Towing a Load - Ford Ranger Forums

PharmRanger4x4 · 02-08-2005

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loneFX4 · 02-08-2005

should tow that with ease. ive done some heavy hauling with no problems. im guessin 4.10s means you have 4wd? put it in 4 low and you prolly wont notice a thing (well thats exagerating it a bit since it is 19 ft long)

SoundPer4mance · 02-08-2005

uh driving around in 4LO is a BAD THING. but you should be able to tow that just fine, i towed a 97 aspire full of our stuff on a car hauler, with my ranger, 4.0 4.10s and auto, with a camper shell. only problem i had was the rear end squatted too much because the load was too far forward on the trailer. i wouldnt worry about pulling that boat

Alon · 02-08-2005

what bob said, it should be fine..... but DO NOT PUT IT IN 4 as long as you have traction

SoundPer4mance · 02-08-2005

4wd is ok if you need to use it, 4HI that is. you should never use 4LO unless youre stuck somewhere, and you shouldnt use 4LO over say 20mph. thats just a guess. 4LO is not a "driving around" gear

rngprerunner · 02-08-2005

4lo shouldnt be used over 15 and for that matter really wont do much more than 30 anyway.

I tow a 16ft Towhauler that when loaded weighs in the 4500+ neighborhood with a 80sf front area... you shouldnt have a problem.

zabeard · 02-08-2005

youll be fine, i pulled 6000 pounds before and had no problems at all. i have a brake controller, but just give yourself plenty of stopping time.

almost every week during the summer i pull around 3000lbs at least 75 miles a week.

karrbass4life · 02-08-2005

Don't use 4wd at all while pulling that on stable ground.

4x4 is only ment to be used on unstable surfaces (gravel, dirt, sand, mud, snow) and not on any type of pavement. 4x4 has to be engauged by the diver. I also heard driving around in 4x4 will mess the trans. and transfer case up.

AWD however is ment for both stable and unstable surfaces. AWD is always enguaged (think subaru), and cannot be turned off by the user (i think, they are computer controlled) NO RANGER HAS AWD. (This Important to mention beccause some people without knowledge constantly ask me what is the difference between 4x4 and AWD.)

So theres a breakdown on why not to use 4x4 on pavement, what to use it on, and a very brief description on the differences between 4x4 and AWD.

NHBubba_Revisited · 02-08-2005

Don't use 4WD AT ALL, either Hi or Lo range on dry pavement. You'll damage your drivetrain for sure. 4WD is ONLY for low traction situations, like mud/dirt or snow and ice.

I thought the towing specs were lower, especially for 4x4s. However your auto helps w/ the matter. Although I thought 5600 lbs was the total GROSS vehicle combined weight limit, or something like that. If that's the case, then deduct the weight of your Ranger, any payload and passengers (including yourself) in the truck and the remainder is what your towing capacity is. The number that stuck in my head was somewhere around 2600 lbs. Although I'm likely off and/or thinking of my FX4 LII w/ manual tranny..

That having been said, I wouldn't worry about it. Basically if you can get the truck moving, you're probably okay. Avoid stopping on an incline. Also I would take the detour and avoid the highway. The truck should handle better at slower speeds.

I used to regularly tow a 17' tri-hull w/ a 50 horse outboard on it w/ my old '99 XL Sport (4x2, 2.5L I4, manual) w/o any problems, even up in the foot hills of the white mountians. I've towed the same boat w/ my new truck and it's even easier! (Duh!) Meanwhile dad's new 18' inboard is a little more of a chore..

NHBubba_Revisited · 02-08-2005

See Bob's excellent post about auto vs. manual tranny towing specs here. He mentions that the GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) is 9500 lbs for the 4.0L Ranger w/ an auto. The figure drops to 7000 lbs for those of us w/ the stick.

It seems I was entirely full of

altogether! .. Eh, imagine that eh?!

MRC · 02-09-2005

It will tow that fine.I tow my Mustang to the racetrack on a weekly basis.Car and trailer are about 4700 lbs.I have a 4.0 5 speed auto and 410 gears.I have towed it as far as Atlanta (1000 mile round trip)with no problems.Don't plan on getting any good gas mileage.Mine gets between 11 and 13 while towing.I have electric brakes but have towed fine without them,you just have to be more careful.I have seen no adverse affects on the truck and I have been towing for about 4 years and I now have 146,000 miles so I have tested the durability of the whole truck!

zabeard · 02-09-2005

MRC you need to get a chip/programmer from doug, that will help you in gas milage alot, it helped me not i get 15-16 pulling a trailer. and i used to get the same as you

MRC · 02-09-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by zabeard

MRC you need to get a chip/programmer from doug, that will help you in gas milage alot, it helped me not i get 15-16 pulling a trailer. and i used to get the same as you

Well,I have the 4.0 OHV,not the SOHC.I don't know if I would get the same resutls as you.How does a chip help gas mileage?I am not doubting you,I just thought they were for performance.What kind of mileage do you get when not towing?I get about 17-19.I can go about 300 miles on a tank not towing and about 200 miles while towing.I may have to look into the chip.Thanks for the info.

Shalafi49 · 02-09-2005

MRC, I have the OHV as well. I don't know a whole lot about the chips but I would recommend the flasher dealio and get Doug to make a towing program and a regular program at least. I think most people do a 87 octane and a 93 octane program but since you tow so much definately get the towing as well. I'm sure you'll notice an increase...at the very least e-mail Doug and he'll answer your questions. Bama_Chips@Charter.net

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