Spec'ing a Truck for the Lighter Side of Heavy Haul

Some may do, but I've seen what works best power and mpg. 2 trucks the same except rears 4.30 better than 3.91 we are mostly grossing 120 -135k

 

Do you have to go all the way to 2.64's to get a 16th 1:1 with an 18 speed?

 

I am trying to spec out a truck now, but will never hit the 110k gross mark. am looking for good fuel milage and power. Same as everyone else. I pull the steep grade hills of Wisconsin and Northern Iowa, throught the flats of Illinois, south to Kentucky, and east to Pennsylvania. I haul farm equipment and am usually at least 12' to 15' wide, which catches a lot of wind/air resistance. Will be doing this with a 386 glider and a cat 6nz on 11R 22.5's as soon as I can find a good and trust worthy builder for both the glider and the motor. Have an '07 volvo with D16 535 now. Good truck, but not for what I do. Am open to any advice.

 

If you are going to work the truck dont go faster than 3.55. With that gear you can go faster with 11 24.5"s or slower with 275 22.5's. If you are going to get a roadranger with a splitter, get an 18spd. It has the lowest lowhole of the splitter trans. The 16th gear is still direct drive as the 18th is .73 over drive. If you are smart get the full diff locks when you put reman gears in there.

 

It's been Pat Sayjack for a while now, Alex would be "What is a run-on sentence? "

 

And the Super Singles I've seen have been rated at 10,300lbs at 120 psi.

 

Whatever truck you get, be sure to get one with the full gauge package.(tranny temp, 2guages for the rears, air and fuel filter gauges, and that most important gauge of all, which they don't want to put on a fleet truck, the pyrometers.)

Doing what we do, a wrecker is much more expensive since they can't tow an OSOW and will have to send a bobtail put to get your trailer. The gauges, if you know your truck will alert you to something being wrong well before it goes wrong and you're down on the side of the highway with a big load.

 

Will the lockers hurt my mpg? If I used 3.42 gear would it be bad or hard on the drive tran or mpg to just drop a gear when pulling a steep grade or get the needed ratio for that load? IDK . Only thinking 3.42 for mpg. if I have it wrong please tell me. won't hurt my feelings

 

planned on full gauge package, but will make note so I do not forget any when ordering the glider. Thank you.

 

The lockers wont hurt your MPG. If you are going to go over 100,000lbs. the lower the better.