The Ram 1500 TRX Overheated When Max Towing...But It's NOT What You Think!
Вставка
- Опубліковано 24 лип 2021
- Thanks to Keeps for sponsoring this video! Head to keeps.com/TFLtruck to get 50% off your first order of hair loss treatment.
( www.genyhitch.com/ ) Andre and Nathan take our new Ram 1500 TRX out on towing duty, hauling two side-by-sides up high into the Rocky Mountains. It doesn't quite go as planned...but it's not what you think!
( / tflcar ) Visit our Patreon page to support the TFL team!
Watch more videos from TFL Studios:
The Fast Lane Truck ( / tfltruck )
The Fast Lane Car ( / tflcar )
TFLoffroad ( / tfloffroad )
TFLbike ( / @tflbike )
TFLnow ( / tflnow )
TFLclassics ( / tflclassics )
TFLtalk ( / tfltalk )
TFL Podcasts:
TFL Talkin' Cars Podcast ( tflcar.libsyn.com/ )
TFL Talkin' Trucks Podcast ( tfltruck.libsyn.com/ )
#TRX #Towing #Mountain - Авто та транспорт
Thanks to Keeps for sponsoring this video! Head to keeps.com/TFLtruck to get 50% off your first order of hair loss treatment.
1:28 You can see the coolant temp jump, I'm guessing the thermostat opened.
3:45 the fan kicks in and the temps start to drop. :)
Smartly advertised by a kid with the thickest head of hair God will allow. 😂😂
You guys need to get a hand held temperature gun for equipment. It would be nice to know brake and axle temperatures.
You first
Hey Roman, do you make such a little amount of money on your 573 youtube channels that you have to add a commercial?
I can’t believe how many comments say “breaks” instead of “brakes.” 😂
‘Murica….
Lol!
Maybe they're just getting ahead of the brakes before they break.
Hey give a guy a brake !!!! 😂
When government schools prioritize "woke" over basic reading, writing and arithmetic, that's what you get.
I think andre’s CDL is printed on a Burger King wrapper
Do this test with the Tundra now that it doesn’t have a trans cooler. Toyota says it won’t overheat. TEST IT ;)
Ofc it won’t overheat is a Toyota lol
I think they already tested it on the ike tho
@@matthewflaherty3863 was it as hot when they tested it though? It seems this record heat is working against most of these trucks.
It would be great to see the Tundra w/ and W/o the trans cooler.
Just drill slots into flywheel to air out the clutch
That's driver error, not a fault of the truck. And judging by the amount of people commenting that can't spell brakes I'm guessing a lot of them are 12 lol
@@vu7419 hear hear 👏👏
Shhhh you don't want to upset the 12 year old youtube armchair racers car children.
@@vu7419 the level of illiteracy in youtube comments really is something else.
oh c'mon its not that big of a deal. give them a brake
in the head.
Accelerate to 10 or 15mph and apply trailer brakes. Increase the gain until the trailer is starting to lock up. Then reduce the gain little so the trailer doesn't lock up. That's the gain setting.
EXACTLY CORRECT!!!!! So many on here talking about max gain or higher gain if trailer weighs more. No! Set it according to the load using this method every single time the load changes! Thank you for a knowledgeable post.
More like 25
@@cordellroberson532 that’s an opinion. If you know what you are doing, sure, otherwise newby’s will burn a nice flat spot in the tire of the gain is too high. Better to keep speeds lower till you know how the controller will act/react to your trailer.
@@ryanvegas777 25 miles an hour is always the speed trailer manufacturers recommend , trailer tires don't flat spot that easy unless you do something really crazy like lock them and hold them all the way down to a stop.
Obviously sadly it's not as simple as that because once the brakes heat up from driving and usage a lot of times a bit more gain is necessary
@@cordellroberson532 yes and no. Again you aren’t factoring all things equally. Trailer weight plays a huge part in whether or not tires will skid across asphalt at a given speed. Take an empty trailer and the brakes might lock up, whereas it didn’t with a full load. Semi truck trailers are perfect examples of that
Shouldn't be afraid to use a little more gain on trailers to help you on the steep hills.
Then the trailer brakes will over heat. What ever happened to engine braking ?
@@SomeTechGuy666 This truck is relatively low compression at 9.5:1 to handle being supercharged (would require the same if it were turbocharged). A naturally aspirated DI engine with a 11.5:1 compression ratio would do better downhill - though not particularly good at such a high elevation. Maybe it's time to install exhaust brakes or driveline retarders on pickup trucks.
Andre: "I don't know what's going on"
T-shirt?
With his Buhanka in the background 😏
That statement fits Andre perfectly! “Godzilla Godzilla Godzilla.....Worlds toughest towing test, Worlds toughest towing test, Worlds toughest towing test.” Durrrrrrrrrrrrr
No doubt that was all driver error, but you never learn anything, if you never make mistakes.
Makes for great UA-cam content though…
Agree completely but I do wish they didn’t make it seem like a truck issue from the title and the way the video started. Going to give those non-tech people the wrong impression and if I were Ram I would be slightly upset with TFL over this. They should have adjusted the video to show more user error than issues with Ram’s brakes. Oh well.
If you never make mistakes do you need to learn anything?
Always learn from your mistakes, that way you can make bigger and better mistakes in the future! :)
@@jimsiggy and then there’s Andre and TFL who know exactly what they’re doing and how to get views.
Mr. Trucker would be pissed at Andre for sure. Heated brakes is a driver's mistake.
I thought the same thing. I enjoy when he’s driving a lot, he’s definitely a professional
*brakes
@@HBSSTC Indeed brakes.
Not enough lower-gear use and improper braking technique.
There was no camera angle on it, but I'm pretty sure he was left foot braking and leaving his foot on the pedal.
Andre sabotaging all other trucks after his F150 overheated 🤣
Totally … 😆😆😆.
This comment should be at the top lol
Roman:: You won’t overheat the TRX, it’s got plenty of cooling
Andre: Hold my Smirnoff!
Not gonna lie, that was my first thought as well
When adjusting trailer brakes, “somewhere in the middle” when adjusting is NOT an ok answer. Every trailer is different with how the brakes react to gain. Some brakes are more worn out and require more gain and the same is true the other way around. EVERY TRAILER should be adjusted to that trailer and truck. Not just a guess. As a general rule, it should be able to stop you fairly quickly without locking tires up when applying only trailer brake controller to the max gain you have it set for. And every trip will be different depending on weight even when using the same trailer. This should always be adjusted before each trip if loads change.
I agree completely. Andre, did you do a trailer brake test before y'all left the ranch?
You are correct! This is Andre. We use this same Iron Bull trailer with this load MANY times. I tested the gain on the TRX at 5.0 when we left the headquarters. It's part of our pre-trip inspections. The trailer stoped fast and without lockup.
So you are saying you measure the wear of the shoe before setting your gain??? Come on!! You set the gain according to weight on trailer and sensitivity of the brakes, NOT on shoe wear, Gain is directly related to the wattage being pumped, ie. pressure, as oppose to the travel of the brake shoe. On top of that we do not know the temps on the trailer brakes, for all we know they were very close to the front discs.
I used to deliver trailers for a living in my Dodge Ram all of the states it was a very fun job. All trailers were different my general rule of thumb was to adjust the brake controller until the truck could no longer move the trailer while foot is OFF the accelerator.
@@dannyreyes9026 ummm…hi. You don’t read well, do you. Nothing was said about adjusting a trailer according to a measurement of brake shoes. Geez. What was said was every trailers brakes are different. Some are more worn than others which could require a higher gain setting to apply more force if more worn out, some trailers are heavier than others, some loads are heavier than others. You adjust to the same standards EVERY TIME YOU TOW to get the same stopping result. Adding weight to a trailer will affect its ability to stop as it did prior to loading, or from a prior load of the weight is not the same. So, put in more simple terms, you adjust according to each trailer, each load, ever time, the same way, to acquire the exact same stopping results. Easier to understand? Not sure why you are the only one who didn’t get that.
We need Andre running around the vehicles at the bottom of the hill with the digital thermometer speaking Russian again.
Yup. Lol
Those really early days.
If he keeps making mistakes like that he will.
Overheating brakes is the driver fault...
He hella cooked those brakes.
TFL taking every truck to the breaking point. Love to see it!
I'd hate to be the next buyer, though. 🤣
@@americansmark Next on TFLBids…. 😂
Best way to set gain is on dirt, keep bumping it up until the tires drag then go down one gain. This method has work with every electric trailer I've ever pulled in the Rockies including in Central City Parkway. Those brakes are so expensive, hopefully they aren't warped.
I learned the same thing. Do it on dirt, when the lock up go down one. Perfect. And obviously adjust as needed on the drive
You mean apply ONLY the trailer brake until the tires drag?
Also when you say go down one, you mean down one full point, not decimal, right?
I want to get this right 🙂
Thank you for sharing this information.
Another Good rule of thumb for a starting point is .1 gain for every 100 pounds. 6500lb = gain at 6.5. Setting on dirt I thought was common practice though haha, guess not.
@@polarismanak Some more great info, thanks! This info helps people who don’t know too much about towing. I can count on my hands the number of times I’ve towed, but I am looking forward to purchasing a couple of SxS in the near future, so I am thankful for learning these things.
You were being to aggressive with your brakes. Going from 40-45mph down to 25mph in the bends then a pretty quick stop at the pull off. Good lesson learned and demonstrated. You can't drive/brake the same while towing as you would like a normal drive.
True but things can happen where you may have to make a stop or slow down like that. To know what will happen is good knowledge.
I have a Ram 1500 with the off road package, small lift, and 35's, and have towed through Colorado and over the Ike. I find if the cruise is set, the engine will automatically downshift to hold that speed. Yes, it does mean the engine sometimes running at 5000 RPM to keep the truck at speed, but does save the brakes.
Love your videos guys. Keep them coming.
My 2015 ecodiesel does the same thing and it's nice that it dowshifts and controls speed if it can.
Your engine downshifts? Man and all this time I thought only the transmission did that…🤣🤣🤣
I use cruise a lot when towing with my 2018 Sierra 1500 as well. It does send the revs way up to get the engine braking as much as it can on longer / steeper hills. Sometimes the shifts are pretty harsh though.
Just watched the video. How can you blame the truck for your mistake? Just because you have a CDL doesn't make you a towing expert. Still love your content though. Keep it up!
Ram cooling is solid. Those mountain roads it's hard to avoid overheating brakes. Need to manually down shift at those grades
Those oil & trans temps were pretty high. The 8 spd ZF trans is designed to operate at 180-190; it was at 206. Oil temp at 260 is insanely high.
@@dcont1 oil temps are always higher then coolant temp by 20-30 degrees. I would not say 260 is insanely high
@@dcont1 👎
You're right, but this guys are not paying attention to the brakes of the trailer, I assure you that the trailer is not breaking at all, they have the brakes adjuster inside the truck, plus brakes on the trailers probably needs to be adjusted.
Regards.
I saw 3 of these on a road trip yesterday, it’s crazy how fast they’re selling.
The TRX review was going too well. Andre had to somehow create some drama, so he overheated the brakes on the TRX by not having the gain properly adjusted on the trailer brakes.
You guys should consider having the brake fluid flushed out now and possibly swapping out the pads.
They sold this truck on TFL Bids a month or two ago.
@@kerryrwac not this particular truck. They are keeping it to test head on with the 3rd gen raptor when it comes out.
@@koman8036 I thought they sold it but i could be wrong.
@@kerryrwac They sold a new truck for a dealer, just happened to be same color.
Smoking the brakes one time doesn't have much effect on the braking system. Why would they need the fluid replaced? The only reason I know of to flush the brake fluid out is to remove it when it gets old because it starts to be contaminated with water. A new vehicle should not have this problem.
Well guys, I hate to say it but the brakes on this truck are really, really good. I think y’all might have given this truck a bad wrap by the way you titled this video. You make it seem like it’s the trucks fault, but sorry, it just isn’t. Overheated brakes are almost always the drivers fault. Love ya Andre but if things were set right, this wouldn’t have happened…
Dodge still can’t make good brakes
I think they made it pretty clear in the video that it was their fault. If people take their information based on the title alone, that is on them.
@@jaderhuff81 They're literaly class number 1 on braking power idiot. RAM make the best brake out of American trucks. Stay mad Ford kid
Andre wants to drive big rigs. Good luck.🤣😂🤣😂
Reminds me of guys who put the gear in D and 4-auto when off-roading and then wonder why the vehicle throws check engine light and overheats 😂
It’s amazing how relaxed this truck is uphill
You have to manual set the gain for every trip and every load, because in your case it is always different. The brake controller I installed in my 98 had instructions on how to properly set the gain. I suggest that be an upcoming video, how to properly adjust the brake controller gain so this doesn't happen to anyone else.
Best way to test trailer brake gain is on dirt at 5-10 mph, when the trailer tires are slightly dragging, bump the gain down one notch and that should be perfect.
The RAM 8 speed transmission is awesome at helping to protect brakes. But I often manually downshift via the buttons, when going down mountain grades. Saves a lot of braking
To anyone upset at this, I like seeing these things happen because its a real world result. These are extreme conditions but it's good to know what the limits are. Thanks TFL!
This isn’t limits. It’s improper brake controller settings. Driver error not hard parts
Thank you Nathan for giving us the actual temperature numbers. Very few people realize that saying its hot or cold has no real meaning since each individual has their own interpretation of what really hot, or really cold means.
Anyway, if some part of the car is going to roast, I'd always choose the brakes first. As long as you don't lose stopping power first, of course.
When you are pushing close to 90% of the trucks towing capacity, gain should be higher. Have to look at it as percentage of what truck is rated for.
Knowing exactly how to adjust the gain for each trailer/load is a must! Load size changes the amount of gain needed as you stated but it is absolutely critical that the gain be set right BEFORE the trip. There are simple tests that can be performed that take less than 5 minutes to ensure this. I do not believe you should adjust gain based on percentages. Not every trailer is equal and just because they weigh the same on a specific truck does not mean the gain should always be set the same
So what kind of test can one do in 5 mins to make sure they have the gain set right before they go down the road pulling a trailer and load ?
@@justinl8455 there is really only one way to set gain for a trailer. You can start by setting the gain to 5.0. Roll down the road between 15-25 mph and pull the manual lever all the way. If the trailer doesn’t lock up trailer brakes, adjust the max gain higher. Once you’ve reached that max gain number where when you pull the lever all the way and the tires just barely start to skid, back the max gain off 1 number, then test again. You should get to a point where your trailer tires do not lock up, but the trailer stops you well under FULL pressure. That’s how you set trailer brakes
@@ryanvegas777 Great description. I don’t know why guys are saying to do it on dirt. I do it just like you do.
@@stevenlefebvre2991 really on dirt is not the right answer. It works, but doesn’t quite get the gain where I think it needs to be. I think that is they “safe” method for people who don’t know what they are doing so tires don’t get destroyed
change your trailer profile to "heavy electric" instead of light. that is the one feature i hate on my power wagon... you were pulling enough weight for that truck to be on heavy electric. I like to feel the trailer tugging on the truck just a tiny bit when i hit the brakes. trailer brakes are cheaper and easier to deal with lol!
Plus the 2500 has fuel deactivation, so it helps slowing down without brakes engaged. Power wagon is my favorite truck, but I needed towing capacity.
This just wasn’t the issue here. In the video he even said he set it somewhere in the middle because that seemed right. Not the right answer. Heavy gain as a rule of thumb is over 10k (per my Rams owners manual also). Can it be used on lighter loads? Sure. But in this case all they needed to do was have the right gain set to begin with. They had plenty of room to go up
If you can find them!! Lol. Dang covid has them brake's on back order for months!!
I was wondering about that also.
I never could get squat for braking in the light setting.
That is with my 2015 2500 diesel . I just leave it in high and set the gain according to each trailer I pull.
Light or heavy.
Now I am not sure if the 1500s have two separate settings like the HDs , I assume they do.
I will check in the settings on my TRX soon as I get a chance.
@@ryanvegas777 yeah i have some cargo trailers that still have to be on heavy gain (and yes the brakes are adjusted correctly) but then once on heavy, i can run the gain down around 2 to 3 to get enough stopping power.
Need to crank up the trailer gain. Great vid. The good news is the brakes can take it. I tow 10000 behind my Ram 1500 and the brakes don’t overheat. Use engine braking and trailer brakes
Good that you’ve managed to adjust the brakes well enough to not overheat them. BAD that you are towing that much weight with a 1500. I don’t care if the manufacturer says you can, it just isn’t safe. Any pro will tell you the same thing. Payload is just as important as gross trailer weight and at those numbers I don’t know how you couldn’t be over payload after passengers and stuff in the bed
I cant get enough of the trx. What an awesome truck. Great job Ram.
Near max towing capacity... seems like turning the brake controller up close to max seems like a good place to start.
The better option is to slow down and not have as much demand on the braking system. Turning up the gain to max will give them more stopping power, but heat up all the brakes faster. Leading to fade all the way around. It's the same principle with going up hill in Andre's Ford. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. You learn quickly when driving heavy trucks(140k B-train fuel tanker) that you don't mess around with hills. You also learn as an owner operator that treating equipment with care(not hot rodding) means smaller repair bills($$$$$$$$). To replace a turbo on a highway truck is about $6k, excess heat(load) usually kills them. Not my experience, but I do own my own truck.
And the best option is to know how to set a brake controller PROPERLY and adjust for each trip as loads change. This would have never happened. And NO, turning brake controller to max is NOT the best place to start.
I agree. The brakes on the trailer should take the trailer out of the braking equation. I would have set to 7 or 7.5 on trailer just to be sure. If its to high you will feel it tugging on the hitch. Adjust accordingly as you go.
@@tnitron9750 nope! Wrong answer sorry. You don’t just guess on the gain. Ever. There is a proper way to set this. Get rolling 10-15mpg, grab the manual brake lever. Watch the gain. When the trailer tires start to lock up, back the max gain off just a little bit and you are set correctly. Never ever guess.
@@ryanvegas777 yep, I like to always grab the manual lever while rolling at around 20mph and see when the trailer grabs and chirps. Set the controller down 1/2 to 1 point from the engagement point. Then try the brakes with brake controller set. You shouldn’t get any sway or jerking from the truck or trailer. You should be able to creep in a parking lot and push the pedal. If the truck stops without feeling like the trailer is trying to get into the bed and if the trailer brakes don’t lock up and drag the trailer tires you’re probably set just right.
Your brake cool down solution was spot on. A lot of people just pull over and sit for awhile. SMH. If the TRX does not have a fire extinguisher, I would advise putting one in. lol
Well, well, well … Andre has been the driver for the 3 overheating 🥵 events lol.
I say he should stay in the office for awhile 😆😆😆.
Mr Truck was driving the F250 and the F150, Andre in the Silverado 1500 and TRX. Nathan is the only guy I'd let drive my truck haha.
This one was awesome love to see you guys!
I love that when the trucks break down or have issues Andre is never upset and is instead excited because he knows it makes for great content. Even when it happened to his own truck.
Appreciate your hot weather towing reviews 👍
I overheated the brakes on my dad's truck hauling hay when I was 15. He threatened my life and told me to never do it again. I figured out pretty quickly how to tell if I was using them too much after that. He also made me buy and replace the pads and rotors on his truck. 😉
He threatened your life?
Brakes are expensive. $1800 here in Canada for an F350 brake job. I haven't done one. My employer does them every 9 months on the foremen's trucks, never tow anything but drive them hard
@@TheBabadush Fr
@@TheBabadush Wow, you guys have never heard of expressions? Even I’ve heard of “threatened to an inch of your life…”. I’m also betting the family that says this is exactly opposite of the family you should be worried about.
Snowflake generation: DiD YoUr DaDdY ReAlLy SaY tHat?!
You say you don’t understand, you have to add more gain to the trailer brakes. It’s SIMPLE, if the truck brakes are getting that hot, add more gain to trailer. Did you check the trailer brakes temp? Probably not. The trailer should help stop the entire load equal to the pulling vehicle. I have seen and done my own tests when doing emergency braking pulling boats. Most of the time when checking stopping distances, when we were pulling the load we could see shorter stopping distances when pulling because the trailer brakes were carrying there own weight and most of the time helping to stop the entire load in a shorter distance. Just trying to help.
They actually used to measure brake temps back when they only has a dozen subscribers.
But see, it isn’t that simple. It’s not just as simple as adding more gain. There is a process to follow that IS simple. Just adding more gain isn’t the answer. They should be set PROPERLY. Google has several videos about how to do this BEFORE a trip.
by far best real world vehicle review channel on UA-cam keep up the great reviews
Seems like Andre is aggressively braking during the test coming down the hill, which isn’t good for the brakes, however the trailer isn’t helping enough during the test
Good to see that the average individual understands and learns more about towing. This particular truck is limited in tow capacity likely is based on soft off-road suspension and lift and not the ability to actually pull the weight involved. Using the transmission to help with downhill load was a good lesson for TLC and reminder to us all. This is also one time where the V8 motor helps with slowing down without using the brakes as much.
Might be interesting to see the other big manufacturers in a similar test.
Recently drove a big motorhome with a Cummins ISM up and down Loveland pass with no difficulties... There was snow in summer with waterfalls. Beautiful place... Used the engine brakes going down on high
You guys are the best. Without you, we'd all have to find these things out about our trucks after we purchase them. Thanks a bunch for your efforts to making the industry better and informing the customer.
Hi Andrej, I'm from Yugoslavia and when I was learning to drive in the '79 I was told to never use the brakes going long way downhill except in emergency. By the way diesel engines have much stronger engine breaking(higher compression ratio),about double the gasoline one,and almost all trucks and buses had "retarders" that used engine breaking for going downhill. You could drive "no-touch pedals" like a Tesla,😄.
Had to do the Loveland Pass back in July when there was wreck in the Eisenhower tunnel and all west-bound traffic was re-routed. I wasn't even towing that day and it was still quite a haul!
Great edge of your seat video. Good job recognizing the heat and changing the trailer brake gain.
Just towed 7000+ lbs back and forth across CO in a 2020 Power Wagon. Went over numerous passes. Gain set on 6.5 and hand at the ready to squeeze the trailer brake controller if I needed a bit of help from the trailer. Manually downshifted on a few descents and it did great. Never smoked the brakes. Never even smelled them.
Love my TRX towing my Tritoon!
Regarding the gain, here is how it should be done:
Accelerate to 25mph and apply trailer brakes, increase the gain until the trailer locks up. Very simple. :-) On extreme steep & long grades I like to downshift manually, which sure will help too.
Great video as always. Love the 2 bottom screens!
TFL Team- thanks for pushing these truck to the limits. With more half ton trucks claiming ability to tow such large amounts it’s helpful to see them being pushed so hard. I know you are catching crap from lots of “towing experts,” but it’s good to see real world situations.
My method of towing is different in that I rely on manually adjusting gearing when descending an incline.
You may do this and we didn’t see it but I also adjust my gain controller during each trip to ensure I’m at optimal setting.
Again great work.
Kudos to the TFL team for bringing us real world reviews.
Your speed down the mountain shouldn’t be any higher than your speed up the mountain, assuming the grade is the same on both sides. Lower speed, and the correct gear will save your brakes.
Hahaha except that truck can do 120mph up the mountain with 7,000 pounds behind it
That's old advice for semis without jakes and 200 hp engines.
The competition among manufacturers is so fierce, every part they can eliminate helps with price. Transmission fluid makers are working with manufacturers to create fluids that perform at higher temps.
You have a CDL now. Brakes should never be rode. You use gearing or cycle brakes. You would have possibly had a run away on a cdl load.
There's a lot of comments on these trucks overheating, saying"don't tow to the limit," surely the manufacturer puts out a limit that's actually below it's max. Tow ropes don't snap 1lb over limit , there's a buffer build into these figures. Just 2 cents worth.
Did you see the letter Ford sent them about towing when his f150 overheated?
@@LaSarge yes, and it made sense after the event. Just wondered how many people would see max weight and believe that is max at all times.👍
Do you guys consider buying a thermal camera?
Back in the beginning of the IKE Andre's primary onscreen roll was the "Russian Mechanic" and he used a Lazer thermometer to check the tire and brake temps at the bottom of the IKE. I was happy when he became a true contributor, instead of the trying to be funny act.
@@jnk26 A few years ago these tools could've been a gimmick. Now the thermal cameras are well regarded and widely applied professional tools.
@@PrzemyslawSliwinski hell, FLIR makes IR camera attachments for smart phones for a decent price
We have a low-resolution thermal camera. Maybe it's time for an upgrade.
How did you get a cdl 😁
He got it on keeps.com lol
Great content guys!
Love the 3 camera views at once !
I’ve unfortunately still never seen one of these in person. God I could listen to that supercharger sing all day.
I've seen so many around me then again I live in Texas
Y’all used to carry an infrared laser thermometer when towing to check brakes
The big issue with stand alone transmission coolers is the lack of transmission oil temp regulation, specifically over cooling the transmission oil. OEMs didn't do away with transmission coolers. They are now integral to the radiator as an oil to water cooler, where the coolant is kept in a very narrow temperature bad.
The other issue is air flow management. The front of modern trucks are using more and more airflow management to decrease drag. There is no place to put a stand alone transmission cooler that doesn't mess up air flow or detract from the air flow for something else, like the A/C condenser.
Good job TFL. This is the type of information we need. I know it can be stressful, but it helps us all understand the best and safest truck for our needs.
I learn more when things go wrong. Great video!!!!
Overall im glad to see the TRX pull it's weight. In all three trials, driver error is the cause for the vehicles near-disastrous behaviors.
I get the traditional brake application test and that mode of driving where you want the truck to take care of grade shifting. Real world use though, when towing downhill manufacturers put manual mode in these trucks for that exact reason. Takes the guesswork out, allows you to control the truck precisely for load and road conditions.
Thanks for the entertaining video. It just goes to show every tool has its purpose. If towing under extreme conditions is my main concern, I'll buy an HD truck, not the TRX.
I don't agree with the comments roasting the driver, it was obvious you guys knew how to fix the problem, but trucks need to be pushed to their limits by imprecise driving to see how things act. All these comments acting like they would do better lmao, we got to see both sides! what more do you want
Do tundra. Let’s see if Toyota’s was right when they removed the external transmission cooler.
I think they are all removing external transmission coolers. I know Ford has. And they had a GM overheat it’s transmission. Overall it’s a cost savings thing that will be the weak point in an truck.
@@slscamg
I would like to know how the “engineers” came up with this idea. Doesn’t make sense to me...
Gm still has them on the "max towing" package. And the heavy duty/super duty will still have them. But really for the average person. The integrated rad/trans cooler and full synthetic trans fluid (really makes a difference as it handles and rejects heat better) is fine for Joe somebody who's just doing some home improvement or towing his boat normally....
@@Agent.K. In theory it would work fine, the water to water cooler Could remove more heat than an air to water cooler. However, they aren’t big enough to handle high loads and when the coolant temps go up they are pulling enough heat out. They need to be on a separate coolant circuit.
Toyotas are trash trucks anyway
Mr.Truck watching this video and I can hear him say "rookies" 🤣
Just for clarification, the 2021 F-150 does have a transmission cooler. If my memory serves me, it is actually positioned under the truck when the truck is equipped with the “Max Tow” package. The Raptor and Police Interceptor versions have this as well I believe. I may need to crawl under one and snap a picture, but I do believe there is an auxiliary cooler on certain packages.
What a surprising tow vehicle! I tow with a Power Wagon. It has good tow and payload ratings but not huge numbers. I also installed rear air bags in cradles. The cradles allow full articulation off road without damaging them. The bags help tremendously when towing. I ride at stock height with my 7000+lb trailer and some payload. Adds stability and safe, level towing. I wonder how much rear bags would help the TRX if a guy was to commit it tow a tow rig?
What was the transmission temp when you were downhilling in 2nd gear at 5000 rpm?
The tow rating is on level ground, it's a lot harder to go up hill. Last week I went over the Lincoln Gap in Vt in my Tesla. The energy display clipped the curve at 900Wh/mile so the real consumption was probably over 1000Wh/mile. My average consumption over the last 6000 miles of driving is 229Wh/mile so going over a steep grade, 25 degrees, at a low speed, it's all hairpin turns, boosted my consumption by 4.5 to 5X over my average consumption. Your road is less steep than the Lincoln Gap but it's much much longer. It's no wonder that the truck overheated.
Very important message. A bit of a missed opportunity to demonstrate how to properly set the gain, also should check the temp of the trailer brakes. I like to feel the tire rim as the excess heat will dissipate through the hub but not enough to burn you.
On the next episode:
TRX needs a complete brake overhaul.
I live I'm southern California. Some guy was towing a big ass boat in one of these trucks . I think it was a yacht. Well it was the biggest boat I've ever seen towed on the street. I was watching in awe and he ran a red light jumped the curb took out a power pole and went into a wash. It was spectacular. It looked like he didn't even try to stop. He got out and ran. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I get that you want to test the tow/haul mode but, seeing how effective a truck can engine brake when the driver downshifts is a very real world test! Its great that the truck was downshifting when you braked but not having to break in the first place because of downshifting would have made a huge difference in the heat of the brakes.
I've been where you are at- it's pretty country. Last time I was there there (Loveland)- there was a 200K+ acre wildfire happening. I would assume the 85 octane (mountain blend) would run slightly cooler than 89+ octane. In all 3 overheating truck videos- using the manual mode would have possibly helped. That's probably what everyone else does when they use those roads in that area (another assumption).
Octane doesn't change heat output, only resistance to knock.
In a nutshell, the integrated coolers are more efficient at cooling and also assist in warming up the transmission (an external cooler will not). These newer transmissions also use ULV fluids which are designed to run warmer.
But not that warm. There needs to be an external cooler with a T-stat for pulling large trailers.
@@slscamg If the cooler is designed with appropriate heat rejection, the transmission cannot get hotter than the engine coolant. Modern transmissions operate hotter than modern cooling systems. It works.
But the truck with an overheating trans was displaying errors on the dash saying it needed to be idled. That isn't efficient or properly designed in any way no matter what fluid.
Any towing ahead, expect finding Andre onboard 🤣
Thanks for the magic of fast video forwarding , so we can skip the hair treatment solution note for some TRX owners!😂
Not only did Andrea not have the gain set high enough but he kept accelerating in between the sharp turns causing him to have to be harder on the brakes. How can you expect the transmission to slow you down when you keep accelerating?
Well Andre where I come from they would call you a gut-wrench 😂 just kidding love these videos
On my F750 I have an aftermarket brake controller that goes up to 13 and I frequently tow 13,000 lbs and I run my gain all the way up ^^^^^.
Also, they haven’t done away with transmission cooling...instead of a separated cooler it is built into the the radiator.
TFL is singlehandedly going to kill the inflated tow number war (dick measuring contest) and I 100% support them!
And yes, this instance was driver error obviously.
Great video. I learned a lesson here.
I'd like to see the 3.0 duramax do that pass. I have the 2020 and at low speed driving empty I've seen my transmission temperature hit 202*.
why an ad with a young guy talking about hair loss? dude.. come on.. u got a guy that never comes out without a hat right there!!
Ram technician: its designed to smoke at a certain temperature so u can smell it if ur brakes are overheating..LOL 😁
You should always gear down and use the transmission to help hold you back to keep from burning your brakes up. That was driver error.
were getting close to the payload maximum you and I are "blah blah blah, bluh blah blah blah" ----lol!
Surprising result from those enormous brakes! I wonder if the proportioning valve is defective...
Trailer brakes and engine breaking is really important for towing in my experience. I'm regular towing a 3t trailer with my smal 1974 35hp tractor and if I had to rely on its brakes I'd be done for. I know what I do isn't the safest but it has to be done as that is the state of the terrain around my farm.
How much did your tire pressure increase from the added heat?
To be fair to TFL, the truck gave 0 feedback about brakes getting hot. That's weird as hell. I made the same mistake as them by not upping gain for trailer brakes with my tundra, but I knew the brakes were getting hot because the pedal traveled further and further during the trip. I won't make that mistake again, but at least the tundra let me know. TFL is claiming the pedal feel never changed, and that's not cool (no pun intended!)
RAM never disappoints 😎