Towing up steep hill. What gear?

[MrTunaCat]

I have a 5.9 cummins. I tow an 4 ton chipper up a fairly steep hill and also sometimes have a load of wood chips in my bed.

I have an automatic which I heard is weak and only has 4 gears.

In the past I always try to go up in 4th gear but when it gets too steep i drop into 3rd. Is 3rd gear an acceptable gear to be towing uphill? I don’t want to be damaging my transmission. Is there an rpm I should stay in? I usually try to keep it in the 2-2.5k rpm. Sometimes 3k.

 

[18CrewDually]

Dropping to 3rd to keep the rpms up a little on a steep grade is fine. It keeps it from lugging the engine and the higher rpms keep the line pressures higher so it can keep a firm grip on the clutches.

 

[chri5k]

That engine has a pretty flat torque curve from about 1000 - 3000 rpms. Somewhere around 2500 rpms should be good.

 

[Smokeybear01]

Sounds like you're doing it the same way I do with my fiver. Keep up the RPMs and use a lower gear, It's not a race to the top.

 

[06 Dodge]

I have a 5.9 cummins. I tow an 4 ton chipper up a fairly steep hill and also sometimes have a load of wood chips in my bed.

I have an automatic which I heard is weak and only has 4 gears.

In the past I always try to go up in 4th gear but when it gets too steep i drop into 3rd. Is 3rd gear an acceptable gear to be towing uphill? I don’t want to be damaging my transmission. Is there an rpm I should stay in? I usually try to keep it in the 2-2.5k rpm. Sometimes 3k.

I had a 06 5.9 CTD. I would run it between 2100 and 2600 RPM's, yes it can take 3K and then a bit more but IMO its best to not push, why push it if its not necessary too do so...

 

[GTyankee]

Just remember, you can always use an Automatic transmission as a Manual Gear Box.
Say your about to climb a grade & your truck & trailer are full.
You can always start out in First or Second gear, if it pulls the load easily, shift to the next higher gear.

 

[Rlaf75]

Put it in tow/haul mode and let the transmission do its job

 

[MrTunaCat]

Good to know! Thanks everyone!