7.3 Tow rating

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C

cekkk

Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2009
Posts
17
Location
Central Colorado
Our '02 dully Powerstroke has a programmer and Pacbrake, 4R100 transmission with 6.0 cooler and just over 100k miles on it.  Our current TT weighs in at just under 10,000 lbs. loaded.  We're looking at a Lifestyle 38RS that would weigh about 13,000 with our stuff in it.  We live at 9000' so have a lot of long pulls every time we leave home.  And those who winter in the Phoenix area probably are familiar with the climb out of the valley up to, say, Payson, or up the 17. 

So I'm wondering what weights owners of the great old 7.3 have pulled with an automatic tranny and how things went with heavier weights, that is, large fivers.  I love this truck and don't want to go to a new one unless we have to.
 
The 2002 Ford Towing Guide shows your truck is rated for 12,500 max and a GCWR (combined weight) of 20,000, so the new TT would put you over the top. Horsepower isn't the issue - the Powerstroke could move a mountain - but the mechanical limits of the drivetrain and suspension would be exceeded. Of course, that is some Ford engineer's judgement call based on the specs for several drivetrain components, but ignore that at your own risk. Especially on a truck with that mileage - it probably did not get stronger with age!

More than a few people think that vintage of F350 PS were rated very conservatively and there is anecdotal evidence they are right. How much you may want to rely on that  is something only you can decide.

As for the altitude, a turbo diesel doesn't suffer much at 9000 feet, so you are better off than if it was a gas engine.
 
I have an 02' F350 Crew Cab Dually 4x4 Auto 7.3 with 4.10 gears. All stock except for straight pipe, exhaust brake and Motorcraft Severe Duty Intake. My trailer weighs 13,200 ready to camp, with a family of five in the cab and a bed full of shtuff, I am rolling 23,120 pounds according to the CAT scale.

I couldn't be happier, I cruise 65-70 on flat ground from Phoenix to the dunes in Yuma (7-9mpg) and my trips to Flagstaff are the same except for the mileage 6-7 and the hills where at worst I'm in second gear at 35-40mph (watching my tranny temp). The only hill that has ever given me trouble was south bound out of Camp Verde on a 98 degree afternoon, my tranny temp got to 241 so I pulled over and popped the hood and held it at a fast idle for a few minutes until temps were back down in the low 200's and finished my trek on home.

I've got all the gauges I can handle and the only thing I want/need to do to the truck is more tranny cooler.
 
Thanks for the replies guys.  I am always leary of mfr.'s ratings, wondering whether their numbers were arrived at by their engineers or their lawyers.  Years ago I bought my cousin's '85 F250 6.9.  I couldn't find the tow numbers (before Gore had invented the Internet I guess) so I wrote Ford with the question.  They answered.  As the VIN apparently didn't show a tow package, their answer was it couldn't tow anything!

In looking at tables there seem to be inconsistencies, at least to my reading.  For instance, GCWRs increase as axle ratios go from 3.73 to 4.10, 4.30, 4.88 with the gas engines but remain the same for the diesel.  The reader is left to guess as to whether the weights shown are max for components and, if so, which one(s)?  Would a beefed up transmission allow another ton, or would the problem be in suspension components?

All that is why I am looking for real life experiences vis a vis Ford numbers.  No doubt I'd be pushing the truck's capabilities at 13k, and since I prefer a good 10% or more cushion, I'd need to hear from at least a couple more experiences of 15k being towed for several thousand miles before keeping this truck.  It's in great condition and will bring a much better price as is, that is, before getting broken down by overweight towing. 
 
The tow rating is constrained by the weakest link in the components, so there is no easy way to compare ratings for different powertrains and suspensions. Once you reach a limit on something, e.g. the torque that a universal joint can reliably handle, increasing another component has no effect on ratings.

It's the reliable part that makes for lively debates. It's easy to come up with anecdotal evidence that a rating is ultra conservative - there will always be somebody who exceeded it and had no problems (or at least not YET). The wheels don't instantly fall off because you exceeded a rating by 1 lb, so experiences will vary. And a person who is technically well-tuned to his vehicle can tolerate more mechanical risk and be aware if something is starting to go awry than the drive-it-and-forget-it kind of owner.
 
You better look real hard at your transmission. It is definitely one of if not the weakest point. I only towed about 8200lbs with mine and it finally died in Montana in the middle of nowhere at 195,000 miles. I had considered replacing it earlier but the cost was a little too high. If you want to persist, take a look at www.brianstruckshop.com and call him. There are several other parts to replace to prevent failure if you are serious. ($$$). I no longer tow as I have a MH and the truck is still going great guns with over 275,000 on it. The replacement transmission I am running on is a standard rebuilt 4R100 and it is functioning very well. BTW I did have a large cooler on it but it wasn't the 6.0 one. You might also go to another website www.thedieselstop.com and ask the same question. There is a ton of info from people that have done just about everything to these fine trucks.
Good luck and safe travels!
 
Beltone, the transmission's probable failure before any other major problem has been on my mind from Day 1.  I thought about taking it into California while here in AZ during this winter to have that well known shop bullet proof it.  But they've raised their price from a doable $3500 to $5500.  I have to ask myself if it's worth the risk of another year or two of pulling with this transmission and then selling, even though I'd like to drive it into the ground, or pump a bunch of money into a 12 year old truck.  I'll call Brian's but expect the same numbers.
 
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