I am looking at buying a lifted truck for the wife to tow with. I was wondering who has a lifted truck and how does it change towing form stock? Truck in question is a 2014 Chevy silverado 1500 crew cab short bed tow package 5.3 v8 with a 6" lift and 35x12.50 r20 tires on 20x10 rims. The wife currently has a nissan Titan crew cab short bed leveled with 33x11.50 r18's this truck tows great for the boat 22v and bumper pull 2 horse trailer. I also have a 2015 GMC SLT yukon with the big tow package so I know that will tow the boat easy. I measured the height to the top of the trailer hitch on the Silverado and it is 4" higher than her Titans currently is. Thanks in advance.
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It depends on how often you tow the boat. Those 35s are going to significantly lower your rear axle gear ratio (numerically), which lowers your tow capacity. Your driveline will suffer and probly void your warranty for the power train. Also, the suspension will be unstable at speed pulling a heavy load. I wouldn't trust my wife driving at 70 pulling a 6k lb trailer with a lifted truck on big tires when she has to swerve and then carnage ensues.
On the other hand my idiot friend did pull my 6k lb rock crawler 100+ miles with a lifted Tacoma on 22s, but I bet his ring gear was on fire! -
With those tires you will quickly get frustrated with the 5.3L. It's pretty marginal even in the best circumstances.
Sent from my PassportComment
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10 wide tires are going to throw a massive amount or rocks so beware of chips! As others stated those 5.3L engines suck at towing and I'm a huge chevy fan but would never own one again. Get it with the 6.0,6.2L or a 6.6 duramax if you insist on having the lift.
Hitch height won't be an issue as I've seen guys tow fifth wheel rvs with 7" lifts. The only downfall is it tends to tilt a 5th wheel on its rear axle but you will be towing a bumper pull and can adjust for it with drop hitches.Comment
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I have a 2014 ltz dmax and I'm running 6" lift with 20z on it and air bags n the rear, also bought a custom fit to vehile mud flap that goes across complete rear of truck it comes off with the hitch and I pull a rz2 every weekend with no issues it rides awesome and I pull a 14,320lb 5th wheel toy hauler as well, you'll be finesurf till u die.Comment
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Will it do it? Yes.
Will it have 8mpg? yes, or something close.
Will its stop quickly? No.
Will it be stable? Yes.
But who knows there is really to many variables to think about. You may be just fine
2000 21V Fox Riders Edition
2007 Chevy Duramax crew cab short bedComment
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The boat and horse trailer are towed almost every weekend from may to November. My wife has been towing for a long time and is better than most guys I know. The rear axle is a 3.42 so not that worried. The lift and tires were put on by dealer so not to void factory warranty. I understan the concern and dont expect it to be a towing monster as it is a 1500. I have had 4 5.3's in tahoes and yuknos they pull just fine as long as you are not comparing it to a 3500 d max with an allison trans. It s all in perspective. We do not beat up our trucks as some do. like your buddy pulling a 6k with a tacoma i feel bad for the truck!Originally posted by hairball View PostComment
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I figured it would be fine. I wanted some answers from guys with lifted trucks like yours. I already have the flaps that go on the hitch also as i dont wnat chips or stuff on the boat. Thanks.Originally posted by 18c racing View PostComment
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I have had many 5.3's they have good power its the trans that is the issue.Originally posted by JLG View PostComment
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I towed my 22Ve with a chevy 1500 with a simple 2.5" lift (suspension not body) and 33" tires and it sucked down the fuel, sagged the back end of that truck and rode nose high real bad. Honestly if you lift a truck and plan to tow or load anything in the back it is going to ride nose high which takes away tons of your front steering control and response... the way to alleviate that is to have air bags that put you back level or nose low a bit, that gives you the steering response and control back.
I now tow everything (up to 30,000 pounds gross) with my 6.4 powerstroke that has a 4" lift, 36"x11.5" mud tires, and air bag rear suspension. It has phenomenal control and power and even stopping, but the power is diesel, transmission is a beast, and suspension much beefier than a 1500 plus the air ride.
In all honesty a chevy 5.3 with a 3.42 gear will turn into a 3.0 gear ratio and boil your rear end diff and run the transmission super hot IMO. I would never again tow a boat these sizes with a 1500 that has a 5.3 and effectively reduced gear ratios and that transmission. Just my opinion as you were asking for truthful recommendations. I think towing with this set up would cause way more problems than it could ever be worth.Comment
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Put air bags in the rear, you won't be nose high and sagging in the rear and your setup will be level. The way it should be.surf till u die.Comment
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I agree with the air bags. I did that on my truck and it rides so much nicer! The tongue doesn't sag more than 0.5 inch when loadedComment
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I would be more worried about the 5.3 and a 3.42 gear ratio... this is a recipe for future powertrain problems with a 6" lift. You seriously will be giving that truck a 3.00 ratio when you have a 6" lift and put much larger tires than what is factory installed. If you were going to get a ratio of 4.10 that MIGHT be ok, but that engine with a 3.42 is going to be problematic IMO. For towing you will want a higher number on gear ratio i.e. 4.10 or AT LEAST 3.73 (any dually that tows heavy will run 4.10, 4.30, or that area different for each manufacturer) a lower gearing will give you better fuel economy and way worse towing capability.
A suggestion is if you want a lifted truck find a 6.0 vortec (assuming you want chevy or GMC) and get the towing package with a higher gearing such as a 4.10.
Towing a heavy load with a small engine and ineffective gear ratio is just going to cost more to fix than the price difference of getting the proper combination the first time.Comment
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I thought most of the Chevy's came with 3.73 gears? You might want to double check that.
Anyway, I had a GMC Denali that pulled our 22Ve just fine. Only got about 11 mpg, but didn't have any transmission issues. It wasn't lifted, but I did put 22z on it which raised it a touch. I usually tow with our 2005 2500HD, it has a 6" lift on 37x12.50 R20s. What is most important, IMO, is the hitch and getting your boat trailer level when you tow. I have the trimaz razor that is adjustable so that I can tailor the ride height of the trailer to ensure the proper weight distribution. I absolutely hate saggy britches - the condition where your rear rides lower than your front. With the proper adjustment, I was able to get my truck to ride level when towing the boat. I have a slight rake (~2") when I am not towing.
I think the lifted 1500 will be ok so long as you get the trailer level and your ride height adjusted correctly. Don't expect to run off on any eco-boost trucks or pass up a lot of gas stations, but it should be ok. Make sure that they didn't crank your torsion bars to get the truck to set level with the lift (without a trailer) - Chevy's have always had a little rake.Comment
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