after market trans cooler? - Page 2

Bulldog22 · 07-23-2009, 06:51 AM

To the guy who asked if it was my first truck, not even close. I know I dont have the big tow. However, it tows just fine. I easily pull my 9200lbs. I was just curious about why after 60 miles or so it starts to shift down when it shouldnt. I would not hesitate to pull my camper in the hills. I have thought about swapping the rearends. But the titan is a beast no matter what rearend it has. It smokes all ford 150s, and gm 1500s. Hell it would probably smoke a dodge 2500, gas. My last truck was a dodge and there is no way I would hook this camper up to it. I easily over take the others on the interstate. In my opinion if you can keep the walmart and JB Hunt trucks from passing you you are doing fine.

I am trying to find out more about the 3/4 ton. The friend that saw it said it is a good looking truck, they are just trying to work out the diesel issues. They lost thier deal with cummings and dodge or government dodge, what ever you want to call it. They also said the dodge tranny wasnt good enough for the titan. I heard something about international. That would be nice. Either way, the rumor is 2011.

**loufish** · 07-23-2009, 08:30 AM

Quote:

To the guy who asked if it was my first truck, not even close.

Not trying to bust your chops...but a first time truck buyer might not know about tow packages and what they are along with the effect rear end gears have on towing and trans loading...

You never buy a truck without the tow package and/or the lower gear option...unless you know 110% that you're street queening it and never putting it to work...

All trucks stock have gears for milage, Fords run 3.23, and 3.55, Dodge run 3.42 and Chev 3.42....All these gears are too tall for heavy long haul towing...All those guys have lower gears for real work, running 3.73, 3.92, 4.10...

Us? Titan guys have a 2.94 stock, and our "low" gear is only 3.357....Our tow gear is taller then most others milage gear...That alone should tell you something.

Nissan gets away using much lower gears in the trans mission so first thru 3rd gear are much like other trucks with their lower tow gears....EXCEPT this trick runs out in 4th and 5th gear...When you're towing in direct gear(4th) you've got 2.94 gears, while the other trucks in their direct gear are as low as 4.10....This my friend is a HUGE difference in the towing world...and quite frankly, guys who have bought several trucks in their live time should have learned this already...

How much do you know about lock-up converters?

Nuke · 07-23-2009, 09:07 AM

I tow about the same load that you do. I have the lower gears and I sometimes have to drop down to 60 mph to keep out of 3rd, depending on the wind. If I go 60 in 4th, I can get about 8 mpg. If I go 65 in 3rd, I get less than 7 mpg. That's on pretty flat ground. I think you are fine without the tow package. But that is probably contributing to the downshifting.

Forget adding another transmission cooler, the one you have is fine. My transmission never heats up.

If you add a leaf, it will affect your ride when you are not towing. I would recommend Air Lift Ride Controls. Great for towing, and you can't even feel them when they are deflated.

Smoke05 · 07-23-2009, 01:50 PM

Quote:

I know I dont have the big tow. However, it tows just fine.

Is it really? I mean your here on a Titan site looking for reasons why it isn't towing just fine. Take it for what you will but the advice given on the axle ratio differences is valid and probably your problem.

**loufish** · 07-23-2009, 06:01 PM

Quote:

I think you are fine without the tow package.

May I ask how you came to that conclusion?...considering he's (the OP) towing almost 2000 lbs over rating?

So manys guy either forget or don't know that the trans is the driveline "fuse"...The engine has no idea what the rear end ratio is, it just feels the overall ratio of the trans and rear end...BUT the trans takes all the heat(yeah a little pun there...)when the rear ratio is too tall.....

08SilverCC · 08-17-2009, 08:26 PM

9200lbs? Someone needs to check the rating of his class III hitch... Before he kills somebody...

Bulldog22 · 08-18-2009, 06:16 AM

Hey SHreveport, the hitch is fine. This is not my first rodeo. 10,000lbs. My truck is fine. The gearing isnt that big of an issue in Louisiana. I pass my father in law who has the tow package and tows 2000 less than I do. I am debating on swapping the rear gears soon, so I can hit the mountains in the truck. Third gear and real tires did the trick for now.

Shane06fl · 08-18-2009, 06:49 AM

Bulldog your over the limit with that gear ratio. I don't care if you add another cooler the size of your radiator it's still gonna hunt gears. 9200 pounds is getting close to the max weight of a tow package Titan and if you have some pretty good size humans in the cab you most likely will go over the GVWR of the truck. If you keep pushing it you might end up stranded when the trany decided to blow up. If it is hunting gears it is working to hard.
My advice and you don't have to listen, slow down to 55-60mph in 4th, 3rd if you have to. This will save you all sorts of wear and tear on your truck and gas mileage might improve. Or get a bigger truck.
I think you can get a new 3.36 axle from Nissan for about $2500, this make a huge improvment over what you have. You and buddy can probably swap it out in a few hours.

Bulldog22 · 08-18-2009, 07:20 AM

This is embarrasing, but my wife's Armada came with the tow package. My warranty is up, hers will be soon. When it is she may be getting my rear gears. Im researching to see if they are interchangable. They should be, they are almost the same truck. My toy hauler is 9200 when I max it out. I generally tow about 8500ish. They water tank holds 112 gallons. If it is a weekend trip, I fill it 2/3 that cuts out 300 lbs. right there. If i only load two atvs and one bike, I get it down even more. Geberally, I can haul three atvs in the camper and one bike in the bed. I am gonna have to get the gear situation squared away though.

Shane06fl · 08-18-2009, 09:32 AM

Not sure if you can just swap gears and the price might sway you to just buy a new axle for your truck. Remember when if yu swap gears you might have to the ECU on both trucks reflashed, not sure though.

mjw357 · 08-19-2009, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bulldog22

This is embarrasing, but my wife's Armada came with the tow package. My warranty is up, hers will be soon. When it is she may be getting my rear gears. Im researching to see if they are interchangable. They should be, they are almost the same truck.

I am thinking they are not interchangeable, the Titan has a solid axle, the Armada has independent suspension. I thought I read somewhere that the Armada uses the same gears as the Frontier, but not the Titan (thanks Nissan

).

Bulldog22 · 08-19-2009, 02:10 PM

what is sad is I bought the truck before I bought the toy hauler. When I got it I towed a 16 foot trailer w/ my bikes and atvs. We just tent camped. My wife said if she was ever going camping again it would be in a camper. Now I have this truck and a heavy load to haul. I think I may have to suck it up for another year, then go to a 3/4 ton titan if they are gonna make it or ford. I wont buy a gov. motors car or a fiat/dodge.
Thanks for the input. Im gonna call one of my friends whose family works at nissan in Teenessee and see if i am stuck with the rear end gears. I will let you all know.

**twistedfreedom** · 08-19-2009, 02:17 PM

You can not swap the gears and get reflashed to correct everything. You will lose cruise control.

Shane06fl · 08-19-2009, 06:20 PM

Bulldog is your Th a bumper pull??? If it is just use the Armada to pull it.

**loufish** · 08-19-2009, 06:56 PM

Quote:

You can not swap the gears and get reflashed to correct everything. You will lose cruise control.

Are you sure?....I know when you go with aftermarket gears like my 3.73 you lose CC, but the whole idea of the ECU re-flash is to have it recognize the different gears....