I rode over to caffeine and octane this morning, and I wrote that up under the thread I started. Truly, an amazing gathering, amazing vehicles.
I have a question about my 87 2.9 4-Wheel Dr. five speed. Short cab short bed. When I drive it around empty, it does everything I want it to do. I have no problem with hills, and it’ll go 75 or 80 miles an hour if I want to push it.
It seems like when I just put a few hundred pounds in it, or today pulling this trailer, that I hit some pretty mild inclines, and I’ll lose speed. If it’s more than a mild incline, I have to downshift to fourth, or maybe to third.
This trailer is an 88 bed on a thin 2 in.² stock frame, with an Aluminum weatherguard toolbox. It rolls on 15 inch wheels, 235/75/15 tires, and its balance very well. I can’t believe aerodynamics is an issue because it exactly parallels the truck.
The engine in the truck was a professionally rebuilt 2.9, with the upgrades on the heads and such, with 40,000 miles on it. I know the people I got it from.
My question is, is it normal for those 2.9‘s to lose speed with a light load like that? The 4.0 in the 97 doesn’t even lose speed when I’m pulling that step trailer with stuff on it. And one last thought on the 2.9, it was all new plugs and components when I put it in, about 5000 miles ago.
Is that kind of performance normal? Is there anything I should check? I’m already planning on changing the oil and swapping the filters, checking the plugs, but if there’s anything else I should be checking, somebody please let me know.