Low Speed Shifting/Steep Grade new to 13 speed

I spent all my career on 13's before taking on this new job with 8's. Pulling grades I'm a fan of using the jake when upshifting to bring the rpm's down quicker, and I would take it up to about 1800 and get into the next gear at 1200-1300 as needed. If you try the standard 1600 to 1100 range on a steep pull then more likely than not you are lugging into that next gear.

Even moving from one truck to another it always seemed to me that there was a learning curve involved with finding the feel of the new power train. Didn't matter to me whether it was moving from a 13 to another 13, or an 8 to another 8, each truck seems to have its own personality.

 

1600 isn't high enough. you need 1800 before grabbing the next gear.

1100 is lugging the engine. go to1800 and grab next gear puts me at 1300 which still lugs.

i have the scangauge in my truck. my highest horsepower comes between 1650 - 1800. the lower the rpms. the less horsepower and less boost.

in other words. my horsepower increases as the rpms increase.

there's also the overheating factor. and it's summertime. you want all the fan you can get without working the engine as much as possible.

and 18 speed is no different then a 13 speed. unless you've got that funky trans that splits in the bottom instead of the top.

 

I guess I am used to running a Cascadia. Never had a problem with 1600 rpm starting in first going to second up a hill.

 

I'm confused?

 

If your starting out on hills steep enough to use 1st gear, the last thing you should be worried about is speed shifting.

You should be more worried about the tranny your getting ready to scatter all other the road, you are in over your head.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but a 13 you can't split the low side, so it's entirely possible you can be on a grade steep enough to where you'll lose too much road speed to safely make it into the next highest gear, (or without killing the transmission by jamming it into gear), so you would just have to hold the gear until you find flatter ground.

Anybody who's tried to pull anything heavy with 10 gears or less has found this out the hard way on occasion. too much gap between the gears.

 

Grasshopper. NO. 13 you split the high side of Direct,Red splitter. 18 you can split the low side and the high side,Grey splitter. 15sp 2 range selectors. Deep reduction and direct.Blue button. Class is out. PS-10sp use the Jake to reduce RPM faster.

 

13 speed you can't split the low side, yes. That's exactly what I said isn't it? (And is the reason why he's getting hung out to dry on the steep slow ones...

 

There I fixed it so now I'm right. Poor reading skills on my part. More miles and he'll get it figured out.