Am I one of the few truly happy with the 4.6 for towing? I have two boats that I tow. One that is about 2000lbs and other is about 3200lbs. I can barely tell the small one is back there. The big one lets its presence be felt, but the engine has no lack of power to pull it, even through the smoky mountains.

 

I never really tow anything with this truck, but I am sure it depends on some owners altitudes and terrain landscape. Like all messageboards people usually tend to flock together on ideas. What I mean by that is if you say your truck has a "funny" feel when you take a turn at 30mph on a sunny day, then there is always someone else that feels the same thing. I am not saying there aren't problems occasionally, but sometimes they get blown out of proportion. Please no flames.

-Brian

 

I haven't towed with my truck yet so I wouldn't know how it would do but so far the 4.6 hasn't let me down yet it done fine going through the rocky mountains last summer.

 

ranger,

my 4.6 has towed lots more than 3200 lbs. many times and has done well. it's not a speed demon by any means, but it does just fine. maybe it's a TN thing? LOL, Rich.

 

May be a TN thing Rich. I just see lots of posts on different boards (esp. boating related boards) fuming about how much ofa dog the 4.6 is compared to the 5.4. I'm quite pleased with the performance/gas milage of my truck. I guess anything was an improvement over my other truck for towing. I used to tow the 2000lb boat with my '92 Ranger 3.0, std cab, 3.0v6, 3.45 gears. Plenty power to tow the boat, just be careful stopping.

On the other hand, maybe it's because I get in no hurry when towing. Slow and stead wins that race.

 

I have towed our camper with my wifes truck and my truck, her truck is a 98 F-150, 4.6, auto,4x4. My truck is a Powerstroke, I think her truck actually accelerates just a little faster of the line then my rig does but it also slows down a little bit on the hills we have around here. It will get the job done but I do have to do some manual shifting to keep the rpm's up. The Powerstroke on the other hand does not slow down, in fact it will accelerate going up the hills, but that is what that truck was made to do is tow.The camper weighs in about 5,800# emty. I would say that the 4.6 does a pretty good job, I have no complaints.

 

I have a 97 F-150 with the 4.6. We tow a 6500 lb, 24' 5th wheel with no problem at all. I have the 3.55 rear end gears and a transmission cooler. I am very pleased with the 4.6.

 

I think the 4.6L tows fine, better than the 302 (smoother) I've towed with a 4.6 since 92 when they first came out. Got burned by Ford though when I found out my 5spd was only good for 3500lbs sh** I could have bought a ranger V6 and done better

 

I have a 1997 Reg cab 4X4 with the 4.6L and I love it. I have not towed with it yet but I have pulled some of my buddies stuck chebbies and dodges out of mud holes without the engine breaking a sweat. I have also found that it has done great for me off road when I have to climb seep hills. My friends chevy 1500 4X4 engine was screaming trying to go up the same hills.
What can I say Ford and Triton power.