I have a 96 4x4 with the 5.2L 318 in it. We've been pulling a 32 ft. travel trailer weighing 9500 pounds. The truck seems to struggle a good bit with it. I need some more power and some ideas. Everything is stock on the truck except for the motor and transmission being rebuilt. It's already got 33x12.50's on it, so 4.10 gears would help. Probably an air intake and new throttle body wouldn't hurt either. Any other ideas? My dad and I have even talked about a supercharger, but this will probably be a last resort. I'm still open to suggestions on a supercharger though. Just looking for some more "OOMPH" to pull this camper if you know what I mean.

 

Yeah...a 360 or V10

Don't put on a supercharger. Superchargers aren't good for towing applications. That's why when you buy a supercharged vehicle, it says DO NOT TOW right in the manual.

Change your gears for sure. Intake, TB, Headers, Rockers, RT heads...all of those things will help. Or swap in a 360 and do some light mods to that.

 

the quickest way to get more low end ump is do a single 3" out exhaust, intake kit, 50 mm TB, 1.7 RR's and a programmer set on 87 (hypertech) or towing (superchips). those will help out alot, gears will help alot more but they are pretty expensive to start with...

 

Oh yeah, already have dual exhaust with a single flowmaster 40 series muffler. Thanks for the ideas...keep em coming.

 

what size are the outputs from the flow? if it's 2.5, take it down to a muffler shop and have them install a knecked down piece that goes down to 2.25 right after the muffler. this will help alot with low end torque... (from my own experience)

 

I believe it's 2.25". It's not big. I installed a 2.5" aluminized exhaust system on my '71 Vette and it's smaller than that. Also, dealing with your above statement, do they make a chip for a 96? All I see is 97 and up.

 

If you are towing 9500 lbs around with mud tread 33 x 12.5 tires,
go back to Load Range E 245 70R16 tires with rib treads.

Towing performance up hills will improve a little,
and more important,
wet/dry emergency braking will be improved a lot,
which might save truck, trailer and passengers....not to mention other vehicles near you.

 

They are good all-terrain tires in load range. Not mud tread, so we should be good there. A question though, not necessarily what would be the best in price, but what would be best in the long run as far as the mods said earlier? Would it be best to start out with regearing?

 

I would do a 408 bottomend before a supercharger. With the big tires I'd do 4.56 gears.

 

At 9,500 lbs, you are 1,500 lbs above the GCWR for the 1500.