How to save my transmission on the ramp?

[199q]

Re: How to save my transmission on the ramp?

it is extremely important to use this method. anyone who has ever seen the parking pawl on an automatic tranny will do this.

Found a Picture of a parking pawl, see below. but basically there is a 1/4" thick 1/2" wide piece of mild steel holding it in park. to think that was holding your boat and truck is pretty impressive.

I had to take drivers ed privately, ( I am only 24) but my first car was an f-350 delivered on a flat bed, in parts. you learn about cars quite quick when you are 15 and want your first car

Whenever people at the ramp make that loud bang when it comes out of gear I always grind my teeth!

don't ever use 4x4 at the ramp unless you are slipping, or if you know that you can use it on hard surfaces.

EDIT:

Here is a Picture of a Parking pawl in a typical explorer, to give you a good idea. they pretty much are all about the same size. some have the "tooth" at the end, but that little tooth is holding the whole deal on the ramp. Probably if more people would know about thier cars, I would bet that we would have less youtube videos of peoples trucks getting pulled out of the lake.

 

[Captain Caveman]

Re: How to save my transmission on the ramp?

There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with using 4-wheel drive at the ramp while pulling out your boat. There is ABSOLUTELY something wrong with turning your steering wheel while in 4-wheel drive on dry pavement. Pull your rig up the ramp as far as you can without turning the steering wheel. Once you need to turn, stop, disengage the 4-wheel drive system, and continue to pull your boat to wherever you are going to strap it down, pull the plug, etc...

Using 4-wheel drive to pull out your boat accomplishes a couple things:

1) 4-wheel drive provides traction on slippery ramps
2) As previously stated, using 4-Low puts less stress on your transmission since its design purpose is to provide extra torque at low speeds (i.e. pulling a heavy load up an incline). Think of it as a granny gear
3) It keeps all of those parts moving and relevant. As your vehicle gets older, the less you use things the more they corrode, seize, etc. It's never a bad thing to stretch your vehicle's legs every once in a while. Using 4-wheel drive on a ramp is the perfect opportunity to keep the system functioning well.

 

[northernmerc]

Re: How to save my transmission on the ramp?

Captain Caveman - you said it well! If a ramp is steep enough that you need to use the parking brake to prevent the transmission from banging, you'd better be using four wheel drive.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: How to save my transmission on the ramp?

Or a mule.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: How to save my transmission on the ramp?

It is not necessarily true that you should not turn the wheels while in four wheel drive. Those vehicles with automatic transfer cases or those older vehicles that have a center differential lock can indeed be turned safely. Only when you lock the center differential do you need to avoid turning on bare pavement. That means most of the manual systems with no center differential fall into the "no turn" category.

 

[elkhunter338]

Re: How to save my transmission on the ramp?

You can use low range on pavement with some vehicles.
1. older ones with manual hubs, just don't lock the hubs.
2. Put a kit in your dodge 94-2002 that does not allow the front axles to lock the splines.
3. Put a kit in your chevy to prevent the front diff from locking.
I am sure there are other tricks to get low range 2 wheel drive.

As others stated you can us 4x4 low, just don't make a hard corner on pavement. Back your trailer down the ramp in 2 wheel drive, use 4 low to drive straight up the ramp. Use 4 low when you put your manual tranny in 1st gear to hold you on the ramp. You never want to trust your parking brake and leave your truck in neutral with out a driver in the seat to apply the brakes if your parking brake fails.
Everyone have a safe and happy boating season.

 

[Titanium48]

Re: How to save my transmission on the ramp?

Manual tranny 1. apply parking brake, 2. place truck in 1st gear, 3. shut engine off, 4. let clutch out.
Now to get the truck up the ramp 1. push clutch in, 2. start truck, have it in 1st gear (use low range if you have it), 3. make sure you foot is on the brake, 4. release parking brake 5. let clutch out just intil you hear the engine bog, move foot from brake to gas pedel and take off.
A diesel truck in low range will allow you to simulataously let the clutch and brake off and idle up the ramp, unless you have a really big boat.

In my case, my first gear ratio is much taller than what I would like for boat recovery and my engine cannot develop enough torque at idle to hold my position on the ramp, never mind try to accelerate up it. I haven't mastered the heel-toe two pedal technique, so I keep the parking brake on until I feel the clutch start to engage while revving the engine to ~1500 rpm.

 

[180shabah]

Re: How to save my transmission on the ramp?

That is why they call it a "parking brake".

I was thinking the same thing, why anybody would back thier vehicle down to the water and NOT set the brake is beyond me.

I am sure there are other tricks to get low range 2 wheel drive...

Mine was about $8 in home depot parts (1/4 turn ball valve, 2 hose barbs and some vacuum line. 2nnd gear low range and it walks up the ramp lie nothing is there. Is actually easier on the clutch than first gear is when there is no load.

 

[northernmerc]

Re: How to save my transmission on the ramp?

As someone else said, using 4x4 low range in a straight pull is perfectly fine. Just don't turn on hard surfaces where your tires can't slip.

 

[JimKW]

Re: How to save my transmission on the ramp?

Found out today that my parking brake is not holding well at all. Going to have my son in law take a look at it. He was a GMC dealership mechanic a few years ago so he knows my Envoy real well.

 

[tswiczko]

Re: How to save my transmission on the ramp?

I've owned this vehicle less than a month

Might want to take a minute read that owners manual

my wife thinks I'm stupid because I won't buy a used vehicle without one.

What really agravates her is hwen I read it while she is talking

 

[MacPointMan]

Re: How to save my transmission on the ramp?

Parking break and chock. I have to tell my wife to put it on before the puts it into park all the time, My Mom and Dad's drive way is on a nice little hill as is ours. Had to replace the Transmission on my 2003 Trailblazer last November (Cracked Bell Housing). Transmission though was in good shape.

Anyhow I have a 2 wheel drive 2003 Trailblazer LT EXT 4.2 liter Vortec 4200 L6. I love It. Nearly bought the Envoy but got this one because of the 3rd row seat and the added towing capacity. I hoped to one day have a boat to tow behind her. In less than 2 weeks it looks like she will be.

Parking Break before putting it in park and for safety put a chock down.

Thats what I have always been told anyhow.

MacPointMan

 

[BuzzStPoint]

Re: How to save my transmission on the ramp?

1st and foremost you need to make sure your parking brake is engauging,

Find a hill, Not the boat ramp for a test. Hook up your trailer.
Nose up on incline,

while holding the brake, Apply the parking brake and put the truck in neutral and slowly let go of the brake. The truck should roll a little bit.. I would think no more then 6 inches if your Parking brake is mis adjusted. If your brakes grab and hold. Then put the truck in Park.

I'm thinking 2 things. Either, you're putting the truck in park then applying the P-brake, or you are indeed apply the P-Brake and then putting in park. Then the truck is rolling back a bit torquing the transmission.

Now with pulling, I dont know how big your boat is. But if it's heavy, you may want to think of a few upgrades. (If you dont have them already)
Transmission cooler. Keeps the fluid cool. Next, a shift kit For your application, more of a shift improver kit. They are cheap to buy, and if you are mechanically inclined, you can do it your self in an afternoon.

 

[gchapell]

Re: How to save my transmission on the ramp?

I believe 4wd lo is when differential is locked and not to turn on good traction surfaces. 4wd hi on many can be used as normal even on the highway. Mpg goes in the toilet though.

 

[thx997303]

Re: How to save my transmission on the ramp?

As has been said, with most 4x4s, do not try and corner sharply on dry pavement while in 4 wheel drive.

But here's the thing, 4x4 systems vary so much that the above rule of thumb is just good advice.

Example, my 87' chevrolet has a part time transfer case and auto hubs on a solid axle.

When 4wd is engaged and you turn sharply, the u-joints can bind and cause the wheel to chirp as the rear wheels are still pushing forward.

However, with my Father in law's RAV4, it is a full time 4wd system and is designed to run at the extreme angles.

Some of the older trucks were also designed with full time 4wd, for example, any chevy truck with a NP203 transfer case is full time 4wd.

As for loosing fuel mileage by using 4wd on the highway, maybe.

It depends on the design of the 4wd system.

Independent front suspension Dodges have front hubs that do not disengage, which means that whether or not you are in 4wd, the front diff is turning.

Running in 4wd on the freeway with one of these trucks is not likely to make a difference, however, putting a kit on that allows the hubs to disengage, would likely increase your gas mileage.