Increase low end torque?

[Cheyenne]

I realize there are probably multiple threads of this topic, but I'm looking for a more direct answer to my truck.

I want to increase the low end torque to take off the line better. I drive mostly city so I'm usually driving between 50-70km/h and I want to be a little quicker. Any info or input would be awesome. I've been told a few things about superchargers, rocker arms and what not, but I'm not actually 100% familiar with the ins and outs.
Is regearing an idea? Swapping to a 4l80e? I'm not looking to solid axle swap or LS swap.

My truck is:
98 k1500, 350 vortec
True dual, high flow cats
3 inch lift (keys and blocks)
285/75r16 (32.8x11 I think is what is equals to)
3.73 gears g80
4l60e
Installing mpfi injectors next week

 

[RichLo]

There's a couple cheap/free things you can do before spending a bunch of money.

If you haven't already done it you can take the throttle blade off and shave off the half moon shaped 'diffuser' from it. That actually really helps with throttle response around town and smooths out your cruise control.

Then I would do a resistor shift kit (look that up here, I know I have posted more details about this before) to help your trans get into the next gear quicker. Its essentially the same thing as the B&M electronic shift kit except with $2 resistors instead of the $50 box.

Then after that, re-gear to 4.10 would be the next best bang for the buck upgrade.

 

[Cheyenne]

Then after that, re-gear to 4.10 would be the next best bang for the buck upgrade.

I didn't know about that resistor shift kit. That's good to know because I was thinking of installing a shift kit or a tune to put it back to stock shifting. Glad I won't be wasting money on a shift kit.

Why 4.10s? Would that be better than a higher gear?

 

[RichLo]

You'll get a bunch of different opinions on 4.10 vs 4.56 and from my previous experience I had a 2001 ZR2 Blazer that had 3.73s from the factory. I did the throttle blade diffuser, resistor shift kit, deleted the EGR, e-fans, etc. All of the cheap/free stuff and every one had a surprising improvement in throttle responce around town, but the biggest difference was when I re-geared to 4.10.

That was the perfect balance for me because around town was insanely awesome compared to stock. However even when I put 33s on it (vs 31s from the factory) I was revving much higher on the highway, it didn't like getting above 70, gas mileage plumited, just felt like it was working too hard. I know if I would have gone 4.56 I would have hated it at higher speeds. Maybe guys with 35s have better luck with 4.56 but for 33s or smaller, stick with 4.10s max. Just my .02

 

[Cheyenne]

However even when I put 33s on it (vs 31s from the factory) I was revving much higher on the highway, it didn't like getting above 70, gas mileage plumited, just felt like it was working too hard.

I notice that now my shift points are different and shift slower. They aren't a hard quick shift anymore. Will the resistor mod help with that? I notice it definitely needs more throttle to get going right now.

Also, you say 70, are you referring to mph? That's probably the fastest my truck would ever go for speed limits. (110-115kmh)

 

[RichLo]

Yea, it'll help make the shift more 'snappy'

Heres a good post about it:
http://www.gmt400.com/threads/dont-...120-for-a-tci-electronic-shift-improver.4470/

And yea, I was referring to 70mph, sorry I didn't see you were a northern neighbor

 

[df2x4]

Best bang for the buck IMO would be a tune considering you've already dealt with the exhaust. That made a bigger difference than all the bolt on stuff I've done to my red truck. Contact Black Bear Performance, best $360 you'll ever spend on your truck. Free alterations to the tune for life, and that includes the cost of a spare PCM so you never have any down time waiting on them to make changes. This will make a huge difference in how the truck drives.

4.10s will help a lot too, but I'd be hesitant to spend any money on the 10 bolt rear you have now. If you want to look into re-gearing in the future I'd personally consider swapping to a 14 bolt semi floater first.

Same deal with the 4L60E in my opinion. Don't expect it to last very long once you start modifying anything related to how it shifts. I've killed two of them with a V6. If I were you I'd leave it alone and consider a 4L80E swap if it ever has problems.

Something to be aware of about the throttle body blade mod mentioned above... It will make the truck feel snappier off the line, but it won't actually gain you any HP or torque and you'll lose some of the linear response in the pedal. I did it to my red truck and I'm actually going to swap an unmodified blade back in because I don't like the results. Makes the throttle feel like too much of an on/off switch to me.

 

[shovelbill]

I didn't know about that resistor shift kit. That's good to know because I was thinking of installing a shift kit or a tune to put it back to stock shifting. Glad I won't be wasting money on a shift kit.

Why 4.10s? Would that be better than a higher gear?

for arguments sake we can say that 31" tires and 3.73 gears is essentially the same as 33's/4.10 and 35's/4.56........a ratio higher than 3.73 would be 3.42......4.10 is lower......gets you into the torque band faster as it revs quicker.......a greater mechanical advantage.

you having 33's with 3.73's is like 31's with 3.42's.......you'll do better on the highway for mileage and worse on the street.....it takes more "pedal" to get her rolling too........could even heat the transmission more as well.........also put in a bigger transmission cooler. there's a great thread on here about it. i did soon after i read that thread......i'll try and find it.

at highway speeds 33/4.10 and 31/3.73 should rev about the same given the same transmission. the 4L60 and 4L80 have different overdrive ratios, with the 60 lowering the rpms a bit more due to it's it's slightly higher ratio.....i believe it's .70 compared to the .75 of the 4L80.

in all my years of building trucks, a gear swap is the best bang for the buck for "power" to crawl or tow......but know that there are trade offs too. knowing just how you'll use the truck, or any vehicle for that matter, will help you make the best choice.....it can also be an expensive mistake, especially if you choose wrong. there is a domino effect as to how well parts work together.....or not, for their intended purpose.

of course this is only my opinion on the matter.

also to add....fix your speed calibration for the tire size when you tune it. it's now off by a few.

 

[shovelbill]

http://www.gmt400.com/threads/how-to-factory-auxiliary-trans-cooler-upgrade.18104/

 

[Biggershaft96]

If you want to get off the line quicker, dont swap a 4l80e in. They have a lower first gear ratio than a 4l60e which will do the opposite of what your trying to do