Good reading, maybe "some day" all Diesel trucks from the big 3 will have over 1,000 tq from the factory. waytogo
Wow, that's one of the most even handed posts talking about GMs I've ever seen on TDR. Nice to see things are becoming more civil across the brands... However, I think Hoot's statement on the Allison is a bit misleading. The parts (shafts, drums, etc.) in that thing make ANY other "light truck" trans ever made look like a bad joke. From what I gather, the Allison is "limited" in power handling ability for the same reason that Ford is (reported to be) having problems with the 6.0. They changed the TCM and lowered pressures from what the Allison's big brothers run in order to soften/smooth shifts and behavior. Then they further skimped on the converter by providing a design that "flexes" and only uses about 1/3 of the lockup clutch due to deflection. Simply bringing the pressures back up with a shift kit and addin a good after market single clutch converter puts that trans back where it belongs without a lot of trouble. So, IMO the Alli will have NO problems with the higher power settings AS LONG AS GM fixes those 2 minor problems.
Am i the only person that sees this as a bad thing? I already see people in newer (read-past 1999-2001 ish) towing very large loads at 90+ mph. These people think that because they have the power, they can tow anything as fast as they want, and my cousin is one of these people unfortunately. Maybee im just crazy, i dont know.
An unloaded car or truck will generally run over 100 mph. Most tow rigs can manage 100+ anywhere except on the grades. But do we drive them that fast? Some do, some don't. Having 1000 ft/lb of usable torque just means that even loaded we can hold speed on the grades and accelerate onto the freeway without a 5 mile run to get to 65/75 mph. Ultimate speed towing is a personal decision based on prevailing conditions combined with responsible judgment (the missing element that causes the problem you allude to) and higher ratings in tow rigs won't change that. The only diff is that the morons will be able to get heavier loads to that speed easier and hold it on the grades. IMO, that small change results in a VERY marginal decrease in safety that is way more than offset by general drivability improvements for the rest of us who act as responsible adults. Edit: Just thought of something else. That small decrease in safety because the morons are still running 100 mph up a 4+% grade (not just on the down hill and flats) is MORE than offset by increased safety in merging onto the freeway/interstate without bottle necking the merge/slow lane. Same thing for being able to keep a decent speed on 2 lane grades so the "other" morons (of course, the person looking out the windshield is NEVER the moron. ) who pass illegally and unsafely because that "jerk" in front of them is going 25 up a hill and can't hold speed... AND they may be less inclined to speed on the down hill because they "need" to gain momentum for the next hill, as well as trying to make up for perceived "lost time" from climbing a 6 mile 4% grade at 25mph. In summary, yes, you are the only one... rotfl Just kidding, couldn't resist...
I don't even know why the manufacturers are going to strive over about 700ft lbs. You just plain don't need more than what is available today for the reccommended GCVWR. These are LIGHT PICKUPS...we have medium duty and heavy duty trucks for loads bigger than what todays pickups can pull, which is already getting into the medium duty range anyway. It is one thing if someone insists on pulling grades at 60-70mph+ at max GCVWR and guys that want to drag race.....but that is what the aftermarket is for. 90% of people have no interest in wanting to go that fast down the track nor do most trucks even see a load that brings them near max weight and the "measly" 600ft lbs does just fine. Heck, my truck is only rated at a "worthless" 460ft lbs and 235HP but can basically pull just about all the weight it's rated for without much fuss. If the 5-10% of diesel owners want that much power to race then let them go aftermarket, don't jack up these trucks that hi from the factory.
IMO will never get close to 1000 ft/lbs from the factory due to drive train warranty concerns as well as insurance. And you're right, most people just don't feel the need for that kind of power and don't want to pay for it. Heck, *I* don't feel the need for that kind of power, but I wouldn't complain! But I can say from experience, having 750(?) ft/lbs on tap when towing my measily 15k load out is just about the best towing experience I've ever had. I had no problems with the stock 520(?) but 750 is in a different league. You can still tell you're loaded, but it just moves so easily, it's a joy to drive. Merging and pulling the hills effortlessly without holding up traffic or twiddling my thumbs in the slow lane is great. There is basically no hill I've hit yet that I can't hold speed. I'm an impatient person in general when it comes to "wasted time", so this makes a world of difference to me on those trips. I'm sure it's the same for guys pulling 34' 5ers across the Rockies and such. And yeah, a lower powered truck may well be able to pull a heavy load "without much fuss", but in the time saved going from Phoenix to Moab, assuming we leave Phoenix at the same time, I'll have already run my first trail and be setting in the shade with a beer by the time you get there. I've quite literally left HOURS after others and got there at about the same time, and I never get over maybe 5 mph over the speed limit (assuming prevailing conditions allow). As for why the factory? Well, it would be nice for those of us who want that level of performance to not have to gamble on after market support and potentially damaging out trucks AND loosing warranty. Frankly, I was agonizing for WEEKS over buying/installing my chip, even after doing the research and seeing all the happy customers. Frankly, my luck sucks, and if ANYBODY has trouble, it WILL be me. And of course, I was one of the select few to get the "crank no start" bug, but fortunately that is the only problem I've had. And I still worry about the Alli, even though "most" do fine at that level. I would have been MUCH happier if I could have just paid GM an extra $1k or something to get the "stock" power level up there with no warranty concerns.
