get a big trans cooler! heat kills auto transmissions!
newb towing advice. long distance
This is my first truck got it yesterday...04 xe 4x4 auto. book says 5000lbs max towing.
i am being stationed in alaska so i bought a truck. and im towing my other car which weighs about 2600lbs i plan on using a dolly to reduce trailer weight, and i really wont have that much other weight coming with me.
and im in florida so this is almost a 5000 mile trip. ill be driving 8-10hrs a day for 10+ days.
anything i can do to the tranny to prolong its life...make it more durable...or work easier during this tow? i will prob keep it around 60mph the whole time.
any tips/advice?
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i am being stationed in alaska so i bought a truck. and im towing my other car which weighs about 2600lbs i plan on using a dolly to reduce trailer weight, and i really wont have that much other weight coming with me.
and im in florida so this is almost a 5000 mile trip. ill be driving 8-10hrs a day for 10+ days.
anything i can do to the tranny to prolong its life...make it more durable...or work easier during this tow? i will prob keep it around 60mph the whole time.
any tips/advice?
2
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thanx ill def get one of those installed!
heres a few shots i took today
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heres a few shots i took today
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i have this;
B&M 70297 B&M Hi-Tek Cooling System
and i had these lines made to replace the hardlines and run stainless braided from the tranny all the way to the cooler. i completely bypassed the factory cooler, which is built into the bottom portion of the tiny frontier radiator.
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when i first added a cooler, i tried to go the economy route and it really bit me in the a$$. i had to constantly babysit the hose clamps because they would come loose and leak. i snugged them up before a trip, and when i was in the desert womping around, the clamps quit and puked tranny fluid everywhere.
i decided that my tranny sees lots of stress, and quality is not something to skip on in high performance applications, especially when i'm going to be in the desert.
the total cost was around $430 for that cooler and those lines.
as far as lights, i'm quite pleased with my hella 4000's. they are a little bulky at 9" wide though. you can find them for about $80 a light without wiring.
another option would be a hella 500 kit, you get two 5" lights with a wiring kit for about $80. i was running them before my hella 4000's and they were quality lights.
hella 500's
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hella 4000's
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B&M 70297 B&M Hi-Tek Cooling System
and i had these lines made to replace the hardlines and run stainless braided from the tranny all the way to the cooler. i completely bypassed the factory cooler, which is built into the bottom portion of the tiny frontier radiator.
when i first added a cooler, i tried to go the economy route and it really bit me in the a$$. i had to constantly babysit the hose clamps because they would come loose and leak. i snugged them up before a trip, and when i was in the desert womping around, the clamps quit and puked tranny fluid everywhere.
i decided that my tranny sees lots of stress, and quality is not something to skip on in high performance applications, especially when i'm going to be in the desert.
the total cost was around $430 for that cooler and those lines.
as far as lights, i'm quite pleased with my hella 4000's. they are a little bulky at 9" wide though. you can find them for about $80 a light without wiring.
another option would be a hella 500 kit, you get two 5" lights with a wiring kit for about $80. i was running them before my hella 4000's and they were quality lights.
hella 500's
hella 4000's
3
the cooler is mounted with some minor custom fabrication. i'm talking a couple bolts welded to the front crossmember and a 1/8" strip of sheet metal that secures the bottom of the cooler.
b&m recommends mounting the cooler so it receives the fluid from the top, and i don't have a ton of room up front because of my other mods... so i had to ditch my grill. you could probably find another way to mount it without a problem though.
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the cooler you see in the back ground in the pic below is my engine oil cooler. i have never had a problem with it, but the same setup for a transmission cooler just didn't work well for me.
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your bull bar is just for looks really, its size makes it difficult to mount anything to it. don't try to push or pull anything with it, either. you could probably construct some brackets and mount the lights to that bar though.
b&m recommends mounting the cooler so it receives the fluid from the top, and i don't have a ton of room up front because of my other mods... so i had to ditch my grill. you could probably find another way to mount it without a problem though.
the cooler you see in the back ground in the pic below is my engine oil cooler. i have never had a problem with it, but the same setup for a transmission cooler just didn't work well for me.
your bull bar is just for looks really, its size makes it difficult to mount anything to it. don't try to push or pull anything with it, either. you could probably construct some brackets and mount the lights to that bar though.
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