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Towing question

How to get better towing out of my PW

  • Reduce tires to 35"

    Votes: 9 81.8%
  • Re-Gear to 5.13

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Both

    Votes: 2 18.2%

  • Total voters
    11

LakeBeard

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I have a 2018 Power Wagon, and tow 3 trailers, boat about 4.5k, TT about 6.5k and EQ trailer w/ Jeep about 9k. Towing the boat and TT over Chirico has not been a problem, towing the Jeep up to Big Bear the truck is a dog. So my question is should I reduce my tires back down to 35" currently running 37"or should I re-gear to 5.13? or both? Im kinda leaning toward 35" so I have the room to flex a little, right now she's strictly a mall crawler as the 37's l have no room for fun...
 

Racey

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Star with the tires since you seem inclined to do so anyway, if you still need the extra low end then consider the regear.
 

Rajobigguy

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Start with tires and see if that’s enough. You can always rehear later if needed.
 

c_land

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What gears are in it now?
 

mash on it

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Did you tow up Hwy 38?
Your 410 hp quickly becomes 306 hp at 8443 ft of elevation.
Best way to compensate is forced induction.

Dan'l
 

boatpi

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If you don’t need the tire size I would be all over 35 inch I’ve always been a believer sometimes too big is not good when you’re towing. Not to mention what it does to your actual breaking ability especially downhill with a load. Look at the way to the tires and the wheels compared to the 35 inch it’s called unsprung weight load.
 

Flying_Lavey

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If you don’t need the tire size I would be all over 35 inch I’ve always been a believer sometimes too big is not good when you’re towing. Not to mention what it does to your actual breaking ability especially downhill with a load. Look at the way to the tires and the wheels compared to the 35 inch it’s called unsprung weight load.
Along with the additional side wall flex.
 

LakeBeard

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good stuff, thanks for the advise. 35" tires it is, anybody want to buy my 37's?
 

CLdrinker

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7D0A0624-8E37-4BDA-8A7F-695AC16922D4.jpeg
I regeared a 2018 Ram 2500 to 4:88 on 34”s.

So if you want it from the horses mouth I’m your huckleberry.
 

evantwheeler

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good stuff, thanks for the advise. 35" tires it is, anybody want to buy my 37's?
I could not tell a significant difference towing with my 2500hd (8.1 vortec gas engine) when I moved from 35's to 37's. My enclosed weighs 9k on the axles. It is slow up hill no matter what as it just doesn't have the torque a diesel engine has. I think you're going to want to re-gear, not sure I'd go as far as 5.13's though, check your final drive ratio and roll out circumference on those 37's to make sure you can still cruise in OD around 2krpm on the freeway. 4.88's and you'll probably be pretty happy sticking with the 37's.
 

CLdrinker

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I could not tell a significant difference towing with my 2500hd (8.1 vortec gas engine) when I moved from 35's to 37's. My enclosed weighs 9k on the axles. It is slow up hill no matter what as it just doesn't have the torque a diesel engine has. I think you're going to want to re-gear, not sure I'd go as far as 5.13's though, check your final drive ratio and roll out circumference on those 37's to make sure you can still cruise in OD around 2krpm on the freeway. 4.88's and you'll probably be pretty happy sticking with the 37's.

Nope don’t do 4:88 with 37’s.

Go back to stock or sell it is my advice.

The 6.4 6 speed trucks should have been available with a 4:30 or 4:56.

The Hemi 2500’s have the same gear ratio’s as the diesels. Just a different trans case.

The transmission is geared tall as fuck to use the diesels low end torque. It’s really hard to get the Hemi to build RPM to get into the power.

My truck went from 4:10’s and 34’s to 4:88 with the same tire.
It helped first gear and it would hold 4th on the freeway instead of third.

Other than that zero seat of the pants difference.

The cost of gears is not worth it.

Your truck isn’t a turd. It’s the tires. I was hauling way more than 9k and no problem as long as I didn’t look at the tach or mpg
 

Bowtiepower00

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On expedition forum, all of the PW dudes go 5.13s with 37s and absolutely love them. Can’t have enough gear with a gasser. If it’s in the budget, I’d do gears first, and downsize if that still isn’t enough while towing. If there’s a deeper choice beyond 5.13s, I’d go for that. 5.13s+ coupled with 35s (true 35s) should be the sweet spot for towing. Or get a diesel and add the lockers and possibly some 4.56 gears, if truck weight is not an issue. The gasser PW should have 4.56 from the factory, IMO. Only reason I’ve heard the diesel doesn’t have a PW option is that the intercooler takes up the same area as the winch. A tradesman diesel PW would be the cats ass.
 
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