Is the Denali Hands Down the Best Tow Vehicle?

Better tow vehicle - Denali or 3.73 Tahoe?


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    10

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Sean Collins

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My Tahoe has RPO code GT4 for 3.73. Also has All time 4wd it's an 04. Seems to tow 2 ATV's @ 75mph really well I felt

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Woodblocker55

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4WD isn't the same as AWD....

Denali is AWD, all 4 wheels being driven all the time... which means additional drivetrain losses.

4WD can have 2 wheels or all 4 driving. Not as much drivetrain loss as AWD.

IMHO, you want 4.10 gears. 4.10 isn't all that common but they're out there. My XL has em. It'll hold gear up some pretty good grades, rarely downshifting unless speeds drops. At 75 mph rpm is about 2450 so it's putting a little more power to the wheels without kicking trans down due to torque management (hp is a function of torque & rpm).

Lastly, regarding the bully dog tune, what does it do? Does it actually change trans parameters? Black bear tunes change shift parameters to make them hold gear at higher throttle positions (in addition to the other things like more power & torque). I doubt an off the shelf tuner does the trans parameters.
Ok you have 5.3L with 4:10 positraction how rare are they ? I found one I bought it . She's a power house . 2006 . Stop light launches can get any most waxed up car something to think about . [emoji106][emoji16] And next question how many SLT plus packages are out there ? Are they common.
I used a Suburban 3:73 and Yukon XL 4:10 there's alot more of a difference then you think.

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mikeyss

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My 05 tahoe has 4.10 gears and a LM7. It does get right up when you get on it at a stop sign. It is almost a tad snappier off the line than my 09 tahoe with 3.42 gears and L9H.
 

Woodblocker55

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Why I noticed a big difference I drove each same day it was very noticable . It's like 3:73 suburban lugged on take off and the Yukon 4:10 was bang it was there. When I tow something will be the tell all.


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liquify33

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Why not go older and get a 5.7 with 3.73s for dirt cheap?
I traded a ‘17 truck for a ‘99 Z71 and love it.
I’ve only towed a heavy trailer a couple of times but overpasses weren’t an issue. I’m in Houston so no hills around lol.
 

Woodblocker55

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I have a 1999 Tahoe 3:73 5.7 4x4 up here in Minnesota rust really gets a grip on them .. that's now my plow truck . After I do bit work on it .

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bldn10

bldn10

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FWIW I'm thrilled w/ my Escalade. I towed my car from Memphis to Atlanta in 3rd on cruise at 74-77 and not once did it kick down. And got a bit better mileage than my 5.3/3.42 Tahoe.
 

Woodblocker55

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FWIW I'm thrilled w/ my Escalade. I towed my car from Memphis to Atlanta in 3rd on cruise at 74-77 and not once did it kick down. And got a bit better mileage than my 5.3/3.42 Tahoe.
What kind of mileage did you get in 3rd with 6.0 AWD.?
I used a 5.3 3:73 pulling 8500lb trailer and load I got 10.5 mpg at 55-60 mph ( 2 lane traffic ) couple times I got 9 mpg hitting 65 mph .. that's all towing in 3rd gear. I made run about 13 times 9-10.5 mpg all in 3rd . I was amazed .



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