Towing my Bronco

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mongo

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Okay heres the deal,We live about 4-41/2 hours from silverlake ( Michigan )sanddunes we go just about every year with our wrangler.We would now like to try the Bronco,The Problem Not to hip on driving it all the way there and back plus time on the dunes its an 88 with 190,00 miles on it.We have a 2001 Durango v-8 magnum engine,DO you think there is anyway in h*ll that the Durango will pull it ? either towbar w/ all 4 tires on road or I would like to use a tow-dolly ? Silly question But looking for advice can't afford a tow-rig

 
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Broncobill78

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You can tow the Bronco. Towing capacity for your Durango is listed as 6050lbs http://www.theautochannel.com/vehicles/new...01/gap0121.html

and the door sticker on my 88' lists the GVW at 6050lbs (gotta wonder what kind of coincidence *that* is) so while it's right at the max you can tow it but you'll exceed your rating if you use a trailer. A tow dolly doesn't weight all that much but removing the driveshafts & using a tow-bar will keep you within you rated max depending on how close to Gospel you treat the rating.

 
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BroncoJoe19

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This was taken from the '96 Owners manual

Towing Your Vehicle

If you need to have your vehicle towed, contact

a professional towing service or, if you are a

member, your roadside assistance center.

Recommended towing options include wheel lift

towing or flat bed towing.

When calling for a tow truck, tell the operator

what kind of vehicle you have. A towing

252

manual is available from Ford Motor Company

for all authorized tow truck operators. Have

your tow truck driver refer to this manual for

the proper hook-up and towing procedures for

your vehicle.

Towing Four-Wheel Drive Vehicles With a

Lever-Operated Transfer Case

qPlace transmission gearshift (automatic or

manual) in N (Neutral).

qLock steering wheel straight ahead if vehicle

is to be towed with rear wheels off the

ground.

qSet manual locking hubs in FREE position or

disengage the automatic locking hubs by

shifting the transfer case to 2H and drive the

vehicle in the opposite direction for a

minimum of 10 feet (3 meters) in a straight

line.

NOTE: Confirm by observation that the front

driveshaft is not rotating prior to

towing with the rear wheels off the

ground.

qPlace transfer case in N (Neutral).

NOTE: The transfer case neutral setting is

located between 4H and 4L. In order to

place the transfer case in neutral, first

place the lever in the 4H position, then

push down (toward the ground) on the

shift **** and at the same time pull

slightly rearward until the lever is

between the 4H and 4L position. With

the ignition in the on position, both

4x4 and LOW RANGE indicator lights

will be off when the transfer case is in

neutral. These lights will also be off

when the transfer case is in the 2H

position.

253

There are no wrecker or recreational vehicle

towing restrictions on method or distance if the

above preparations are made.

qVehicle speed should not exceed 55 mph

(88 km/h). This applies with the front wheels

off the ground, the rear wheels off the

ground, or both front and rear wheels on the

ground.

Towing Four-Wheel Drive Vehicles With

Touch Drive Electric Shift Transfer Case

qPlace transmission gearshift (automatic or

manual) in N (Neutral).

qPlace transfer case in 2H.

NOTE: Both the 4 x 4 and LOW RANGE

indicator lights in the instrument panel

will be off when the transfer case is in

2H.

qLock steering wheel straight ahead if vehicle

is to be towed with rear wheels off the

ground.

qWhen towing your vehicle with the rear

wheels off the ground, the front axle

automatic locking hubs must first be

disengaged by shifting the transfer case to 2H

and moving the vehicle forward for a

minimum of 10 feet (3 meters) in a straight

line. Do not exceed a vehicle speed of

55 mph (88 km/h) while towing.

NOTE: Confirm by observation that the front

driveshaft is not rotating prior to

towing with the rear wheels off the

ground.

254

qWhen towing your vehicle with the rear

wheels on the ground or all four wheels on

the ground and the driveshafts connected, do

not exceed 35 mph (56 km/h) or

transmission damage could result. If a

distance of 50 miles (80 km) is exceeded,

disengage the automatic locking hubs and

disconnect the rear driveshaft from the axle

and secure. (Max speed 55 mph [88 km/h]

with driveshafts disconnected.)

RWARNING

Never use a tow bar that attaches to the

bumper when you tow your vehicle. This

could damage the bumper and cause an accident.

 

madmax

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yes you can do it, but I'd not want to do it with an auto on the dodge, generally they just build things lighter, if you decide to try it, don't put the dodge in overdrive (you really shouldn't use overdrive towing anything), not leadfooting it would help too, also know that any side wind will pull really funny on the towing truck because of the profile of the bronco

 

BroncoJoe19

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What you really want to look at is the curb weight of the Bronco, NOT the Gross Vehicluar Weight Rating. IF you google Ford bronco curb weight you will find that the curb weight will a full tank of gas is about 4600 lbs. This is about 1500 lbs under your towing capacity.

Unfortunately, your towing capacity is deminished by any weight that you carry in your towing vehicle, therefore if you have four 200 lb men in the durango, your towing capacity is decreased by 800 lbs.

With gas weighing about 9lbs a gallon, IF the towed bronco has an empty tank, that will reduce its curb weight by approx 270 lbs.

An interesting fact is that 2wd trucks often have a higher towing capacity than the same 4x4 truck. I think it is due to that added weight of the front differential etc.

Hope this helps

joe

 

Broncobill78

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I don't like to use the curb weight, it may have weighed 4600# back when it was first built but chances are you won't see anything close to that number if you were to drive it up onto a scale. Modifications & equipment added over the years all add up. My old town landfill had a truck scale that was used to figure out how much you'd dumped & what you paid, I weighed one of my 78's there before heading out on a trail ride and tipped it at just a hair over 7300lbs. I was initially surprised until I started adding up all the things that it *didn't* have when it was delivered to the dealership: 460, dana 60's, 38.5's, steel rims, custom heavy duty bumpers, push bar, custom 3/8" skid plates, front & rear axle trusses, 12,000lb winch, spare tire, full roll cage (front & rear), hi-lift jack & the top chest of my roll-away all added up. Now he may not have all of that on HIS truck but chances are it's not stock and he'll bring tools & spares which I doubt he's going to carry in the tow rig (and they weigh what they weigh regardless of *which* vehicle they're in). I like to use the GVW because I think it's a more real-world number. Just running 33's on steel rims probably adds 200lbs to the truck over the stock 31's.

Towing it with no fuel isn't a bad idea, easy enough to fill it when you get where you're going.

You're right as far as the 2WD vs. 4WD tow rating, the drivetrain (engine, tranny & axle) are only capable of moving a certain ammount of mass around, if you reduce the weight of the tow vehicle than you increase the weight that you can tow by that ammount.

 
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BroncoJoe19

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BroncoBill78 has been in this game a lot longer than me. Therefore his observation that most trucks that have been around awhile are much heavier than orignial equipment is something that I can not comment on. After reading his comments, my suggestion would be if you made modifications to your bronco that would add weight to it; get it weighed so that you know the actual curb weight of YOUR truck. Then you will know how much you may add in the way of passengers, food, beer, tools etc, and stay within the towing and braking capacity of your Durango.

The real deal is that your Bronco started out at about 4600 lbs minus the 270 lbs of fuel. Whatever you added to that by way of modifications, and what ever weight you add to that by way of passengers, food, tools, etc will determine if your Durango can make the tow.

IF you can't calculate the added weight of your modifications take it (your Bronco) to a scale.

IF you plan to do a lot of towing of the bronc; you may want to consider a towbar with some kind of a braking controller that can be interfaced with it.

At any rate, have a great time!

joe

 
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Broncobill78

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True enuf, the best way to know will be to weigh it and be sure. Might be worth cking for a local public scale

 
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BroncoJoe19

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Being curious about tow bars, and braking systems, I came accross this.

http://4wheeldrive.about.com/gi/dynamic/of...rg/ArtFAQ6.html

Safe towing of a vehicle with four wheels on the ground behind a motorhome can only be done with a supplemental braking system including a break-away feature. The regulations of many States require any towed vehicle/trailer that weighs more than 3000 lbs. to have a braking system.

 
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mongo

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COOL YOU GUYS ROCK !

Any other tips on the sand oppose to what I already know . From taking my WRangler out on the sand,,I know tire pressure,tirepressure

 

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