Torque management -- Torque management (TM) is GM's effort to reduce transmission wear by reducing engine output through timing retard during “abusive” maneuvers. The problem here is that GM believe acceleration from a stop is an “abusive” maneuver, as is punching the throttle during a highway merge. Both of these maneuvers cause an immediate reduction in engine power – the characteristic fraction-of-a-second delay you experience when you try to make your truck move. We reduce this approximately 75-80%, which still leaves enough TM to protect from the most abusive maneuvers. We believe it makes for a safer and more responsive truck without introducing unnecessary wear on the drive train. The “Remove most all” option on the order form is appropriate for most owners.
Transmission shifting -- This refers to how long of a delay there is between gear shifts. The “firmer” the shift, the shorter the delay. GM sets shifting for smooth shifts, which gives their trucks more of a “car-like” ride. While this might appeal to some customers, the flip side of a smooth shift is that it actually shortens the life of the transmission due to the slip between shifts. We can increase the line pressure to give you a firmer-than-stock shift and reduce the shift timing to eliminate delay between gears. An ideal setting for most customers is midway between “Normal” and “Firm”. Select “Normal” if you have installed a shift kit or other transmission shift modification.
Shift RPM -- The RPM at which an up shift occurs at wide open, or full throttle (WOT). The stock setting for our trucks is usually 5200 RPM. Some customers will want to leave this stock, but we recommend 5600 as the best all around shift point. 5800 RPM is the maximum recommended value for this parameter with stock cam and valve springs, but we can and will set this to any RPM you desire.
Speed limiter -- GM trucks come programmed from the factory with a speed limiter set at approximately 100 MPH. Most customers choose this to set this at 130MPH, effectively eliminating the speed limiter. We can set this to any speed you request, just be sure your tires are rated accordingly!
3D mapping -- This is an optional proprietary tweak to the tune that we can perform to increase gas mileage. If you're concerned about gas mileage, you will want to select this. Otherwise, leave it blank for maximum power/torque gains. Most customers will experience modest mileage gains of 1-2 mpg around town, and 2-3MPG on the highway with the higher octane tunes without selecting this option.
Tow/haul button -- We can program this button for firmer shifting and a higher shift RPM. If you plan on towing with your vehicle, leave this blank. Otherwise, check “Race” for added performance! We will normally set “race” to shift at 5800 RPM with one step firmer shifts than were chosen in the tune itself.
Speedometer calibration for tire diameter -- Most assume that tires of the same size are the same diameter between manufactures. This is not always true, and diameters can vary as much as an inch, causing your speedometer to read incorrectly. If you have replaced your tires, even with the same size that originally came on the truck, do a rollout test or at least measure the loaded diameter of the tire to determine a true circumference. This will assure that your speedometer will get the correct calibration and will show your true speed.
**Your Rights** -- Our tunes cannot be seen by the dealer! If you are concerned about voiding your factory warranty with after market modifications such as a tune and Cold Air Intake you should read the Magnusson-Moss Act.