How much can a 67 C10 pull safely?

[The Big Green]

I know they are a 1/2 ton pickup but wont coil springs on a 41 year old truck but weaker than a new 1/2 Chevy? Thats why I just don't know what I can do with it. I will start working on my 67 in the next week or so. So far this pickup hasn't change for 12 years and its time. I have a '01 Dodge Dakota cc with a 408 stroker and I would just love to pull it to the races with my old Chevy. What would people think about a old beater Chevy pulling a pretty new Dakota? Anyways, I will be putting it on a 16ft trailer and the truck itself is about 4500lbs and its with a 4.7v8 when it was new so its still right at that same weight. I know the engine will pull it with no problems but the truck is a different story. If it wont hold up, is there anything I can do to make it? air bags to help keep it level? or maybe if I can convert it to leaf springs? I'm not sure but I thought the 1 tons or 3/4 tons may have had leaf springs under them. Any help would be great because I'm lost.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by The Big Green

I know they are a 1/2 ton pickup but wont coil springs on a 41 year old truck but weaker than a new 1/2 Chevy? Thats why I just don't know what I can do with it. I will start working on my 67 in the next week or so. So far this pickup hasn't change for 12 years and its time. I have a '01 Dodge Dakota cc with a 408 stroker and I would just love to pull it to the races with my old Chevy. What would people think about a old beater Chevy pulling a pretty new Dakota? Anyways, I will be putting it on a 16ft trailer and the truck itself is about 4500lbs and its with a 4.7v8 when it was new so its still right at that same weight. I know the engine will pull it with no problems but the truck is a different story. If it wont hold up, is there anything I can do to make it? air bags to help keep it level? or maybe if I can convert it to leaf springs? I'm not sure but I thought the 1 tons or 3/4 tons may have had leaf springs under them. Any help would be great because I'm lost.

My 68 has pulled my 74swb on an 18ft steel-floor car hauler so it's definitely possible (my truck was even dropped 5/7). Would I want to do it daily or weekly? No.... but every now & then would be fine.

Upgrade to the largest front discs you can afford, get good trailer brakes (both axles if you can afford it), & either swap bags in place of the rear coils or use helper bags designed to fit inside of rear coils for added lift when needed to level the truck.

[The Big Green]

Its good to hear that a 41 year old truck has still got it in it to get the job done. I looked into the bags that go inside the coils to help keep the truck level and the shop I went to said they come for specific models and installations and I can't get any for a 67. I do know that my dakota pulled better when it was 3/5 dropped because it hit the bumpstops and that kept it lever..lol. What is done to your 68, is it a 1/2 ton? I want to lower mine, probably 3/5 and I can upgrade brakes because right now I'm not even power brakes yet. When I was 17 and drove it only the back brakes worked, on a good day, a bad day and only 1 back worked. Yea, it would slide a little when you had to slam on the brakes, the good ole days when you didn't care about anything but maybe should have. Thanks for the news that my truck can do it.

[SCOTI]

Definitely swap to power discs.

There's several companies that make bags that are a direct swap for the rear coils. That's how mine was done. 2 bags w/separate DOT airlines routed to 2 schrader valves hidden behind the rear ECE flip-up license plate (it's part of their hidden-hitch kit).

When I towed stuff before, I was still using the original 250-6 3spd combo as well w/no problem. Now it has a 350/700R4 but isn't back on the road just yet.

[98L150]

I pull a 30ft travel trailer with my 72 sub and it does fine. I have air ride and 20's. I have a trailer brakes load sharing hitch with sway control and it moves on down the road just fine. Gas milage isn't the greatest, but is does the job. Total weith is about 5000 lbs loaded

here is a pic on my way to Good Guys Dallas last year.

[nvrsatisfied]

^^

that is a nice a setup........ o.k. i'm done high jacking

my small .02 i have applied the helper spring kits to some vehicles and it helps out a lot. the new Hitch helpers are great, i have also seen a lot of them popping up at the track, mud runs etc. etc. and have heard nothing but good stuff about them.

[mrein3]

As others have touched on you're asking the wrong question. I can pull your Dodge with my Ford Escort. I just won't be able to stop it when I need to.

Disc brakes up front for sure. Electric brakes on the trailer.

[The Big Green]

Oh, lol, I have disk brakes. Ok, here's the right question for this, I have a 67 chevy swb 1/2 ton. How can I get this truck to stay pretty level? I'd love to see pics of anyones truck to see how it holds up to a good size load, and underneath pic of whats done to it. It would help a lot if someone could point me in the right direction at a place where I can buy it and what I need to buy. I'm going to load my '07 JK on a trailer tomorrow and just see how low it sags, but I'd bet on the rearend hitting the frame...lol. 1 more quick question guys, if I have 4.11's and have a roundabout 400hp in a 350 maybe a bit more, well when I get my buildup Bowtie heads on. I'm getting higher gears because gas mileage is 10mpg...lol...I want to go 3.42's. What gears are you guys pulling with? I may stay 4.11.

[67_C-30]

With the big cam, 11:1 pistons, Holley 750 and I'm assuming high rise intake you have on that engine, it is not going to be ideal for pulling. You'd be better off going with camshaft profile that makes power down low. I speak from experience when I say this. I attempted to use a hot rod as tow rig years ago, and that was when gas was 89 cents/gallon!! I'd hate to imagine would it would cost to feed today's gas prices.

[Hart_Rod]

Originally Posted by 98L150

I pull a 30ft travel trailer with my 72 sub and it does fine. I have air ride and 20's. I have a trailer brakes load sharing hitch with sway control and it moves on down the road just fine. Gas milage isn't the greatest, but is does the job. Total weith is about 5000 lbs loaded

here is a pic on my way to Good Guys Dallas last year.

Did you use a bolt in notch? That's what I used in my 69, but I didn't weld it in and I'm wondering what I can safely pull with that setup.

[PanelDeland]

67 C-30 hit the nail on the head.HP wont pull your trailer torque will.If you have a cam with a RPM range tthat is fairly high,you will need to spin the engine in that range to get enough power to pull.The 4:11's may be better unless you recam.

[haysonj]

Here's my tow package boat and trailer weigh 6000 lbs plus I load the truck with camping gear. I have power disc on front and a one ton rear with large drum brakes. Duel axle surge brakes on the trailer. Truck has plenty of power and gets about 10 mpg towing the boat with 4:09 gears and a turbo 400 trans.

[The Big Green]

Thanks for the help guys. I have a tread about getting gas mileage up some because I'm about 10mpg now. Yes when gas was 80 something cents it was now big deal...lol. I will be going to a 3.42 gear, maybe, a smaller cam, smaller carb, and duelplan intake, Edlebrock performer RPM. I am open for any tips on getting this thing to pull a load every now and again. This truck only knows hotrod and spinning tires, its a retired street/hot rod and retired 700hp+ 468 with 400hp shot of nitrous. I need to teach it something else in it 41 year life which half was probably spent in a feild rusting.

[The Big Green]

Originally Posted by haysonj

Here's my tow package boat and trailer weigh 6000 lbs plus I load the truck with camping gear. I have power disc on front and a one ton rear with large drum brakes. Duel axle surge brakes on the trailer. Truck has plenty of power and gets about 10 mpg towing the boat with 4:09 gears and a turbo 400 trans.

Thats my setup, well 2 things you said. I have a 400turbo tranny and low 4.11 gears. Quick qestions though, whats in your engine? sb or bbc? and what about that 1 ton rear, is it a 1 ton truck or did you change things up a bit?

p.s. Like that matching paint, if I had a boat and that truck that would be me...lol. I'm a guy and sometimes I can't match my clothes right but I can match things on my toys...lol.

[TP from Cntl PA]

Rebuild the stock coil setup so its in top shape and keep it...........Honestly IMO, the coil setup is way better than leaves. They handle the weight alot better and will take being overloaded overwhelmingly better than the leaf setup. Only trouble is with the age, they can be a bit sloppy and it effects driveability towing, a quick refreshing of the bushings cures it.

We had acouple C-10's for farm trucks, one we ran over a decade in that use, it sold me on coils. I never seen a truck that was overloaded and abused more than that old green C-10 and it just kept going. I'd put that old truck up against any new 1/2 ton from the big 3 and yota. The biggest trouble I see with a C-10 towing is staying legal with weight limits.........Because they were underated IMO and it isn't hard to exceed the rating, although they don't flinch at the weight in reality.

[The Big Green]

I'd like to keep the coils and not mess with anything. The coils are 41 years old so they could be a little sloppy...lol.

[haysonj]

Originally Posted by The Big Green

Thats my setup, well 2 things you said. I have a 400turbo tranny and low 4.11 gears. Quick qestions though, whats in your engine? sb or bbc? and what about that 1 ton rear, is it a 1 ton truck or did you change things up a bit?

p.s. Like that matching paint, if I had a boat and that truck that would be me...lol. I'm a guy and sometimes I can't match my clothes right but I can match things on my toys...lol.

The motor is a 383 stroker with performer manifold and a 600 cfm square bore carb. Small valve heads give it lots of torque and about 350 HP. The rear end is a corporate 14 bolt out of a early 70's one ton van. has all one ton drive lines with CV joints by High Angle Drive-line

[67_C-30]

Originally Posted by The Big Green

Thats my setup, well 2 things you said. I have a 400turbo tranny and low 4.11 gears. Quick qestions though, whats in your engine? sb or bbc? and what about that 1 ton rear, is it a 1 ton truck or did you change things up a bit?

p.s. Like that matching paint, if I had a boat and that truck that would be me...lol. I'm a guy and sometimes I can't match my clothes right but I can match things on my toys...lol.

I used one of the Comp Xtreme 4x4 cams in the 383 in my '69 C-30 ramp truck with 2 valve relief flattops, a set of 76cc Aerohead 160cc rebuilt heads (9.3 :1 CR) with 1.94/1.50 valves, a '65 model 327 dual plane intake and a 600 Holley. I used the old 327 intake because the Holley bolts up directly w/o an adaptor plate and because I already had it. It has an SM465 and 4.11's and it pulls like a bear. The truck weighs 8800# by itself and I have pulled tandem with a car on the back of the truck and another on a 16ft car trailer behind it. I highly recommend the Xtreme 4x4 cams. Believe it not, even as heavy as the truck is, I get around 10 mpg out of it. I pulled in a 6500-7000# dump truck a few weeks ago and the engine never grunted. I can't say the same for the rear springs though.