Towing With A Half Ton

[38inchtj]

i am going to be buying a truck does anyone tow there rigs with halfton trucks if so how do they do what is the power like the one i am looking at is running a 35 inch tire would i be crazy to tow a jeep with that

 

[mbryson]

With the right gearing you'll be fine with the 35" tire. I'd be more worried about the rear spring and brakes than anything.

I moved up from a 1/2 ton pickup to a 3/4 ton pickup, then bought a half ton Suburban and now have a 3/4 ton Sub. I'll never own another half ton and I only tow about 5-6 times per year.

 

[38inchtj]

i normaly tow my jeep once or twice a year to moab but i use my dads duramax wicth also has a 35 inch tire i think mostly i would be towing a 20 foot ski boat and some four wheelers but what i am asking would it tow the jeep twice a year with out any problems

 

[mbryson]

i normaly tow my jeep once or twice a year to moab but i use my dads duramax wicth also has a 35 inch tire i think mostly i would be towing a 20 foot ski boat and some four wheelers but what i am asking would it tow the jeep twice a year with out any problems

My moneys on a 3/4 or one ton to tow anything. You CAN do it, but I like the bigger brakes and heavier springs on a 3/4 ton. I bet the 20ft. boat has a similar weight to your TJ on a trailer.

Define 'problems'......You'll need a longer stopping distance to stop with a load with a half ton {your 35" tires won't help either}. You can't tow much past 60 mph without 'perfect' tongue weight with a half ton without some 'wag'. 3/4 ton is a lot more forgiving.... Go for the 3/4........They usually have a bigger engine and more 'tow worthy' transmissions as a bonus (I.E. less $$$$ on big maintenance issues) in addition to the better brakes and heavier springs.

 

[TRD270]

With the right gearing you'll be fine with the 35" tire. I'd be more worried about the rear spring and brakes than anything.

Bigger the tire the bigger the brake problem.

I don't understand the need to have a lifted tow vehicle and the need for 35's. I see so many tow rigs lifted to the sky with giant tires. I'm a truck driver so towing doesn't bother me. But towing my little 18' trailer with my 4runner was squirly enough with my little 2WD Dodge. Can't imagine towing with a lifted vehicle. Havn't towed anything yet with my 4WD but I certainly won't be making the handling a bigger problem by lifting it.

 

[Tacoma]

I wouldn't bother with a 1/2t unless I was going to make it a trail rig.

I once towed an M725 home, weighs about 6k, with a 3/4t Chevy. That was 14hrs of white-knuckle terror. I would have really liked a dually. Then again, I took 89, which might have helped hahahahah

anyway yeah, if it was me I wouldn't tow anything bigger than a Samurai with a 1/2t, and I'd be bitching about it the whole time anyway: "damnit, I wish this was a 3/4 AT LEAST!".
A 3/4 GM will get you probably an SM465 tranny, and a nice fat 14bolt with the monster drums. It's not a bad way to go, and they're really really cheap in 2wd versions.

 

[tv_larsen]

1/2 tons suck.

BTW, is this a short bed, standard cab, long bed,....?

I towed a lot with my '75 3/4 ton Dodge, no problems (even with 35's).

I towed a 6500lb trailer from Logan to Moab and back once with a std. cab short bed 1/2 ton, I'll never do it again. There was no problem with power, even with the 33" tires, but the light truck weight, soft springs, and very short wheel base just sucked. Even with the equalizer hitch, the control was nervous, and I had to always keep the speeds extra slow. If the electric brake controller had failed, I might not have been able to even stop.

I replaced the half ton with a 3/4 ton Cummins, and I've never been happier. Even ignoring the extra power I now have, the ride and handling control (including stopping) actually makes the towing trips enjoyable.

 

[mesha]

Only problem with a 3/4 or 1 ton is you'll forget it's back there then look in you rear veiw and yell at the guy who is tailgating you so close.

 

[fjcruisin]

Only problem with a 3/4 or 1 ton is you'll forget it's back there then look in you rear veiw and yell at the guy who is tailgating you so close.

I have wanted to do that, then realized it was attatched to my truck

 

[Jeeptj98]

i am going to be buying a truck does anyone tow there rigs with halfton trucks if so how do they do what is the power like the one i am looking at is running a 35 inch tire would i be crazy to tow a jeep with that

I used to have a F150 with the 5.4 LTR V8 engine it also had 35 inch tires. I went on a trip over labor day a couple of years ago, and after having to tow my Jeep on that trip and going up and over Parley's I vowed never again. It took forever to stop it it felt like the trailer had complete control of the truck. It had a Lack of power I was only able to go up Parley's at 25 miles per hour. Not to mention the Gas Mileage was horrible. When I came back on that Labor Day I traded it in and got myself a New Cummins Turbo Diesel and I will never go back.

 

[TRD270]

When I came back on that Labor Day I traded it in and got myself a New Cummings Turbo Diesel and I will never go back.

Where does one get a cummings turbo diesel. Mines a cummins.

 

[Jeeptj98]

Where does one get a cummings turbo diesel. Mines a cummins.

Just got to work it for a little while. Sorry. I was one some cold meds didn't realize the typo

 

[bryce]

i have a 3/4 ton chev 4x4 with a 502 that i dont mind towing with
i also have a 1/2 ton long bed 2x4 with a 327 that i would rather tow with
gas mialage is a little better in my 1/2 ton power is much lower in my 1/2 ton
but i dont notice any sway with the 1/2 ton, when going to st george i usually run 85-90 mph and even on the hills it holds 75mph
with the 3/4 ton i get alot of rear end bob probably because my ball is a little high and i always seem to be repairing it
the last trip i took down south i had a 3/4 ford stroker
i didnt like towing with it any better than my 74 chev
found out later the turbo was fried

here is the secret to towing
dont look back
you will get nervous