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Tuned Towing Comparison on Duramax, Cummins, Power Stroke

FishOnOne
Explorer III
Explorer III
Enjoy...

Link
'12 Ford Super Duty FX4 ELD CC 6.7 PSD 400HP 800ft/lbs "270k Miles"
'16 Sprinter 319MKS "Wide Body"
12 REPLIES 12

ShinerBock
Explorer
Explorer
FishOnOne wrote:
The one thing I love about my Super Duty is the large widow sill that you can rest your arm on along with the arm rest. This give you a high and a low location to rest your arm. I love this feature so much that when I ride in another brand truck I can't get my arm comfortable because they simply don't have enough space to rest your arm.


I know what you mean. It took me a while to get used to the different arm location going from my F150 to my Ram. It was fine after I got used to though. Although between driving my truck, car, and Jeep(when the doors on) it takes a few miles to get used to there different arm positions. The Jeep is high, the car is even higher, and my Ram is lower than both.
2014 Ram 2500 6.7L CTD
2016 BMW 2.0L diesel (work and back car)
2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 3.0L Ecodiesel

Highland Ridge Silverstar 378RBS

FishOnOne
Explorer III
Explorer III
The one thing I love about my Super Duty is the large widow sill that you can rest your arm on along with the arm rest. This give you a high and a low location to rest your arm. I love this feature so much that when I ride in another brand truck I can't get my arm comfortable because they simply don't have enough space to rest your arm.
'12 Ford Super Duty FX4 ELD CC 6.7 PSD 400HP 800ft/lbs "270k Miles"
'16 Sprinter 319MKS "Wide Body"

4x4ord
Explorer III
Explorer III
The handling and ride of my 2017 Ford is probably the only thing that has me missing my GMC. If I to take something from each truck it would be the IFS and exterior styling of the GMC the Ford powertrain and the Ram interior.
2023 F350 SRW Platinum short box 4x4.
B&W Companion
2008 Citation Platinum XL 34.5

valhalla360
Nomad
Nomad
Once you have enough power to tow 20k up a 10% grade at 75mph...it's more about compensating for a tiny something than any useful purpose.
Tammy & Mike
Ford F250 V10
2021 Gray Wolf
Gemini Catamaran 34'
Full Time spliting time between boat and RV

ShinerBock
Explorer
Explorer
Cummins12V98 wrote:
ShinerBock wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
With the 400HP to the wheels STOCK on all three and around 1.000 TQ why in the HE!! would you screw with your warranty???


I have tuned every one of my new vehicles over the past few decades well before the warranty period was up. Not once did I ever need the warranty on any of my new vehicles and I would gladly keep tuning them even if I did. Some people just don't care and are wiling to pay to play.

Just like some people like to buy expensive motorcycles or RV's while others may think that spending that much money on them is idiot (like I do) yet don't chastise others for doing it if it brings them joy and they paid for it with their own money.

Everyone has their own vices and things they find enjoyment in. As the old saying goes "Don't criticize a man that sins differently than you do." Same applies to where he chooses to spend his own hard earned money.


I know YOU understand the consequences, but many don't.



Yeah, but even if there are consequences, it is no different than spending money on motorcycles or high dollar RVs. How can one talk about someone spending maybe $5-10k on the consequences when they themselves spend more that twice as much on other stuff that makes them happy? Hot-rodding, making stuff fast that shouldn't be, and creating fun to drive vehicles customized to me has always a passion of mine(an many others) just like bike riding is to you.

I don't get the bike riding thing, but as long as you enjoy doing it then it isn't my business to get. If you want to spend all that money on bikes then more power to you. And if someone wants to pay to play and tune their new truck under warranty then more power to them. You are taking a higher risk with your life(because of other idiots on the road) and they are taking a higher risk with their wallet. Both are "sinning" so to speak, just differently.
2014 Ram 2500 6.7L CTD
2016 BMW 2.0L diesel (work and back car)
2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 3.0L Ecodiesel

Highland Ridge Silverstar 378RBS

Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Explorer III
LIKE2BUILD wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
With the 400HP to the wheels STOCK on all three and around 1.000 TQ why in the HE!! would you screw with your warranty???

I'm in the same boat, although not so much regarding warranty, but just simply the power numbers. Is there seriously a legitimate need for more power with those factory numbers? I know the little kid in us comes out and bigger, faster, more powerful lights up our eyes. But really, isn't that enough power for all the average Joe's using a pickup?

My 2014 Cummins makes 370HP & 800ft-lbs and that is more than enough power to comfortably pull up to (and maybe a little over ๐Ÿ˜‰ ) my tow ratings. At 400HP/1,000 ft-lbs with the right chassis these new trucks can tow ridiculous amounts of weight. Also, the horsepower is equivalent and the torque is about 70% of what Cummins advertises in the ISX400 engines used in Class 8 trucks. Seriously, we basically have Tractor-Trailer level power available in a consumer truck. I know durability and other elements are different but from a straight power perspective the modern trucks can just about stand toe to toe with a semi!!!!

Now, if the OEM's (0r aftermarket) could develop technology that will keep my same power but boost my fuel economy by 25% or more then we'd really be talking about something. We have crazy amounts of power and the new trucks run extremely clean so let's start putting a greater focus on efficiency.


My 15 has a measly 385/865 and tow more weight than 99% of the people on here double towing 36k combined West Coast. If I hit 45-55 on some of the steepest grades for a few miles who cares. My truck and trans runs VERY cool even at that weight in 100 degree weather.
2015 RAM LongHorn 3500 Dually CrewCab 4X4 CUMMINS/AISIN RearAir 385HP/865TQ 4:10's
37,800# GCVWR "Towing Beast"

"HeavyWeight" B&W RVK3600

2016 MobileSuites 39TKSB3 highly "Elited" In the stable

2007.5 Mobile Suites 36 SB3 29,000# Combined SOLD

Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Explorer III
ShinerBock wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
With the 400HP to the wheels STOCK on all three and around 1.000 TQ why in the HE!! would you screw with your warranty???


I have tuned every one of my new vehicles over the past few decades well before the warranty period was up. Not once did I ever need the warranty on any of my new vehicles and I would gladly keep tuning them even if I did. Some people just don't care and are wiling to pay to play.

Just like some people like to buy expensive motorcycles or RV's while others may think that spending that much money on them is idiot (like I do) yet don't chastise others for doing it if it brings them joy and they paid for it with their own money.

Everyone has their own vices and things they find enjoyment in. As the old saying goes "Don't criticize a man that sins differently than you do." Same applies to where he chooses to spend his own hard earned money.


I know YOU understand the consequences, but many don't.
2015 RAM LongHorn 3500 Dually CrewCab 4X4 CUMMINS/AISIN RearAir 385HP/865TQ 4:10's
37,800# GCVWR "Towing Beast"

"HeavyWeight" B&W RVK3600

2016 MobileSuites 39TKSB3 highly "Elited" In the stable

2007.5 Mobile Suites 36 SB3 29,000# Combined SOLD

ShinerBock
Explorer
Explorer
LIKE2BUILD wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
With the 400HP to the wheels STOCK on all three and around 1.000 TQ why in the HE!! would you screw with your warranty???

I'm in the same boat, although not so much regarding warranty, but just simply the power numbers. Is there seriously a legitimate need for more power with those factory numbers? I know the little kid in us comes out and bigger, faster, more powerful lights up our eyes. But really, isn't that enough power for all the average Joe's using a pickup?

My 2014 Cummins makes 370HP & 800ft-lbs and that is more than enough power to comfortably pull up to (and maybe a little over ๐Ÿ˜‰ ) my tow ratings. At 400HP/1,000 ft-lbs with the right chassis these new trucks can tow ridiculous amounts of weight. Also, the horsepower is equivalent and the torque is about 70% of what Cummins advertises in the ISX400 engines used in Class 8 trucks. Seriously, we basically have Tractor-Trailer level power available in a consumer truck. I know durability and other elements are different but from a straight power perspective the modern trucks can just about stand toe to toe with a semi!!!!

Now, if the OEM's (0r aftermarket) could develop technology that will keep my same power but boost my fuel economy by 25% or more then we'd really be talking about something. We have crazy amounts of power and the new trucks run extremely clean so let's start putting a greater focus on efficiency.


As he states in the four part series in that link. It is not just about peak power, but when the power is produced as well. Below is a dyno chart of my truck when it had the stock turbo. The top chart horsepower and bottom chart torque. The line at the bottom of each chart is stock and each line up is the various power levels with the first line up being my heavy tow tune and the upper most line is the full effort tune that is only meant to driven unloaded. I can select which one I want to be in with a turn knob selector switch as I am driving down the road.

As you can see, even my heavy tow tune doesn't make that much more peak hp/tq than stock, it does make a lot more at lower rpms. This makes a huge difference when towing and how often I have to downshift. It also makes a difference in fuel economy(about 2-3 mpg from stock) since I am able to hold higher gears for longer since I now have the power to do so at lower rpms. What required 5th or 4th gear before may only require 6th or 5th. I know in stock form, there were many hills that cause me to downshift to 4th as to where not once do I ever shift out of 5th tuned.

Other aspects of a custom tune is changing the shift pattern of the truck. The stock shift tuning is horrible upshifting way to soon putting you in 6th gear at just 45 mph. I was able to tell my tuner to make the truck shift at the exact points (rpm/mph) that I wanted it to in both standard and tow/haul mode. He adjusted the torque converter lockup strategy to lockup sooner and unlock at better times instead of having that jerk when you let of the throttle after it just locked.

He also adjusted my exhaust brake to be stronger and he made it to where it stayed in the last position I had it in when I turned of my truck instead of having to keep turning it on every time I got in my truck. There are various other things the was able to customized to my liking like the throttle pedal to get ride of all of the dead pedal feeling, and some extra gauge cluster modifications.

I basically customized the truck to how I use it and not the vanilla one size fits all tuned meant to keep the truck safe when towing 30k lbs which I don't do. I can now adjust my power levels to how I use my truck at the moment.

2014 Ram 2500 6.7L CTD
2016 BMW 2.0L diesel (work and back car)
2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 3.0L Ecodiesel

Highland Ridge Silverstar 378RBS

LIKE2BUILD
Explorer
Explorer
Cummins12V98 wrote:
With the 400HP to the wheels STOCK on all three and around 1.000 TQ why in the HE!! would you screw with your warranty???

I'm in the same boat, although not so much regarding warranty, but just simply the power numbers. Is there seriously a legitimate need for more power with those factory numbers? I know the little kid in us comes out and bigger, faster, more powerful lights up our eyes. But really, isn't that enough power for all the average Joe's using a pickup?

My 2014 Cummins makes 370HP & 800ft-lbs and that is more than enough power to comfortably pull up to (and maybe a little over ๐Ÿ˜‰ ) my tow ratings. At 400HP/1,000 ft-lbs with the right chassis these new trucks can tow ridiculous amounts of weight. Also, the horsepower is equivalent and the torque is about 70% of what Cummins advertises in the ISX400 engines used in Class 8 trucks. Seriously, we basically have Tractor-Trailer level power available in a consumer truck. I know durability and other elements are different but from a straight power perspective the modern trucks can just about stand toe to toe with a semi!!!!

Now, if the OEM's (0r aftermarket) could develop technology that will keep my same power but boost my fuel economy by 25% or more then we'd really be talking about something. We have crazy amounts of power and the new trucks run extremely clean so let's start putting a greater focus on efficiency.
'14 Ram 2500|Crew Cab Long Bed|4X4|Cummins
Curt Q20 with Ram 5th Wheel Prep
2000 Crownline 205BR
1997 Ranger Comanche 461VS
'01 Polaris Virage TX PWC
'94 Polaris SLT750 PWC
3 Wonderful Sons (21, 15, & 13)
1 forgiving wife!!!

Lwiddis
Explorer
Explorer
Very interesting and unbias discussion.
Winnebago 2101DS TT & 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71, WindyNation 300 watt solar-Lossigy 200 AH Lithium battery. Prefer boondocking, USFS, COE, BLM, NPS, TVA, state camps. Bicyclist. 14 yr. Army -11B40 then 11A - (MOS 1542 & 1560) IOBC & IOAC grad

ShinerBock
Explorer
Explorer
Cummins12V98 wrote:
With the 400HP to the wheels STOCK on all three and around 1.000 TQ why in the HE!! would you screw with your warranty???


I have tuned every one of my new vehicles over the past few decades well before the warranty period was up. Not once did I ever need the warranty on any of my new vehicles and I would gladly keep tuning them even if I did. Some people just don't care and are wiling to pay to play.

Just like some people like to buy expensive motorcycles or RV's while others may think that spending that much money on them is idiot (like I do) yet don't chastise others for doing it if it brings them joy and they paid for it with their own money.

Everyone has their own vices and things they find enjoyment in. As the old saying goes "Don't criticize a man that sins differently than you do." Same applies to where he chooses to spend his own hard earned money.
2014 Ram 2500 6.7L CTD
2016 BMW 2.0L diesel (work and back car)
2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 3.0L Ecodiesel

Highland Ridge Silverstar 378RBS

Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Explorer III
With the 400HP to the wheels STOCK on all three and around 1.000 TQ why in the HE!! would you screw with your warranty???

Stupid to compare one DRW to two SRW's.

Front suspension? Sure the GM is going to ride better with IFS but what do you want when towing a HEAVY load??? YEP you want stability!
2015 RAM LongHorn 3500 Dually CrewCab 4X4 CUMMINS/AISIN RearAir 385HP/865TQ 4:10's
37,800# GCVWR "Towing Beast"

"HeavyWeight" B&W RVK3600

2016 MobileSuites 39TKSB3 highly "Elited" In the stable

2007.5 Mobile Suites 36 SB3 29,000# Combined SOLD