Towing capabilities

[rusted75 half ton]

Hello,everyone.I'm a bit confused as to how much a half ton can tow with a reciver hitch, i'd like to get a car trailer and I'm thinking of getting a 3/4 ton but also not sure what it could tow.I think that a truck on a trailer would be about 6,000lbs?thats proabably the heaviest thing i'd haul and not very often but mabey long distances.Can anyone help me decide what is best.I curently have a 75 1/2 2wd with 350/350 and 12 bolt rear.I saw a 76 3/4 2wd for sale with 350/4sp manual 14 bolt rear a dual tanks.Im on alimited budget and would like to make my money count,would like to use my current truck but don't think it is suited for what I have in mind.Any help is greatly appreciated

Thanks

[DBLSPRT68]

Rusted75, I bought my 3/4T for that purpose. My package deal came with a car trailer. I took the body off my 3/4 because of rust, and put a better condition 1/2T body on the frame. Seeing a 1/2T frame and a 3/4T frame naked , the 3/4T frame and suspension is twice as stout! I love my truck, because I know whatever I throw at it, it will carry or pull it . BTW, the guy how I bought my truck from, was a used car dealer. This was his way of going to auctions, buying a car and hauling it home. Sure it rides stiffer, but it's a truck not a car! Hope this helps. David

[1FaastC10]

Originally Posted by DBLSPRT68

the 3/4T frame and suspension is twice as stout!

that's funny, the frames actually carry the same part number for 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton.

the suspension is slightly beefier, but nowhere near twice as beefy.

as for towing with a 465 and a 14FF, as long as the truck rides decent under load, you shouldnt have anything to worry about. that combo is about as dependable as they get.

[kblazer87]

Hi,
I have a 1996 Suburban 1/2 ton 2wd with which I tow an 18 foot flat bed. I have had 7,150 pounds (5,400 lbs. load + 1750 lb. trailer) behind it with no problems on a 500 mile trip from Mechanichsburg, Pa. back here to southeast Indiana. The Subs. are heavier and longer than regular cab 1/2 ton trucks, but the drivetrains are the same. With the 1/2 ton you will definitely have to have trailer brakes and a controller for the truck. The added weight will almost certainly overpower the trucks braking system in a panic stop situation. I have pulled heavy loads with trailer brakes and with out and MUCH prefer having the brakes back there helping. The 3/4 ton is a better truck for pulling heavy loads often, but a 1/2 set up and driven correctly can definitely be used. Trailer brakes, engine oil cooler and tranny fluid cooler will help the 1/2 ton live longer when pulling heavy loads often also.
Hope this helps,
Mike

[1FaastC10]

Originally Posted by kblazer87

Hi,
I have a 1996 Suburban 1/2 ton 2wd with which I tow an 18 foot flat bed. I have had 7,150 pounds (5,400 lbs. load + 1750 lb. trailer) behind it with no problems on a 500 mile trip from Mechanichsburg, Pa. back here to southeast Indiana.

you sir, are insane. havent ever heard of anybody begging for their 4L60E to give up the ghost like that. tranny cooler or no tranny cooler, that trans is junk when it comes to towing. i pulled a stripped out Malibu wagon on a 2000# trailer in the spring of '03, first load i had ever pulled with my 93 C1500. acted a little funny while i was in the process, and by the time i made it home (30 miles) the trans was junk.

also, towing with your susburban like that is way over the rated limit for the vehicle. there's a reason that the factory rates them for load capacity, it would live a long happy life if you followed the recomendation. not to mention its dangerous.

as for towing with the '75 1/2 ton. i wouldnt even attempt. TH350- too weak, go with a TH400 at minimum if not a 465. 12 bolt rear axle, you can break them with the load of a 35" tire, imagine what towing would do.

[crossy]

Horsepower aside: One point everyone is missing here so far is that a GOOD trailer and the hitch set up is more crucial than the truck pulling it. A hitch set up for equalizing bars and sway control are a must for me anymore. I and friends towed a LOT over the years and I towed plenty with a SWB 1/2 ton, 2WD. My one friends 1ton 4 door GMC got pulled all over the place by a junk trailer and yet I pulled a #7500 lb load( 454 Burb on trailer) with my reg cab 1/2 ton without a problem. When i lived in hilly Pottstown, Pa. a guy showed up to go the races with us at Maple Grove. He was towing an all steel 71 camaro street/race car (3200#?) with a SWB S-10, 4 cyl, stick . the long hills on rt. 23 and Rt.10 almost did his S10 engine/clutch in, but the trailer towed fine. It wasn't the first or last time he did it either. I swear!!
Yes, a heavy truck is a help. My Cummins Ram will tow anything that isn't concreted in 6' deep, and I have never NEEDED the equalizer bars cause it's sprung for 1 ton ,but i put them on anyway. My car trailer is long ,but the axles are such that i still have to pull every car/truck all the way up on it. My camper is perfectly balanced and I can also run that w/o any bars but i don't. another note Don't ever let anyone talk you into radial tires on a trailer -oh boy here we go! . I don't care who says their running em w/o problems . I had my radials on for one trip only . OFF THEY CAME. the trailer/camper will not 'correct' itself after turns & curves no where near as fast. When I can feel it in the big Dodge then i know it's noticeable. My .02, DAVE

1-800-weaverD will supply complete hitch packages like I mentioned for around $300 for everything . they have free catalogs also. DAVE

[ElGracho]

Originally Posted by crossy

Horsepower aside: One point everyone is missing here so far is that a GOOD trailer and the hitch set up is more crucial than the truck pulling it. ...

Dave is absolutely right here. I've pulled a few (I sure wouldn't say I'm a towing expert...) car trailers that were absolutely terrible with a variety of trucks. Then I pulled a copy of the one I bought. The wheels are set back about a foot more than you would usually see. This loads the tongue a little more if the load is in the same place, but the difference in how the trailer pulls is like night and day. I wouldn't trade my 18' PJ beavertail for anything (unless it was an aluminum tilt bed...). Not a great pic, but the best I have right now:


As far as a tow rig, I paid $2000 for this one:


454, TH400, Dana 70 HD 4.10 gears. Just try and break it... Terrible gas mileage, but I can buy a lot of gas before I go buy a new Duramax (which I will do eventually...) Also, I don't drive this thing much, but it's always ready to go if I need it (it's been from my house near Seattle to Detroit and back once and Montana and back a couple times in the last year and a half.)

When I'm not towing a big load (less than 1500 lbs or so) I have no problem pulling my trailer with my 84 K10 SWB. 700R4, 3.73 gears and 12 bolt with an electric brake controller. With a smaller load it doesn't exceed the towing capacity of the truck.

[1972C10]

The Frame on my 85C20 Is Nothing Like the frame of half ton..

I would estimate it to be 1/4-3/8 thick .

And a Good Th-350 Will handle anything the average Joe would throw at it

It's over kill to put in a Th400 or 465 .. If you plan to do alot of towing get a cooler

Ive hauled a payload wieght of 7500 LBS of scrap truck full of iron on an 18' Trailer Hitched to a 72 Longbed 350/TH-350/12 Bolt W 3.73s Ran that combo for a long time and hauled alot of scrap metal , hay or anything else i could turn a buck off of. Transmission never gave me one problem .

[Apache]

Not sure how much weight it would be but my grandpa has hauled some heavy stuff with his 1/2 ton. His trailer probally weights around 2,000-2,500lbs (yea heavy sucker) and he has hauled my truck on there with it so id say about 7,500lbs right there and thats not the biggest load he has ever hauled. He has hauld a truck loaded down with about 4 engines and other junk plus a load of hood hinges. I know hood hinges dont seem like alot..but get a full truck load of them it adds up. All that was with a worn out 305 and TH350.

His trailers wheels sit farther back then they do forward but still arent back far enuff it seems. You gotta think about what the weight will be when you load his. His is bad about fish tailing at 55 if you have alot of weight in the rear and not as much on the tounge. But too much on the tounge/hitch and not enuff out back is a problem too sometimes.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by 1FaastC10

as for towing with the '75 1/2 ton. i wouldnt even attempt. TH350- too weak, go with a TH400 at minimum if not a 465. 12 bolt rear axle, you can break them with the load of a 35" tire, imagine what towing would do.

My grandpa hasnt had any problems out of his rear end, granted he may just be lucky. He has trashed a few TH350's but they arent too bad. When I say trashed a few I dont mean within a few months. He bought the truck brand new straight off the lot in 76 and has towed probally hundreds of thousands of cars with it. So when I say he trashed a few TH350, I mean over the last 28 years not over a few months time. IMO a TH350 will hold up if you dont haul stuff everyday and dont strain it...but TH350 isnt a good choice if you haul really heavy loads on a day to day basis. His truck originally came with a manual...but he got tired of burning up clutches. Something hauling loads with is bad about over time if you pull something heavy enuff to strain the truck.

[1FaastC10]

Originally Posted by Apache

He bought the truck brand new straight off the lot in 76 and has towed probally hundreds of thousands of cars with it. So when I say he trashed a few TH350, I mean over the last 28 years not over a few months time.

LOL, that's one car a day for 273 years.

[1FaastC10]

Originally Posted by 1972C10

I would estimate it to be 1/4-3/8 thick .

oddly enough, the frames are made of the same material, same thickness., and its nowhere near 1/4". the only difference between a 1/2 / 3/4 and a 1 ton frame is the 1 ton frame is taller. again, as per General Motors (the guys who built the truck, mind you) the 1/2 and 3/4 ton frame rails are identical in every way.

[kblazer87]

Originally Posted by 1FaastC10

you sir, are insane. havent ever heard of anybody begging for their 4L60E to give up the ghost like that. tranny cooler or no tranny cooler, that trans is junk when it comes to towing. i pulled a stripped out Malibu wagon on a 2000# trailer in the spring of '03, first load i had ever pulled with my 93 C1500. acted a little funny while i was in the process, and by the time i made it home (30 miles) the trans was junk.

also, towing with your susburban like that is way over the rated limit for the vehicle. there's a reason that the factory rates them for load capacity, it would live a long happy life if you followed the recomendation. not to mention its dangerous.

as for towing with the '75 1/2 ton. i wouldnt even attempt. TH350- too weak, go with a TH400 at minimum if not a 465. 12 bolt rear axle, you can break them with the load of a 35" tire, imagine what towing would do.

I forgot to mention I do use a 12,000 pound rated load equalizer type hitch with a stainless ball.
Everything is rated for 7500 lbs. total with that set up. It was a little bit over for the trailer which is rated at 7,000 lbs., but the load was in crates spread over the bed equally front to back and side to side. The transmission might have been rebuilt at one time, I'm not sure. I bought the truck with 67,000 on it and it now has just a touch over 104,000 on it. I don't make a habit of towing great weights often, but I am confident in my equipment and I drive like I have a large load behind me when I am towing. I wouldn't have attempted it if not for the hitch system I have on it. I didn't skimp on it. I bought a national brand, not a cut rate one.
Thanks,
Mike

[rusted75 half ton]

Thanks for the responses everyone,I guess im just looking for a setup to haul parts trucks locally occasionally(not more than several times a year?) and possibly(some day )get a late 60's gm project car,probably at a long distance.So not alot off hauling.Just wasn't sure if the frame/suspension ect.can handel it?A previous owner must have towed too much on my bumper as it is bent at an angle and the steel plate the ball sits on is sunken or "warped".If the frames 3/4+1/2 ton are the same could I get away with a weight distribution/reciever hitch setup.Also I was thinking how do the vehicles tires play into this?I'm currently runing 30x9.5's also does the fact I have five lug wheels play a large part in towing?I want to do this safely and without destroying my truck on my first try.at the same time i dont want a 1 ton dually with a 454 as a daily driver(gas )if I was rarelly towing.I understand towing proabably would shorten the life span on the drivetrain(i think the engine/tranny have about 35,000-40,000 miles on them) but it's also a cheap beater.Thank you for the previous responses and any further input is appreciated in helping me figure out what to do.

Thanks

[crossy]

I did knock out a th350 towing with it , still towed with no second gear the next 40 miles to get me home and had it rebuilt with a hardened race/ good sprag , good clutches and mild shift kit($500 or $600?) and the guy i sold it to is still driving/towing with it . that was 8 years ago.

My 170,ooo mile 700R4 in the 92 GMC didn't make it much more than around the block(what was i thinking:-). I had it rebuilt with corvette servo, good Trango parts/upgrades and added a cooler(appx. $900). I towed the big burb through the Pa. hills with that one. sold truck 2 years ago to get Dodge and the guy says its just great, the 350 now has 220K on it.

I am an 'occasional only' tower ,but I'll usually 'test' my tow rig up a hill or two, so parts that are destined to fail usually will.
Keep in mind that every engine/rear/tranny combo also hasa sweet spot and trying to push it harder is strenuous on everything.
The 92 GMC I mentioned had 3.42 rear and Up hill it could handle 50-60 depending on load. If you floored it it would only run 5 MPH faster, but pouring it's guts out! so why bother. For what you have described as your towing needs you'll be fine. DAVE