aqnw Posted April 17, 2005 Report Share Posted April 17, 2005 Hi, Fellas- OK, I've read a few (negative) posts about towing and am probably pressing my luck given the history with my 94 Cutlass Supreme. But, I'd like to occasionally tow an 850# tilt trailer + 750# Harley and looking for suggestions. I've found Class I & II hitches (JC Whitney & others) with up to 300# tongue & 3500# overall weight. My convertible is heavier than most @ 3650# and probably has the 160Hp 3.1L V-6 w/180-185#ft torque. I guess the load is in the 6000# range w/fuel, 2 riders & supplies. I don't expect this is a problem on level ground, but Washington has a few hills to climb. Will the car really pull this much [at any speed]? I know heat is my enemy and I don't want to melt my tranny, so I've considered an external cooler. (Suggestions on size and installation [before or after radiator]?) What about products like Redline Water Wetter or similar that proclaim to reduce operating temps up to 30deg? I know of some heavy duty shift kits, but installation is probably beyond my ability/wallet. The majority of my towing is done w/96 Ford Bronco XLT, so I don't have to use the Cutlass. But with fuel costs climbing I'd like to use use it if I can. Anyone done this successfully (or unsuccessfully)? I really appreciate any/all suggestions/feedback. Thanks again, Eric in Tri-Cities, Washington Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THe_DeTAiL3R Posted April 17, 2005 Report Share Posted April 17, 2005 Yeah get the biggest tranny cooler you can find.. I have one (11x6 or something small) and put it after the radiator (the line on the top) those coolers can get mighty hot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutlsp Posted April 17, 2005 Report Share Posted April 17, 2005 i would just keep the cutlass stock without a towing hitch. Towing is meant for trucks to do not a convertable. besides those towing hitchs you saw bolt into the floor of the trunk of our cars which isn't very stable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prospeeder Posted April 17, 2005 Report Share Posted April 17, 2005 lol, i see like 89 honda civic's and stuff with frickin tow hitches, what the hell! there not gonna pulling shit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ursus Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 Hi, Fellas- I guess the load is in the 6000# range w/fuel, 2 riders & supplies. I don't expect this is a problem on level ground, but Washington has a few hills to climb. Will the car really pull this much [at any speed]? The majority of my towing is done w/96 Ford Bronco XLT, so I don't have to use the Cutlass. But with fuel costs climbing I'd like to use use it if I can. Eric in Tri-Cities, Washington I used to tow a boat about 2500 lb boat+trailer combined with a 2.8l regal. never had a problem just put it in D, don't use overdrive, but.... When I towed with the Regal the mileage on the highway went from 30 mpg to 20 mpg, when I towed it with My F150 it went from 20mpg to 19 mpg so you won't save any money on gas. 3500 lbs is it for a hitch. They can't make anything larger without haveing a frame to attach it to, in fact 6000 lbs is to much for a stock bumper hitch on a bronco they are rated for 5000lbs you need a class IV frame hitch even in that application Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 as i recall all these cars have a towing capicity of 1000lbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartonmd Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 ... or you could just get a Sport-Touring bike and ride it there Or if you still want to tow somewhere, you could get pretty much any jap or brit bike and get a 4-5 year old truck and still have extra money left over from the sale of the Hardley... "Harley Davidson... The most effecient way to turn fuel into noise without the harmful side effects of power" I'm just playin' man... I'd say you could probably tow with it OK as long as you don't get REALLY into the gas, keep it in D, and get the aux tranny cooler... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick1234 Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 you can do it, buts its a lot of stress on that car. I pulled an empty 8 foot trailer home with my lumina and 3 people in the car for about 2 1/2 hours on the freeway, and it worked hard. Especially if you have a windy day too. THe car did it, but i had to put coils on it after that trip cause it started missing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THe_DeTAiL3R Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 That's why they're rated at 1000lb towing capacity.. cause it's really hard on the car. Hell, I'm sure the 3.1 can pull quite a bit if you really wanted to, it's just how much damage do you want to risk? The 4T60e is a shitty transmission to begin with which is my main concern... the engines aren't likely to break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1990lumina Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 Like everyone else is saying, you could do it, but it isn't going to be very easy on the car. Towing will accelerate wear on all parts of the car. Stuff will get hot (so do get that external cooler) but no matter how much you really try to add to decrease problems, there are never any guarantees - especially when using a car to tow something. You also should make sure you don't exceed the overall tonque weight and GVWR I think is what is it called. Whatever you do, if you do decide to go through with this - on those certain steep hills, slow down, manually shift the tranny into a lower gear and slowly go up the hill. I've seen so many people with cars towing something that try to keep up with traffic while pulling something up a steep hill. Take it easy on the car as much as possible. Also watch your oil pressure and temps. You might want to consider a heavy motor oil with you plan to drive it during a hot day, espcially since the engine has more stress, and same with the tranny. I guess IMO I'd suggest just to take the Bronco. If any thing, it won't be as stressed while towing. Above all, take it easy on the car as much as possible, and drive in D, NOT OD!! - Jeff L. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolt_Crank Posted April 24, 2005 Report Share Posted April 24, 2005 I've towed a 1990 Jeep Commanche 2WD (probably about 3000lbs or so) with my Z for ~2.5 hours at 110 km/h and it didn't even break a sweat... as with all towing in any vehicle, take it out of OD and don't hammer on it... (though, I couldn't resist beating the pants off a civic up Little Smokey hill... like a 18 - 22% slope ) throw in a tranny cooler just to be on the safe side, and don't drive stupidly, and you shouldn't have any problems... do a little test drive with it, and if things smell funky don't do it anymore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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