Toyo also offers a diesel-specific version of the tire featuring a bolstered belt package to take the sidewall distortion when towing with a diesel. The Toyos offer no road noise and handle the freeway with confidence. Replacing the worn rubber is a set of Toyo Open Country H/T 235/85-16 E-range tires. Combined, the intake and exhaust bumped up the fuel economy enough to be noticed. The giant K&N filter offers a massive increase in airflow over stock, and has a 100,000-mile service interval.
The air filter was mighty dirty, too, so we upgraded to a K&N 57 Series FIPK intake system and matched that to a Flowmaster cat-back exhaust. The stock shocks were weeping more than preferable, so we replaced those with Bilstein Heavy Duty dampers, which noticeably help control the truck both empty and loaded.
While our used truck had no major issues, updates were needed. Prior to modifications, our unladen F-250 logged 14.5mpg on the freeway, 12.5 towing a two-axle open trailer with racecar. But the combination is good enough to score a 10,800lb tow capacity, hitting 13,000lbs should we swap to the shorter final drive. The 310hp, 425lb-ft, 20-valve gas motor uses brute force to overcome the horrid 4-speed automatic technology of the day. It had been immaculately maintained and, for $6,100, it was a steal.ġ999 truck technology is every bit as amazing as you remember. Nearly two years ago, we found this beauty with 130,000 miles on the clock being sold by the original owner. We picked up our 1999 Ford F250 Crew Cab with a 6.8L V10 for a song. But which is better? The Old: 1999 F-250 V10 These trucks have similar tow ratings and both do an excellent job. Our staff happens to tow with modified versions of the 1999 Ford F250 V Toyota Tundra V8. On the flip side, if you’re new to the racing game, you might be waffling between buying new and finding a low-mileage, used three-quarter ton.
If you’re still towing with a first generation F-250 Super Duty powered by the gas-powered V10, you might be considering an upgrade to a new half-ton with all the bells and whistles since the tow capacities are similar. Case in point, you can option a version of the 2015 Ford F-150 with a 12,200lb tow capacity, while the Ram 1500 has a 10,650lb capacity and the Toyota Tundra can pull 10,500lbs. Half-ton trucks now have tow ratings rivaling the three-quarter-ton trucks of yesteryear, making nearly any modern truck a realistic towing option for the average racer. The half-ton versions of those trucks were sitting in the 8,000lb range, although some might say that number was optimistic.īut times have changed, and today’s trucks are nothing like they were at the turn of the century. Around that time, companies like Ford, Chevy, and Dodge made heavy-duty, gas-powered tow rigs capable of pulling 11,000 to 13,000lbs, with the diesel option bumping the 14,000lb arena. In the “more” category for tow rigs were the three-quarter and one-ton pickups. And, like with racecars, “more” is always better. Fifteen years ago, maybe less, half-ton trucks could get your racecar where you were going, but any obstacle (like a hill) would leave you wanting more.
It wasn’t long ago that towing to the track with a half-ton pickup was a fool’s errand. With half-ton pickups now capable of pulling loads that used to require larger trucks, gas-powered towing isn’t what it used to be