Do I dare ask...(transmission and gearing)

I totally didn’t notice til now that there’s a drop down menu at the bottom of the page where you can go to specific thread topics lol kinda hidden or just me learning the site?

 

My 2021 V6 Auto 4wd with 255/85/16’s surprises me when I press the skinny pedal appropriately. Don’t purchase the heaviest wheels and tires, it makes a difference…

 

Yep.

My taco surprised me and others quite a bit.

 

https://www.sonnax.com/tech_resourc...g-gear-ratios-helps-prevent-drivetrain-damage

 

Sounds like your 16 was as terrible as mine. I've never been so pissed at a car as when I was camping in ME and VT, going over the VT hills the truck was either accelerating or decelerating way too quickly. It was like a light switch. Eventually I had to put it in S4 on every single incline, which was about every 60 seconds. That was even with an earlier OVTune. If VFTuner never came along, I think I would've dumped it. It was undrivable with any weight in it.

 

I still drive a 16’ (auto of course), I’ve had it since May 2016. It shifts great most of the time. Always has. Even before the TSB and OV Tune. The main drivetrain issue with our trucks is consistent among all 3rd gens… It’s the lack of low-end torque combined with tall overdrive gears.

The only time my truck has a tough time holding a gear is on the freeway. I was hoping OV Tune would fix this. It did a little but not as much as I would’ve hoped. I live and drive mostly at 7k ft above sea level so likely worse for me than most. Too many people complain about the tranny. Truck just needs more low end torque.

 

Mine has plenty of torque to hold the gear I would think it should, given the task. Tuning made all the difference. The shifting table is dependent on throttle position and speed. You just need to increase the throttle position required at highway speeds to initiate a downshift from 6th. Even if the truck had 1000ft lbs at 1k rpm, it will only shift when the parameters tell it to. Case in point, peruse the Magnusson thread and you will find a some people that regret getting the SC because they are forced to use the factory shift programming.

I think if you gave KDmax a try you would be pleasantly surprised. It's never going to be a torque monster, but that tune uses that drivetrain so much better than stock, and much better than 2.0, even. Im sure 7k elevation and bigger tires makes a big difference, too, so maybe you would still feel underpowered but at least you can use the power you've got effectively.

 

Coming from an 04 Cummins diesel 5 speed(which is basically a 4 speed) MT it’s a challenge getting used to having to move the skinny pedal a lot more to get it to move. The Cummins pedal movement was minute compared to the taco but not having to shift gears manually and 5th gear @70mph is 2k RPms which is up there for a diesel is well worth the taco’s AT micro managing gears for fuel efficiency for me. That being said I am convinced tuning would help. My real question is how does tuning effect warranty? My guess is it completely voids the powertrain warranty?

 

Not sure what you are saying here, the transmission gear ratio (which gear you are in) affects torque at the wheels in the same way differential gear ratios do, both are torque multipliers for the final overall drive wheel ratio. True the engine is putting out the same torque at a given RPM regardless of gearing.