettybone that was like 19k to 21k 3 hrs and I was grateful for the trailer brakes on the passes other than that the ole dirty pearl loved every minute of the trip

NA IDI Towing Test

frankenwrench

overkill is under rated!

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overkill is under rated!

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