40 mph uphill? Other Armada or Titan TVs?

Gdetrailer wrote:

marcsbigfoot20b27 wrote:

I was just talking an extra 100 hp/tq to make it easier to drive and not break anything, not a top fuel dragster engine.

That is nearly 1/3 MORE HP and torque than what the OPs vehicle was designed for.

OPs vehicle as they posted is "Tv: 2006 Armada LE 5.6L DOHC V8 with factory tow package. Tow rating 9000lbs. 305/385 hp/tq"

Adding 100 HP to that IS the same as building a "top fuel dragster" as you say.

I would seriously doubt that the OPs engine and drive train will be able to support this kind of increase without coming apart. Manufacturers tend to NOT "overbuild" by much margin, they build to handle the HP and torque that the weakest link can handle and give the longest longevity.

One would have to really beef up many of the potential weak components starting with the engine, moving to the transmission and back to the drive line.

As I mentioned, I have dealt with this mentality with my Dad for many years, he took a 1980 Ford 400 Cid engine rated at a sickly factory 120 HP (yeah, the 1980s was not kind to engines for power) and when he was done it was belting out 420 HP at the wheels dyno'd.

It however came at the cost of LONGEVITY, he built and rebuilt the engine over and over, built and rebuilt the transmission over and over.. Resulted in getting towed multiple times, tearing down and rebuilding in campgrounds, roadside pull offs, store parking lots and the worst time was on his way home from VT where he was only 1 hr in the trip home and burnt through two pistons, bent pushrods and burned a handful of valves, cracked one head.. He paid a hauler $1000 (AAA wouldn't tow the trailer) to have the 5th wheel towed back to my brothers in VT, spent 5 weeks in VT digging up parts..

It was the LAST trip that he hauled that trailer, my Mom was a total nervous wreck after that one and put her foot down that he was NEVER towing again. He didn't, that trailer sat in his back yard for nearly 10 yrs before giving it to another brother of mine..

OP just needs to suck it up and live with what they got OR trade the thing in and get something that DOES have what it takes to do the job easier.

It is what I did with a 97 truck that had a wimpy 235 HP 5.4, with 4,000 lb 20 ft trailer I was down to 40 MPH on 7%-8% grades.. after two trips we traded it for a 2003 with 265 HP 5.4 and the difference was night and day. The 2003 handled those grades much easier often topping at 55 MPH with a little go pedal left. Over the years we moved up to a bit bigger trailer and moved up to 2006 300 HP 3V 5.4, then to a 2013 6.2 with 385 HP.. Each time we moved up to a newer vehicle the tow was even more remarkably easier.

Newer vehicles have vastly improved engines with much more HP and torque than a 2006 vehicle, with that, that OEMs have made their drive trains to handle that increase.

Throwing money at it to build it up is the same thing as throwing the money down the toilet.. NO ONE will be willing to pay for those mods so zero resale value is added.. In fact, it most likely will severely DROP any resale value.. I personally walk away from ANYTHING that has been highly modified, just to much can go wrong and you do not know if ALL the items as a whole can take the extra stress.