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Beef up 1500 for towing
Hello all, I have a 2011 Sierra 1500 5.3, 2wd. Factory options include the stock transmission cooler, 3.42 gears, and 6spd. The truck is lifted 5 inches and has 33" tires on factory wheels. It tows my 22' boat fine but I want to add a travel trailer to the toy list.The specs on the TT are GVWR is 7500 lbs. and the unloaded weight is 5263 lbs. I was planning on beefing up the front brakes, re-gearing to 4.10, adding air bags to rear suspension, installing aftermarket Transmission cooler, Brake controller, WD hitch, and a supercharger. The truck is paid off and only has 43K miles so I really didn't want to get into car payments by purchasing 3/4 ton truck. Are my plans doable to tow the TT 5-6 times per year? Please make recommendations. Thanks
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Look into 4.56 gears, from prior conversations I don't think a 4.30 is available for your rear.
Otherwise I think you're spot on with your goals. Just be sure to add headers/exhaust and proper tune. |
4.56 for 35s for sure, but I think the 6spd and 4.10s is a good spot for lower RPM on the highway roots blower, breathing mods, 4.10s: done |
Just got an estimate for it all. Magnuson 1900, Install, and tune- $8124. 4.11’s, tru trac, install kit, labor, and bigger dif. cover- $2417 Powerstop Z36 brake kit with stainless lines and install $782 Airbags with compressor and cab controls $1500 looks like things have gotten really expensive cause I got a couple of estimates and they were all more or less the same. Couldn’t believe it. May do it in stages. I was thinking supercharger and gears first, Then headers and exhaust, and lastly brakes and air bags. |
Time to make friends with people that could help you or just do some of it yourself.
Brake work is cake, you could do that all yourself and save money. The airbag kits from firestone and others are under $500 even for some of the best kits. Most even come with full instructions on how to install everything. That alone would save you atleast 1000-1200 between those two things. $2400 for a rear diff install for 4.11 is highway robbery, that is crazy for just one diff on a 2WD truck. They must be marking the prices up by 100% and charging some crazy labor. I would have said half that amount for parts and labor on a 2WD truck. Also the larger diff cover is a downgrade, more fluid does not mean better cooling. Watch the banks power diff cover challenge to see how large diff covers screw up the fluid flow inside the diff cover. |
Yeah I hear you. I am more than capable of doing it on my own I just don’t have time. I have a list of projects I haven’t been able to get to so I thought paying to get it done would alleviate the burden. Anyhow, I may have to install the brakes and the bags. I think the supercharger is a pretty fair price and I’ll shop around a little more for the gears. Good info about the cover. Thanks. Problem is everyone in Miami is a crook. Lol |
Damn, I paid $850 for 4.10's, TruTrac and install.
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Just found a reputable shop to charge 1200-1400. They are also saying they don’t recommend a supercharger for towing applications. Lol anyway, I will at least use them for the gears. |
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