Need opinions: 3.42 vs 3.73 GR

[buckwild27]

No, he couldn't. My Suburban can't even stay in 6th pulling a 3,500-lb 6x12 enclosed trailer. Even if it could, I'd still tow in 5th with 6th locked out. No reason to overstress the transmission.

Get the transmission tuned. My 13 sierra with a loaded down tool box and a 28' trailer weighing in around 9700-lb has made it 246,000 miles with no engine or transmission issues. And pulled the trailer at 70-75 mph in 6th gear without the tow haul on. That being said if you can't do that, you're just doing it wrong.

 

[intheburbs]

Get the transmission tuned. My 13 sierra with a loaded down tool box and a 28' trailer weighing in around 9700-lb has made it 246,000 miles with no engine or transmission issues. And pulled the trailer at 70-75 mph in 6th gear without the tow haul on. That being said if you can't do that, you're just doing it wrong.

What kind of trailer? Equipment trailer, dump trailer, travel trailer?
Diesel or gas engine?

 

[buckwild27]

What kind of trailer? Equipment trailer, dump trailer, travel trailer?
Diesel or gas engine?

5.3l gas. 28' enclosed trailer. That I've hauled many different things in it up to a combined weight of about 10k

 

[intheburbs]

5.3l gas. 28' enclosed trailer. That I've hauled many different things in it up to a combined weight of about 10k

75mph in 6th dragging a 28-foot sail with a 5.3? I don't believe you.

 

[buckwild27]

75mph in 6th dragging a 28-foot sail with a 5.3? I don't believe you.

Look bud. I have no reason to make this crap up. There's no gain in doing so. You can choose to believe me or not. But I've lived it. I still have the truck and I still have the trailer. As well as everything I've hauled in it. Best advice I can give you is drive the truck don't let it drive you. If you want come on over and drive it.

 

[swathdiver]

I know I want to change out the 3.08s in my '13, 5.3, 4wd Tahoe, just not sure if I want 3.42 or 3.73.

Hey Dave, I think we've chatted about this before, I'm in the midst of doing the same thing. I picked up a used front axle with 3.73 gears and have put 3.73s in a 14-bolt 9.5" axle. My weak constitution causes this project to be dragged out. Too hot outside now, so I'll probably have to wait until September at the earliest to complete it.

3.73s will give you that extra capability on the steep grades and less downshifting on overpasses and small hills. Someday I'll either supercharge the 5.3 or put a 6.2 in it so it will be identical drivetrain wise to my pickups and be even more capable and fun!

I'm curious to see what the 3.73s will do for my 60-foot times at the drag strip too.

Don't "think" the steeper gears will affect mpgs if at all. As it stands now, my truck gets better gas mileage going 77-78 mph than 70-73 mph, it likes the additional load on the engine. I had a Pontiac that was the same way. Of course, once the 14-bolt is under my truck and broken in, I'll start all manner of testing and share it with y'all here.

 

[intheburbs]

Look bud. I have no reason to make this crap up. There's no gain in doing so. You can choose to believe me or not. But I've lived it. I still have the truck and I still have the trailer. As well as everything I've hauled in it. Best advice I can give you is drive the truck don't let it drive you. If you want come on over and drive it.

Lots of folks exaggerate. It's natural.
Maybe, just maybe, if you have 4.10s in the Sierra.
Other than that, there's no way a 5.3/6L80 would pull better than my 6.0/6L90.
And yeah, I have a little experience towing. A lot more than 10,000 lbs, too.

 

[swathdiver]

You guys have me wanting to hook up a 10K pound trailer to my trucks and try it out!

 

[buckwild27]

Lots of folks exaggerate. It's natural.
Maybe, just maybe, if you have 4.10s in the Sierra.
Other than that, there's no way a 5.3/6L80 would pull better than my 6.0/6L90.
And yeah, I have a little experience towing. A lot more than 10,000 lbs, too.

Well I'm not "lots of folks" I also posted this same information in post #10. And I'm sure your 6.0 pulls just fine. I do think you're under estimating the strength of the 5.3l. I stand behind my real world experiences and will say I've ran the dog crap out of that truck from day one. When not pulling a trailer, the first 5 years of its life was spent over 100 mph an a regular basis.

 

[j91z28d1]

You guys have me wanting to hook up a 10K pound trailer to my trucks and try it out!

I think he meant 10k total? so like a yukon xl with an empty trailer on it?


so anyways, I think I need more details about what you mean by towing in 6th gear? I mean I don't have that setup, but mine goes in and out of overdrive ratio with the cruise set at 75 just rolling along I10 on the Florida "hills". I mean if you're able to just hold a speed down a small hill in 6th but as soon as you touch the gas to hold speed up a mild overpass it drops 2 gears and screams it's brains out at 5k. I'm not sure I count that as towing in 6th gear.


I worked with a guy once that towed 2 golf cars on a open trailer from Houston to New Orleans in a f250, foot to the deck the whole way to do 75. burned thru 2 tanks of gas. the plastic roofs were a decent wind break. when he got there the told me how great it towed. my other buddy that rode with him was like I have no idea how this pos made it there and didn't leave rods in Baton Rouge.


things are like that are all relative.