[rimfirematt]

So I bought a 2015 4.6. It's the SR DC, 3.9 gears. It's got a 6inch lift and 35's. Mpg is about 13. To regear to 4.88 is gonna run 3k. That puts the cost of this truck to 31k for me.

I just plan on hauling 2 snowmachines or 2 fourwheelers on the weekends.

Is it worth the gear swap money or should I look for a new truck. Currently this one has 33k miles and is in good shape.

About the best deal on a SR 5.7 up here is about 38k. And none of the other brands are any better price wise. But you do seem to get more bang for your buck.

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[theoat]

Personally I would have gotten a 5.7L especially considering the lift and tires, let alone hauling gear....

 

[rimfirematt]

Personally I would have gotten a 5.7L especially considering the lift and tires, let alone hauling gear....

Yeah but that's a diff of 200 something a month in payments.. That's why I didn't get the 5.7. This truck was relatively new for 28k. All the 5.7's were older more miles and the same money

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[dforlenza]

you could just put 33 inch tires on the truck... this will help the need to re-gear, and help the mpg.

Being that you bought the 4.6l SR because it was a better deal than the other models, and you are questioning the money to re-gear; I'm assuming money is as much or a bigger factor than how the truck looks. the 35s fill the wheel wells better and look better than 33s would, but 33s will perform the same and help with your issues. it just seems like an easy inexpensive fix.

 

[WNY PAT]

Occasionally pulling a couple sleds or ATVs on a smallish trailer isn’t going to weigh more than 4,000 pounds total. Even with the 35” tires, I don’t see you having any serious issues. If you were towing an 8,000 equipment trailer for work every day it’d be different. You bought the truck, I’d drive it as is for 3-4 months and see how it works out. You still have a V8 and what sounds to be a great used truck find.

 

[rimfirematt]

Occasionally pulling a couple sleds or ATVs on a smallish trailer isn’t going to weigh more than 4,000 pounds total. Even with the 35” tires, I don’t see you having any serious issues. If you were towing an 8,000 equipment trailer for work every day it’d be different. You bought the truck, I’d drive it as is for 3-4 months and see how it works out. You still have a V8 and what sounds to be a great used truck find.

So the gearing and all that aren't going to wear out the transmission early? I just want to,make sure the truck will remain mechanically sound. I do like the truck! Also I figured out it has a 4 " lift. Not a 6

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[WNY PAT]

If you’re just pulling around a couple of sleds or wheelers a weekend here and there I don’t see you having any issues at all. FWIW, GMs generally come with 3.73 gears standard. As someone above said, you could always drop back to smaller tires if you need to or are really concerned about it. If it were me, I’d use it as is for a few months and see how it performs as it is set up now.

 

[rruff]

About the best deal on a SR 5.7 up here is about 38k.

Where is "up here"? I paid $31k for mine last fall in CO (drove 500 miles to pick it up). You should be able to find similar deals on left over 2017s.

 

[rimfirematt]

Where is "up here"? I paid $31k for mine last fall in CO (drove 500 miles to pick it up). You should be able to find similar deals on left over 2017s.

Alaska. There are no leftover 2017's except a couple 4.6l

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[iroh]

If it were my truck, I'd have some kind of OBD2 monitoring for the trans temp. It gets hot on the 5.7s with the tranny cooler, and yours only has the exchanger. At the least I'd suggest trans fluid replacement before towing that (likely already turning) and then yearly or so depending on mileage and such. The WS fluid breaks down quite fast when it gets hot. I've seen it come out of a 5.7L tow-pkg-equipped tranny with less than 25k from the factory and already near black.

The 3.91 rear with the A760 transmission and 35" tires is effectively as tall or taller than a GM 3.08 rear end. With stock 32" tires it's close to a 3.31 equivalent. For comparison a 5.7L with 4.30 gears and stock tires is between a GM 3.55 and 3.73 effective ratio.

Not that it wouldn't do the job though. How many 4 speed pickups in the 90s with 3.73s towed trailers just fine. WIth OD off, thay had 3rd gear 1:1 on 3.73 or 4:11 gears. Well with your truck 3rd gear is 1.4:1 and 4th gear is 1:1 on 3.91 gears. Another way to think of it, if you keep your truck out of its overdrives, it would be more like towing with one of the old 4 speeds with overdrive ON with 4.88s. Patience on hills and such but not like the truck wouldn't have the power.

Trailer brake controller?

 

[10.18Tundra]

I'm a little late to the party lol but I'll post my experience towing with a 4.6. No trans cooler
The most I've towed was 7200 lbs 300 miles at 65-70 mph 6.8 mpg. (That was at 185,000 miles)
I use the trucks for my HVAC/R business it's also loaded with parts. I had a 06 Silverado with a 5.3 with tow package. Pulling the same load but with a empty truck.(down right scary)Silverado has since been traded in on the 2018 Tundra.The Tundra pulled and handled the load a lot better. I use my Tundras everyday.

 

[VanDominator13]

I put 4:88's in my 4.6 about 2k miles ago. My only regret is not doing it sooner. If you're only towing a couple of sleds or quads the tranny will be fine. Besides the power benefits, the tranny isn't searching for gears all the time. If buying a 5.7 isn't an option I'd say go with the 4:88's. There are lots of other members who have done the gear swap as well with great results. Nitro is a great company. Give them a call.

 

[Roofrat]

thank you