nagata

Just got a 2008 XL, 4.2L, 5-speed manual, regular cab, 6.5' bed (see my thread in the Introduction forum for more details if you're interested). My axle code is 27, which I believe means that I have the 3.31 gears in the rear end. According to the owner's manual, this means I can only tow 2400 lbs. That seems like a ridiculously low rating.

I understand that towing is more difficult with a manual (I've done it numerous times though), and that Ford is probably worried about owners frying the clutch, but only 2400 pounds?? A Ranger with a 4.0L and 5-speed manual is rated to tow over 3000 lbs! It seems like a full size truck with 202 HP and 260 lbs of torque should be able to pull at least as much as the much smaller, lighter, lower powered, less braking capacity Ranger.

Any thoughts? I'm not looking to tow regularly, and even when I do, it will usually just be a utility trailer with motorcycle(s) or misc. stuff on it (probably never more than 2000 lbs), but with a rating of only 2400 lbs, I wouldn't even be able to tow a 5x8 U-Haul trailer. I was planning on putting on a hitch, but if I'm that limited in towing capacity, I don't know if the expensive of the hitch is worth the use I'll get out of it.

Good old Bill

I have an 02, 4.2L auto. It is very weak in OD. High gear, no wind and flat terrain it just gets by. Forget freeway speeds. I pull a 22 foot cuddy cabin, twin axle trailer up a grade 3000 foot elevation change over 14 miles, its second gear and 3000 RPM to go 45MPH. With a head wind it really struggles. If towing is your thing its a mistake.

NGM

Shouda bought a V-8 for towin.

Good old Bill

Exactly NGM, now the question is, should a guy buy the 5.4 for the occasional towing or is the 4.6 good to go?

NGM

4.6 Is good to 6k towing. If thats all he needs then the 4.6 is the way to go. IF he is pulling large trailers all the time then the 5.4

nagata

Guys, I do appreciate your input, but did you read my post? I didn't buy the truck to tow. I don't tow frequently, and when I do, all it will usually be is a 5x8 wood deck utility trailer with misc. stuff or sportbikes on it, maybe 2000 lbs, so my truck will handle that just fine. I'm simply surprised that the tow capacity rating from Ford is so low, especially when I look at the rating of over 3000 lbs. for a similarly equipped Ranger (4.0L, 5-speed manual, etc), which is much smaller and doesn't have nearly the stopping power of a F150.

My point of this thread was simply to see if anyone could explain why the rating is so low. I know the rear end gears are high (3.31), so that lowers capacity, but it just seems unnecessarily low. From my experience with towing (I've towed with full size cars, Rangers, full size trucks of various makes, as well as HDs and Super Duty's, with both automatics and manuals, and I've towed trailers ranging from motorcycle trailers to street sweepers to big U-Hauls to dual-axle flat beds loaded with several thousand pounds), this truck feels like it has the size, stopping ability, and power to tow 3500-4000 pounds, so that's why I was surprised at the 2400 lb. rating.

Ty

The ranger is a small truck, so the motor has to work less to move the truck, vs your underpowered truck, where the motor has a hard time moving the truck, not to mention a trailer.

wde3477

Looked at my favorite trailer tow rating site:
http://www.trailerboats.com/glb/ford...it=&max_tlimit=

Offhand, it appears the mechanical integrity of the manual tranny may the weak link in the driveline - the auto tranny is rated for 1500 lbs more at 5200 lbs for the same 3.55 axle.

Suggest the 4.2L with 3.31 is for those that want decent fuel economy but need to haul bulky fluffy stuff occasionally. :-)~

nagata

Dang, brutal around here! A guy goes and buys what he considers to be a really nice truck for a great price, and you gotta go and make fun of his truck, calling it underpowered and barely able to move itself

Personally, I think the power is fine. Perhaps the automatic version is completely different and is a pig, but this truck seems to do just fine with the manual. Again, I didn't buy this to be a tow rig, I had no expectations of pulling 10,000 lbs, or even 5,000 lbs for that matter. Just found the rating to be surprisingly low, wanted to get a discussion going about it.

wide - The manual transmission shouldn't be the weak link, as a manual has fewer parts that are easily damaged/worn out, and does not suffer from heat like an automatic. Ford has always rated the manuals well below automatics, probably to try and prevent people from roasting the clutch. Hahaha, fluffy stuff...With a payload capacity of 1930 lbs, I think it will be alright. 2 people in the cab + 1500 lbs in the bed? Yeah, that'll meet my needs

Ty

I dont mean to sound like a ***** or anything, I just feel that My truck could use more power with the 4.6