I have a 2001 F150 XL 4X4 with the v6 5 speed and 3.55 gears. I want to pull my 91 Mustang to the dragstrip on an openwheel car trailer. Anybody towed something similar with this combination? I just put 265/75/16's on it and it hurt interstate power slightly. Is first gear low enough to get started out? Clutch strong enough? Any feedback appreciated.

 

Hi Dave

I cant answer your specific question...cause my truck not same.

However....what your asking..seems to me...you dont know what the GCWR of your truck is? Or do you?

So..if you dont know..you need to find that out...

Also...you apparently upgraded to larger size tire?...that might change the GCWR for your truck?....also might change your recorded mileage/speedometer reading/maybe not? Drop in power...thats another story!

How much does...car/trailer/truck weight?

Should be sticker on dside door jamb...axle weight,etc.....also..at least in my 99SC owner book...tow ratings listed etc...If you dont have that info....maybe someone here does. I only have 98-99 info.

Good luck.....OT

 

From what I read on the boards the 5 speed is rated for about half of what an auto can tow so the car and trailer maybe over the rating for your setup if you had an auto I'd say you would be safe to tow it but with the 5 speed it is hard to say if you tow that much or not.

 

My guess is, you're over capacity for the 5 speed manual tranny. That's not to mean you can't safely haul that load. The problem with the 5 speed is that the clutch is extremely weak and the tranny itself isn't the strongest either. Brakes will be sufficient (so long as the trailer has brakes) 'cause I think all brakes are the same anyway. I mean, Ford wouldn't put weaker brakes on a 5 speed, would they?

If you can shift without slipping the clutch too much and without straining the tranny, you may be able to haul that load, but it's a real BIG IF. You'll have to be extra easy on the gas and get your load moving with as little torque and clutch as possible. Too much torque and your tranny could go. Too much clutch and you'll fry it.

 

I appreciate the feedback. I am really concerned about the clutch (it seems to be weak) and getting started on a hill. I think once moving it will be fine. I know people do it. I ran into a guy last year at the strip, and he was towing his 65 Mustang with a similar 4X4 with the V6 5 speed. He claimed it pulled better than expected especially after around 10,000 miles break-in. I think my stang is around 3300-3500 pounds- Not sure about the trailer. Just a basic tandem axle openwheel car trailer. Anyway, the automatic version towing capacity is around 5ooo some pounds I believe and they rate the manual significantly lower. But they do that on every truck probably because the clutches are the weak link and people ride them to get moving. The torque converter multiplies the torque from a stop making it easier to get moving. I had a Dodge QC 4X4 with the 318 automatic before this (wifes truck) and it was the weakest thing I have ever towed with. It got moving pretty good from a stop but it sucked BADLY on the interstate. I wasnt trying to set speed records, but jeesh. It was ugly.

 

That's the problem with the manual trannies. Ford made a truck that can be driven by all people so they put in a soft clutch. If you were to drive a SuperDuty with a clutch, you'd feel the difference right away.

You got the right idea. Do whatever you can to keep that clutch from slipping and burning and you should be fine.

 

Your right on with the wieght of the car as my 91, 94, and 96 Mustangs all were within the 3300 to 3500 pound range and with the trailer your talking around 4500 or so pounds you would be towing.

 

I once towed a 5000# trailer with my 90' Ranger 2.9L 5spd 4x4 S/C pickup.

Talk about a trailer throwing around a truck!

I couldn't get the combination over 50mph on the open hwy even in 4th with it floored! LOL.

I think I killed that truck with that one tow.

Oh well, it's long traded in.

The tow rating of your truck is more to do with how much weight you can accelerate. That's why the auto is rated higher because it multiplies the engine torque so much at low speeds compared to the stick tranny. As well, no clutch to fry.

I got that big trailer moving off the stop light by sometimes chucking it in 4LO (manual hubs unlocked (in the city) light to light cause you never get above 30mph.

Just make sure the trailer brakes are in good condition, that you don't overload/underload the tongue weight (Mustang too far forward or too far back on trailer). Should be fine. Check the GVW rating too for the law.

Your clutch will be ok if you aren't starting on any steep grades. Tranny will survive if you're not having to floor it in every gear.

Take it easy. Good luck.

 

you will be towing a little too much for that application. Your truck is rated for about 3200lbs and if you get much more than that you will be workin the clutch real hard. Too bad you didnt have 4:10 gears.......that would help.

 

Here is a ink to Ford's towing specs... I think you are overweight... and the clutch is not the strongest part of the Ford driveline.

http://www.fleet.ford.com/products/r...150_ranger.pdf

 

Dave Tabata;

I have a '98 F150 SC with 4.2l, 5-speed and 3.55 gear. I routinely tow a 3100 lb camper with food, clothes, water etc. in it. I also throw a 325 lb. ATV in the back of the truck and a canoe on top of the cap. All together including wife, kids and dog I would be in the same weight range as you. I have 145,000 kms on the truck with the original clutch. No problems if you handle the weight right. I can take off from a stop on flat ground without touching the gas and my take-offs are not much more agressive than that. Once the clutch is fully engaged you can accelerate as hard as the engine will allow without any slipping. Good Luck.

 

Two years ago we were putting in a swimming pool and we needed to get some sand from the quarry for a good base. I borrowed a friends tandem axle trailer and headed to the quarry. The pool place told me I needed four tons of the stuff so I decided to get it in two trips, big mistake. My 98 V6 has 3.08 gears, great for on the interstate, but when towing, they are terrible. I did make it home, but getting started was very hard on the clutch. That was at 48,000 and the truck just turned over 90,000 and no noticable problems. For big jobs now I use an old 3/4 ton Chevy my dad gave me and it works out fine.

 

i've towed my bronco II (4500 lbs) on a 1200 lb tandem axle trailer (thats 6700 lbs total) with no problem. it took a little longer to get up to speed and had a hard time in fifth, but thats about it. that was with my 97 f-150 supercab longbed with a 4.2l v6 3.55 LS rear, and 5-speed manual tranny. a mustang is lighter than my bII, so you shouldn't have any trouble.

 

The V6 with the manual can pull the load, it's really more up to the skill of the driver. If you are a skilled driver with a manual, it won't be a problem. I've pulled a tandem axle trailer weighed down to 4500 lbs. The truck handled the load with no issues. If your skills aren't up to the task you might want to look into a centerforce perfromance clutch or practice your driving skills. And yes the tow rating for the manual is lower than the auto, but that's more a factor of underating for unskilled drivers. Oh and the other thing, if you have 3.08 gears instead of 3.55 or better, you also might want to upgrade your gears.

 

two things you need to check.

The door jamb will tell you weight capacity for your specific model as it relates to brakes and suspension.

Your owners manual will let you know what the engine and tranny will do.


The answer is YES, your truck can handle towing the race car. However, before you do, confirm your towing capacity. You could be doing a lot of damage to the engine/tranny by pushing it too much.