4R70W towing in overdrive

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Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
But IIRC, the 4R70W was not designed to tow in O/D, and it should state so in the manual.



Of course it was. There is nothing wrong with towing in OD as long as your TC isn't unlocking/locking or hunting for gears.

You guys make it sound like these tranny's are made from toothpicks and tissue paper. I've towed across country with a 4R75E. Never an issue. OD works well! Just be smart on when you need the OD off and you'll be fine.
 
Maybe if you're towing AT cargo capcity WITH stock 3.55 gears AND your foot in it pretty deep - that might cause some issues with the overdrive band.

OP is towing a small popup, with pretty low gearing and isn't driving it hard. He'll be fine.

Remember, there's a lot of 4R70 F150s out there that tow in overdrive every day.
 
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I have a 1996 F150 with a 4R70W, and here is a cut/paste from the owners manual:

If your vehicle is equipped with an Electronic 4-Speed Automatic (E4OD or 4R70W) transmission, operate in Overdrive. Refer to the automatic transmission operation earlier in this chapter.
When descending a steep grade with a trailer, operate in Drive rather than Overdrive. If additional braking is needed, shift the automatic transmission gearshift into 2 (Second) gear or 1 (Low).

-Rouphis
 
Originally Posted By: Zaedock
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
But IIRC, the 4R70W was not designed to tow in O/D, and it should state so in the manual.



Of course it was. There is nothing wrong with towing in OD as long as your TC isn't unlocking/locking or hunting for gears.

You guys make it sound like these tranny's are made from toothpicks and tissue paper. I've towed across country with a 4R75E. Never an issue. OD works well! Just be smart on when you need the OD off and you'll be fine.



Not at all. However, historically, towing in O/D was often specifically mentioned as something NOT to do in the owners manual. That was the case with my Explorer IIRC.
 
I guess the weak overdrive band is a concern. Big a$$ cooler called for? Or would it not help? My uncle seemed to think the parts being weak was the problem, not heat?. Thoughts?
 
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