WHY ARE AUTOMATICS RATED TO TOW MORE WEIGHT?
This is a sore point with many people. The simple reason is that automatics are easier to drive. The torque converter makes accelerating from a stop, particularly on hills, a breeze for any driver. A case could be made for the manual being better perhaps, but it all boils down to the skill of the average driver. Ford has decided that they would prefer the average towing customer to get the automatic to avoid clutch warranty problems, so they down-rated the manual trucks. Personally, either is fine with me and I have towed with both. I presently am having good luck with my manual tranny because the extra gear helps keep the engine at the speed I like (more on that) and I will pass on some tips for those wishing to exceed the published rating of their trannies. First, the clutch is the weakest link on the manual tranny. If you want to tow a heavy trailer you have to get used to getting the clutch up fast. If your clutch won’t clamp hard enough to get you moving quickly, get it fixed or y
