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JJ02QC
Dodge Dakota
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6/17/2003
00:10:20
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 Subject: V6 SUCKS for towing
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Message:
Hey all, I have a '02 Quad 2wd with the 3.9L and I am really frustrated. I put on a 3" Fabtech lift and 265/70x16's, Flowmaster 40 series, Fastman TB and QuickD intake and I am having problems towing. The total weight of the trailer is about 3,000 lbs and this truck is like a sick dog trying to pull this thing. Acceleration is painful and if I even see a bump in the road a mile away the truck starts to slow down. I am constantly having to downshift to 2nd and sometimes even 1st.
I realized that having a V6 would not tow as great as a V8 but I didn't think it would be this bad. Especially with the mods I have done. And the tirs are only about an inch bigger than the stock ones so I can't imagine that is too big of an issue.
SO my question is this, is it worth trying to replace my 3.55 gears with 4.10's? Will it make a SIGNIFICANT difference in the pulling ability or should I just cut my losses and go with a V8? Anyone that is familiar with this please let me know. Thanks!
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93 DakSport
Dodge Dakota
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6/17/2003
06:39:08
|  RE: V6 SUCKS for towing
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Message:
Well where to start...the tires are too big..you lost too much low end torque when u got the better flowing exhaust..with that rim and tire combo u made the 3.55 gears act like shorter gears..no wonder y ur truck is ballless..leave the OD off...get a chip for performance ..that will change your fuel curve and shift points..can't think of anything else...i have no problems pulling 3G's with my 93 stock everything Dakota...if you tow alot u better look into getting some torque back from somewhere..either get a more restrictive exhaust or smaller tires...or stop towing..if thats an option...
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nate
Dodge Dakota
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6/17/2003
09:09:29
| RE: V6 SUCKS for towing
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Message:
dak sport hit it on the head: The larger tires in combination with a high flow exhaust is exactly what killed you. The single best thing you can do to correct your problem is to sack up and get rid of your new exhaust. Putting the stock system back on should give you a good percentage of what you lost back. A 3.55 rear aint the best in the world for towing, but it is what I run in my 02 CC 3.9, and it works pretty decent with my stock tires. BTW, when you increased your tire size, it had the same effect as leaving the stock tires on and raising the rear gear from a 3.55 to a 3.34. (235/75-> 265/70) Little bit more than you expected, huh?
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UFreekNMorons
Dodge Dakota
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6/17/2003
09:28:11
| RE: V6 SUCKS for towing
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alright... putting on a new muffler does not kill torque!!!!
i realize someone beat it in your heads but you'll need to be re-educated. Changing to a perfomance muffler helps unrestrict the airflow in the exhaust system... but still keeps more than enough back pressure. You could cut off every bid of exhaust off behind the cat and still have enough pressure to move the exhaust effeciently. NOW, if you ran something like a true dual 2.5" exhaust with no cats, hell yeah you would loose back pressure and increase the velocity of the exhaust... but changing a muffler or cat back exhaust will not do it!
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nate
Dodge Dakota
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6/17/2003
09:55:15
| RE: V6 SUCKS for towing
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Message:
i misread the post as having a 3" exhaust. Flowmaster 40's will only post a negligible, if any, torque loss when used in a stock system.
not a moron,
nate
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02SXT
Dodge Dakota
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6/17/2003
10:31:11
| RE: V6 SUCKS for towing
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Message:
That's funny....I have a 2002 SXT CC 4x4 Auto w/3.92s and I pull a 3450lb 24ft travel trailer with significant ease???? I would also have to say tires and 3.55s are killing you. If you can, go back to stock tires and buy some 3.92s or better.
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jeremy
Dodge Dakota
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6/17/2003
10:43:25
| RE: V6 SUCKS for towing
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i also have an 02 sxt 4x4 auto..(what's the CC mean?) and i pull my friends boat all summer. It's just under 3000 and i have no truouble. There is a really steep long grade hill on the way to our lake and it'll stay in third about 2/3 of the way and then i have to take it to second. I have stock everything (not for long) and mine has the 3.92 gears. I think that's what's hurts you the most, your gears.
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JJ02QC
Dodge Dakota
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6/17/2003
11:18:48
| RE: V6 SUCKS for towing
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Message:
I have heard the gears make a difference, and I know the tires hurt it. But it is going to cost like a grand from what I heard to put in new gears, then reduce tire size and take the loss on the rims and tires and lift. It almost just makes more sense to dump this thing and get a V8.
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Bry
Dodge Dakota
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6/17/2003
12:10:15
|  RE: V6 SUCKS for towing
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Message:
I regularly tow about 5000 pounds with a '96 v6 club cab 4x4 3.55 gears. In stock form the truck did not like hills much, but would keep 50mph with OD off on about any hill. The engine has never been apart and I have well over 150000k on it. Current mods (exhaust, hi-flow cat, cold air intake, 24# ford hi-po injectors, chip, and others) The 3.92 would be nice, but I can maintain 65 mph on any hill I run into in souther IN, northern KY. Sounds like the tire change may have been what did the most damage to your towing ability. I did not run the actual numbers, but that makes a big difference in torque for pulling.
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02SXT
Dodge Dakota
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6/17/2003
13:45:18
| RE: V6 SUCKS for towing
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Message:
jeremy....
CC = "Club Cab"
RC = "Regular Cab"
QC = "Quad Cab"
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whitedakota2
Dodge Dakota
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6/17/2003
13:54:33
| RE: V6 SUCKS for towing
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Message:
The gearing is the key. You could have moved to 3.92 gears with stock tires for a good tow rig but as you put on bigger tires then the 4.10 gears would be a better choice. And it should not cost a $1000 as long as you only need to change gears. The bearings are not to expensive either. So look around and check for prices on installation. Good luck.
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wg34
Dodge Dakota
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6/17/2003
17:52:38
| RE: V6 SUCKS for towing
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Message:
My truck came stock with 265/70R16 tires,are you sure that this would make that big a diff.
My truck :
http://www.dodgetrucks.org/home/wonderinguy34/index.html
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Shank
GenII
6/17/2003
23:38:46
| RE: V6 SUCKS for towing
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Message:
I noticed a difference in a few tire sizes. I bought my '93 CC 3.9 4X4 with 205/60/R15 Street Tires & I upsized to LT235/75/15 AT's. I have a 20' EXTREMELY Heavy Boat & It's a dog even behind a full-size. Keep the OD Off! & Speed around 60. I don't know what stock gear ratio was but I'm not changing them, I would have to change them in Pairs & Double my Costs.
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IntenseDakota
Dodge Dakota
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6/17/2003
23:45:56
| RE: V6 SUCKS for towing
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Message:
Ok, I have a 1999 SC SB V6. The only mods I have, are cold air intake and a flowmaster 50 series. The rest is all cosmetic. I towed a 78 malibu on a 1500 pound trailer almost 70 miles with no problems at all. Maybe it is the manual trans that helped, but I was realy impressed with the pulling power of the dakota v6.
http://www.intense-dakota.com
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