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An example;
Engineers that built the road, install a 45mph curve sign. In your car or truck, you easily plow thru it @60mph, and wonder what the caution was all about.

However, go thru that curve with a heavy/high load and you're thankful that someone warned you with 45mph. :howdy
 
80 mph is the posted limit on a lot of highways here in Texas. There is no provision for heavy trucks or semi’s.

6686L your opinions really don’t count for much on this forum. That is apparent by the cynicism and derision lobbed at you because of your ridiculous posts. Any vehicle, at almost any speed can cause a fatality accident because of a mechanical failure. Knowing your vehicle, it’s capabilities, and driving to that limit on a regular basis makes you understand how to drive it. Someone that doesn’t, will be frightened by someone who does.

I would bet that if you decided to leave this great forum there would be not one person who would miss you. Your posts seem to always be of an inflammatory nature and come off like you know better than the rest of us as to what we should and should not do with the trucks that we have spent our hard earned money on. But go on and insult all of us with your superiority and unfounded opinions. I am sure by now or the very near future there will be an epic meme of you.

As for everyone else, I am sorry to all of y’all for my outburst. I just can’t stand a know it all.
 
Discussion starter · #43 ·
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Discussion starter · #44 ·
Good to see some folks are serious about maintaining their trucks.

Not clear why one of these guys think I would "spin out". We do get ice on our roads on occasion up here in northern Arizona; I don't care what kind of tires you have...if you are on REAL ice on anything but absolutely level ground, you aren't going anywhere. As for normal winter driving, I stay out of the way in the far right lane, substantially below the normal flow of traffic, so I personally have never spun out in my vehicles.

I remain very unhappy to learn some folks think it is cute to operate a truck and trailer, loaded to max or near it, going at 80 mph, and/or significantly over the speed limit. One need for a panic stop, and/or equipment failure, and you become a menace to yourself as well as the folks around you. Speed limits are not recommendations, nor are they posted for your entertainment.

Well...with this qualification....for example - I-40 from its start in Barstow, California, east to the Calif/Arizona state line. Posted at frequent intervals for us towing, not to go over 55 mph. Given the road conditions, and assuming decent weather & properly maintained equipment, I believe 60-65 mph is at the upper limits of a safe towing speed for our type of vehicle.


Spun out meaning shocked, confused, blown away, mad, all up in a tizzy, etc. That is you, sir.

You do realize the speed limit is 75-80mph some places? Get out and see the country and you'll find those places.

Myself personally, I am usually 5-7mph over the speed limit. 10 once in a while if I'm really in a hurry. I don't consider myself to be a fast driver, although I did drive a race car that went 0-200 in 3.7 seconds/660ft so 80mph may be easier for me to process than you
 
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regarding 80 mph....

Yes, I have driven where there are 80 mph speed limits, both in my passenger cars and in trucks carrying varying loads. Yes, on some stretches, in a well-maintained passenger car or unloaded modern Duramax, I have cruised at 80 mph.

Yes, I understand the psychology of some folks who feel the laws of physics don't apply to them. The big difference is, unlike some in here, I have had experience in rescue organizations.

Failing to comprehend the laws of physics when operating motor vehicles can make quite a mess for others to clean up.

I have no objection to those whose driving habits help the world-s over-population problem. I just don't want their solution to be practiced around me!
 
regarding 80 mph....



Yes, I have driven where there are 80 mph speed limits, both in my passenger cars and in trucks carrying varying loads. Yes, on some stretches, in a well-maintained passenger car or unloaded modern Duramax, I have cruised at 80 mph.



Yes, I understand the psychology of some folks who feel the laws of physics don't apply to them. The big difference is, unlike some in here, I have had experience in rescue organizations.



Failing to comprehend the laws of physics when operating motor vehicles can make quite a mess for others to clean up.



I have no objection to those whose driving habits help the world-s over-population problem. I just don't want their solution to be practiced around me!


I generally don’t go fast loaded. Especially when heavy. But honestly if you knew how good electric over hydraulic disk brakes worked, I think you’d be a lot less concerned about it.
You also have to take into account location and traffic levels. 80mph in some places is like 50mph in others.


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You also have to take into account location and traffic levels
When off the main drags (State hwy, RR, FM, etc) and all the small towns along the way, I respect their 'suggestions' for max speed/step down in speeds, thru their little hamlets.

They know their roads and town populace conditions better than I do.
A few minutes powered down, then back on the throttle and cruise set. :howdy
 
An example;
Engineers that built the road, install a 45mph curve sign. In your car or truck, you easily plow thru it @60mph, and wonder what the caution was all about.

However, go thru that curve with a heavy/high load and you're thankful that someone warned you with 45mph. :howdy
When not towing our 35' 12, 300 lb 5er I dont pay much attention to the speed signs on the curves. ;angel

When I am towing it I find they are right on the money as far as a safe speed goes. :smile2:
 
I think that perhaps there may be an apples to oranges discussion going on here.

There are many on this board that tow for a living. As such, with many, many miles under their belts while towing heavy these folks have figured out what is safe for them and their equipment under the conditions that they may find themselves in.

When I see these types of folks on the road, I rarely pay much attention to them as in all likelihood they have figured out what they are doing and doing it safely.

What concerns me above all others is when I see 2500 series trucks towing 40' campers going 80 MPH. In most of those cases I consider that there is most likely someone operating their equipment well beyond their skill set and the equipment that they are operating. I always give those folks a very wide berth as personally I consider them unsafe at any speed.
 
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........................What concerns me above all others is when I see 2500 series trucks towing 40' campers going 80 MPH. In most of those cases I consider that there is most likely someone operating their equipment well beyond their skill set and the equipment that they are operating. I always give those folks a very wide berth as personally I consider them unsafe at any speed.
Whenever I see someone driving doing something grossly unsafe I do my best to just get in front of them............

That way I won't ever run into the "debris field" 0:)
 
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Discussion starter · #51 ·
Whenever I see someone driving doing something grossly unsafe I do my best to just get in front of them............

That way I won't ever run into the "debris field" 0:)
Same here LOL. I've seen guys with Suburbans and 16' enclosed trailers swaying and swapping all over the place. Now that's a dangerous guy on the road.

My rig is stable as a freight train around mountain curves and all. I have averaged 36k/year through it's life and didn't travel much early on and haven't traveled much the past two years. You get to know your truck.
 
I generally don’t go fast loaded. Especially when heavy. But honestly if you knew how good electric over hydraulic disk brakes worked, I think you’d be a lot less concerned about it.
You also have to take into account location and traffic levels. 80mph in some places is like 50mph in others.
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Agree up to a point. Your post sounds like you have at least some common sense.

For your info. I have at least some contact with brake systems of various types. Of course our Duramax's have discs. Both of my approx. 11,000 lb. trailers have drum brakes, one is electric ( the boat trailer ) the car transporter has hydraulics. Both are properly set up, engineered for the weight, with the result that in either case, using the truck's brakes (which, in turn, activates either of the above) I hardly know the load is there.

Yes - people do blow by me in all manner of vehicles - here in Arizona the posted limit on our major Interstates once you get out of the developed areas is 75 mph. But again, 75-80 mph in a properly equipped passenger car, or even in one of our pick-ups when not loaded, is one thing; when pulling multiple tons of load quite another.

Some years ago I had a blow-out doing about 80 mph in my '38 Packard V-12. Bias tires. That car's suspension is like a sports or race car, meaning it came "stock" with sway bars and lateral stabilizers all the way around. Pretty much a non-event, other than the annoyance of having to wrestle those big 8:25 x 16's out of the side-mounts.

Last summer I had a blow out on the radial tires of my trailer. Oh..about 60 mph. (heat kills tires...this was on the Mojave on an August afternoon) (about half-way between the Calif.-Ariz. state line and Barstow on the I-40).

Whole different problem. When a radial fails, it often fails catastrophically; in this case the first blow out immediately took out the 2nd tire on the two-axle trailer. Both wheels quickly reduced to trash, ripped up the trailer, and made handling as I tried to get off the Interstate...well..challenging.

Yes, have to admit my '13 dualie handles almost as nice at extreme speeds as the Packard V-12, so on some roads...80 mph is barely keeping up with traffic...reasonably safe in the event of an equipment failure.

With this qualification - inspect your radials carefully at frequent intervals. Catch that bulge or swelling BEFORE it fails and rips your fender off and/or makes your vehicle difficult to control.

But c'mon guys....when pulling heavier loads.. with our size vehicles when heavily loaded, 60-65 mph is bordering on pushing one's luck. If you have to go much faster pulling heavy loads, show some responsibility and get a proper 18 wheeler.
 
Why the hell would someone use an 18 wheeler to haul half of their capacity?!?

18 wheelers have an average max load capacity of 80000 lbs. The max load we have seen is a little more than half of that. You are talking about crappy mileage, super expensive tires, and insurance that is through the roof to use half of its capacity.

6686L, you are posting , yet again, about something that you are seriously uneducated about. A 1 ton Dually, properly equipped and driven by an experienced driver is not anymore dangerous that that 18 wheeler that you keep on and on about. That 1 ton is going to be more maneuverable, get better mileage, and be safer than that 18 wheeler rolling down the road at 80k lbs. Ever seen a car rear ended by a semi? Ever have to clean out the mess that used to be a person who was rear ended by that semi? I have and I’ll tell you that it is something that you never forget. Now shut the hell up and let these people talk about what they want to. It is not your damn place to tell ANYONE what they should and should not do. You want to change the damn world, then get yourself elected and run your mouth to people who care. Btw, I don’t really care if I get banned for saying what EVERYONE IS THINKING. At least then I won’t have to read your mindless drivel when I am interested in a post.

Again, sorry to everyone else. This guy just makes my blood pressure go up.
 
A 1 ton Dually, properly equipped and driven by an experienced driver is not anymore dangerous ...…..That 1 ton is going to be more maneuverable, get better mileage, and be safer than that 18 wheeler rolling down the road at 80k lbs...…... Now shut the hell up and let these people talk about what they want to. It is not your damn place to tell ANYONE what they should and should not do. ….. I don’t really care if I get banned for saying what EVERYONE IS THINKING. At least then I won’t have to read your mindless drivel when I am interested in a post. Again, sorry to everyone else. This guy just makes my blood pressure go up.
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To some extent, I agree with this fellow - as the owner-operator of a 3500 crew-cab long bed, of course when responsibly driven it is reasonably safe.

I certainly hope this fellow is not censored or banned in any way. Obviously, this "thread" is performing a valuable service in letting this person "blow off steam".

I certainly hope I am reading this guy wrong - hope he is not advocating or suggesting that my 1 ton Duramax or anyone else's is safe pulling heavier loads at 80 mph. Let's hope this is just "teen-age bravado", and if he or anyone else actually does this, law enforcement will get his vehicle impounded and off public streets, thus not a danger to the rest of us.
 
40 mph can kill and has. So, there's that.
If it's your time, it's your time.
 
40 mph can kill and has. So, there's that.If it's your time, it's your time.
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Of course I agree that ANY speed is dangerous if one is not operating ANY vehicle responsibly.

I disagree about "if it's your time". There's something called "defensive driving" - which goes nicely with good road manners.

For example, the left lane should primarily be for passing people like me, who use the speed limit as a MAX guide ('cept when in Californicated on the I-40 between Barstow and the Ariz./Calif. state line....! ), judging our cruising speed by what is safe for any given road condition.
 
Meh....maybe some of us are just lucky. :howdy

 
Discussion starter · #58 ·
Geez I am a former motocross racer, now drag racer, who has briefly gone 80 going down a hill to begin up another, and80 on flat ass interstate 80 through the midwest... 6686L probably thinks I'm a wild ass dare devil.
 
Geez I am a former motocross racer, now drag racer, who has briefly gone 80 going down a hill to begin up another, and80 on flat ass interstate 80 through the midwest... 6686L probably thinks I'm a wild ass dare devil.
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Wrong - 80 mph, while 5 mph over many state's speed limit, while a little more than I care to drive, is reasonably safe in some places...in a well-maintained passenger car or truck like ours - obviously assuming they are not pulling a trailer/heavily loaded.
 
I have a 2WD dually also and want to switch the rear gear out for 4.10s. Truck just seems to work to hard with the bigger loads. Empty it is great with the 3.73 gear. I also have larger than stock tires.
With larger tires the final gear ratio is going to be taller than 3.73, possibly down around 3.50 based on the change in the circumference of the new tires. With larger tires on my truck the speedometer shows 60 mph when the truck is actually going 62 mph so not a big change in gearing. It provided a rough guide of how much the tires altered the 3.73 gears, or roughly by 3%. If I had gone to 33-35 inch high tires then 4.11 gears would have been important.
 
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