Towing

[Pollackz]

have 93 ranger im planing on puting a 302 and a AOD trans out of a f150 into ranger. question is would the 7.5 rear end be able to handle the v8 and pulling a 8000lb hay wagon?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

No, neither would an 8.8.

You need a bigger truck, even with the 302 you don't have enough truck to back it up. My 5.4 F-150 isn't even rated to tow that much... although I have seen people do crazy things with those carts.

 

[Ozwynn]

is your hay wagon a semi trailer or a full trailer. full trailer meaning the tongue is attached to a steerable axle so the only tongue weight is the tongue itself. Semi trailer means no front axle so it has tongue weight (what we think of when we hear trailer)

but no your 7.5 would not stand up to it. the 7.5 won't stand up to the V8. 8.8 would be iffy with that much rolling weight, 9" would be better but then you have the problem of not enough brakes and I don't recommend doing it but if you must then I wouldn't go any faster than 15 0r 20 mph and stay in a low gear. if it is a semi trailer then absolutely no way

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

is your hay wagon a semi trailer or a full trailer. full trailer meaning the tongue is attached to a steerable axle so the only tongue weight is the tongue itself. Semi trailer means no front axle so it has tongue weight (what we think of when we hear trailer)

but no your 7.5 would not stand up to it. the 7.5 won't stand up to the V8. 8.8 would be iffy with that much rolling weight, 9" would be better but then you have the problem of not enough brakes and I don't recommend doing it but if you must then I wouldn't go any faster than 15 0r 20 mph and stay in a low gear. if it is a semi trailer then absolutely no way

An F-150 with an 8.8 isn't even rated to tow that much, mine has a 9.75 (heavier built 8.8) and could not legally pull it.

If it is a wagon (steerable front axle) you are trying to pull over twice what your truck weighs, without the advantage of any tongue weight to speak of. it will be tough to get going and even tougher to stop. A regular trailer will for sure be a no go, it will transfer too much of the weight to the truck.

Keep in mind most hay trailers/wagons are meant to be pulled by tractors when loaded, which rarely go over 25mph, weigh tens of thousands of pounds and are way overbraked... which is conveniant because hay barges rarely have brakes of their own (none of ours do)

 

[Pollackz]

its a full trailer. we use a f150 5.4l to pull it. we take back roads that have speed limits of 25. but we waste alot of time only having 1 vehicle runing back and forth between the field and the barn (15 miles away)

 

[rboyer]

I wouldn't even consider towing an 8000lb trailer with my F250 unless it had electric brakes on it at the very LEAST. Trying to stop an 8000lb trailer with a Ford Ranger can only be done if you aim for the nearest tree and bail out before impact. Earlier this summer I had to use my 4.0 Ranger to pull a 3000lb trailer across a field so that we could use the winch mounted to it to pull my friend out of the mud and onto the trailer and just initially getting the thing to move without stalling required me to put it in 4low. Just trying to stop it while doing 15mph took some effort.

 

[Ozwynn]

I wouldn't even consider towing an 8000lb trailer with my F250 unless it had electric brakes on it at the very LEAST. Trying to stop an 8000lb trailer with a Ford Ranger can only be done if you aim for the nearest tree and bail out before impact. Earlier this summer I had to use my 4.0 Ranger to pull a 3000lb trailer across a field so that we could use the winch mounted to it to pull my friend out of the mud and onto the trailer and just initially getting the thing to move without stalling required me to put it in 4low. Just trying to stop it while doing 15mph took some effort.

we are talking less than 20 mph, it can be done. is it a good idea well no, but it can be done, in 4 low. It will do it. If I can pull an 80,000 pound semi out of a wash bay at blue beacon with a 3/4 ton suburban then a ranger with a 302 and AOD could handle an 8000 pound hay wagon for a short distance. just not a good idea. but he didn't ask if it was a good idea, he asked if it could be done.

 

[AngryLepercon]

he didn't ask if it was a good idea, he asked if it could be done.

Good point

 

[Pollackz]

if u knew me in real life ud know it doesnt matter to me if its a good idea

 

[AngryLepercon]

if u knew me in real life ud know it doesnt matter to me if its a good idea

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Go slow and if your pulling that much weight on an often basis i would go with a Creeper 4sp like a T18, that way you can downshift and slow the vehicle.

It'll be waaaay overloaded, but with some helper springs, slow speeds, and careful driving you'd pry be ok.

I pulled a 8500lb bobcat (one of the bigger ones) on a 2000lb trailer with my 96 F150, 300 6\auto\4x4 and it wasnt scary stopping it, even without trailer brakes , and it actually hummed right down the road at 60 (with the O\D off of course) and felt like it could do it all day long.

The biggest problem i see with what your doing though is going to be sway, 8000lbs hooked to a 3500lb vehicle...

later,
Dustin

 

[Pollackz]

this sounds like a interesting experiment i think i may have to try it when i get ranger running again

 

[The Fox]

I would recommend getting a transfer case for low range and stopping. My current tow rig is a M35 6X6 and if I have it in 4x6 with a 30,000lbs machine on a trailor I can lock the rear wheels, but not the front. If I locked it in 6x6, the rear cant lock unless the front does too. I did this in my little ranger a few times while it was raining out. I could lock the rear up without much effort, but in 4x4 the rear wheels were not wasting the mechanical energy but locking. The front wheels are stronger brakes and want to keep turning and you are forcing the rear wheels turn thus using the energy in the brakes.
Thing to remember is that that M35 motor also weights more then my ranger does. Dry it is 2900lbs and holds 50qt. of oil.
Nick