So I am now the proud owner of a 2001 F150 supercab 4x4, 4.6L, 5Spd, but like the subject states, I got screwed on the purchase and I need help fixing it.

The Ford salesman swore up and down that a manual transmission has the same towing capacity as an automatic (5800 lbs for my setup with an automatic). Well a month later when I needed to tow a boat with it, I find the manual says the 5speed tranny can only handle 2900lbs. The dealer and the Ford 800-customer service responded with a profound "We're sorry, but Up Yours!".

I even spent the money for the heavy duty towing package (probably got screwed on the radiator) and now find out the bumper is rated high enough to tow the 2900lbs!

SO MY QUESTION TO THE WORLD IS...
What is the weak link? Is the the transmission or the Clutch? Ram Clutch and Centerforce don't know and don't have heavy duty clutches yet.

Any Ideas? I would be most grateful.

Thanks,
Will

 

i have a manuel trans as well .... i would much rather depend on this trans than the p.o.s. automatic that ford puts in their trucks !!! i promise you , the trans can and will pull that amount of weight !!! the clutch is another story , the factory clutch is good but other factors come into place - driver / what gear ratio do you have in the diff and last how big are the tires ?
if all these things are within stock specs you should be fine ...
if you do pull make sure you have 3.55 gears with stock tires or 3.73 or 4.10s with larger tires and you will be just fine !!!

 

Hi Simmon

What fastv6 said about m.tranny is something to think about.
Maybe youll get more feed back.

Just curious....

You have the truck...so thats what your going to use.

Unless you know for sure, seems to me you would want to weight the boat/trailer..Also allow for gas and everything else you might put in that boat which adds to "gross weight" Be sure its not hitched to truck when weighting.

Ok, now you know what it weights?

Heavy duty towing package.....Would that be trailer wiring harness with plug in/hitch receiver etc...Thats a plus. That hitch should handle more weight than your bumper. IMO dont think you wasted money there...

OK, radiator, dont know....lots here about that

If your good at useing manual tranny and dont ride that clutch?

Good luck. OT

 

You mention the bumper and towing capicity? First of all, I wouldn't tow with a bumper, but if you do, it's not going to be rated worth squat. Unless I misunderstand, you should install a hitch receiver. They're pretty cheap. I'm replacing my OEM Class III with a Putnam Class IV and it cost me about $110.

Don't mistake the bumpers rating with the trucks rating. Most importanly, the GVWR.

 

Be glad you got the manual stick. You'd loose at least 30 horses going through a torque converter. Think about that. Just keep it at around 2500 to 3000 rpm's and you'll do fine. I pulled a 4000# camper over Wolf Creek Pass in southern Colo. and did fine.

 

you dont tow with the bumper anything over 1000lbs as a safe rule of thumb on ANY truck.

Get a frame hitch, problem solved.

Next issue, the tranny. The manual can pull as much as the auto if you have the right gears. 3.73s should be a minimum for over 2000# on a 4x4 with stock 28-30" tires.

You know the towing capacity is in the back of the brochures. So whos fault is that?

What are you towing anyways? If it is frequent and over 3500#s, you really should have considered the SDs.

I pull a 2000# boat with a frame hitch, 3.55s and 285 tires but with some intake & exhaust mods and electric fan. Tows great. Granted you have to shift out of OD a bit (5th gear) more than I would like. Maybe someday I will regear to 4.10s or so.

 

Like Matt90 said, read before you buy. Hey Matt90, you tow in 5th gear?????????????? Shame on you. Read the manual!!

 

Thank you to all who have responsed so far!

And to answer the questions posed...
- I have a posi 3:55 with stock tires.
- I got the towing / heavy duty cooling package including the frame mount class III hitch (but they put the 1" single core radiator in)
- The trailer I'm hoping to tow is a car carrier at about 5500# (with a '69 Mach I). I plan to tow with the truck empty so I shouldn't hit the GVW.

And as for all the sympathy oozing from your responses, I, like any truely devoted F-series driver, walked in to the dealer with a list of what I wanted including a stick and 5500# towing capacity and they said no problem! Yeah, its probably my fault for trusting them.

Seriously though, would you bet on the Clutch or the Japanese transmission? Of course torque specs would be helpfull as well.

Thanks!

2001 Ford F150 - Supercab 4X4 - Short Wheelbase
Manual 5Spd Tranny, 3.55 Traction-lok with stock tires
4.6L

 

My guess is the biggest reason for the towing difference between the auto and manual in the F150 must be the clutch.. The time to be careful is the starts as I don't think the 1st gear is a granny gear like the Superduty 5sp tranny's are..

If you wanted good towing capacity 5sp and a great price, then next time look towards the Superduty line.. In that platform the manual tranny technically have a slightly higher towing capacity than the automatic.. (probably because the manual is lighter in weight).

 

Simmons351W,
I too have a 5-speed 4.6 in a '98 4x2 SuperCab Lariat. I noticed a long time ago that the towing capacity on manual tranny Fords was rated lower than the autos. However, I still remember from many years ago how people who wanted to really work a truck (hauling, towing, etc) went for the manuals instead of the autos. Everybody 'knew' that a stick would outpull an auto. So I don't really understand the rating system over the past few years. I still want to think that my 5-speed will tow just as much as any auto, but it might just take a little more 'finesse' or concentration to do it. I think the reason Ford publishes the low numbers is that, without knowing each individual's driving style, 2900 lbs is all they feel safe in recommending to tow to the average driver who may not know how to drive a manual. They don't want to get stuck replacing fried clutches under warranty, maybe. I, too, have a '69 Mach 1 (428CJ, R-code 4-speed) that I hope to tow someday to shows when it's ready, and if this truck really won't pull but 2900 lbs, I'll be highly disappointed! As a note, I used to read thru other sales brochures for other brands (OK, Chevy's) and I would notice that they base towing capacity on strictly rear end ratio and engine; auto or manual made no difference. Wonder why that was??? Or wonder who's right??? Again, I really think our 5-speeds will pull just as much as an auto if we're careful. Hope you like your new truck, and maybe I'll see you at a Mustang show sometime where we've used our Ford trucks for what they were made to do. Give me a shout sometime if you want to talk 'Stangs. Later!

 

Last summer I routinely pulled a 4000 lb trailer with my V6 5 speed truck. I never had a problem, and the truck never complained. The bumper is rated to 500 lb tongue, 5000 lb trailer on both my truck and my dad's 99 x cab (5.4 4x4). I have yet to have a problem using the bumper to tow.

My dad's truck has the tow package, but no reciever. I used his to tow my VW on a car trailer (about 4600lb total) without a problem. I agree that a reciever hitch is better, but if I'm not exceeding the rating on the bumper I don't see the harm.

Mitch

 

The only problem I have had to date is when I got stuck on a hill from HELL, the hill was so steep you had trouble standing on it. Lucky for me Ford had just installed a new clutch and pressure plates "there dime $1,500" on my 97 V6 3.55 rearend XLT crewcab. (MAN-O-WAR Ford Lexington Ky, had left my truck out in the heart of winter for 3 mouths with no motor in it) I was following a friend to our cabin in Deal's Gap area of N.C. He stopped on the hill to make the turn into the cabin, which caused me to stop. When I tryed to take off it would not move, so I gunned it a little more and let the chute out and nothing happened, then it dawned on me my tires were not spinning nor was I moving, SO I pushed the clutch back in and smoke engulfed the truck. We unloaded the two bikes (about 1,100lbs) and let the truck cool off for about 2 hours, and tryed it again. No problem once we got the extra weight out of the trailer (700lbs empty). Been doing fine ever sence. That's one of the reason I'll be going to a automatic once this lease is over in 2003. I think the standards SUCK for towing up a STEEP hill from a standing start.

My 2 cents

 

The auto transmissions are rated at 700 lbs/ft or 1000 depending on which one you have. I do not have the specs on the M5OD but I suspect it is some where around 350 lbs/ft. This is deduced from the fact Ford doesn't offer the stick with the 5.4. The week link is the clutch, but the tranny is not far behind.

Regards

Jean Marc Chartier