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I think I need some help understanding the tow package - my understanding is that the main advantage is the lower axle ratio. Doesn't a lower axle ratio decrease the amount of driveshaft revolutions needed to turn the axle, making it less taxing on the transmission to get power with less need to use or stay in a higher gear using high RPM's (4th gear) in more challenging tow situations like incline and high altitude?
So how does a lower axle ratio affect tow weight capability on flat roads like here in FL when the need for incline tow power is not a huge factor? Not that we don't expect to tow where there are steep grades - in fact we plan on hitting Tennessee three times a year and plan on probably being in 4th the whole mountain part of the tow- but I guess I just can't calculate how the BT package adds up to 200 more pounds of tongue and 2000 more pounds of trailer due only to a lower gear ratio. I understand how it makes it easier to tow more weight, but not impossible (or dangerous) if you don't have the package. Help me understand cause it's not sinking in.
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A lower gear(numericly higher) increases how many times the driveshaft needs to spin to maintain any speed. Just like a 10 speed bicycle, when you go up hill you shift to a "lower" gear, it gets easier to pedal but you have to pedal twice as much...
It's not complicated, but there several things tied togather that go with towing and the lower tow gears...
The lower gears keeps the engine speed(RPM) up putting the engine closer to it's max torque RPM, makes it easier on the transmission, and because of more RPM the torque converter has a better chance of staying locked up(un-locked converters can put a lot of unwanted heat into the transmission) and will move more trans fluid thru the transmission's cooling system...
Keep it in 4th gear...and if you forget to turn on the "Tow Mode" don't lose any sleep, the Titans TM only rasies the shift pionts on 1st thru 3rd gear, after that it no effect...
Enjoy!