Bronco II towing capacity ???

[jollykreiger]

Its an 1984 if it matters 4x4.

I thought this would be an easy one to look up but boy was I wrong. All I can find is people saying the 2.9l is so under powered that a few hundred pounds would make it impossible to keep up on highways. Or that the auto trans is gonna have a meltdown so just dont. Or my cousins brothers aunts son heard yada yada..

Well, I have a 4.0l with a 5spd, not the small one but I cant remember the exact one right now. Plus Ill be swapping out to an EX 8.8 here soon (got it laying around). So power and durability is not the problem.

The real question is safety, braking, stability...

So does anybody actually know the recommended tow capacity or have experiences with a proper load (I had #800 feel super unstable because I loaded it wrong). Maybe a boat, camp trailer...

 

[RonD]

Well there are 2 questions here
What "can" you tow?
And
What "may" you tow?

"May" is the legal towing capacity, look on the drivers door label and get the CGVW number, that's the Combined Gross Vehicle Weight, this is the maximum weight including vehicle weight(3,400lbs), driver/passenger weight, cargo weight, and trailer/cargo weight LEGALLY allowed.
So if CGVW was 5,000lbs then you subtract 3,400lbs(B2 weight) to get 1,600lbs, then your weight(driver) , say 200lbs, to get 1,400lbs for max. trailer/cargo weight.

If CGVW was 6,000lbs then it would be 2,400lbs, assuming no passengers or cargo in B2
This "legal limit" can not be changed with modifications, i.e. engine upgrade, axle or leaf springs, it is tied to the VIN number


The "Can" towing weight is up to you, I would be wary of weights close to or above vehicle weight, unless you have electric trailer brakes installed.

And yes, any automatic trans needs an add on cooler, pulling a trailer or not, heat is what kills an automatic, and you simply can not run one "too cool", so.............

 

[Kayakcrazy]

I pull a 18 foot ski boat with mine without any trouble.Its right in the 2500lb range. I pull it about 10 miles each way so not far. Its no speed demon but stops fine, as with any trailer you allow a little extra room. You can feel it back there for sure but no problems.
I usually don't go over about 50 or 55 mainly due to that's what my bimini top is rated for as to not tear it up.

Also my B2 is bone stock drive train wise, 2.9 auto,

 

[Kayakcrazy]

A pic of the boat to give you a reference

 

[JerryC]

search you tube for the motorweek BroncoII video. I think it says on that the BII could tow 4500lbs?

 

[jollykreiger]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ykvs1WDXTbQ

OMG!!! this video is great. They mobbed that bronco II even caught air a few times. Even better was there was a scout II also in the video, which is my wheeling toy.

Im not sure if I would ever want to tow 4500lbs, I'll suck the fuel down in the scout at that rate.

My largest typical load would be a 15ft? Fiberform TriHull that I got on trade with the bronco, but I still haven't even towed it yet and wanted to make sure it wasn't pure lunacy to do so.

I guess I could have used my impreza to tow it home

 

[bobbywalter]

And yes, any automatic trans needs an add on cooler, pulling a trailer or not, heat is what kills an automatic, and you simply can not run one "too cool", so.............

this is not true. you most certainly can over cool an auto to failure.

 

[RonD]

this is not true. you most certainly can over cool an auto to failure.

That would have to be one heck of a large cooler, and you would have to disconnect the Radiator trans cooler as well, as that would keep it from getting that cool

 

[bobbywalter]

That would have to be one heck of a large cooler, and you would have to disconnect the Radiator trans cooler as well, as that would keep it from getting that cool

no. and....no. stock cooler even.


climate. big factor.... sometimes you have to add heat. this can be done by merely insulating the lines, sometimes electric is a key way.


i learned the hard way....like with most things.

 

[enjr44]

Be careful here folks. What the owner's manual says it can tow and what it can comfortably tow is two different things.

My ranger tows (by the book) 5600 pounds. There is no way it can tow that comfortably, the truck only weighs 4800 pounds. That 5600 pounds would jerk the truck all over the place. I moved 5000 once (with brakes) and that was the scariest 19 miles of my life. The trailer was driving the truck.

 

[bobbywalter]

i have towed quite a bit more then that before and did fine..i thought it was acceptable anyway....though i was running a heavy leaf pack and half ton equivalent for an 88 ranger axles.


towing with the later gen 3 and up trucks like yours, in 4.0 trim....towing a race car was handled quite acceptably ime... open trailer with brakes....@6500 total with gear-tires-fuel. i usually rode passenger or followed but i drove a few times @140 miles round trip and thought it was doing ok. felt like it was murdering the transmission the whole time...but ignoring that

 

[richard booth]

I want the detachable windows now, never saw them before!