3.42 vs. 4.10 RR on a 2013 Dodge Cummings

2500 Grunt wrote:
I don't understand how people can properly evaluate their trucks capability when pulling without having gauges (EGT, Tranny at a min.) to monitor vitals?? My 05 Cummins get's hot when I lay into the go pedal according to my EGT gauge. Sure it pulls great but things can get hot fast even though I still have roughly 1/3 of the skinny pedal left before it hits the floor. Kind of like guessing how fast your going down the freeway without a speedometer?

I agree to some extent, but people have done it for years and years and years and we don't see trucks or cars broken down all over the place and 95% or more of my towing is done in the mountains.

This is JUST ME , just MY way of "thinking it through". IF I purchase a vehicle to tow with and I'm under the trucks GVWR and GCWR and I tow at a "common sensical" speed, where I get my best mpg, (fastest I run, maybe 65 on occasion, but normally, 60-62 mph or posted speed limits), all tire pressures have been checked on vehicle and whatever it is I'm towing. On the last several vehicles I've owned, the ONLY thing I can't check is EGT's...tranny temp and a lot of other variables can be checked with just a few "scrolls" through the vehicles information center.

I think EGT monitoring is important and would be nice to have, but again, in all the years I've been towing, only ONE time did I have a truck heat up on me, but not to the point where anything happened..

It would be nice if manufacturers included an EGT gage, but on these newer trucks today there are built in protection features....not saying the trucks can't be abused or break down, but I am saying if one uses some simple math and a lot of common sense when towing, I really don't see why one would worry about EGT's if one is well within the towing specs of their vehicle.....

If I purchase a truck that has enough GVWR to carry weight I need to carry, (and we're not even counting reserve of the RAWR), if I purchase a truck where total weight of TV and whatever it is I'm towing is under the trucks GCWR, I run at a speed where I use my common sense as opposed to seeing how fast I can get from point A to point B, make sure my truck is well maintained, (including air pressure), ect...THEN I feel like I have properly evaluated my trucks capabilities and limits...at that point, the ONLY stat I don't have is EGT, figure If I take care of everything else, the EGT will take care of itself.