DISAPPOINTING 2019 Chevy Powertrain / Gearing options

shift_grind · September 4, 2018

4 hours ago, Roscopcoletrain said:

absolutely LOVE my 15 Max tow. Tows my trailer so much better than my 09 Silverado did. You still know its there, but hills are never an issue, brakes are worlds better. Just an all around more confident feel.

What's the setup, 5.3 or 6.2?

I'm looking at a 5.3 max tow when prices drop

Roscopcoletrain · September 4, 2018

1 hour ago, shift_grind said:

What's the setup, 5.3 or 6.2?

I'm looking at a 5.3 max tow when prices drop

6.2

Like-A-Rock44 · September 5, 2018

On September 2, 2018 at 11:31 AM, NWI Denali said:

Man, seeing those ratios, it's a wonder the 4 speeds went as long as they did up into the 2000s.

The 4 speeds were geared lower in the axle. 4.10, 3.73, everyone remembers how bad the 3.42 sucked. Now if Chevy would offer the 4.10 and 3.73 it would give us Chevy fans a fighting chance against Ford and Ram.

Edited September 5, 2018 by Like-A-Rock44

magnum74 · September 5, 2018

27 minutes ago, Like-A-Rock44 said:

The 4 speeds were geared lower in the axle. 4.10, 3.73, everyone remembers how bad the 3.42 sucked. Now if Chevy would offer the 4.10 and 3.73 it would give us Chevy fans a fighting chance against Ford and Ram.

I agree that GM should should offer more gearing options but the 5.3/3.23 nipped at the heels of a 5.7/3.92 Ram with an extra 40HP. I think Ram needs to rethink their inefficient driveline instead of trying to compete with the luxury car market.

Like-A-Rock44 · September 5, 2018

On September 2, 2018 at 8:09 AM, 3737 said:

On August 26, 2018 at 2:04 PM, rkj__ said:

However, there is one other scenario where I have found 4 low useful, and that is reversing a trailer. If you are towing at or near your max rating, and you try to reverse your trailer up a slight grade, (perhaps backing an RV into a campsite) if there is so much as a small rock to get over, you may run out of gear in 4 high, reverse.

You make a great point for reversing with a trailer and using 4L. I know I want more control and precision while reversing with a heavy trailer on hills, tight spots, getting up on leveling blocks, etc, which 4L provides. I'd think most people reverse at a slower speed (especially with trailer) compared to if they were going forward. So it's interesting that for most trucks, reverse is a taller gear than 1st gear and usually falls between 1st and 2nd. Except on the 10 Speed, where reverse is actually lower than 1st gear, which is how it should be. Another reason, in a long list, why the 10 speed is awesome, now just need GM to actually make it available across the line like ford did. Also long live the 2 speed transfer case!

GM 10, 8, 6, 4 Speed Transmissions

Edited Sunday at 08:21 AM by 3737

I agree! I remember using low range with out locking manual hubs just to move heavy loads like you guys are talking about. Even a MAX TOW 2 Wheel Drive should have a two speed transfer case. We are all disappointed that Chevy is making there Flag Ship Silverado TRUCK more car like.

NWI Denali · September 5, 2018

54 minutes ago, Like-A-Rock44 said:

The 4 speeds were geared lower in the axle. 4.10, 3.73, everyone remembers how bad the 3.42 sucked. Now if Chevy would offer the 4.10 and 3.73 it would give us Chevy fans a fighting chance against Ford and Ram.

Another who doesnt understand transmission gearing...

An 8L90 with 3.23's has a 17% lower first gear ratio than a 4L60 with 4.10's.

shift_grind · September 5, 2018

32 minutes ago, magnum74 said:

I agree that GM should should offer more gearing options but the 5.3/3.23 nipped at the heels of a 5.7/3.92 Ram with an extra 40HP. I think Ram needs to rethink their inefficient driveline instead of trying to compete with the luxury car market.

Do we know that Ram had 3.92 gears?

Like-A-Rock44 · September 5, 2018

21 minutes ago, NWI Denali said:

1 hour ago, Like-A-Rock44 said:

The 4 speeds were geared lower in the axle. 4.10, 3.73, everyone remembers how bad the 3.42 sucked. Now if Chevy would offer the 4.10 and 3.73 it would give us Chevy fans a fighting chance against Ford and Ram.

Another who doesnt understand transmission gearing...

An 8L90 with 3.23's has a 17% lower first gear ratio than a 4L60 with 4.10's.

Apparently you don't understand that Ford offers there 10 speed with a 4.10 (Raptor) 1st gear ratio of 19.25. Chevy 10 speed comes with 3.23 (Trail Boss) 1st gear ratio of 15.17. Let's be clear the higher the ratio the lower the gearing. The 4.10 is the largest gear you can fit in the 1/2 ton axle so it would be nice if Chevy offed it as an option now that they have a kick ass 10 speed. If your happy with crap gearing and glad it is about the same as the old 4 speed then this forum is not the place for you.

AJMBLAZER · September 5, 2018

50 minutes ago, NWI Denali said:

Another who doesnt understand transmission gearing...

An 8L90 with 3.23's has a 17% lower first gear ratio than a 4L60 with 4.10's.

Yeah, now I understand better why my ‘11 with 3.42 gears and a 6 speed has always seemed low geared. Also that big downshift from 2nd to 1st when coasting.

Anybody have a gear list like that for Dodge and Ford? Wondering if they stayed higher geared in 1st/2nd?

Actually, you can go much lower than 4.10’s in GM half ton axles. 4.88’s and even 5.13’s in the old 10 bolt.

Edited September 5, 2018 by AJMBLAZER

NWI Denali · September 5, 2018

2 minutes ago, Like-A-Rock44 said:

Apparently you don't understand that Ford offers there 10 speed with a 4.10 (Raptor) 1st gear ratio of 19.25. Chevy 10 speed comes with 3.23 (Trail Boss) 1st gear ratio of 15.17. Let's be clear the higher the ratio the lower the gearing. The 4.10 is the largest gear you can fit in the 1/2 ton axle so it would be nice if Chevy offed it as an option now that they have a kick ass 10 speed. If your happy with crap gearing and glad it is about the same as the old 4 speed then this forum is not the place for you.

Raptors also come stock with 35's which are 10% larger than all other 32" oem tires. And ecoboosts are slugs off the line and need to build boost to make power.

September 5, 2018

Yeah, now I understand better why my ‘11 with 3.42 gears and a 6 speed has always seemed low geared. Also that big downshift from 2nd to 1st when coasting.
Anybody have a gear list like that for Dodge and Ford? Wondering if they stayed higher geared in 1st/2nd?

Actually, you can go much lower than 4.10’s in GM half ton axles. 4.88’s and even 5.13’s in the old 10 bolt.

I should buy my old 05 l33 i sold to my dad with 19k on the odo and 3.42 gears and i added a hd2 transgo kit to the 4l60e... that was when i bought a 2011 6.2 awd Escalade ext... best thing that happened to me it got bought back for paint issues... after those two and my wife with a g8 with 2.92 and a 6.0 6l80.... the g8 i regret selling.. not the ext being bought back as it cost me money... but i will say i am still happy with my 2012 denali hd... 3.73 and a little dmax. But seriously i miss the l33. They were rare and nice aluminum block and 2 speed transfer case, glad i added the merchant pump rub kit before i sold it to him... it has been bullet proof for another 40 or so k. Around 60k total...

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shift_grind · September 5, 2018

1 hour ago, Like-A-Rock44 said:

Apparently you don't understand that Ford offers there 10 speed with a 4.10 (Raptor) 1st gear ratio of 19.25. Chevy 10 speed comes with 3.23 (Trail Boss) 1st gear ratio of 15.17. Let's be clear the higher the ratio the lower the gearing. The 4.10 is the largest gear you can fit in the 1/2 ton axle so it would be nice if Chevy offed it as an option now that they have a kick ass 10 speed. If your happy with crap gearing and glad it is about the same as the old 4 speed then this forum is not the place for you.

While I agree the 8 speed / 3.23 gearing isn't great, 1st gear is the same as the 4 speed with 4.88 gears, but still 3.08s up top.

3.42/3.73s would have been awesome in the Trail boss.

Chris walker · September 5, 2018

My wife has a 6.2 in her Tahoe RST. Its a great engine but even at a 6.2 it doesnt feel likes its a monster of an engine....

I see a lot of people complaints about the 5.3. I havent spent any time in a 5.3, however. Is it a dog and is there a major difference?

I will drive both but wanted initial opinions...

Edited September 5, 2018 by Chris walker

KARNUT · September 5, 2018

If you’re going to buy a model that offers the 6.2 and don’t mind buying premium gas do it. The option difference from some package trucks to the ones that offered the 6.2 was 12K or more when I was buying. So I got the E-85 option 5.3. I like to modify so I wasn’t disappointed. Remember different options such as gearing can effect performance in different trucks. I’ve seen 4.3 trucks option to pull more than a 5.3 and the same with the 5.3 verses the 6.2. The engine is just one part of the equation, especially with GM.

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September 16, 2018

Chevy trucks are some of the tallest geared trucks on the road, which is only made worse by putting larger tires/wheels on from the factory. Here is the gearing a Trailboss with 33” tires should have to maintain a base trucks 31” tire overall gearing to the road.

Base LT trucks with 5.3L come with 31” tire, 8 Speed, 3.23 gearing, moving to the Trailboss with 33” tires (or any GM 20” wheel package for that matter) you would need 3.42 gearing to be equivalent. 3.42 should be standard with any larger GM optioned tires/wheels. Moving to 3.42 gearing doesn’t compensate for added tire weight or 2” lift or for a desired increase in performance, so 3.73 should also be an option.

Base Silverado 255 70 R17 (31.1”)

Optional Trailboss or any 20” wheel package 275 60 R20 (33”)

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