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#1 |
More trusty Less rusty
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Lakewood,Colorado
Posts: 152
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Towing capabilities
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
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#2 |
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Ft. Mill, SC USA
Posts: 931
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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
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PROJECT TRUCK: 1985 SWB C10 Silverado Black/Charcoal, 1990 V2500 Suburban, 2018 Suburban, 2005 GMC 2500HD CCSB, 2014 Toyota Camry SE, HAD.....1968 Camaro RS/SS Family owned since new; 350 3 speed ![]() ![]() |
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#3 | |
Account Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Elkhart, IN
Posts: 6,400
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Quote:
![]() 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. |
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#4 |
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Lawrenceburg, In
Posts: 78
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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 |
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#5 | |
Account Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Elkhart, IN
Posts: 6,400
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Quote:
![]() 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. ![]() |
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#6 |
Oh,you can't buy that new
![]() Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Pennsville,N.J. 08070, USA
Posts: 2,039
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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
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"been there, done that, ruined the T-shirt". 2007 LBZ GMC Sierra, ECSB 2006 LM7 RCSB Silverado 98 Vortec project. 94,3500,6.5L 4L80 81 SWB GMC POS finally gone ![]() 73 Pinto, stock, w/CragarSS's-eww ![]() LOTS of Cummins trucks. |
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#7 | |
Gentleman Jim Driver
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Poulsbo, WA
Posts: 1,550
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Quote:
![]() 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.
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Joe '75 GMC Gentleman Jim '84 Chev C10 Short Wide - Super duper plain (manual steering, manual brakes, no dome light, no cig lighter) '85 Chev C10 Short Wide - Super plain Vortec 4.8 4L60E trans also: '81 K30, '83 C30 Crew Dually, '84 M1028 CUCV, '85 M1009 CUCV, another '85 C10 SWB, '89 R3500 Flatbed |
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#8 |
Account Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Texas
Posts: 2,686
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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 . |
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#9 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 419
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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.
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54 Chevy Bel Air 4dr powerglide 54 Chevy SWB 58 Chevy Big Window SWB Fleetside project 58 Chevy LWB 235/4spd 76 Chevy Nova 350/TH350 4.88's *10kmiles on "new" engine 79 Chevy 4x4 SWB 350/4spd 3/4 ton 81 Mazda RX7 84 F@!d Mustang 96 F@!d Ranger 2.3L/5spd Last edited by Apache; 12-09-2004 at 08:01 AM. |
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#10 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 419
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Quote:
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54 Chevy Bel Air 4dr powerglide 54 Chevy SWB 58 Chevy Big Window SWB Fleetside project 58 Chevy LWB 235/4spd 76 Chevy Nova 350/TH350 4.88's *10kmiles on "new" engine 79 Chevy 4x4 SWB 350/4spd 3/4 ton 81 Mazda RX7 84 F@!d Mustang 96 F@!d Ranger 2.3L/5spd |
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#11 | |
Account Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Elkhart, IN
Posts: 6,400
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LOL, that's one car a day for 273 years. ![]() |
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#12 | |
Account Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Elkhart, IN
Posts: 6,400
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#13 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Lawrenceburg, In
Posts: 78
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![]() Quote:
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 |
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#14 |
More trusty Less rusty
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Lakewood,Colorado
Posts: 152
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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
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#15 |
Oh,you can't buy that new
![]() Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Pennsville,N.J. 08070, USA
Posts: 2,039
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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
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"been there, done that, ruined the T-shirt". 2007 LBZ GMC Sierra, ECSB 2006 LM7 RCSB Silverado 98 Vortec project. 94,3500,6.5L 4L80 81 SWB GMC POS finally gone ![]() 73 Pinto, stock, w/CragarSS's-eww ![]() LOTS of Cummins trucks. |
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