Upgrades for better towing

[Jeremy05]

I have read through a lot of old post, but can’t exactly find the answers I’m looking for. My question, what would be the best modifications to provide more power when towing. I tow a 6000-7000 trailer and my 2013 Yukon (5.3L) seems week at highway speeds. Below is a list of upgrades I have read about, but I get a lot of different opinions if they are with the money. I would like a supercharger, but the price is a little to high right now & I don’t want to be required to always run premium gas. Will any of the upgrades belo make a noticeable difference for towing? If not is there anything that you would recommend?

Potential upgrades:
1. Performance CAT back exhaust
2. Performance intake
3. Performance cam
4. Porting heads

Current modifications = bb tune
Also, this is a daily driver so I don’t want to go to extreme. Just make it better for towing on longer trips.

 

[kbuskill]

I have read through a lot of old post, but can’t exactly find the answers I’m looking for. My question, what would be the best modifications to provide more power when towing. I tow a 6000-7000 trailer and my 2013 Yukon (5.3L) seems week at highway speeds. Below is a list of upgrades I have read about, but I get a lot of different opinions if they are with the money. I would like a supercharger, but the price is a little to high right now & I don’t want to be required to always run premium gas. Will any of the upgrades belo make a noticeable difference for towing? If not is there anything that you would recommend?

Potential upgrades:
1. Performance CAT back exhaust
2. Performance intake
3. Performance cam
4. Porting heads

Current modifications = bb tune
Also, this is a daily driver so I don’t want to go to extreme. Just make it better for towing on longer trips.

Of the options you listed the cam is probably the best bang for the buck.

 

[Jeremy05]

Of the options you listed the cam is probably the best bang for the buck.

I have read on some forms that people don’t think a cam will make much of a difference. Has anyone on the forum installed a cam on a dock vehicle and noticed more torque from it?

 

[Seamus]

I recently came out of a 2017 Denali which was a towing dream. That 6.2 w/ the 8 speed was one of the best towing rigs I have had in the under 7000 lb category. I hated the truck for several other reasons and actually was pretty happy coming back to a 2013 Suburban 5.3 w/ heavy duty tow 3.42 gears. I will be doing a BB tune soon mostly for trans tuning which I feels is poor in stock form. I am loving the 2013 but it is anemic. I haven't towed yet but I think it is going to be an issue. Having been towing for many years I will say the gear ratio is a big deal. If you have 3.08's thats your first problem? I agree with above a cam will be the big winner. I have 3.42's and it's not great, 3.73's would be the ticket. But a DD will suffer gas mileage. You have a BB, so next step would be a cam if you have the gears. Exhaust and intake only help a cam and tune, they don't make a big difference otherwise.

There are specific towing cams that get you torque where needed. Someone saying a cam doesn't make a difference means nothing, there are so many variables to a cam.

 

[Jeremy05]

My Yukon has the 3.42 gears and he towing package. Have you looked into any cams for your suburban? Would a good cam for towing hurt mpg very much?

 

[kbuskill]

You want a cam that will build power down low. Back in the day they used to call them an "RV" cam... builds more torque down low vs horsepower up higher in RPM.

My '08 Suburban has the 3:73 gears and I pulled a 16' enclosed trailer with 4 motorcycles (2 Hardleys and 2 Hondas) from FL up through the mountains of TN without any issues. I not saying a 6.2L wouldn't be nice but the 5.3L, 4L60E, and 3:73 gears did the job.

This was before the headers, intake, full exhaust, and custom tune as well.

 

[swathdiver]

I have read through a lot of old post, but can’t exactly find the answers I’m looking for. My question, what would be the best modifications to provide more power when towing. I tow a 6000-7000 trailer and my 2013 Yukon (5.3L) seems week at highway speeds. Below is a list of upgrades I have read about, but I get a lot of different opinions if they are with the money. I would like a supercharger, but the price is a little to high right now & I don’t want to be required to always run premium gas. Will any of the upgrades belo make a noticeable difference for towing? If not is there anything that you would recommend?

Potential upgrades:
1. Performance CAT back exhaust
2. Performance intake
3. Performance cam
4. Porting heads

Current modifications = bb tune
Also, this is a daily driver so I don’t want to go to extreme. Just make it better for towing on longer trips.

The intake mod isn't going to do much, the exhaust will help some. A camshaft and heads would be great for torque if the right parts are chosen. A Drop-In camshaft from Crane/Vinci or Cam Motion that uses the stock springs would give you about 30-40 horses on the dyno once tuned for it. Ported and polished heads would probably add another 20 RWHP. That kind of money would be better spent on a 6.2, specifically an L9H or an iron block 6.0, the L96.

The shop manual says we're to tow in 4th gear for best performance and cooling. Yours has the ultimate in programming, Trailer Sway Control, Hill Start Assist, Cruise Grade Braking - Normal Mode, etc. The 2500s are towing beasts with the L96 and they use 3.73 gears with their 6-speed transmission.

Are you running stock tires? How fast are you towing that load at?

Earlier in the year I pulled a lightly loaded 14 foot utility trailer, it was kinda windy out, weighed about 4,000 pounds and couldn't get her out of 4th gear above 60 mph. The motor was running E85 at the time and on that run was delivering about 5 mpg! Supposed to make more power than gas but she didn't want to run on the highway going home. Heading up she ran like it wasn't there.

 

[Jeremy05]

My vehicle is completely stock besides the BB tune. Most of the time I am towing on highway at 65mph. Are there any drawbacks to installing a “rv” cam in a daily driver Yukon?

 

[Foggy]

I doubt a cam only will much, if anything at all, for towing.
Head work, better rockers, better exhaust would all help...
Your Gearing is what you will notice the most.
3.55 / 3.73 ish will help tremendously and/ or more
cubic inches or a supercharger to build torque in the low rpms

 

[swathdiver]

My vehicle is completely stock besides the BB tune. Most of the time I am towing on highway at 65mph. Are there any drawbacks to installing a “rv” cam in a daily driver Yukon?

Not if the right one is chosen.

https://ls1tech.com/forums/dynamome...otion-5-3-drop-cam-results-41rwhp-22rwtq.html

https://markenperformance.com/n-867...-for-ls-stock-oe-valve-trains-4-8l-to-6l.html


When I tear into my engine someday, I'll be installing the Crane 1449501 or something very close to it.