Towing with a 7.5 vs 8.8

[Jim Oaks]

I'm wanting to finish up my Bronco II this year and need to get my used 4-inch lift on. When it's done, the B2 will be riding on 33-inch tires. I won't be doing any real wheeling with it.

I'm thinking of converting a Ranger bed with a shell in to a little trailer to camp in and tow with the Bronco II. My concern is if the 7.5 is going to be strong enough, or if I should swap it out for a 8.8. I don't want to be swapping axles if I don't need to.

Anyone have any experience with the 7.5 and towing?

 

[shane96ranger]

My friend has an 89 Ranger with the 7.5, and it's towed a trailer several times with zero issues. He even had a Yamaha Warrior in the bed quite often. The 7.5 has outlasted two sets of leafs and even the 2.9 - which is why its not on the road currently.

I've always thought the 7.5 got a little bit more of the "red headed step child" label than it deserved. I beat the piss out of the 7.5 in my 85 GT and it took every bit of it. Of course when your big brother is an 8.8, it makes it easy to point fingers. It is a superior axle.



Sent while I should be doing something else

 

[Gacknar]

Towed a few trailers with my Ranger, never had a problem from the 7.5

Buddy towed a utility trailer almost daily with his B-II, again no problems from the 7.5

 

[4.0B2]

with my 7.5, it was not uncommon for me to be hauling this

we had it behind the explorer that weekend...but we usually use my b2 for hunting season.

also towed a chevy 1500 home on a car dolly twice. one time was about 8 miles, other was closer to 30 miles.

also used to pull a 5x8 box trailer (with brakes!) behind it for work about 5 days a month or so.

 

[88_Eddie]

i'd do it just for safe measure, plus to get the disc brakes. it would be easy to do while you have the suspension apart to install the lift.

to answer the question though, i used to haul all sorts of stuff with my parents trailer when i was in high school. lumber, shingles, yard debris, rocks, couches etc. i doubt you'll have a problem.

 

[Jim Oaks]

Cool beans guys. Thanks!

 

[4.0B2]

I agree with Eddie, I'd do it b/c of disc brakes and just to have the stronger axle... but I don't see where you'll have issues with the 7.5 for towing.

I'd focus more on the trans cooler for towing (if an auto)

 

[AllanD]

The slightly greater trac width of the explorer sure would be a comfort if towing with a vehicle with a short wheel base like a bronco2

 

[pillen140]

I've towed my old '52 chevy truck with a v8 and oak bed, along with an old and heavy 1200lb tow dolly when I had a 7.5. It was only about an hour drive but did fine.... other than having a 3.0L and 33's! Also towed my '85 mustang with no issues. That was severely over loaded though.

 

[adsm08]

I have loaded up a 5x12x3 trailer to the max, and then filled the bed of my truck, and ran off on a 100 mile trip. No ill effects to the axle.

The trans didn't fare well though.

 

[88_Eddie]

on a non-RBV note, we used my brothers cherokee to completely move him out after he graduated college hauling on of those enclosed uhaul trailers from rocky mount to raleigh (about 75 miles one way). we made 2 trips there and back. later that year we used his jeep to haul the same trailer filled with stuff from our family farm north of winston-salem back to raleigh (about 115 miles one way). each time there were 4 adults in the vehicle as well. if his dana 35 POS could handle that, then i think a 7.5 would be fine with a trailer filled with some coolers and lantern.

 

[Gacknar]

Towed this a few times with random loads on it.

 

[Redneckryder]

I got a old fiberglass boat I used to haul around with my '92. It was heavy enough that it took 4lo to pull the boat out of the water without spinning, and I used to haul it everywhere. Also put my 600lb motorcycle in the bed and drove up to Mi from WVa.

I do have to agree with the guys though.....if you're gonna have it all dis-connected while putting the lift on anyways, why not slip the 8.8 in there?

 

[Captain Ledd]

I had a 7.5" in my '97. I was not shy about loading that thing down. Although I never broke it (partly due to having only 4 cylinders), I did manage to actually wear it out after 200k.

Ended up with an Explorer 8.8 now.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I kind wonder if I didn't bend/twist a shaft on my 7.5...

The vibration I thought was an out of balance tire went away when I did my 8.8 swap, the really sad thing is that was there before the V8 swap... which means my weezing 2.8 did it.

I have had the thing way overloaded at the time so I can't really blame the axle completely.

If this in the trailer I would ditch the 7.5 in a hearbeat for something with electric brakes.