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How does the TBSS hold up to towing that? I got rid of my 07 TBSS just a few weeks ago after I bought my ar230 because I was worried about trying to tow and pull it in and out of the ramp with a stalled RWD SS
It did great honestly.
oh man, if I would of had the AWD one I probably would of kept it. I do miss the TBSS for sure but a local guy wanted to trade straight up for an f350 power stroke so I went with that. I honestly debated a Q5 myself as a potential tow pig especially since I already have an R8, thought it would be cool to carry on with Audi.It did great honestly.
Mine had a stock converter in it, and was AWD. Ramps we're no problem at all. Had tons of power and torque, great stability, and the air ride was nice handling the people and tongue weight. My 190 is pretty dang light though, so that helped.
I suspect the head gasket was hurt, and I had problems keeping it cool for the season I towed with it. Had a baby on the way and didn't want to screw with it so I traded out for '15 GMC Sierra.
I liked the "Sport SUV" idea so much I just traded the Sierra away on an Audi Q7. Got an extra set of seats in this one, but it's very much the same premise as the SS. Lots of power in a medium sized SUV that's close to the ground
I was really happy with the SS from a vehicle configuration standpoint. It worked really well when it worked. Mine had been stored in a garage for a decade in Winnipeg before I got it. So ALL of the rubber pieces were garbage. The guy who rebuilt the motor (at 10k miles) thought he was gods gift to mechanics, and he, well, wasn't. I was constantly chasing bugs and fixing issues, and all kinds of little things on it. In the 18mo I had it I put all new suspension (including airbags) on it. New tires. New alternator, battery, starter, and cables. New hoses, belts, water pump, and PS lines. Added a transmission cooler, added a larger radiator and electric fans. Fixed about 37 interior trim pieces, and little issues. Then I found a hurt head gasket about 3mo before the new baby was due to arrive and it just sucked the life out of that project. The Sierra had 36k mi on it, and warranty through 100k. Was expensive ($42k), but I drove it for 40-ish months and didn't do anything but change the oil.
That’s one way of doing it
Common sense seems to be a thing of the past.
I have the same transmission in my Explorer. I bought a trailer hitch brace to alleviate some of the slop. Better but not perfect.
Forgot to mention. When I jump on the throttle the engine vibrates like crazy. They say this is normal. I say BS. I’m still under warranty, so I’m going to pound the pedal until something blows.
I have the same combo. That bang you're likely feeling is the slide on the surge brake going from collapsed to open. I've never put my foot to the floor on this truck. I'm actually kind of afraid with all the damn power it has. LOL! I've given her a good press, but never to the floor and that has been enough for me. You should have no issue with that tranny. Make sure you're in tow haul mode and it'll do all the work for you. These things are monsters to tow with. We love our F150, and use it as our road trip vehicle. Just got back from a 1600 mile trip to/from Fl. It does worlds better on gas than our Wrangler and is much more comfortable.
Thanks for the thoughts on it being the surge brake. I’m going to listen closely again next time. Totally agree on using the truck for road trips. Whole family is more comfortable. And for power, it always has some in reserve for sure. I have to dip into the throttle way more with the trailer to maintain speed on inclines, but it does feel like there is always more power when you need it, no need to flog it. But man you gotta put your foot down and see what she can do!
The vibration is definitely not something I have experienced!
It even says it in the owners manual. “While towing, you may experience a vibration/shutter. This is considered normal”
Take an action cam and suction cup it to your tailgate. I did it on my old trailer just to make sure the slide was working properly.
That's insane! I will say my 2017 which is the first gen with the 10sp needs to be reprogrammed bad. It's so confused as to when it needs to lock/unlock the torque converter. Also the skipping of the gears does so with a not so smooth transition. I hear the 2018+ are better with the update. I could technically go in and piss and moan to my dealer for them to update it, but I'd be without my truck for weeks to months right now. They're backed up for damn ever, and warranty work tends to be all the way at the bottom of the list.
Speaking from experience, the warranty work backs up because the technicians are paid flat rate. Warranty times usually pay 1/2 of what customer paid labor pays. I.E. The customer may pay up to 10 hours for R&R , whereas warranty pays about 5 hours. Makes it hard to make a living if your getting paid 5 hours for a 10 hour job. Also, flat rate means technicians need to take shortcuts to make up for lost time, so quality goes out the door. Nobody wants to take on the warranty work.
