Towing with a 3rd gen

I’ve thought about it but I’m looking at $3000 minimum to regear it and that’s a risk. If it doesn’t make enough of a difference then it’s 3k wasted

 

I assume your truck is an automatic trans? Going from the stock 3.90 gears to 5.29 will make an enormous difference.

 

Tows fine.

 

Quite a light load

 

Why not? The biggest drawback to a 3/4 or 1 ton truck is poor gas mileage, and if you get anything from the last 20 years it will get better gas mileage than you are getting now!

 

13 - 14 mpg at 6,000 to 7,000 ft. In Northern AZ.

OTT works for me.

 

Bet me to it. @98tacojunky, why don't you just regear it and call it a day?

 

Less power than your third gen, and I've got zero issues with 32s and a re-gear (3.73 to 4.56). Couldn't accelerate passed 50 on some climbs before re-gear, zero issues breaking any legal speed limit now, climbing or not; not that I'd suggest it with this sort of load. I keep it to 60-65 anymore to save on the MPGs, it's not worth it driving faster. 6.4mpg was my worst, but that was at the speed limit or a lil over in Utah (80mph limit).

You simply shot yourself in the foot by installing 35s. You can gain some back by going to 5.29s, but you really threw your truck's power out the window with those. To each their own, but saying the truck can't do what you want is wrong. It just can't do it looking how you want, which again, is fine, but not the truck's fault.

 

Regear and then see how you feel about your current truck.

 

Nice flat bed. What make/model is that? Empty weight, max weight, etc? TIA

 

This sounds like you need to decide on 35's or towing. Outside of the dump trailer everything should be a ok. I tow a boat with 295's a few times a summer with a full load of camping gear is it ideal no does it struggle no. If I was doing it more I would want a smaller tire or re gear.

 

Exactly. They tow fine within limits.

 

See my above concerns

 

You’re around 2500-3000 pounds there. My truck has towed that, and it’s not effortless but not miserable. I’m talking about 5k and up.

 

im not sure I want to invest 3-4k into a regear that may or may not save me trading the truck in. If I do it and it “fixes” its downfalls then that’s awesome, but if it makes it 2% better then I would’ve been better off investing that money down towards another vehicle. I want to regear it to know if that’s all it needs but that amount of money isn’t nothing and I’d hate to do it to then still not be happy and want to sell the truck off.

 

With everything I’ve done to the truck I won’t be downsizing on tires. Putting a smaller tire on would look bad IMO and I personally don’t think would benefit much. For instance, my 35” bfg ko2’s weigh about 65 lbs. according to bfg’s specs the 295/70/17 ko2 weighs 68… I’d go up in weight for a smaller tire. Now of course there’s a small amount of leverage difference due to the overall diameter but I think it would even out in the end and not help at all.

 

You must’ve read someone else’s post. I never said it can’t I said it’s not happy. I don’t enjoy running 5000 rpm’s down the highway for an entire trip. Assuming you have the 4.0, your engine makes its power in low rpm’s. The 3.5 while on paper makes more power, does it at high rpm’s. You have to rev the piss out of it to get it to go and it gets old. This wasn’t only a problem with 35’s. IMO from stock to 35’s with an OTT tune really isn’t much different in driving experience. My truck was stock once and was anemic then, and I’ve driven a stock 3rd gen since I moved up to 35’s and it really doesn’t feel different. If anything it’s worse due to the horrible gear hunting in stock form. But power wise the 35’s didn’t rob me of much.

 

I read your concerns, they aren't valid.

 

Yeah I would be more in the skinny 33 or back to a 265 for towing that much. If you aren't willing to set up the vehicle to suit your needs go buy a full size this isn't the truck for you.

 

This all sounds to me like you already made up your mind to get something else, you just want the rest of us to tell you to do it...

You're tying to run oversized tires without a regear to compensate, you're choking the truck. Thats going to happen regardless the truck (unless you get a diesel). Even 1/2 tons with a V8 will still see a decrease in MPGs and power with large tires. No, it won't be as big a hit as the Taco, but you'll still see it.

Spend the money on 5.29s. If the regear works out then you don't need to find something else, if it doesn't work out then sell it. You shouldn't have any issues selling a Taco if need be. But, since the lack of towing power seems to be the only complaint, and you stated you don't tow often, it seems silly to move to something else that you're likely going to put big tires on and choke just the same.