F-250 & F-350 gear ratio question ?

[Smokin 6.0]

I have a 2018 F-250 long bed with 3.55 gears and it struggles sometimes to pull my horse trailer that weights 21-22k lbs with horses in it. Looking at a 2018 F-350 dually, but noticed the real axle says 3.55 std. Is this a good upgrade or am I going to have the same issues ? Don’t want to trade it and have the same problem. Any help is great !

 

[Mark Kovalsky]

If both trucks have the same engine, the F-350 will be worse than the F-250 because it weighs more.

 

[TrickTruck]

The 350 vs 250, the 350 has a slightly higher load carrying capacity (suspension) it is otherwise identical. I'm surprised you feel it struggles. I have a '16 w/ 3.55 gears and tow a heavy toyhauler. We gross 25klbs. That's a heavy horse trailer for sure tho, probably 4k more than I tow. I think your best bet would be a tune for the truck to tighten up the transmission. Maybe a 'weight loss' program too.

 

[Smokin 6.0]

I was surprised to. I have gone up a few slight grades here lately and seem to drop mile per hour. It didn’t use to do that and I’m also avg. 8-9mpg which is a lot worse than I use to about 20k miles ago

 

[6.0 Tech]

how many miles on your truck, and what all is done to it? If it used to be ok, and now it’s not, indicates you’re having an issue. Be it a wire out turbo, boost leak, exhaust leak, dpf getting plugged up, dirty air filter, etc.

 

[Smokin 6.0]

138k miles fully stock. Air filter is clean just serviced all filters

 

[6.0 Tech]

I’d start looking it over. Checking cac tubes, pull the air inlet and visually inspect your compressor wheel, make sure it’s not dusted, has regen been happening more often? Get something to read live data with and monitor your boost, check dpf filter load, all the sensors relative to each other, etc.

Or if you don’t think you can do that, take it to a trusted shop who will actually spend some time with it and do all this instead of giving it a quick drive and saying nope it’s fine and shipping it

 

[Smokin 6.0]

I’m not going through anymore DEF than I ever have. Compressor wheel looks good and not sure how to check dog filter load. I have forscan and am ok with it but not sure where to see that at I’m assuming the trending screen

 

[Smokin 6.0]

Sorry dpf filter also boost is consistent 20psi under load

 

[6.0 Tech]

I’m not real familiar with for scan, but there should be some pid that is actual dpf load, and possibly and average distance between regens. If your boost is a consistent 20psi, has it always been that? Seem to remember these hitting 30ish pretty easy.

 

[Obe]

On my 2019 F-250, I had reduced engine power when I had an EGR issue. I didn't initially get any codes nor Reduced Engine Power Mode message but could feel the reduced response. I was hauling my travel trailer far from home. Eventually I received a Reduced Engine Power Mode message but was still able to operate at 55mph and even accelerate though slowly. It was not a happy time hauling a heavy trailer on a busy highway. Turns out there was a recall on the EGR valve. As far as the Diesel Particulate Filter, my 2019 automatically performs the clean-out burn and there is no manual clean-out option. I can see the DPF filter status on my dash menu. I had that auto-clean function fail while hauling the travel trailer through the mountains of West Virginia. In that case, I received multiple warnings ahead of time and the reduced engine power mode was more severe - I could barely get the truck to move from a dead stop and speed was limited to 35mph. Dealership did a forced clean-out burn after I got home to correct the issue and that is when I put a laptop with Forscan in the truck - Forscan allows you to force the DPF clean-out burn and I want that option available to me should it happen again.