Whats for me ? Towing advice

[Risky]

Hello guys. I need some advice for towing my car to the drag strip. I'm looking into a square body pickup.
Trailer and car is roughly 5300 pounds or so. Car roughly 3400 lbs.

So I have some simple questions....
How much better will a 3/4 tow over a half ton?
What automatic transmission will hold up to towing my car?
Just how much motor (hp/tq) do i need to tow at 60 mph consistency?
Any real advantages of going with a LS motor over a traditional small block? As in like 5.3 vs 350 vs 6.0 etc
Just how effective is the rear gear ratio when towing?
Did all 3/4 ton square bodies come long wheel base?
Only way I would ever consider a long wheel base if it's a 3/4 ton. I'm not a big fan of a lwb 2 wheel drive.

I know big blocks are nice but I'll like to stay with a small block and stay away from diesels.


Thanks for the help guys.

[Keith Seymore]

I predict you will get as many opinions as you do responses.

(...maybe more opinions than responses).

Here's mine:

I think it depends on how far and how often you are going to be towing.

If you are going to live on the road, or going (fairly) locally every single weekend then that would be different than going somewhere nearby a half dozen times a year.

I pulled all over the US with this rig for many, many years. Car is around 3600 lbs and trailer is 1000 lbs. Truck is a V6, manual (overdrive) with 3.73 gears. The only time I ever wished I had a bit more motor/gear was launching on a steep hill. Trailer has 4 drum surge brakes from a couple donor '55 Chevy sedans (never had any trouble stopping).

You'll want to understand your state's requirement for trailer brakes (one axle vs two axle). I would also recommend electric trailer brakes if you can manage it.

Since the truck was primarily my daily driver then I gravitated toward "smaller" in terms of tow vehicle. If the vehicle was going to be used for towing only then I would gravitate bigger, or when I started going long distances every month I bumped up to an enclosed trailer and 2500HD pickup.

The other end of the spectrum would be the guy that buys a crew cab dually to pull a pop-up camper twice a year. When I was at the GM Milford Proving Ground my officemate was the fleet coordinator for Truck Engineering. We would occasionally field questions about that kind of scenario, and would try to persuade the buyer to lower his sights a bit.

K

[Keith Seymore]

Sidebar: I just realized that trailer is 50 years old.

Dad and I built that trailer to haul the GTO back in 1967. He laid out some chalk lines on the garage floor and welded it up. Cost us $50 for the steel as I recall.

I still have it and used it as recently as yesterday. It's hauled doll houses, playscapes, go carts, Model A Fords, cars worth more than my house and (remnants of) cars not worth the dirt in their frame rails.

K

[Risky]

Thanks for a response.
I will be towing once a year to bowling green which is 5 hours away. Then to Memphis which is a hour away.
I can't afford a brand new truck from the dealership. They just cost too much money. I rather invest it into my car. So a square body will have to do the trick for me. I want to own a truck that I can depend on because there's nothing like begging and asking people to come get you from the track.

What motor you running Keith since at times you wish you had more on the hills?
Would it help alot towing wise if I put disc brakes on each corner?

[abig84]

a half ton should probably be ok if youre doing it once a year. i tow my offroad truck and trailer with a 1990 half ton (about 5000lbs). 3.43 gears, 305 and 225,000 miles. tows just fine just a little slow getting up to 60mph on the highway.

not sure if the square bodies would be the same way but my biggest issue with my half ton was the soft springs in the back. had to buy a set of helper air bags due to the truck almost bottoming out in the back if i hit a big dip in the highway. other then that really no complaints as i dont tow too often

[mongocanfly]

a 1/2t should do all you need..you may want to ad some helper springs or airbag levelers...as Keith said make sure you use trailer brakes...
as for engine choice ill say you won't regret a LS swap...but its all in what you want..
I pulled my racecar all over with a 86 with a 305 sm465 and 2.73s..I'm out of racing now but regularly pull a tractor all over..
I pulled a 7k loaded trailer with my 99 z71 5.3 3.73s...pulled it just fine..I upgraded tractors and now my loaded trailer tops out at 9500lb..I now have a 81 c30...the 350 and sm465 were pitiful. ..I dove head first into a LS swap..dropped in a lq9 nv4500 with 4.10s..all I can say is wow...no regrets...

[Risky]

Do you have a picture of your C30? Is that the 3/4 ton. I would love to see a pic of the truck.

[mongocanfly]

c30 is a 1ton....c20 is 3/4ton....c10 is half ton

[Risky]

Some reason your pic didn't load. Shoot me a pic.... 6623171968. I really want to see your trucks.

[csdineley]

I agree if your only towing a couple times a year a 1/2 ton will do you just fine.

How much better will a 3/4 tow over a half ton? A 3/4 ton will ride better and squat less while towing. Unloaded they can be a little rough.

What automatic transmission will hold up to towing my car? Short answer any but a th400 would be recommend

Did all 3/4 ton square bodies come long wheel base? Yes

As for engines a lot of people are going to recommend an LS engine. For my 3/4 ton 2wd I went with a crate vortec 350 from the 96-99 trucks. With a sm465 and 3.42 gears it tows my 6k pound camper great. Even in the mountains. Even better then my 92 suburban 2500 with a 454.

Trailer brakes are a must. As for 4 wheel disc brakes, sounds nice but the stock 3/4 ton disc and drums work great so I don't see a reason to mess with them.

[Risky]

Originally Posted by csdineley

I agree if your only towing a couple times a year a 1/2 ton will do you just fine.

How much better will a 3/4 tow over a half ton? A 3/4 ton will ride better and squat less while towing. Unloaded they can be a little rough.

What automatic transmission will hold up to towing my car? Short answer any but a th400 would be recommend

Did all 3/4 ton square bodies come long wheel base? Yes

As for engines a lot of people are going to recommend an LS engine. For my 3/4 ton 2wd I went with a crate vortec 350 from the 96-99 trucks. With a sm465 and 3.42 gears it tows my 6k pound camper great. Even in the mountains. Even better then my 92 suburban 2500 with a 454.

Trailer brakes are a must. As for 4 wheel disc brakes, sounds nice but the stock 3/4 ton disc and drums work great so I don't see a reason to mess with them.

Thanks for the info. Very very helpful. I'm taking notes.
.

[Dead Parrot]

For your occasional usage, a stock 350/TH350 combo into a 3.73 rear end should be fine. Since stopping your rig while going down the steep hill is also important, find a truck with the heavy duty brakes(J7?) vs the lighter duty(J5?). Maybe someone will chime in the the RPO codes for the SPID sticker.

Probably want one with the 7 leaf + overload rear springs.

You will want to check the GVWR and the tow rating before purchasing. There were a lot of different setups sold to meet cost points and in some cases, to avoid the need for certain emissions equipment. Not all C10s are equal.

[csdineley]

Rpo codes would be jb5 and jb7

[Risky]

Thanks for posting that. However I'm on the hunt for a solid roller. 3/4 tons keep cathchin my eyes.

[csdineley]

They apply for 3/4 ton as well. There was also a light duty and heavy duty 3/4 tons rpo c6p.

[Risky]

Thanks. I'll write this info down.

On the other hand Hot Rod Magazine took a 6.0 and added bolt one.
Simple and easy. 408hp and 440 tq at the crank was produced with headers, mufflers and a tune.

[N2TRUX]

I didnt see you say what trailer your using. If its a flat bed, you fine. If its enclosed your going to want as much truck as you can afford due to wind resistance.

[Risky]

Open 18 ft trailer...

[lowrollin70gmc]

A 1/2 ton would do the job, I would lean towards a long bed for the wheelbase advantage. (I do tow with my 84 SWB, but it isn’t for everyone).

However, 3/4 tons can be often had cheaper (for square bodies), so I would go with a C20 to get the larger brakes, axle, etc. for less money.

An auto will hold up fine, just put a good cooler on it and drive realistically (not 80mph uphill). A trans temp gauge can also help ensure you don’t do any damage. If you get a 3/4 ton it should have the TH400, which won’t mind towing all day every day.

A stock 350 will tow at 60 all day as well. No need to go crazy, but an LS swap is always nice but not necessary. People have been towing for 50 years with small block chevys and they hold up fine. Not a modern 1000lb*ft diesel, but fine within expectations.

A deeper (higher numberically) rear axle helps in towing. I would recommend 3.73s for your purposes, as you’re not towing a ton of weight, but it’ll help off the line and still keep the rpms reasonable at highway speeds.

All 3/4 ton squares are long wheel base, and the wheelbase helps when towing. If you’re not a C20 LWB fan, K20s can still be had for a reasonable price.

[Risky]

Thanks. I'm really digging the look of a 3/4 ton 4 wheel drive. A decent pair of 6x9 speakers behind the seat would do the trick for me cruising at 60 mph with ease.

[Risky]

Thanks. I'm really digging the look of a 3/4 ton 4 wheel drive. A decent pair of 6x9 speakers behind the seat would do the trick for me cruising at 60 mph with ease.

[Risky]

Mongocanfly- what headers are you using ?

[D13]

Towed math things over the years on 18' flat bed with a 4.3 V6 and a 700R4, 3.08 gears. There are 3 keys to towing - cooling, braking, and weight distribution. Balance the trailer with a little bias on the hitch, keep the radiator clean and the fan operable, and make sure the truck and trailer have good working brakes.

[Risky]

That's interesting cause I always have read that a 700r4 is garbage for towing. Not that I know that for a fact. I don't know much about automatic tranmissions. My camaro is a 6 speed car. Do the truck needs to be a automatic. I want to save my clutch leg for the car/track.

Who makes the best tranmission cooler on the market ?

[Edahall]

Originally Posted by Risky

That's interesting cause I always have read that a 700r4 is garbage for towing. Not that I know that for a fact. I don't know much about automatic tranmissions. My camaro is a 6 speed car. Do the truck needs to be a automatic. I want to save my clutch leg for the car/track.

Who makes the best tranmission cooler on the market ?

Just go with the largest cooler you can find. The 700R4 is fine for towing as long as you keep it out of overdrive. It's very weak in that gear. Otherwise install a 4L80e which can handle power in OD. However, I prefer manual over auto for towing. Both the SM465 or NV4500 are very robust.

I've towed with short beds but they have a tendency to sway. That can be corrected with either a Tow-Rite or Hensley hitch but both are expensive.

When towing low rpm torque matters more than high peak horsepower. You generally want more cubic inches and there is hardly any penalty in fuel economy when towing with a larger engine. Often, they will get better fuel economy towing than with an undersized engine.