Driving on steep road grades?

[austinado16]

If you have A/C, I would be careful about adding a trans cooler that completely covers the radiator like that. It could seriously impede the air flow that must pass through 3 layers of finned coolers.

When climbing hills with the A/C on, the air that finally reaches your radiator, is super heated and there isn't a lot of area for your radiator to receive any (relatively) cool air.

If you install a cooler that large you may want to consider adding a "Pushing" fan in front of the cooler. That way you will have additional air when it is need the most.....while struggling up a grade at reduced speed and reduced natural air flow.

So far so good Wavery.  Been on almost 2 years now with no issues. I've put it to the test as I so a lot of towing, and a lot of mounting driving year round.

My brother has a similar size cooler, different version, same truck (but a Blazer) and he's had no problems either......even out rock crawling in the heat of Moab!

The only heat issue I've had was last year on the way to the Grand Canyon and a couple weeks later to Kings Canyon.  Both times we got stuck behind a semi climbing a long steep grade, and the trans temp spiked briefly to 215F on the way the GC and 230F on the way to KC.  These lasted maybe 10min and as soon as we got to the top and go rolling again, the temp immediately dropped right back to well within normal.  The outside air temps both times were 105+, so that wasn't doing us any favors either.  But the real cause was a radiator fan clutch that was bad and simply not hooking up once it got hot.  I've replaced it and the fan roars like a freight train when incoming air gets it hot enough to engage.  Meanwhile, the coolant temp never did get over 200F so I'm happy with the set up.

I agree though, a pusher fan would be a fantastic little add, and I continue to keep my eye out for one.

[Funrover]

Well steep grades are really all I do!

Don't ride your brakes, use your transmission. That is really all you need to know! If you have a properly maintained TV everything will be fine!

[A2SuperCrew]

I think with your setup you will be fine.  Just follow the simple advice about downshifting and turning off overdrive.  Don't ride the brakes!

We camped in the Smoky Mountains last summer, and had no problems at all.  The smell of burning friction material from other vehicles where drivers rode the brakes was a constant reminder how NOT to go down a hill!