I am about to get a 89 ranger, and i am wondering if i need to install a towing package or will the bumper hitch work?? Im gonna be pulling about 2000 pounds on a pretty regular basis, the only small truck i really have any experiance with is my brothers s10 and his bumper is rated at 2k pounds and 250 pounds of tongue weight so i was wondering what an 89 ranger's bumper is similarly rated?? also how hard is it to install a towing package incase i have to go down that route?? or do i have to have a shop do it??

 

Get a receiver hitch - they are bolt on and easy
you do not want to tow a ton (2K pounds) via the bumper

 

If you stay on relatively flat groubd and allow yourself plenty of stoping distance, you should be "ok". Make sure you get a receiver hitch though.

Does the trailer have brakes? If it does, then I would definetly invest in a brake controller and wire it in.

How's your tranny? Might want to consider an aux tranny cooler.

Maybe a liitle over the top for what you want, BUT if you will be towing this on a "regular basis", then you might want to invest in a few things that will help you (and the truck )in the long run.

 

As others have said, a receiver hitch is the safe way to go. But, you also need to consider that 2.9L v6. They are very prone to cracked heads if they overheat just a tad. Ask me, been there, paid a hell of a lot to fix it. I put on World heads which are supposed to be stronger and less crack-prone, but it was never right after that. You don't want to overheat that engine.

 

i plan to get a reciever hitch, i just gont have the cash right now and it will be probobly 6 weeks or so. I have several gigs between now and then. My truck is a manual, and its not a 2.9 v6, its a2.4 i4. I have several freinds who us s10's with i4's and tow more than me on a regualr basis. And the general consensus in the i4 forum is that i should be ok. I also plan on installing a bigger radiator if i can find one. I just need the truck to make it as is until i get me tax returns, than i will have extra money to toughen the truck up with.

 

I towed around that much on my bumper several times. I had to get a hitch because my bumper was/is to high and I had to pick up the trailer to get it on the ball. I was going to be doing this on a regular basis so I got the hitch. I also didn't like the idea of putting that much strain on my bumper.

 

there was a ranger 2.4? when?? and a manual is worse for towing than a auto. unless you have a tranny cooler, you'll burn out your tranny.

 

I thought the older 4's were 2.3L ???? My 94 had the 4cyl, but don't remember exactly what it was.

If he's got the manual tranny, he doesn't need a tranny cooler. BUT, he better make certain it's got a strong clutch, and the oil is in good shape. Pulling 2k + on a regular basis is not going to be easy on that truck. That's how I blew out the tranny in my 94.

 

i meant 2.3 not 2.4 sorry bout that, i am from oklahoma. Also when i get my tax return, if i can afford it after everything else im gonna get a heavy duty clutch, and the oil is in good shape, and i also plan on changing it every 10-15 thousand miles to help keep everything i good shape.

 

Ill be towing 5500 lbs every once in awhile. But mines set up with a digital break controler and lol 10000 lb hitch. I have a bigger tranny cooler as well