2013 Sierra HD, is a gear change worth it?
Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum and have a question about my 2013 Sierra 2500 HD with a 6.0L and 3.73 gear ratio. It has a tow rating of 9400 lbs and in the manual it says if I had 4.10 it goes...
Forum Discussion
kaydeejay wrote:jbufton wrote:That engine will run 4000 rpms all day long. Peak rpm is north of 5500, so you're not even close!
Thanks guys, now I understand that it will actually run higher RPMs with the lower gears. I think I'm going to stick with it for a bit and get used to the way the truck runs. The truck maintains speed no problem just gets a little throaty up steeper hills. At lower speeds there's no issue at all.
You have a 6-speed transmission, so just lock it into the gear where it's happiest (probably 5th), select Tow/Haul and let the computer work its magic.
It won't let the engine lug or over-rev. In fact, it's probably smarter than you or I!
This is the best advice. I know it sounds counter-intuitive when talking about a V8, but this motor loves to rev. I just dragged my trailer through the mountains of Tennessee and Kentucky on a 2000-mile round trip. Never once did I feel the need for more power. The 6-speed is perfect for the 6.0.
On one particularly long, steep grade (probably 5-6%), I got parked behind a 35-MPH FedEx truck. Finally got an opening and nailed the throttle. I was up to 70 MPH by the top of the hill. I also stopped at the scales that day - 14,020 lbs rig weight. Save your money, don't worry about re-gearing.
