RE: Fixed my brakes!
Yours apparently is broken, I dont know why its taken you this long to call Tekonsha? Glad to see you at least have a working controller for your trip though.
It`s taken me this long because I was told by everyone here and the Prodigy instructions that it`s normal for the Prodigy to not be able to lock up the brakes! so i tried everything else before the Prodigy.
??? I dont believe anyone told you that the trailer pushing the truck was acceptable....
The instructions say that with the manual lever you MAY not be able to lock the wheels, but you should still be able to get trailer braking to the point where it is not pushing the truck with the foot brake.
You say you have the same problem with the Primus? Did you use the same wire harness?
RE: Fixed my brakes!
I was having problems with my trailer brakes not stopping properly. the tt would push the X when stopping, I had a couple of scary monents when stopping on the hwy! the trailer brakes were not doing there share. I adjusted them, but no help. checked all wiring connections and splices, all OK.
I removed the Prodigy and installed my old pendulum brake controller. WOW! what a difference! While I still cannot lock up the brakes when adjusting the controller (it is a heavier tt than our old one) you can feel the trailer actually stopping now. it no longer pushes the X when under hard braking. I couldn`t even lock up the brakes on loose gravel with the Prodigy!!!
With our old tt and the pendulum controller, the brakes could be locked up when adjusting. when I switched to the Prodigy I couldn`t lock up the brakes during the adjustments. but it still stopped "OK". according to the Prodigy manual this was normal!:h
I even tried a Tekonsha Primus and had the same issues as the Prodigy!
I had to do all this because I can`t have a trailer with marginal brakes when I go to disney next month. Looks like I need to make a call to Tekonsha to see whats up! the Prodigy is only 3 years old, I wonder if the newer versions have better braking ability?
I figured I`de post this because I know there are some others out there having some braking issues with there Prodigy`s!
Just a little FYI.
Come on Dodgeguy, there is nothing wrong with the vast majority of Prodigys', old or new. I had a v2.4 I actually liked better than the v2.6 and then P3 that followed.
Yours apparently is broken, I dont know why its taken you this long to call Tekonsha? Glad to see you at least have a working controller for your trip though.
RE: Fixed my brakes!
Glad you are comfortable with your braking.
There are many Prodigy owners. Personally, Im not a strong supporter of the Prodigy for other reasons, but I am surprised you couldnt get it to work better for you.
The Prodigy method of sensing braking needs is similar to the pendulum - it is based on the TV braking. Prodigy removed some of the issues of the invalid pendulum sensing, such as going down a hill, etc, but should be superior to the older style.
Something I do with the Jordan is once I enter the highway, I turn the braking to the max. I dont want partial braking in the event of an emergency or have to remember to reach down and crank it up. Once back on city streets, just make the adjustment again. There isnt too much difference, but I do use slightly lower output when not on the highway.
I'm guessing your trailer can not lock the wheels? Have you done any 'emergency' stop testing? Youre the first Jordan user Ive read about making adjustments, caught my interest.
I thought the point of using a Jordan, Brakesmart, or Maxbrake (what I'm using) was to have balanced braking, making adjustments for driving conditions unecessary????
I never felt it necessary to adjust the Maxbrake for the TT, or horse trailer....they vary by only a few thousand pounds. The GN flatbed is 5K empty, 15K-20K loaded........sometimes I adjust the gain when loaded.
RE: 8.1 Liter Suburban Performance
Burbman, I would suggest that you reread the original question.
Secondly, maybe you should consider your driving technique and maintenance of the vehicle.
I have actually gotten 17mpg with the vehicle traveling on level ground and at 55mph, lightly loaded.
I always throw out the high and the low numbers when dealing with mpg........but man, Ive never seen 17 (14 is rare) and 8.1L in the same sentence before.
Oldtymeflyr, all I can say is you better NEVER give up your 'burb.......because you have the only one.
RE: My 6.0L gasser doesn't seem to be up for the task
you think those 35 inch tires might be causing the problem?Other than the tire size killing my 4:10s down to maybe 3:73s I can't see why they would be hurting.
Down to a 3.73 my ass, you need a ~4.70 to get back where chevy started you at. The 6.0 is easily up to the task, but not if you cut its balls off. You dont need a diesel to pull 9K in Florida, but if you run a lift and big tires without changing the gears then you might want one.
RE: Just a Tiny Bit disappointed with my F450
Sorry Chadsalt was referring to my old Dodge CTD. It had an overdrive off switch on the panel. On the 450 I just put it in tow/haul mode. To my knowledge there is no "overdrive off" switch on the Ford.
No need to apologize, I was just visualizing your truck running down the road at 3000+ rpm...........
RE: Just a Tiny Bit disappointed with my F450
Just a little FYI, putting the Torqshift in Tow/Haul mode does not disable overdrive. Actually O/D cannot be disabled on that trans. Tow/Haul will still allow the use of O/D but it will not allow it to shift until a much higher rpm. With 4.30 gears at 65 mph I guarantee it's in O/D.
Double what???? I haven't driven a Ford in a few years (what was the first for the Torqshift? I think I drove an 04?), but you're telling me Ford made the same stupid, asinine, idiotic mistake Chevy did with the Allison but never corrected it? IIRC the first two years (01, 02?) of the Allison you could not manually select 4th, seems like Ford should have learned from that mistake. But you're telling me Ford STILL has not learned? I'm going to research into this.
RE: Just a Tiny Bit disappointed with my F450
Thanks again for all the replies. For info purposes my truck is the 4x4 with the 4.30 rear end. Guess I was just expecting too much. Thought it would jerk the trailer around like a linebacker walking a chihuahua. I really do like the truck alot. Seemed very stable and felt like the truck was controlling the trailer rather than vice versa. By the way I always use the tow/haul feature and a steady foot(just kidding about the floorboarding). I personally disable overdrive when towing. Will say lots of difference between my previous TV (1997 Dodge CTD 2500) in towing this trailer as I mentioned above with stability and control. MPG towing was 10.3 with 450.
Huh? You payed extra for the Torqshift and now you try to out think it? I sure would'nt want to listen to the engine scream away in 4th with 4.30's.............
RE: Leaving TV tires aired up?
I do agree with contact patch, but what I don't agree with, is the wear pattern on these LT tires. I run 75 PSI in the rear, year round, (I never know when I'm gonna be hauling weight), and my tires are wearing perfectly in the rear. The fronts are at 47PSI, and they too are wearing perfectly. I do find on wet pavement that it tends to break loose (no load) if I'm not careful, but keeps my driving skills in tune! ha ha Tire manufactuers put ratings on them for a reason. I would not hesitate to keep a tire near 80 PSI, for any amount of time. The only thing you will gain by lowering the pressure, is some contact patch, a little smoother ride, and a pain in the butt to put them back to 80 when the time comes. JMHO tho..
MegaCab CTD vs. F150........hardly a feasible comparison in the unloaded weight department.
RE: Leaving TV tires aired up?
I run 80 psi rear and 70 front 24/7. The comments about braking are nonsense with ABS brakes. I have run like this on past two trucks for years with never a problem or ususual tire wear. A little rough on the ride but c'mon it's a truck.
Like I said, contact patch is lost on some people. Pull the P275's off a Corvette and slap some P155's on.......then see what happens to the stopping distance.
RE: Leaving TV tires aired up?
WOW some of these posts are downright funny. 80 psi on a 1/2 ton empty, yeah right......that will work out just fine. I wont even run 80 psi empty on my Dmax for safety, 60F/45R will get some bite when I need to STOP. Takes long enough to stop, I sure dont need to be sliding around on the center 2" of the tire. The F150 would be even lighter, the concept of contact patch and its importance eludes some people.
jat4,
Try running overinflated if you want, but I can all but guarantee the first hard stop in the rain when you're empty (or maybe even when loaded) will leave you scrambling for a load/inflation chart.
RE: Gone to the dark side
I know the coolant temp and voltage on my truck are accurate as can be. The oil pressure I have read otherwise. On my 2002 Dodge truck, they were all very accurate.
You can thank Cummins for that. I remember reading years ago Dodge wasnt even going to put numbers on their gauges........Cummins said they wanted an accurate gauge.
RE: Gone to the dark side
Actually for the money the Edge Insight is about the most comprehensive gauge system for a Powerstroke. The in-dash temperature gauges are basically useless. I can tell you from experience that the coolant temp gauge will not top out until 235* at which point the idiot light will come on also. At temperatures of over 225* it never reads more than 3/4.
The trans temp gauge is just as bad. At 200* it still hasn't moved beyond it's normal position. There are quite a few plug and play gauge options out there that will simply plug into the OBD II port on your Ford. With the 6.4 diesel you don't even have to tap the manifold for a pyro to read EGT. It can be read from the OBD.
IMPOSSIBLE! The only factory damped gauges came on the LLY Duramax.
I think he was talking about Ford's gauges, not GMs. And I have read over and over that Ford's gauges are nothing more than idiot lights with pointers. The Crown Vics I drive often are the same, as is the Expedition I also drive.
Yes, he was talking about Ford gauges. I was making a reference to how few people actually knew that most (if not all) factory gauges, no matter the manufacturer, are really just "idiot lights with pointers".
I watched with amusement when this fact was "discovered" on another website refering to the LLY Duramax several years ago.
RE: Breakway Switch (cable)
Chadsalt: That sounds like a good idea, and thanks for the specifics on the type of chain I'd need... But what about the breakaway cable? How do I go about lengthening it? can it be replaced without replacing the entire switch?
Don't see why not. Buy some of the correct size cable, cut the old one off the breakaway plug, and fabricate the correct length.
RE: Equal-i-zer adjustment
You're fine. Most vehicle owners manual state to use the WDH to return the front axle to unhitched height/weight. You've done that. The hitch has moved weight back to the front or it would weigh less (40# is not less) than when unhitched.
Are you having a problem? Or did you weigh out of curiosity?
I would'nt change anything. Others will be along shortly telling you that more weight needs moved to the front and that the hitch on your Avalanche needs replaced......stand by.
RE: Breakway Switch (cable)
Hi all. We recently upgraded our TV. Went out today to hook up for the first time and realized that my safety chains were now TOO SHORT! I see that what I thought was two chains is actually one chain, with hooks on each end, that is bolted to the underside of the TT's tongue.
Everything else hooked up fine, but my question is:
Can the chain be replaced (by me), and if so, I have read that each length of chain needs to be able to hold the weight of the TT (ours is 4250# dry). Where can you buy these chains? I measured the existing chain, and it looks like around 56" total.
ALSO:
How do i lengthen (or replace, if needed) the breakaway switch cable once I've installed longer safety chains?
This stuff seems pretty overwhelming sometimes! Thanks in advance for any help!
Unbolt the chain go to the hardware store and buy the right length. Grade 43, 1/4" chain should fulfill the law up to a trailer GVWR of 7000#.
While youre at it replace the S hooks with some slip hooks.
RE: Gone to the dark side
Actually for the money the Edge Insight is about the most comprehensive gauge system for a Powerstroke. The in-dash temperature gauges are basically useless. I can tell you from experience that the coolant temp gauge will not top out until 235* at which point the idiot light will come on also. At temperatures of over 225* it never reads more than 3/4.
The trans temp gauge is just as bad. At 200* it still hasn't moved beyond it's normal position. There are quite a few plug and play gauge options out there that will simply plug into the OBD II port on your Ford. With the 6.4 diesel you don't even have to tap the manifold for a pyro to read EGT. It can be read from the OBD.
IMPOSSIBLE! The only factory damped gauges came on the LLY Duramax.
RE: 2500HD wheels
While I agree theyre a PITA, I would say get a set from Ebay and dont strip them out this time.
Are you doing your own work? Ive used those stupid covers for years, havent ruined any yet. A cordless drill with the clutch set low works well to save time and not strip them.
RE: Something new I've learned about tires.
but I've never used a closed shoulder that was worth a******off the hardtop.
My tires seem to very good off road, in the mud and great in the snow too.
Now, In Dave's defense he said that they "tend to be" not "they always are". Every truck, tire, and towing combo are going to be different. I realize that. I have no idea what the 5th wheel's setup was. I just figured I'd throw this story out for discussion. Just one more factor to think about when picking out tires.
My 1/2 ton is a little more forgiving in the tire dept than the Dmax, which is an anchor and will find fault quickly with lesser tires. It stands to reason an open shoulder is better off road.
Yes, its a valid point for a guy selling tires to mention A/T tires wiggle a little more. But to tell a story of someone almost losing control and blaming it on the tires is a little excessive.
