Photo courtesy of ATC Trailers

Aftermarket upgrades are available for popular tow vehicles that help maintain optimal temperatures and enhance suspension dynamics.

Racers have enough on their mind agonizing about track conditions, engine tune-up, chassis setup, the weather, and other key competition factors. Traveling to the track should be a stress-free affair. Tow vehicles that break down, struggle up mountain passes, overheat, or empty the wallet at the fuel pump are not giving drivers and teams the freedom to focus on the race.

Hauling a race car across a state or across the country is more than just navigating the map. It's about making the trip safely, efficiently, and with confidence. Heavy-duty pickup trucks from Ford, GM, and Ram in the 2500/3500/4500 classes are extremely well equipped for towing. But today's trailers are also heavier, with more payload capacity and comfort features. Sometimes, tow trucks need a little help to get the job done right.

"Manufacturers have good engineers. It's just that they're cost constrained," explained Joe Komaromi of Pacific Performance Engineering (PPE) in North Las Vegas, Nevada. "The trucks are already expensive. Manufacturers don't want trucks to cost $200,000 by putting the best of everything in them, right? We as aftermarket companies will actually engineer the best possible part for any given application. If a customer falls into that area, such as somebody who is towing heavy, then we have the parts for them. The guy who's just taking his truck down the street to the coffee shop won't have any benefit from a lot of the parts that we make."

Towing upgrades aren't meant to actually increase towing capacity. That's a number determined by the manufacturers with extensive SAE-approved tests. However, upgrades can improve ride quality and stability, engine performance, fuel efficiency, transmission performance, and overall durability—all of which will help racers reach the track on time and economically.

Staying Cool

Cooling is perhaps the top priority when upgrading a tow vehicle. Face the facts: Summers are getting hotter, especially if you're towing in the humid South or in the blistering desert heat of the western states. Sometimes the factory transmission cooler isn't adequate for towing extreme loads. On the flip side, sometimes the factory allows the transmission to run hot to thin out the ATF, thereby helping to improve fuel economy slightly.

"Now they're already at the upper temperature limits, and the transmission doesn't have any heat capacity left to accept additional torque during heavy throttle," said Komaromi. "We have products that will reduce the temperature, such as deeper, larger capacity transmission oil pans, thermostat bypass valves, and bigger transmission-fluid coolers."

A PPE air-to-water intercooler kit can lower transmission temperatures by as much as 50 degrees, according to Komaromi. The coolers are designed to fit in the factory location and use the factory fittings and hoses. A deeper transmission pan can lower fluid temperature up to 20 degrees.

"Your temperatures will be more consistent because you've got more oil and it takes longer to cool it," he added.

Transmission heat can also be controlled with a torque converter swap. Racers know the benefit of a higher-stall-speed converter that allows the engine to rev in the rpm range where it can make the best power. But high stall speeds create more heat.

"With a tow vehicle, a tighter low-stall converter is normally needed to keep driveline heat in check," said Krista Baldwin of FTI Performance in Deland, Florida. "Tow vehicles inherently have a lot higher load on the converter. This introduces more heat to the driveline, and this has to be adjusted for accordingly in the converter."

Fueling Innovation

Budget-minded racers might look for a used heavy-duty pickup, but there's always the potential that you're buying someone else's problems. Fuel-delivery problems on some Ford models prompted Fleece Performance in Pittsboro, Indiana, to develop a number of products that prevent leaks and improve filter performance.

"I call it a hardening product for the Ford fuel system," said Jeff Everett. "They work to address some of the weaknesses in the fuel system on the 6.7L Power Stroke, which is probably the biggest audience of towing vehicles for guys going to the track."

Heat and vibration under the hood can deteriorate plastic fittings, so Fleece developed billet aluminum return-line fittings for 2011–2024 models. These fittings include a dual O-ring internal design for increased sealing. Fleece also offers a drop-in replacement for the plastic under-hood filter assembly. The new Fleece version features a billet aluminum cap and billet-aluminum quick-disconnect fittings. There's also an under-bed filter-replacement kit that allows conversion to a more convenient and less expensive spin-on filter. The Fleece model is also capable of adding a fuel heater for cold climates.

"Our goal was to remove all of the plastic interconnections that are exposed to heat and vibration and are prone to cracking and breaking," added Everett. "All the pieces go together; it just depends on the model year. It really is like a hardening of the fuel system to make it more reliable."

Speaking of the fuel system, Hot Shot's Secret in Mt. Gilead, Ohio, recommends its Everyday Diesel Treatment (EDT) to help improve fuel economy, help keep injectors lubricated, and resist corrosion during long periods of storage.

"When you're towing a race car, fuel economy and reliability are everything," said Joshua Steinmetz. "EDT gives you more pulling power, increased fuel economy, and peace of mind knowing the fuel system is protected. EDT oftentimes pays for itself in fuel savings alone. Then add the injector cleaner, lubricity boost, fuel stabilizer, and water demulsifier, and it's like insurance for your fuel system."

Suspension Upgrades

Towing heaving loads can strain a truck's suspension, possibly compromising vehicle handling and the way the trailer tracks. A number of aftermarket companies have developed products to modify the suspension to improve ride and handling characteristics...

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Sources

Air Lift Company
airliftcompany.com

Edge Products
edgeproducts.com

Fleece Performance Engineering
fleeceperformance.com

Hot Shot's Secret
hotshotsecret.com

FTI Performance
ftiperformance.com

Pacific Performance Engineering (PPE)
ppepower.com

Timbren Industries
timbren.com

UEM Pistons
uempistons.com

Wehrli Custom Fabrication
wcfab.com