Title says it all, i need some technical advice on how safe it's going to be towing with 4:10's and 4l60e built by Monster transmission, i spin about 2100-2200 rpm at 70mph locked up in overdrive.

I plan on using the tow haul mode which will probably downshift to 3rd at anything below 65 which it usually does, I'm making a cross country trip from NC to AZ through I95 and I10 with a 1400lb car trailer and Nova around 4600lb total give or take a few hundred.

Any advice on this is appreciated, it would really suck to make this entire trip in 3rd...

 

I dont see any problem towing in OD. As long as your not losing speed and still giving it more gas I say give it a shot. You got an aftermarket trans cooler by chance?

 

The problem with towing in overdrive is less a matter of what gears you have a more a matter of OD clutch surface area...I wouldn't worry about it cruising around, but accelerating and going up hills I'd play it safe and drop into 3rd.

Where in AZ are you headed to?

 

Yes i am running an extra trans cooler that is inline (after) with my factory radiator cooler, it's about 15x10 inches and has a temp gauge sender after it which rarely goes above 140* in stop and go traffic and 110*-120* highway (cool side).

I'm relocating to the Glendale area for 10 months then maybe checking out some other warm citys in the area.

 

Cool. Bunch of us truck guys have been talking about having a meet...more the merrier! Have yet to set a date though, lol.

 

The truck is going to make more power, run cooler, and run and pull better in 3rd turning what, 2700-2800 at 70 then trying to lug it around in OD at 2100. I would drop it down to 3rd and never look back and you will probably use less fuel doing it. I would hate to make anymore gear changes then necessary at highway speed under a big load with a 4L60E. Heck a lot of times I drive mine in 3rd going back and forth to work depending on the wind but I've got 3.73s and 33s and only turn 2500 at 70.

 

Well i figured i would post back with results for the sake of other peoples knowledge, the truck pulled fine down to 65 mph before downshifting as i predicted and i dropped it to third in hilly regions as to not load up that overdrive gear.

I Never let it hunt on any part of the trip whatsoever and trans temps never left 110*F on the downside of the cooler, everything seemed to be good and it pulled all those huge hills in west Texas like a champ in 3rd really working the turbo

Anyway It dropped a trans pump in the flats of New Mexico go figure, to draw a picture for you i was running at 70 in overdrive with barely any load put on it and it just died all at once (no pressure), after finding a local trans shop and had it tore down the trans guy couldn't find any problems with it other then the pump.

So i finished the 300 miles i had left to go towing mind you and didn't have another issue, all my gears are working and so is lockup. I have completely lost all faith in the 4l60e for any use other then getting groceries (even a built one).

It will be pulled inspected and sold off to make room for a NV5600 and Cummins 12v.

 

^^^ well said, 80e or better.