DISAPPOINTING 2019 Chevy Powertrain / Gearing options

shift_grind · August 11, 2018

4 hours ago, magnum74 said:

I always wonder who they're talking to when they say they've listened to customers. I have a hard time believing the majority said to carry over drivelines, don't increase power, continue to limit driveline options based on model, don't offer the new premier 10-speed on work or mid-level volume trucks even though you told us what an awesome job you did integrating it, make the fuel tank smaller with no option for a larger one and please increase the price, thank you.

They are listening to the customers that tell them what they want to hear.

j-ten-ner · August 11, 2018

1 hour ago, shift_grind said:

They are listening to the customers that tell them what they want to hear.

Do you mean the "real people, not actors" ?

so long

j-ten-ner

Like-A-Rock44 · August 11, 2018

On 6/15/2018 at 9:47 PM, 3737 said:

Thank you for reinforcing my point that Fords are better geared than GM trucks. That is part of the premise of this thread, that 2019 GM powertrain/gearing options are a huge DISAPOINTMENT. GM is bringing a new truck to market that is not keeping up with what Ford already has out. That is DISAPOINTING!

Not using the 10-speed across the board as Ford already does is DISAPOINTING.

Moving to taller gears on the 5.3L for 2019 is DISAPOINTING.

Moving to taller gears with the max tow package is DISAPOINTING.

Going to a single-speed transfer case as standard equipment is DISAPOINTING. (Honda Ridgeline is the other Crossover truck that has single-speed AWD)

Building the TRAILBOSS, and putting some of the tallest gearing of any truck for 2019 in it is DISAPOINTING. (HIGHWAYBOSS wouldn’t be as misleading)

Not allowing a Chevy to have both a 2-speed transfer case and the max tow package is DISAPOINTING

Not increasing engine power outputs for 2019 is DISAPOINTING.

Charging $1,000-2,000 for max tow package when Ram gear ratios can be ordered for $95 and Ford about $300 is DISAPOINTING

I’m a Chevy fan, I like the 2019, but really disappointed in the powertrain/gearing options and the direction they are headed, especially compared to the others.

I am in the Chevy "Truck Legends" Club, I am a die hard Chevy guy that said. I am very disappointed with the powertrain options just like 3737. When I got wind of the Trail boss I was very excited and hoped for 4.10 and 3.73 gearing options. Factory lift and big tires Love it!!! High gearing just makes it a HIGHWAYBOSS. This is SAD! Come on Chevy give us the 6.2 and 4.10 gearing that's what we want! The Raptor is cool because it is engineered to be an off road machine not because it just looks like an off road truck!

Edited August 12, 2018 by Like-A-Rock44

j-ten-ner · August 12, 2018

Out of another thread:

" ...The folks at Chevy conducted a survey before designing the new 2019 Silverado. A majority of interested buyers, 60%, said that towing was one of their top priorities in a new truck. ..."

And the outcome of the survey made Chevy to put more (although useful) electronic in the truck? That's it?

so long

j-ten-ner

Deadpoollane · August 12, 2018

I am in the Chevy "Truck Legends" Club, I am a die hard Chevy guy that said. I am very disappointed with the powertrain options just like 3737. When I got wind of the Trail boss I was very excited and hoped for 4.10 and 3.73 gearing options. Factory lift and big tires Love it!!! High gearing just makes it a HIGHWAYBOSS. This is SAD! Come on Chevy give us the 6.2 and 4.10 gearing that's what we want! The Raptor is cool because it is engineered to be an off road machine not because it just looks like an off road truck!

I agree the trail boss is just the look, and honestly I find it strange that previous models with black handles, mirrors, and bumpers were low end trucks...now it’s a high end thing.

I also hate the fake wood trim look, how much longer do we need to pretend it looks like wood. It’s like they never seen wood before, All I see is my grandfathers old Buick interior

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nitro882 · August 12, 2018

On 8/10/2018 at 3:52 PM, Chris walker said:

I agree with this 100%....There are multiple manufacturers that will allow you to add almost any option you want on any model.

Want different gears - Check the box

Want a different fuel tank size - Check the box
Want a better sound system - Check the box

Want a different engine - Check the box

Want a different tranny - Check the box

Want to delete a feature for a specific option - Check the box and watch the price go DOWN!

With GM if you want the ventilated seats you need to buy a High Country premium. It doesnt matter if I want zero other features in the high country package..you have to buy the high country to get the ventilated seats. (at least from the ordering manual I've seen).

....and If they dont get you with model upgrades they get you with the option packages within a model range. They pick one option the majority wants and then slap it in an expensive "safety, convenience, technology" package. When I started looking for my wifes last vehicle (Tahoe) there were four or five options she "had" to have.... By the time I finished adding the packages that included these four or five options the car was loaded with 20k of options we didnt want and or need.

I realize GM cant build custom vehicles for every single customer. The price would balloon and the line would slow to a crawl. The reality is that there are some bolt on features that are simple to add and wouldnt turn every single veicle into a customer vehicle on the line...Their option/pricing methodology is a money grab, nothing else

Im stuck in a position that it is impossible to buy the truck I want, they dont make it and wont build it. The only other option is to spend 15-20k more in model and package upgrades. The idea I cant build a Trailboss LT with ventilated seats and a 6.2 seems crazy when all of the parts are sitting in a bin and are available.. This in turn means I have to look at a Denali or a High Country and add on GMs lift kit to get the truck I want..This forces me right in the middle of the luxury truck market and subsequently I will have to compare it with the Ram limited. I can get everything I want with Ram discounts for about 58 vs 69k. Tough call......

It seems nuts to me from a customer satisfaction and loss of sale perspective..

+1 to this and its exactly why after owning GM trucks for the last 30 years i have a feeling my 2014 may just be my last. I want to be able to get it the way i want it period.

The gearing choices totally annoy me. I read this entire thread and the focus seems to be on the effective gearing in first gear . What about top gear or whatever gear is closest to 1:1 where you will ultimately end up when you are towing on the freeway. I personally don't give a crap how many gears it has it will suck on the freeway pulling and be shifting constantly with 3.42's or 3.23's. I spend 90% of my towing time on the freeway and i pull a lot of miles, i don't care how quick it gets up to speed, i want the truck to maintain it without effort and be able to climb a hill with a load.

One of my best friends asked me to help him figure out why his 2018 1500 6.2 max tow with 3.42's and the 8 speed was a dog pulling his utility trailer that weighs about 5k loaded on the freeway. Its simply the final gearing, any time he hits a hill it falls flat on its face downshifts into 3rd or 4th and revs to the moon and starts to loose speed. He also never gets out of 6th gear, ever on the freeway with a load in tow. That unto itself is not an issue its the not being able to maintain speed without dropping 2+ gears that's the issue. Compare that to my 2014 6.2l max tow with a 6 speed and 3.73's i have no issue with that same trailer on the freeway on any hill, it just goes like it should. Mine will cruise along happily in 5th( which is an overdrive) and sometimes see 6th. On hills it will just pull it or sometimes downshift into 4th and maintain speed like it should be able to. He lives in the mountains in NH so hills are something he runs into often. Our trucks are the same basic config, the big difference begin gearing and the transmission. Not only does mine perform better on the freeway towing i get better mileage doing it because i'm not downshifting and running 5500 rpm any time i hit a hill. He says his old 2008 5.3 4 speed with 3.73's pulled his trailer better on the freeway and i totally believe him. My old 2006 5.3' with 3.42's had the same struggles as his new one on the same hills pulling a load. That truck would never get out of 3rd ever on the freeway with a load and would downshift at the mere sight of a grade. I ended up re-gearing that truck because it was so disappointing and it was problem solved.

Edited August 12, 2018 by nitro882

swathdiver · August 12, 2018

34 minutes ago, nitro882 said:

One of my best friends asked me to help him figure out why his 2018 1500 6.2 max tow with 3.42's and the 8 speed was a dog pulling his utility trailer that weighs about 5k loaded on the freeway. Its simply the final gearing, any time he hits a hill it falls flat on its face downshifts into 3rd or 4th and revs to the moon and starts to loose speed. He also never gets out of 6th gear, ever on the freeway with a load in tow. That unto itself is not an issue its the not being able to maintain speed without dropping 2+ gears that's the issue. Compare that to my 2014 6.2l max tow with a 6 speed and 3.73's i have no issue with that same trailer on the freeway on any hill, it just goes like it should. Mine will cruise along happily in 5th( which is an overdrive) and sometimes see 6th.

Are you for real?

Your truck's final drive is 2.49:1 in 6th and 3.18:1 in 5th. Your buddy's final drive is 2.22:1 in 8th, 2.91:1 in 7th and 3.42:1 in 6th. 4th gear for both of you is hardly different either, 4.30:1 versus 4.34:1. AFAIK both engines are identical. I think he needs how to learn to drive while towing and read his owner's manual to learn about all the nifty features available to him.

The shop manual for the GMT900s says to tow in 4th gear.

shift_grind · August 12, 2018

Yeah, better gearing options is something I (and clearly a lot of other people) want fixed, but a 8 speed 3.42 has better gearing than a 6 speed 3.73. The more gears also allows for tighter spacing.

3.42 needs to be an option outside max tow. Trailboss and at4 should come with 33s (ironically GM thinks 275/65r18s are 33s, but they're not- 275/70r18 are) and 3.73s. The fact it's 3.23 is really boggling my mind. I guess they were set on that 24 gallon tank working.

nitro882 · August 12, 2018

2 hours ago, swathdiver said:

Are you for real?

Your truck's final drive is 2.49:1 in 6th and 3.18:1 in 5th. Your buddy's final drive is 2.22:1 in 8th, 2.91:1 in 7th and 3.42:1 in 6th. 4th gear for both of you is hardly different either, 4.30:1 versus 4.34:1. AFAIK both engines are identical. I think he needs how to learn to drive while towing and read his owner's manual to learn about all the nifty features available to him.

The shop manual for the GMT900s says to tow in 4th gear.

Yea, driver is not the issue. I have driven his truck and seen it for myself. I have hundreds of thousands of miles under my belt with things in tow, not green by any stretch of the imagination.

Fancy me this, you take that 2018 in question pop in in tow haul mode, set the cruise to the posted limit( just like the guys on TFL truck do) and hit a long steep grade and the truck falls on its face, slows down like 10mph, downshifts 3 gears, pegs the tach and then starts to pick up speed again, upshifts and starts the process all over again have anything to do with the driver? My 2014 towing the same trailer under the same exact operating conditions will scale the same grade easily while maintaining the posted speed limit without downshifting. How is this possible if more gears and taller rear end gear are better? The only difference between the trucks is the gearing and the tranny, both have the same 6.2l both are crew cab 4wd, same size tires etc. Bottom line is more gears and taller rear end gearing isn't all that. He is going to either re-gear that truck or dump it for a 2500.

The only way his truck works ok is to lock it into 5th, otherwise its a joke, even in 5th it still has issued with grades my truck does not. He has no such issues with his gmt900 at all towing the same trailer on the same roads and he did tow in 4th or D since his was a 4 speed.

Roscopcoletrain · August 12, 2018

That sounds more like programming vs mechanical gearing.

I've only towed a few times with it, but my truck max trailering, 6.2, 3.42 8speed has no issues with holding speed on hills while towing. Did not bog down, etc as you described. ?‍♂️

Donstar · August 12, 2018

I drive my V6 every day and pull a utility trailer and a Travel Trailer on occasion. I drive my truck through mountainous terrain on a fairly regular basis and never suffered from a lack of power. I am currently considering a large travel trailer/small fifth wheel for more extended travelling and know that there are a few more powerful options available if needed. There are members on here saying they are disappointed that GM isn't increasing the horsepower of their largest engines. I would love to hear real world, first hand experiences where members have found themselves short on horsepower. As an aside, I remember my dad speaking of "first gear hills". The hills are still there but no challenge for even the lowest powered engine in the GM lineup!

magnum74 · August 12, 2018

17 minutes ago, Donstar said:

There are members on here saying they are disappointed that GM isn't increasing the horsepower of their largest engines. I would love to hear real world, first hand experiences where members have found themselves short on horsepower.

I think that overall these trucks will perform well especially with the weight loss despite some of us not liking the way GM deals with limiting options based on model. Tomorrow will be a flood of reviews of the 5.3's and 6.2's. I'm looking forward to the first batch of impressions.

ducklawyer · August 12, 2018

The single speed transfer case will likely deter a lot of people. Good marketing to push folks to a higher trim.

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Donstar · August 12, 2018

41 minutes ago, magnum74 said:

I think that overall these trucks will perform well especially with the weight loss despite some of us not liking the way GM deals with limiting options based on model. Tomorrow will be a flood of reviews of the 5.3's and 6.2's. I'm looking forward to the first batch of impressions.

I'm sure these vehicles will be impressive! I understand why car manufacturers bundle options and this has never caused problems for me finding a truck that I like. I also understand the issue of wanting more power. The last thing members want to hear is someone talking about need vs want. I just think it would be interesting to hear if anyone has found an example that would show GM they need to increase horsepower. I remember thinking my 105 hp engine with a 3 spd transmission and 3.08 gears was all the power anyone would ever need in a 1/2 ton!

shift_grind · August 12, 2018

32 minutes ago, ducklawyer said:

The single speed transfer case will likely deter a lot of people. Good marketing to push folks to a higher trim.

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I'm not sure. I personally have used 4 low 1 time and it was to see what would happen. I bet 98% Of half ton buys don't use it.