Tow Mode - Engine Braking - Your Max RPM

[HenryMac]

When going downhill, in Tow Mode, what are you folks that tow trailers using as a "max" rpm when going down hill, before you apply brakes?

We did a 180 mile round trip Home Depot run this week, 1st chance I got to use "Tow Mode" on some significant elevation variations (6,000 feet).

Toggling the "Two Mode" off and on while on a flat road surface, it seemed like the transmission basically drops one gear lower. I like it, it does a good job of preventing lugging when going up hills, and uses engine braking going down hills.

Our trailer is fairly light, a single axle 5' x 10' tilt bed made from structural steel with a 1-1/2" thick wooden deck.

The engine rpm at 4,000 rpms while going downhill seems like too much to me, just wondering when you folks are braking?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

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[Frenchy]

You will be fine at that RPM when downshifting for engine braking. The red line is right at 6000 RPMs give or take and I can promise you at 4000 RPMs it is doing just fine and will not go Kaboom on you either. Remember this is not way back in the day where we had engines that could bear the Cocoa Puffs thirty-five hundred RPMs because V8 back in the day we're not high RPM engines. Well at least if it wasn't in the performance area. This is pretty normal and it will do just fine. I usually will make it grab a lower gear as needed when I met a low RPM.

 

[HenryMac]

You will be fine at that RPM when downshifting for engine braking. The red line is right at 6000 RPMs give or take and I can promise you at 4000 RPMs it is doing just fine and will not go Kaboom on you either. Remember this is not way back in the day where we had engines that could bear the Cocoa Puffs thirty-five hundred RPMs because V8 back in the day we're not high RPM engines. Well at least if it wasn't in the performance area. This is pretty normal and it will do just fine. I usually will make it grab a lower gear as needed when I met a low RPM.

I'm not saying anything you stated is incorrect... but 4,000 RPM's via constant engine braking on a down hill slope is totally different in regard to drivetrain loading than accelerating at 4,000 rpm's. When accelerating the RPM's aren't sustained for long periods of time... with engine braking, it could be.

I'm more concerned with transmission wear than engine wear.

So when towing, and using engine breaking via tow mode, at what RPM are you applying the brakes?

 

[Frenchy]

Hard to say honestly, it has been quite a while since towing(back in November to be precise). I usually just let the truck do the work and then depending on conditions(loaded or unloaded) I will brake as needed.

To say the least I feel the Ranger wont have any problems. Even the transmission is rated up to 800 Ft Lbs of torque. I learned that one from my old boss in Silverthorne.

 

[HenryMac]

Hard to say honestly, it has been quite a while since towing(back in November to be precise). I usually just let the truck do the work and then depending on conditions(loaded or unloaded) I will brake as needed.

To say the least I feel the Ranger wont have any problems. Even the transmission is rated up to 800 Ft Lbs of torque. I learned that one from my old boss in Silverthorne.

Reverse torque?

Engine braking loads everything backwards from what ratings state. With a manual transmission, how the gears are cut determines how the transmission capacity is during engine braking. Accelerating loads one side of each gear tooth, engine braking loads the other side.

I'm not sure how it's determined on an automatic?

 

[Frenchy]

Reverse torque?

Engine braking loads everything backwards from what ratings state. With a manual transmission, how the gears are cut determines how the transmission capacity is during engine braking. Accelerating loads one side of each gear tooth, engine braking loads the other side.

I'm not sure how it's determined on an automatic?

I won't argue that Automatic transmissions are different that manual transmissions but the 10R80 is a whole different animal of its own. If I remember correctly it has 4 planetary gear sets in the transmission.

Now something to keep in mind, Ford set the Ranger up to tow up to 7,500 lbs from the factory with the tow package. Obviously the brake controller needs too be added but that is a separate subject here. When Ford set the Specification for the Ranger they were going through a lot of testing. That testing was even done up here in Colorado. Why is that? Well Ford can get all sorts of information for the vehicle on how it will perform in the Rockies and Colorado has a good set of passes that will challenge any vehicle. I'm sure towing was on that list.

Now when I towed and have tow mode engaged I still try to keep within certain guidelines like dont follow too close and try not to go over a certain speed..... That last one is a hard one to follow. Instead of target RPM I look at target speed for the area I'm in. Doesn't mean i don't pay attention to RPM, I just don't see the need to worry about that too much.

 

[HenryMac]

Now when I towed and have tow mode engaged I still try to keep within certain guidelines like dont follow too close and try not to go over a certain speed..... That last one is a hard one to follow. Instead of target RPM I look at target speed for the area I'm in. Doesn't mean i don't pay attention to RPM, I just don't see the need to worry about that too much.

I'm pretty strict on not exceeding speed limits.... but in this case I'm also trying to ensure I don't toast the transmission too.

Engine braking in an automatic transmission seems to good to be true... at least for an older fella like me.

 

[Frenchy]

I'm pretty strict on not exceeding speed limits.... but in this case I'm also trying to ensure I don't toast the transmission too.

Engine braking in an automatic transmission seems to good to be true... at least for an older fella like me.

For some of the older vehicles it can be a pain but the Ranger it does just fine. I towed roughly 3,000 lbs from Salida all the way to Safford AZ in one day with tow mode on. Engine braking did happen from time to time and the truck did just fine. If I remember correctly I had just over 30,000 miles on the truck at that time and now i have almost 42,000(make that 45,000 after june 7th lol). I also engine brake with the truck unloaded and it does just fine. All it is is basic gear reduction.

 

[berlow94]

I’m sure if it wasn’t good for it, then the Ford engineers wouldn’t have spent all that time and energy programming the truck to do it in the first place…

 

[slowmachine]

When I was into Volkswagens, I knew a guy that was a metallurgist on the NASA team that built the Opportunity Mars rover. He was well known in the community for installing a 1980s high-performance turbocharged Audi 4-cylinder, modified to his specs, in his Vanagon camper. Many people warned him that the RPM range was too high for the engine, but he was not deterred. The weak point in older engines, according to him, was the piston rings. The metal in the rings and cylinder bores must be able to withstand the friction-induced heat at the specified RPM. He ran that engine continuously at 6000+ RPM for at least ten years that I know of, and never had a problem. Fast-forward to 2021, the materials in modern engines can easily withstand the stresses of RPMs much higher than the classic low-revving V8s that many of us grew up with. The human ear hasn’t changed at all, though, and we don’t like to hear the high-RPM sound. The engine will be fine, if you don’t mind the noise.

 

[9zero1790]

heres my take, its programmed from ford who knows all the specs and limits. they designed it to work the way it does under conditions within the parameters of the trucks tow and weight limits and so on. so let it ride. if something goes poof its not your fault its ford. these things have so many nannys and sensors watching and logging so much that if the truck was getting pushed t0o hard the dash would flash like christmas lights and throw codes. then it will cut power and rpms. im not saying do not be mindful of things of course. keep an eye on the temp, speed and rpm, if you have a tuner or scan etc. maybe watch the trans and egt. use the nose too. if something smells hot or toasty you will know. keep the speed where you have good control and steering. inline engines are tough i think the trans and joints and driveshaft would go long ahead of the engine.

 

[Hellrazor]

When going downhill, in Tow Mode, what are you folks that tow trailers using as a "max" rpm when going down hill, before you apply brakes?

We did a 180 mile round trip Home Depot run this week, 1st chance I got to use "Tow Mode" on some significant elevation variations (6,000 feet).

Toggling the "Two Mode" off and on while on a flat road surface, it seemed like the transmission basically drops one gear lower. I like it, it does a good job of preventing lugging when going up hills, and uses engine braking going down hills.

Our trailer is fairly light, a single axle 5' x 10' tilt bed made from structural steel with a 1-1/2" thick wooden deck.

The engine rpm at 4,000 rpms while going downhill seems like too much to me, just wondering when you folks are braking?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

I went down some hills in West Virginia in my truck at 5000 RPMs maybe for Like 10 seconds. I just applied the brake and rpm drops to4000 then 3000 . pulling a 3500 pound trailer

 

[Cabose-1]

I just put it in tow mode when towing. I brake when i need to. Drive with caution i do.
The Ranger tows great! Engine brake is awesome does what its supposed to do. Try not to drink to much so i dont have many bathroom breaks.

Thats all i know. RANGER is awesome!!

Ford f@$%&!? Ranger

 

[THLONE]

It is called driver awareness. Some people just steer it and stab it. Others with driver awareness pay attention to what their equipment is doing. The latter's equipment usually lasts longer.

Years ago my wife was driving in the mountains and I was sleeping. She woke me to tell me that the car smelled funny. I had a 3 speed with overdrive. I pulled out the overdrive lockout handle. The engine could now provide back pressure to help the brakes on the down slopes.

 

[Cabose-1]

It is called driver awareness. Some people just steer it and stab it. Others with driver awareness pay attention to what their equipment is doing. The latter's equipment usually lasts longer.

Years ago my wife was driving in the mountains and I was sleeping. She woke me to tell me that the car smelled funny. I had a 3 speed with overdrive. I pulled out the overdrive lockout handle. The engine could now provide back pressure to help the brakes on the down slopes.

Which is why regular maintenance is done. Run the engine high rpm tow a lot or haul a lot more frequent oil changes. Yes very aware of whats going on while working the ranger. It does what it does, i dont fret over it unless its something out of the ordinary. If worried about high rpms old school whatever.......
If i was worried about rpms and the such id never get a 4 cyl as a truck....especially for work! 4 cyl??!! Come on, times change so does technology, ford ranger, awesome truck

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