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what do you tow with your 4 banger?


bluebombersfan

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this upcoming spring I'll be towing a 14ft aluminum boat with 25hp motor. I have good running 96 2.3L with 3:45 axle ratio which according to my manual isn't supposed to tow anything. I'm guessing and hoping it doesn't weigh more then 1000lbs in which case I think I will be okay.
I figure as long as keep it in 4th on the highway I'll have decent torque and less stress on the tranny and differential.
 


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i dont tow, i carry cargo on the bed, i dont know if that is the same as towing, in weight,
i carry about 1700 pounds on the bed, first on a 93 2.3 5speed, now on my 99 2.5 5spd and my moms 03 2.3 5spd
 

drb1956

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I once pulled a Mitsubishi Mirage on a tow dolly 230 miles,with no problems, except the hills(2.5L, M5OD, '99 XLT Sport, Std cab, long box)...Ran 65-70, dropped to 4th for the hills, and kept onna goin'.....
 

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Man, thats impressive. My 4.0 with 4.10 gears barely pulls 3k pounds without feeling anemic to me. Of course I am used to 1000+ lb ft of torque.
 

PushnFords

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I've pulled a pop up camper with my '93 2wd without any problems and it handles it pretty well. Can't use 5th around here empty...with a load or trailer I don't even try. I've also hauled 1500-2,000 lbs of dirt in the bed on a couple of occassions...the 2K load wore the bottoms off of my mud flaps. Heaviest trailer I've pulled was a '93 S10 Blazer 4wd on a tow dolly...don't recommend that though.

Derek
 

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bluebomber, in the hands of a skilled driver, your truck would be fine.

how good are you with the clutch? can you get a load moving with that tall of a gear without burning it up? once your moving everything will be fine....its just a matter of getting going, which is where a lot of people get into trouble.
 

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I also have a 14" (48beam) jon boat with a 25 horse and 2X2 square steel homemade trailer with 15" wheel's. Trailer's very heavy. I pull it at least once a week, weather permitting. L'il Ranger tow's it OK. The tricky part is the boat ramp's. Usually good if they are dry. If wet, can be a bit worrysome. Trick is not to break the tire loose with the open rear end. Some sandbag's in the bed help a lot! With the automatic tranny, I've learned you can load it to kick in the other tire by using the emergency brake if the tire start's to spin. Gotta find the sweet spot though! The whole set up shouldn't weigh more than 800 pound's. You should have no problem pulling it. Tranny cooler is recommended, but I haven't had any problem's with it over heating without one. Bumper hitch is also no problem.
 

Sevensecondsuv

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It's all in the clutch. Steep axle gears really make it easier on the clutch. A lightweight boat shouldn't be too bad though. Just take it easy getting going. Don't rev the motor when starting out, just be gentle with the clutch and let the motor lug if it has to. Your goal is to be operating the clutch for as short a time as possible and rev the motor as little as possible. Also try to match RPM's for the next gear when you shift so that the clutch doesn't have to try to engage across a large RPM/torque difference.
 

jobar

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Bluebomber, make sure you dont drive in 5th. Stay in 4th like you said, you will overheat the engine.(ask me how I know) I tow a 2000# utility trailer once a month, and havent had any promblems. The only thing I would be concerned about would be (stated eariler) the boat ramp.
 

1988Rangerxlt

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i have towed my dads bronco11 with my 87 ranger 2.3 with a auto had no troubles at all
 

jdm_farmboy

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i towed a 91 ford escort on a 1200 lb flatbed trailer thirty miles back to my house when my tepmom blew the head gasket
 

Kenneth S

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this upcoming spring I'll be towing a 14ft aluminum boat with 25hp motor. I have good running 96 2.3L with 3:45 axle ratio which according to my manual isn't supposed to tow anything. I'm guessing and hoping it doesn't weigh more then 1000lbs in which case I think I will be okay.
I figure as long as keep it in 4th on the highway I'll have decent torque and less stress on the tranny and differential.
My brothers ranger has a 3:45 gear, mine has a 3:73, I have drivin both of them, my brothers truck is harder to get going than mine (even when they are both empty), the only difference between the two is the rear gearing.
 

cghstrojan08

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I have pulled a fully loaded bed of camping stuff and a 12 foot boat no problem. I have 2.5L, 5 speed, and 3.73 gears with stock tires at the time. Also have had a bed completely full of wood up to the top of the cab with no problems. Have no clue what it weighed but doubt the springs could go much further.
 

bluebombersfan

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Looks like I should be fine, from what it sounds I have to let the clutch grab at low rpms in first and I was thinking it was the other way around
 
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My dad's 1991 Ranger 2.3L 5sp. man. pulled a 12' trailer for 10 years during the summer loaded with a 52" deck Dixie Chopper, a 52" deck walk-behind mower, and a small push mower along with a bed full of gas tanks, weedeaters, blowers, spare tires and a bunch of other stuff. As far as I know it pulled pretty good.
 

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