Race the tow truck - for Diamondpilot :-)

[Blk88GT]

Good times. My 7.3 doesn't have anything on that, other than reliability

My best time in my car is a 9.71 @ 143 with the old motor. Still tuning the new one

 

[Dargo]

After sleeping lazily in my barn for weeks, my truck has gotten a workout this last week. First was that trip to the drags for it and today I towed a 16,500 pound trailer about 700 miles with it. I did change the tune to a "towing" tune and certainly didn't get in any rush, but it had no problems at all keeping cruise at 75mph pretty well all day. Due to my work schedule, it will get to languish in the barn for a spell now.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Dargo, I am curious what type of mileage you are getting? I am guessing you have 4.10 gears? My truck is about 600# lighter and SRW with 3.73 gears but I am very happy with the results the chip, intake, and exhaust. It does great towing my typical load, the boat in my avatar.

Chris

 

[Dargo]

Dargo, I am curious what type of mileage you are getting? I am guessing you have 4.10 gears? My truck is about 600# lighter and SRW with 3.73 gears but I am very happy with the results the chip, intake, and exhaust. It does great towing my typical load, the boat in my avatar.

Chris

I left about 3am yesterday morning and ran right at 720 miles pulling my empty trailer (I think it weighs right at 6500 pounds - 30' tandem trailer with dual rear wheels and 12" I beams for the frame under the bed). I then loaded a compact excavator that has a stated weight of 9600 pounds the same distance back. I have 4:30 gearing, which I'm told is the only option with the "Tow Boss" package (don't know that for a fact, but it's what my friend who owns a Ford dealership told me). I didn't check my mpg empty but I left full and filled up the last time 1 mile from my home on the way home. Not going by the on board mpg estimator, but hand calculating, I ended up getting right at 11.6 mpg overall for the entire trip. I'm relatively certain I could have gotten more if I'd slowed a bit on the way home but I was getting tired and kept cruise set just over 75 on the interstates on the way home.

My old '96 Dodge with the 12v Cummins was probably a bit faster (but I never actually took it to the track for a run like I did this truck) but I was generally looking up at 10 mpg hauling similar loads with it. I'm quite aware that this truck is no race truck, but I'm pleased enough with the way it runs and with how it tows. I know I could get better mpg with a SRW 1 ton, but that's not really an option for me with all the tongue weight I have hauling on my GN trailers.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Thanks Dargo. That seems about right with that load and gear ratio. Your friend is right, the Tow Boss Package available on the DRW trucks only has a 4.30 gear ratio.

Here is a chart listing most Ford Axle Codes for SD trucks. You can find what code you have on the data tag on the door frame of the drivers door. Usually the ones with just numbers are normal diffs, the ones with a letter in it is a limited slip diff.


31 — 3.73 non-limited slip, F-250/Excursion
C1 — 3.73 limited slip, F-250/Excursion
32 — 4.10 non-limited slip, F-250
C2 — 4.10 limited slip, F-250/Excursion
33 — 4.30 non-limited slip, F-250
C3 — 4.30 limited slip, F-250/Excursion
36 — 4.56 non-limited slip, F-250
C6 — 4.56 limited slip, F-250
41 — 3.73 non-limited slip, F-350 (single rear wheels)
D1 — 3.73 limited slip, F-350 (single rear wheels)
42 — 4.10 non-limited slip, F-350 (single rear wheels)
D2 — 4.10 limited slip, F-350 (single rear wheels)
43 — 4.30 non-limited slip, F-350 (single rear wheels)
D3 — 4.30 limited slip, F-350 (single rear wheels)
46 — 4.56 non-limited slip, F-350 (single rear wheels)
D6 — 4.56 limited slip, F-350 (single rear wheels)
61 — 3.73 non-limited slip, F-350 (dual rear wheels)
F1 — 3.73 limited slip, F-350 (dual rear wheels)
62 — 4.10 non-limited slip, F-350 (dual rear wheels)
F2 — 4.10 limited slip, F-350 (dual rear wheels)
63 — 4.30 non-limited slip, F-350 (dual rear wheels)
66 — 4.56 non-limited slip, F-350 (dual rear wheels)
F6 — 4.56 limited slip, F-350 (dual rear wheels)
81 — 3.73 non-limited slip, F-350 Chassis Cab, narrow frame (dual rear wheels)
E1 — 3.73 limited slip, F-350 Chassis Cab, narrow frame (dual rear wheels)
82 — 4.10 non-limited slip, F-350 Chassis Cab, narrow frame (dual rear wheels)
E2 — 4.10 limited slip, F-350 Chassis Cab, narrow frame (dual rear wheels)
83 — 4.30 non-limited slip, F-350 Chassis Cab, narrow frame (dual rear wheels)
E3 — 4.30 limited slip, F-350 Chassis Cab, narrow frame (dual rear wheels)
86 — 4.56 non-limited slip, F-350 Chassis Cab, narrow frame (dual rear wheels)
E6 — 4.56 limited slip, F-350 Chassis Cab, narrow frame (dual rear wheels)
88 — 4.88 non-limited slip, F-350 Chassis Cab, narrow frame (dual rear wheels)
EW — 4.88 limited slip, F-350 Chassis Cab, narrow frame (dual rear wheels)
G3 — 4.30 limited slip, F-450 Chassis Cab
73 — 4.30 non-limited slip, F-450 Chassis Cab
78 — 4.88 non-limited slip, F-450 Chassis Cab
G8 — 4.88 limited slip, F-450 Chassis Cab
75 — 5.38 non-limited slip, F-450 Chassis Cab
G5 — 5.38 limited slip, F-450 Chassis Cab
GW — 4.10 limited slip, F-450 Chassis Cab
98 — 4.88 non-limited slip, F-550 Chassis Cab
K8 — 4.88 limited slip, F-550 Chassis Cab
95 — 5.38 non-limited slip, F-550 Chassis Cab
K5 — 5.38 limited slip, F-550 Chassis Cab
KW — 4.10 limited slip, F-550 Chassis Cab

Chris

 

[Paystar]

There's a guy in our area who hauls asphalt. He uses tandem axle trucks with one tag axle. They're Petes now, but they used to be Autocars. He still has the first two Autocars that he started his business with. He passed I believe, and he told his son he still wanted them running.

These are very nice and restored, one purple, one blue. One has a Cummins in it. Guess how much he's putting out of that one! 1000hp! It does 17's on the 1/4. It's a dump truck that probably weighs 15,000-20,000lbs!

I'm sorry, but out of all the diesels I've seen at the track, this one blows them all away. He weighs up to three times the weight of alot of 3/4 ton 2wd diesels there, but he's only but 5 seconds away.


Kyle

If you like seeing that check out Le Rodéo du Camion (I think thats it.) It's a truck show and drag race I go to every year in Quebec. If you search U tube for Eric Bouchard "the Outlaws" Western Star you can see vids of him smoking Saleen Mustangs on the drag strip with his Cat powered Western Star.

 

[Willl]

Not going by the on board mpg estimator, but hand calculating, I ended up getting right at 11.6 mpg overall

I'm curious as to close the on board computer was ? Stock tire size ?

 

[Dargo]

I'm curious as to close the on board computer was ? Stock tire size ?

Sorry, I missed this post. The tires are the exact stock size. I think the on board trip computer was pretty close to the actual hand calculated mpg. I don't think it was off by more than 1/2 a mpg if I remember correctly.

 

[jwstewar]

Sorry, I missed this post. The tires are the exact stock size. I think the on board trip computer was pretty close to the actual hand calculated mpg. I don't think it was off by more than 1/2 a mpg if I remember correctly.

And if it came down to it, was probably the correct one. People may not believe it, but gas/diesel pumps shut off at different times. Just a few extra bubbles while filling could cause it to shut off sooner or later or "topping it off" all change your mileage. When you are talking mileage an extra quart or so of fuel makes a big difference in our MPGs - especially if only putting in say 12 gallons or so like on a car.