Help me choose Livernois tunes

[Illking]

I’m expecting my Livernois MyCalibrator to arrive this week and I’m pumped! I ordered an extra tune, so as I understand it, I’ll have three tunes total. I was hoping y’all could help me decide which ones to choose.

For context, I used to have a 5 Star–tuned Ford E250 with 87 performance, 91 performance, and 87 tow. I ran the 87 tow tune full-time and loved it—way better shifting, more power, and much better throttle response. Gas is really expensive here in CA, so I don’t want to be locked into running 91 all the time, but I currently fill up with 91 every 4th or 5th tank as a treat. I also have an EVC throttle controller, though I’m not sure I’ll still need it after the tune.

My truck:
2022 4-door 4x4 XL — soft topper, Decked drawer system, EVC throttle controller, Eibach 2.0 Stage 1 kit, stock steelies with 255/85R16 MTs. No plans for additional performance mods.

My driving:
Mostly daily commuting in Los Angeles. On weekends we take the truck to the beach, mountains, or desert. When camping, the bed is fully loaded with gear, and we hit mostly open-desert trails with some medium-difficulty stuff mixed in. I don’t tow and don’t expect to, but I figure a tow/haul-type tune could help when the truck is loaded down for trips. Currently, I drive in Sport mode most of the time—especially in my hilly neighborhood—to avoid the low-rpm lugging.

Here are the tunes I’m considering:

• 87–89 Tow/Haul (for camping/hauling with gear)
• 87–89 Soft Shift (for daily driving)
• 91–93 Performance (for fun)

Curious what you all recommend or if there’s a better combo I should be looking at. Thanks!

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[AzScorpion]

They use to give you all 5 of their tunes to try and I've ran them all in my '19 Ranger. I always reverted back to the 91-93 performance tune as it was the most fun to drive and I got better mpg with it as long as I wasn't heavy on the pedal which is hard not to do. Personally I hated the tow tune (didn't really see/feel much performance out of it. The lower octane tunes are nice (I liked the performance tune) if you're trying to save a few dollars on fuel. They're all WAY better than stock and you'll be happy with any one of them.

I wish I saved the posts (and the article) but someone here said the soft shift tunes are worse for the transmission than the performance tunes. You want the harder shifting to engage everything and softer will put more wear and tear on things. I think Tony @TJC can clarify better.

 

[Illking]

ahh thanks for that info! I sure hope they send all the tunes to try. Of course the point of the tune is to have a better performing truck and not really trying to save money on mpgs. I surely wouldn't have mounted mud terrains if it were that big of a deal I know 91 is much better for the engine also so im not totally against running it full time especially with some reports of increased mpgs post tune. I know there will be increased smiles per gallon.

 

[AzScorpion]

ahh thanks for that info! I sure hope they send all the tunes to try. Of course the point of the tune is to have a better performing truck and not really trying to save money on mpgs. I surely wouldn't have mounted mud terrains if it were that big of a deal I know 91 is much better for the engine also so im not totally against running it full time especially with some reports of increased mpgs post tune. I know there will be increased smiles per gallon.

Per the bolded that was my feeling too. I mean you're buying a tune for performance so why not get the most out of it? I didn't tune my Tremor but still have run 91 (it's all that's available here) since it was new. But it is nice when prices spike high to be able to run the 87-89 tunes and it only takes a couple minutes to flash between them.

 

[Burnt Money]

I’ve been running the Livernois tune for over 95k miles. Personally I’m with Dave, the 91-93 performance is my favorite by far. I love how it feels. On the flip side I run the Tow/Haul tune 90% of the time. If I wasn’t towing my boat almost year around and towing frequently in general I would love to keep the performance tune in. I wish I could use the performance tune all the time and just hit the towing button on the Ranger. But apparently it doesn’t work like that lol. Also I have only ran 93 octane in the truck since new.

 

[IdahoRanger]

ahh thanks for that info! I sure hope they send all the tunes to try. Of course the point of the tune is to have a better performing truck and not really trying to save money on mpgs. I surely wouldn't have mounted mud terrains if it were that big of a deal I know 91 is much better for the engine also so im not totally against running it full time especially with some reports of increased mpgs post tune. I know there will be increased smiles per gallon.

Like Azscorpion I heard that the soft shift tunes were worse for the transmission than the performance tune. I have run the 87-89 performance tune for almost 6 years and the shifts are not harsh by any means and quite smooth. Much better than stock and the truck responds wonderfully. Tow tune I only used once when pulling a trailer and 91-93 I haven't used as I'm cheap too.

 

[got3fords]

Like Azscorpion I heard that the soft shift tunes were worse for the transmission than the performance tune. I have run the 87-89 performance tune for almost 6 years and the shifts are not harsh by any means and quite smooth. Much better than stock and the truck responds wonderfully. Tow tune I only used once when pulling a trailer and 91-93 I haven't used as I'm cheap too.

Somewhere on here I posted where Livernois told me directly that the softer shift tune still shifts harder that stock. Call them if you don't trust me.

 

[AzScorpion]

Somewhere on here I posted where Livernois told me directly that the softer shift tune still shifts harder that stock. Call them if you don't trust me.

It does shift a little harder than stock but the performance tune shifts even harder which is better for the transmission.

https://www.fordmuscleforums.com/th...kes-for-a-longer-lasting-transmission.468565/

In order for manufacturers to get a smooth shift for the general public, they have to make the transmission slip into each gear slowly. They have studied and tested and compromised to get the balance between slipping, smooth shifts and a long lasting transmission. They have done fairly well to get both. As you start increasing HP the slipping smooth shifts will eat the transmission clutches in short order. This is one reason why people install shift kits. It allows the shifts to become firmer with less slip. This will last longer with the added HP.

As a general rule, a firmer shift will allow the clutches to live longer. On the other hand if the transmission "bangs" into gear on a road driven street car, the u-joints will need more maintainance. So firm is good and banging is bad.

Litterally speaking, the less time the tranny spends transitioning from one gear to another, the longer the tranny's friction material will last...

 

[got3fords]

It does shift a little harder than stock but the performance tune shifts even harder which is better for the transmission.

https://www.fordmuscleforums.com/th...kes-for-a-longer-lasting-transmission.468565/

I completely understand the idea behind it. I was just stating a fact. Livernois softer shift tune shifts harder than stock but softer than their sport tune. That's all

 

[Kevin Franklin]

I use the 91-93 octane. The performance is fantastic and the gas mileage has increased by 2+ mpg in the city and 4 on the highway provided I do not abuse it. When I do decide to take advantage of the increased power, the mpg only drops a couple of mpg. I installed the tune in 2021 and have been quite happy with the results.

 

[RedlandRanger]

As with many others here, I also opted for the 91-93 non soft shift tune. The shifts are firm, but not bad, and I'm hoping that helps my transmission last a bit longer - 64k and doing well, along with fluid changes.

I know some people like the tow tune - I tried it but it just felt kind of weird to me for normal driving. I have the tuner in the center console, so if I need to tow, I can swap in the tow tune if needed (I only tow occasionally).

I've been really happy with it, and again like others - my MPG went up with this tune as long as I don't get into it too much. In the summer, I was averaging almost 22MPG - now that winter is here with the winter mix, I'm back to around 20.

 

[Kevin Franklin]

I forgot to mention in my previous comment, that I have not experienced any transmission issues and I think it has to do with the no skipping of gears with the tune I chose. It's a firm positive shift which I do prefer

 

[got3fords]

I didn't much care for the harder shifting of the performance tune, so settled on the softer shift tune. Maybe I should have let it relearn before changing. But I do often put it in factory tow mode which firms up the shifts some.
Having said that, I think clutch wear due to soft factory shifts is the last thing to worry about in these 10R80's.

 

[RedlandRanger]

Having said that, I think clutch wear due to soft factory shifts is the last thing to worry about in these 10R80's.

I cannot disagree at all, however I figure it can't hurt, and it needs all the help it can get. I'm a "belt and suspenders" guy....

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