Towing a ranger with a ranger

haymaker · Apr 6, 2008

I am going to be purchasing a 91 ranger ext. cab with the 4.0 and auto trans w/ OD, I currently have an 89 that I want to turn into a dedicated trail rig. I want to know if I would be able to tow that either on some type of car dolly or on a regular trailer. If not what would it take, the 91 ranger has stock gears but I will be bumping up to 4.10's or 4.56 to accomadate some 31's or 33's. I imagine the tranny is the wekest link here.

mkpecor · Apr 7, 2008

i towed my budies full size extended cab chev for 1.5 hrs, i have a 2.9 motor 33'' swopers stock 3.73 gears and it handled great,way better than i thought it would, so you will be fine with a 4.0. the tranny should be fine to.

Will · Apr 7, 2008

I don't think it's a good idea. On a dolly (not a towbar) you could possibly get it under the weight rating of your truck. I wouldn't raise the CG by lifting it and putting on larger tires. On a real trailer, I don't see how you could make it under the weight rating.

I've towed a B2 with my Ranger with a dolly and with a towbar. It works but just feels too half-assed for a permanent plan.

Hahnsb2 · Apr 8, 2008

I assume your 89 is a 2.9? I pulled home a sploder sport (5-7miles) yesterday with my B2, the 2.9 did ok for what it is but it was begging for mercy, I wouldn't want to tow one any further than that,

Wicked_Sludge · Apr 8, 2008

ya, but a 4.0 isnt a 2.9.

i flat towed an '86 with my 3.0 for about 50 miles and it did great (other than the '86's poor front end alignment). i wouldnt think twice about doing it again...flat or on a car dolly (dolly being much easier to haul). if this is a dedicated trail rig, i recommend getting a set of smaller tires for towing...this will lower the CG, reduce wear on your good tires, and make the towed truck track better.

Hahnsb2 · Apr 8, 2008

Wicked_Sludge said:
ya, but a 4.0 isnt a 2.9.

i flat towed an '86 with my 3.0 for about 50 miles and it did great (other than the '86's poor front end alignment). i wouldnt think twice about doing it again...flat or on a car dolly (dolly being much easier to haul). if this is a dedicated trail rig, i recommend getting a set of smaller tires for towing...this will lower the CG, reduce wear on your good tires, and make the towed truck track better.

Sorry I mis-read the post, I though he said he wanted to pull the 4.0 rig home with his current 89...

Zorro · Apr 10, 2008

That's an A4LD ... you will blow it. I broke mine first while towing 1800lbs max, then another one.
If you want to tow, get a manual or a more recent better transmission.

canyoncritter · Apr 11, 2008

I'd be worried about being able to make unexpected stops.

Wicked_Sludge · Apr 11, 2008

wouldnt be bad on a car dolly or trailer with brakes. trans is definitely the weakest link. a big ol' honkin trans cooler (something designed for RV's) will be in order....and keep your final gearing down.

Zorro · Apr 11, 2008

Wicked_Sludge said:
wouldnt be bad on a car dolly or trailer with brakes. trans is definitely the weakest link. a big ol' honkin trans cooler (something designed for RV's) will be in order....and keep your final gearing down.

I had an extra cooler. No difference. Blew up just the same.

mhughes165 · Apr 11, 2008

they all came wiht the "extra" cooler behind the grill.....we mean a cooler like damn near the size of the rad to really keep the fluid cool, not some little dinky 4"x6" cooler like u can buy at advance auto for $10

pillen140 · Apr 11, 2008

mhughes165 said:
they all came wiht the "extra" cooler behind the grill.....we mean a cooler like damn near the size of the rad to really keep the fluid cool, not some little dinky 4"x6" cooler like u can buy at advance auto for $10

those only work as a heater core when your trannys about to burst into flames. you need one, like you said, the size of your radiator, but mounted on your roof!

07rangersport · Apr 12, 2008

Zorro said:
That's an A4LD ... you will blow it. I broke mine first while towing 1800lbs max, then another one.
If you want to tow, get a manual or a more recent better transmission.

Did you shut OD off?? That will cook a working trany in itself.

Wicked_Sludge · Apr 12, 2008

zorro, we understand that you blew your trans doing relitively light work. we also understand that the A4LD isnt the greatest trans in the world. however, there was a point when an A4LD equipped 4.0 ranger was rated to tow almost 6,000lbs, and there is a reason for this: most trucks that dont already have a billion miles on them, are properly equipped for the task at hand, and driven by a skillful driver, can sucessfully tow that much weight...even on a regular basis. yes, sometimes parts do fail prematurely...this is something we have to deal with in the automotive world. did you ever stop to think maybe your truck was the exception, not the rule?

Zorro · Apr 12, 2008

What's your point?

My experience is that the A4LD is a POS that will leave you stranded at some point because it's so underbuilt. He can go ahead and experience it for himself, but he said how he would using it, and I'm telling him I'm sure he will end up stranded on the side of the road.

I've only seen dozens of threads and dozens of people going through the swap I'm going through right now, aka A4LD to M5OD. I went through 2 A4LDs before having enough. When it's weak sauce, there's nothing you can do about it. And it's not the exception. There is a revolting amount of A4LDs blowing up "prematurely".

Towing a ranger with a ranger

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