Today’s ¾-ton trucks are tougher and more capable than they’ve ever been. Beyond stunning figures like the 40,000-pound towing capacity of a range-topping Ford F-450 Super Duty with a gooseneck hitch (which is enough to shepherd a 40-foot yacht with capability to spare), contemporary heavy-duty pickups benefit from a range of advanced technologies that are designed to make hauling safer, easier, and more efficient.
This article is the first of a three-part series on how to upgrade the towing prowess of your rig from a power, braking, and suspension standpoint.
“These days the ½-ton trucks are towing what the ¾-ton trucks were doing 10 or 15 years ago, and the ¾-ton trucks are now on an entirely different level,” says Jacob White, brand manager for Edge Products.
“Ford, GM, and Ram have all made significant strides here, and the competition between these automakers has just raised the bar for everyone involved. At the same time, these manufacturers have to contend with more regulations as well as a wider range of use-cases and customer needs than they ever have in the past. They’ve reached a point where they’re selling the same truck to a customer who might tow something once every few weekends and a fleet company that’s towing 30,000 pounds every single day. And that has forced them to kind of handicap these vehicles in an effort to keep everyone happy.”
And while modern ¾-ton trucks like the Ford Super Duty, Ram HD, Chevrolet Silverado HD, and GMC Sierra HD have been engineered to deliver unprecedented towing capability, that capability also comes with unprecedented demands on these trucks’ powertrains. “That affects everything from the cooling systems to the clutches in the transmission,” White notes. “That added weight is putting an incredible amount of strain on the truck – not just on long grades, but even just when getting things moving from stoplights and things like that. The energy requirements to make it all work are just incredible. So anything that you can do to give yourself more headroom is going to make things easier out on the road.”
But that doesn’t necessarily mean that the OE hardware isn’t up to snuff. More often than not, overly conversative powertrain software calibrations leave a stunning amount of performance and efficiency on the table.
Shop Edge's wide range of tuning and monitoring devices here.
“There’s always untapped potential in the factory software calibrations,” he says. “Part of it is trying to meet the various needs of that broad spectrum of customers, and the OEMs tend to err on the side of caution as means of creating some fail-safes for worst case scenarios. But there are also instances where it seems like the automakers are simply trying to find ways to incentivize upgrading to a newer model. We’ve seen many situations where an OE releases new model of a vehicle at specific power and torque output levels, and then a year or two down the road, that vehicle gets a bump in output without any mechanical changes. Typically all they’re doing in those situations is changing programming. But with some well-engineered tuning, you don’t have to get a different truck in order to realize what the vehicle is truly capable of.”
With that in mind, White points to some tuning solutions for both diesel and gas-powered ¾-ton trucks that can tangibly improve your towing experience.
Edge EZX
Designed to be minimally invasive, Edge Products’ EZX is an emissions-friendly inline tuning module that’s particularly popular with folks who own newer trucks.
“Because this is an inline module solution rather than a flash tuner, it’s something that lives under the hood or under the dash of the vehicle,” says White. “It utilizes a wiring harness that piggybacks onto the factory sensors, and that allows us to interpret the communications between the engine and the PCM and make changes in between them. That means that we’re not making any changes to the PCM itself, which is great for folks with late model trucks that still have factory warrantees. Because we’re not flashing the PCM, if you remove the device from the vehicle, the vehicle doesn’t know the device was ever there. That makes things really convenient if you need to, for example, go into the dealership for service.”
The Edge EZX provides output gains as well as a range of features that can really come in handy when towing. But instead of using a handheld device for control, the EZX module utilizes a smartphone app, which allows for on-the-fly adjustments wherever you might be. “For instance, you can change the power levels while you’re on the road, and for most platforms, you also have throttle sensitivity adjustments that can be set to preference for each one of the power levels available. So you could have one level of throttle sensitivity for the daily driving tune, and another for the towing tune, if you wanted to.”
In late model Ram pickups with Cummins diesel engines, the EZX also offers a turbo timer, which provides additional cool-down time for the turbocharger after the vehicle has been turned off.
“The device can also remember Tow/Haul drive mode and exhaust brake settings,” he adds. “In stock form, the Ram’s Tow/Haul and exhaust brake features turn off with each key cycle, which means that each time you get in the truck you have to set everything up again. But our app remembers what setting it was in when the truck was shut off, and the vehicle returns to that setting the next time it is started. For folks who’re towing long distances, this can be really useful because they don’t have to deal with all of that each time they have to stop for fuel.”
Shop Edge EZX tuning solutions here.
As far as power gains go, the EZX can adjust fuel rail pressure and mass airflow sensor parameters to improve output by as much as 70 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque in some applications. And, thanks to these tuning adjustments to the fuel rail pressure curve, fuel economy doesn’t suffer – in fact, it’s actually improved. Edge has seen a decrease in diesel exhaust fluid consumption in some applications as well.
Edge Evolution CTS3
Edge’s top-tier tuning solution, the Evolution CTS3, adds vehicle system monitoring to the mix.
“This is our most popular diesel tuning solution,” White says. “You get all of the control and power gains of typical tuners, but the Evolution CTS3 also incorporates an in-cab, on-dash color touchscreen as both a control interface and a monitoring display, so it stays plugged in all the time. This can be really useful while you’re towing. You can see everything that’s happening with the drivetrain in real time – exhaust gas temperatures, transmission temperatures, fuel rail pressures, DPF soot accumulation and regen cycles, and so on. It provides a lot more transparency in terms of what’s going on under the hood while you’re towing.”
The Evolution CTS3 can tune both engine and transmission calibrations in most applications, in turn delivering aforementioned performance advantages not only through power gains but also by adjusting TCM parameters like shift points, line pressures, and converter lockup behavior. The CTS3 also includes a pre-loaded tune that’s purpose-built for towing. “And for platforms that require a PCM unlock, all of necessary hardware is included in the kit,” White says.
Beyond these tuning solutions, White also offers some words of advice on how to maximize a truck’s capability while towing.
“At this point, all modern ¾-ton trucks have a factory Tow/Haul mode, and I strongly suggest you use it when you’re towing. It will definitely improve the truck’s responsiveness and behavior, and our towing calibrations will take those improvements several steps further. In some situations, it can also be beneficial to control the transmission manually – if you’re on a long grade and the transmission is continually hunting around for the right gear, that’s going to negatively impact performance and create more heat. Often you can get better responsiveness while towing and reduce wear and tear by simply switching the gearbox to manual mode and holding in that lower gear while you work your way through that grade.”
Shop Edge Evolution CTS3 tuners here.
Got other tuning-related questions? Be sure to check out Edge Products’ YouTube channel for in-depth product overview and installation videos, or simply give their tech line a call.
Whether you’re pulling a race car or toy hauler across the state or hauling equipment for work, today’s heavy-duty trucks are incredibly capable—but tuning can make them truly exceptional. Solutions from Edge Products tap into power the factory left on the table, improving torque delivery, shift strategy, and throttle response to make towing easier, safer, and more efficient. And because these calibrations are engineered for emissions compliance and reliability, you can enjoy the benefits without compromise. With the right tune, your truck won’t just handle the load—it’ll master it.