must have towing mods

[travistim_69]

Ok so I am looking for advice on what mods I need to do to my truck for an up coming road trip. This November I will be getting out of the Marines here in San Diego California and driving back home to Anchorage Alaska, its roughly 3500 miles and I will be towing a trailer weighing 8-9k lbs. I am wondering what further mods to my truck are going to be a must have, I cant afford to buy a lot, military pay isn't the greatest, but I can can do almost anything my self so I don't have to worry about shop fees.

Mods I am currently considering:
-deep transmission pan (what brand is the best bang for the buck?)
-rear diff cover (what brand is the best bang for the buck?)
-LBZ turbo mouth piece

thanks in advanced for any advice

 

[AubleAK]

Wont be far from you! Glennallen here. Couple good guys from fairbanks and wasilla on here too.
Anyway, i have efi live right now with a tow tune, and love it. Tows great, keeps pretty low egts, helps a little bit on mpg. Twins would be awesome to tow with, but a simple tuner will do you fine, and is much more friendly to the wallet. From what ive read a deep trans pan isnt really worth the money unless you can find a smokin deal on one. Same with the rear diff, i could be wrong, someone will chime in correct me if i am. Go for the mouth piece, see alot of guys running them.

 

[1953drtelco]

I have the deep Allison pan....less expensive than the aluminum style and you won't have to worry about a rock hitting the aluminum pan and putting a hole in it....Metal pans will take a bit more abuse. I have the MagHytech rear diff cover. Your stock setup will work just fine for the weight your towing. I'd wait until you get back to Alaska before spending more on MODS....Your fuel bill is going to sting for sure....

 

[BlkMax]

I assume you have electric brakes for the trailer.

I am not sold on the deep transmission pans. I have an ATS unit that did NOTHING except cost me $$ and make it more expensive to fill the transmission with oil. If you are worried about transmission COOLING, get a Mike L cooler. It was even able to cool my super hot running (temperature wise) ATS transmission.

The issue with more oil volume is it simply takes longer to heat up. I do not believe that the cast aluminum covers aid in cooling. They do look cool on the rear diff, though... I have heard what the vendors say about their products, but they are expensive and increase the maintenance costs when buying fluids.

OK, rant off: Just go through the truck, and replace the fluids that need changing, or will need changing by the time you get back up here, select a nice tow tune, and have a nice trip up.

IMHO, you do not need to do anything else to get the truck and trailer up here.

You may want to get your tires siped, both the truck and trailer tires. This really helps stopping on the ice. If nothing else, make sure all the tires are in good shape.

 

[travistim_69]

Yeah I have a good tow tune with me EFI Live now. I have been hearing mixed opinions on the Trans pan and diff cover...

Nice to hear there are some other dmax guys up there, Im originally from Juneau but will be moving to Anchorage at least for a couple years. Are there any sled pulls/drag races or any other types of diesel events up in that area?

 

[travistim_69]

I have the deep Allison pan....less expensive than the aluminum style and you won't have to worry about a rock hitting the aluminum pan and putting a hole in it....Metal pans will take a bit more abuse. I have the MagHytech rear diff cover. Your stock setup will work just fine for the weight your towing. I'd wait until you get back to Alaska before spending more on MODS....Your fuel bill is going to sting for sure....

where did you find thedeep alison pan? I have heard about them but never see them for sale anywhere. Oh steep fuel bill for sure $1200-2000 is what I am guessing. I will just have to put my lead foot away for the trip haha.

I assume you have electric brakes for the trailer.

I am not sold on the deep transmission pans. I have an ATS unit that did NOTHING except cost me $$ and make it more expensive to fill the transmission with oil. If you are worried about transmission COOLING, get a Mike L cooler. It was even able to cool my super hot running (temperature wise) ATS transmission.

The issue with more oil volume is it simply takes longer to heat up. I do not believe that the cast aluminum covers aid in cooling. They do look cool on the rear diff, though... I have heard what the vendors say about their products, but they are expensive and increase the maintenance costs when buying fluids.

OK, rant off: Just go through the truck, and replace the fluids that need changing, or will need changing by the time you get back up here, select a nice tow tune, and have a nice trip up.

IMHO, you do not need to do anything else to get the truck and trailer up here.

You may want to get your tires siped, both the truck and trailer tires. This really helps stopping on the ice. If nothing else, make sure all the tires are in good shape.

Yes I plan to buy a electric brake setup with the trailer. Thanks thats good to know that the aftermarket deep pans aren't really worth it. Will I need to get my BFG AT's siped? I had them on a tahoe, years back and they seemed to do good from what I remember... And will just about any tire shop be able to sipe them?

 

[Burn Down]

I wouldn't sipe the bfg's, that tread pattern is pretty broken up already. I would make sure the tires on the trailer are close to new, if not new, and I would carry at least two spares for the trip. also make sure you have a full size spare for your truck.

As far as mods I would agree with others on a better transmission cooler. I would convert all the fluids to synthetic while you are there (cheaper) if not already done. A built transmission would be nice funding dependent...

 

[travistim_69]

I wouldn't sipe the bfg's, that tread pattern is pretty broken up already. I would make sure the tires on the trailer are close to new, if not new, and I would carry at least two spares for the trip. also make sure you have a full size spare for your truck.

As far as mods I would agree with others on a better transmission cooler. I would convert all the fluids to synthetic while you are there (cheaper) if not already done. A built transmission would be nice funding dependent...

Ok I was thinking the BFG's would be fine as is, yeah I definitely plan on bringing trailer spares and ensuring my full size spare is good and tools and a spare fuel filter. I have made the switch to synthetics so I'm good there. I will have to look into this trany cooler, does Mike have a website??

Thanks everyone for the good advice!

 

[hondarider552]

Bigger cooler first, bigger trans pan later. :thumb:

 

[JRSIMPSON]

I would do the lbz mouth piece for sure, worth every penny!
On my previous trucks I did the aftermarket pans and diff covers and not only did it take longer to warm up, it takes even longer to cool it back down if you ever get it hot.

A Mike L cooler was my first mod when I got my truck home.

 

[dieseldan723]

You may want to get your tires siped, both the truck and trailer tires. This really helps stopping on the ice. If nothing else, make sure all the tires are in good shape.

I can see siping the trailer tires but not the trucks! With the added torque of a diesel over a gas truck I would think you chew up the tires much faster.

Local tire shop here wouldn't sipe diesel tires.

 

[Burn Down]

Oh ya, make sure you pack your wheel bearings on your trailer or put bearing buddy's on.

 

[AubleAK]

Oh ya, make sure you pack your wheel bearings on your trailer or put bearing buddy's on.

X2. Thats for sure. Towing a jet ski trailer down to the lower 48 i didnt have time to repack the bearings, and they seized up in canada. Not fun repairing on the side of the road in pooring rain.

 

[travistim_69]

Bigger cooler first, bigger trans pan later. :thumb:

I would do the lbz mouth piece for sure, worth every penny!
On my previous trucks I did the aftermarket pans and diff covers and not only did it take longer to warm up, it takes even longer to cool it back down if you ever get it hot.

A Mike L cooler was my first mod when I got my truck home.

Ok I definitly plan on getting the bigger cooler from Mike L, Does he have a web page or do i just need to PM him?

X2. Thats for sure. Towing a jet ski trailer down to the lower 48 i didnt have time to repack the bearings, and they seized up in canada. Not fun repairing on the side of the road in pooring rain.

Oh yeah I have had the same issue with a boat trailer before except I wasn't on a road trip luckily. I would like to do beering buddies, any brand recomendations?


Thanks again for all the good advice guys

 

[JoshH]

Ok I definitly plan on getting the bigger cooler from Mike L, Does he have a web page or do i just need to PM him?

Call him. His phone number is in his signature at the bottom of all his posts.

 

[travistim_69]

Call him. His phone number is in his signature at the bottom of all his posts.

Ok thanks

 

[BlkMax]

I can see siping the trailer tires but not the trucks! With the added torque of a diesel over a gas truck I would think you chew up the tires much faster.

Local tire shop here wouldn't sipe diesel tires.

I have been running them for years. I don't use the soft compound studded tires, more like a medium compound Cooper Discoverer ST, studded on the outside edges and siped in the middle. Best combination of traction and longevity. Yea, the siping wears a little, but I look at tires as a life insurance policy on marginal roads and pay the premium. After the studs wear out, I use the tires for summer burn off meats. :roflmao::roflmao:

Another way to look at that is we end up doing more damage with one burnoff than you have occur when you are just driving with the siped tires.

The shop I use sipes tires for light trucks, and tractor trucks.

 

[Burn Down]

I have been running them for years. I don't use the soft compound studded tires, more like a medium compound Cooper Discoverer ST, studded on the outside edges and siped in the middle. Best combination of traction and longevity. Yea, the siping wears a little, but I look at tires as a life insurance policy on marginal roads and pay the premium. After the studs wear out, I use the tires for summer burn off meats. :roflmao::roflmao:

Another way to look at that is we end up doing more damage with one burnoff than you have occur when you are just driving with the siped tires.

The shop I use sipes tires for light trucks, and tractor trucks.

I agree 100% with BlkMax on siping, just not on the BFG all terrains... Hands down the best snow tire/do it all tire I have seen for a light truck are the Good Year Duratracs.

And siping will not hurt a tire unless your towing max weight. Most times it will help a tire wear longer by allowing the tread to move around instead of scrubbing it off.

 

[RENODMAX]

Are you capable of some light fabrication? If so you can save a few bucks by making your own trans cooler kit. There is an earls cooler that you can screw your factory cooler threads into and the spacing is correct so that the lines plug right in. You would just have to make some brackets. These part numbers are for summit racing. Can save you a few bucks this way :hug:
82510ERL for grey
82510AERL for black

 

[Kartmnn]

Hi, I am a total newbie with the Duramax. However, I was told that running 65mph vs 72mph could save as much as 3mpg. I am new to the Duramax but not to long distance hauls. If this is a boat trailer take apart every wheel bearing and repack them by hand so you can feel pits in the bearings. If the trailer as brakes check them just as much as the bearings. I have had the brakes totally removed from trailers because they can lock on the drum/disc and boil the grease out of the hub and destroy the spindal. Then you need new axles, bearings, hubs, etc. I have towed a 7000 pound Parker boat cross country with a 2000 c1500 with no brakes on the trailer. Good luck :thumb: