Please educate yourself!

[Diamondpilot]

The Smokey Mountains are in extreme eastern Tennessee, of which border and define North Carolina, as en entity of the Smokey Mountain National Park, being a part of the Appalachain Mountain chain.

Dale Hollow Lake is in northeastern middle Tennessee, roughly 150 miles away.

Just sayin'.......

I guess you are technically right but its still very hilly, especially the last 20 miles to the lake once of the main roads and onto secondary roads. All the lakes down there, Dale Hallow, Lake Cumberland, and Lake Norris are tough to drive to once off the main roads. I 75 is no treat either in Southern Kentucky and Northern Tennessee which is what we take most of the time. I 65 is not as bad but is really rough around Louisville.

Chris

Chris

 

[Soundguy]

Had he typed it backwards, 75F is a red floor mat option.

ahh got ya..

soundguy

 

[buck12]

I'm not totally sure what you're asking here. I've always special ordered all of my vehicles since the 60's and have found the prices to be better than "lot" vehicles. But then, I don't buy the "loaded" versions either which are usually what's on the lots. Often times with a little research, you can find a few extra items that aren't publicized that could make your vehicle a little closer fit to your needs. Personally, I wouldn't waste my time searching lots when you can write up your specs and hand them out to whomever wants to do business with you. I find that the truck managers respond very well. As to the "ordered" price compared to the "stock" price, there is still the price jump from 1/2 ton to 3/4 ton.

I have ordered a truck in the past but another option to ordering a truck is to use the internet to locate the truck you want then go to the dealer. Ford's website allows you to search by zip code and shows the window sticker for all trucks on each dealers lot. When I was shopping for my current truck at the end of the 09 model year I could not order an 09 becuase the factory had swithced to 10s. I wanted to save a few bucks and get the end of the year rebates. I had no loyality to a specific dealer.

 

[buck12]

I asked a salesman what rear end was in a F250 once and he looked back at me with a dear in the headlights stare... he had no CLUE what I was asking..... we made an offer contingent on the answer since no one was around to check into it. It was a 3:55.. we didn't buy.

Don't you love it when you know more about the product than the sales person

 

[puckgrinder85]

And I'll bet that the converter is unlocked most of the time with some of these economy axles, and maybe a fair amount of shifting too. You're also right on the debate issue.

Buy a diesel with an allison behind it and you wont have to worry much about converter unlocking..

 

[Diamondpilot]

Buy a diesel with an allison behind it and you wont have to worry much about converter unlocking..

No, you just have to worry about the rest of the truck. Been there done that in 05 and never again. Longest 9 month of my life.


Chris

 

[timswi]

No, you just have to worry about the rest of the truck. Been there done that in 05 and never again. Longest 9 month of my life.


Chris

Chris, Chris, Chris...You were starting to behave.

 

[fgross335_2210]

Two years ago I looked at a used 2007 silverado vs. a new 2009. Both were 5.3's and both had the HD towing packages. The 2007 was rated for 7800 or so and the 2009 for 8500 IIRC. The 2007 was a 4 speed with 3.73 gears; 2009 a 6 speed with 3.42's.

Because of the changes in trans ratios, what I found was I would have 4 speeds in the 2009 covering the 3 speeds in the 2007; plus 5th spilt the difference between the old 3rd and 4th; and 6th was even taller than the old overdrive gear in the 4 speeder.

In some light towing situations you can tow in 5th and not 6th; but if you engage Tow/Haul, 6th gear is locked out - it's just too tall. Otherwise, with a heavy load, you're either in 3rd with the 4 speeder or in 4th with the 6 speeder. The 5.3 lacks the torque to pull the higher gears.

3.08 gears are at least 10% higher, that would really suck the life out of a 5.3, and would be the equivalent of the old 4-speeder with 3.42 gears, which also lacked tow power.

Definitely sounds to me like his truck is not setup to maximize towing........

BTW I bought the 2007, I don't tow that much and I think towing is limited more by the engine's torque than 4 speeds versus 6; so far I have been very happy with my truck, I pull a 23 foot boat with a total weight close to 6K and it handles it well here in MI where it's relatively flat; I'm sure it would work hard in the mountains through......

 

[brain55]

I don't want to start a "my truck can beat your truck" post, but do want to respond to (brain55's) post as it refers to 1/2 ton trucks. I bought a 1/2 ton because it's my daily driver, I'm not a full time tower, and I want (reasonable) fuel mileage. I bought an '07 Toyota Tundra, 4X4, 5.7, 6 speed, 4:30 gear ratio with a tow package. Transmission ratio's are 1st-3.333 2nd-1.960 3rd-1.353 4th-1.00 5th-.728 and 6th-.588. This summer I towed a couple tractors to pulling events for a friend; 1, a 200 Farmall weighing 3500# and 2,a 960 Ford with pie weights and 1,000# of suitcase weights, weighing a little over 5,500# on a 16ft flat bed Bri-Mar tandem axle trailer. I'm estimating the trailer weighs somewhere around 3,500#. That's somewhere around 12,500# and the truck towed it easily. I wouldn't want to tow it cross-country, but I was totally surprised how easily the truck towed it, and yes, I kept it out of 6th gear. I routinely get 18+ mpg unloaded(in summer). So yes, in my opinion, and in opposition to "brain55", there is a place in the towing ranks for a 1/2 ton truck

Well heck, if that's the case I'm getting a 1/2 Toyota, because when I tow that much weight with my 1-ton duallie with an 8.1L, there is no way I would say it pulls it easily. It will pull it wherever you want to go, but you know you are pulling some weight. Let's see who stops first.

Brian

 

[CinderSchnauzer]

Based on info provided in an earlier post, here's a look at the final mechanical advantage of the 4 spd with 3:73 or 3:42 compared with 6 spd and 3:08

First 2.48 x 3.73 = 9.2504
Second 1.48 x 3.73 = 5.5204
Third 1 x 3.73 = 3.73
Fourth 0.75 x 3.73 = 2.7975

First 2.48 x 3.42 = 8.4816
Second 1.48 x 3.42 = 5.0616
Third 1 x 3.42 = 3.42
Fourth 0.75 x 3.42 = 2.565


First 4.02 x 3.08 = 12.3816
Second 2.36 x 3.08 = 7.2688
Third 1.53 x 3.08 = 4.7124
Fourth 1.15 x 3.08 = 3.542
Fifth 0.85 x 3.08 = 2.618
Sixth 0.67 x 3.08 = 2.0636