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 > 2003 Dodge 2500 Hemi towing improvement advice

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Desert Captain

Tucson

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Posted: 07/05/12 04:59pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Something is seriously wrong with that truck. The Hemi should pull your trailer all day long without even breathing hard. You have a little more weight with the 3/4 ton but not enough to make that much of a difference. A lot of folks here with Dodge half ton Hemi's pull a lot more trailer than you without a problem. Have you had the drive train checked? The power is there in the Hemi but is it getting to the rear wheels? What does the Dyno show the Hemi actually putting out? Quite the mystery, be sure and keep as posted as to what you discover. good Luck!

MitchF150

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Posted: 07/05/12 05:27pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator



* This post was edited 07/07/12 09:54pm by MitchF150 *

B.O. Plenty

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Posted: 07/05/12 05:44pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Slated4Greatness wrote:

AFE intake, Magnaflow Exhaust, and see what that does for you. If it isn't enough go with a tuner of choice. An engine is an air pump so the more you get in and out the better it will run.

And if that still doesn't get you up the hilss like you want to go then add a procharger!

Don't waste your money on an intake or exhaust. All that will change is it will be noisier. Your engine has electronic controls that only allow it to use as much air as it needs. Making more available won't change anything. The companies that sell this junk always start their claims with "adds as much as". If it was this easy to make more power the factory Engineers who designed these engines would use it.

B.O.


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webslave

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Posted: 07/05/12 06:23pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Desert Captain wrote:

Something is seriously wrong with that truck. The Hemi should pull your trailer all day long without even breathing hard. You have a little more weight with the 3/4 ton but not enough to make that much of a difference. A lot of folks here with Dodge half ton Hemi's pull a lot more trailer than you without a problem. Have you had the drive train checked? The power is there in the Hemi but is it getting to the rear wheels? What does the Dyno show the Hemi actually putting out? Quite the mystery, be sure and keep as posted as to what you discover. good Luck!


I have to agree. I used to pull a FunFinder 210WBS loaded to just shy of 6K with a Hemi Jeep Commander (and the Commander, also a fulltime 4x4, is heavy, right at 6000 lbs, fairly close, I would think to your truck), same hemi, same 3.73 gears. Never had any problems pulling that load and it could have happily pulled more, never needed more than 4th gear at 4,000 rpms on the steepest grades at 45 to 50 mph. I have a friend that went out and bought the same setup (Commander and FunFinder), but, with a slightly bigger and heavier trailer (6900 lbs on the road) and his pulls just fine. I would have to think you have something more going on with the output of the engine or getting it to the ground...


My 2 cents, your mileage may vary...

Don
Bronwyn
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the1adman

Tucson, Az

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Posted: 07/05/12 06:33pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Thanks for the responses. I am running 295 tires on stock wheels, 265 are stock. The tires are 1.5" taller per tire calculator. I am towing out west on 7-8% grades. I guess the consensus is the truck should tow much beter than it does. That's what I was wondering was if others had the same experience towing with the Hemi and 3.73 gears as I do. My Cummins with 10,500 lb 5th wheel towed great, I wasn't expecting diesel towing power but 5500 lbs is light.

MitchF150

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Posted: 07/05/12 11:23pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator



* This post was edited 07/07/12 09:53pm by MitchF150 *

neil.hank202

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Posted: 07/06/12 02:52am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Increasing tire size reduces torque, which will affect towing directly.
Should follow what MitchF150 said in post above.

VintageRacer

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Posted: 07/06/12 05:20am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

I have a 2003 Ram 2500 Hemi, and while it's a manual 5 speed it is never below 50 mph in third gear on any highway (interstate type) grade up to 6%, towing 8K lbs. The stock tires (on my truck at least, which is 2wd) are 245-70/17, so your tires are probably the problem. You have effectively geared it down significantly - almost 10%.

My Dodge can tow that load without a problem, but it sure can't pass a gas station. I get around 7.5 - 8.5 mpg, hence I switched to a diesel for towing, the Dodge is now my work truck.

Brian


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M GO BLUE

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Posted: 07/06/12 05:25am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

352 wrote:

No diesel no significant solution.


x2....BEST ADVICE HERE




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dreeder

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Posted: 07/06/12 06:43am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

M GO BLUE wrote:

352 wrote:

No diesel no significant solution.


x2....BEST ADVICE HERE


Instead of the OP trying to remedy his current low mileage tow vehicle's situation for that whopping 5,500 lbs (something that my 01' 1/2 ton with a 318 could handle) he should scrap it and go drop between 40 and 50 on a new diesel... Come on now, I am a diesel lover as well but a diesel is not needed for that kind of weight. People are towing 5th wheels at twice that weight with better performance out of that gasser. Mitch has the best advice here, re-gear it or switch back to the stock tire size. There was also this little piece of information posted by the op.
Quote:

I am not looking for buy a diesel truck advice as I had a diesel and much larger trailer but down sized because of economy.


* This post was last edited 07/06/12 08:04am by dreeder *   View edit history

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