Snake15eyes1998
Senior Member
From my understanding. I figured I would add to this. When your transmission constantly shifts in and out of gears, that's what wears them out faster. For a transmission to shift smooth from 1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd etc. It slips to some degree. Overtime, wearing the transmission out. Especially when your transmission does that while towing something. The less your transmission shifts, especially while towing. The better off you are. If you go to monster transmissions website. They have 3 stages for most of their transmissions. 1st stage is OEM, factory shifts. Stage 2 is hard, firm shifts, stage 3 is tire screeching shifts. It's actually better for a transmission to shift hard and firm into each gear, vs smooth shifting. But as everyone else has said. Never tow with O/D on. It should always be off. 3rd and 2nd gear should be the only gears you work with. I manually downshift to 2nd all the time. When driving on the freeway, it's 3rd gear/ O/D OFF. I don't have a care in the world for what my fuel mileage is while towing. When she needs gas. I fill her up, and go on my way. I also have the 1 ton cooler in my truck. I have no way of knowing what my Trans temp is. But my light has never come on. I have 35x12.5x20s with 3.55 gearing, I drive with O/D off all the time, even when I'm not towing, but only in the city. Once I hit the freeway, I allow her to use 4th and 5th gear. Right before I get off, I hit the button, she downshifts into 3rd, I hit it again, and she stays there. With those 35s, she constantly shifts in and out of 5th gear while city driving. Drives me nuts, O/D off in the city, and she stays in 3rd most of the time. Unless I'm stopped of course. Been doing this for awhile now. Love the way she drives now and shifts.