Could i tow with a 351m?
09-10-2018, 01:27 AM
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Could i tow with a 351m?
I will soon be start collecting my project cars but i will need something to tow them with. If i got a 77 f150 with a 351m could i tow a trailer and project car? sorry if this is a dumb question just don’t know a lot about towing specs.
09-10-2018, 08:22 PM
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A bicycle can tow a trailer, so a pickup with a big V8 certainly can. The question is how heavy, and how long of a trailer. That's slightly easier to answer for a new truck, because all its parts are assumed to be working properly. For an antique, no one could guess, without inspecting it thoroughly. If you want to tow with it, start off by catching up ALL the scheduled maintenance, and making ALL repairs. The brakes, steering, suspension, tires, & fluids are most-important, but DON'T stop with them. Wipers, bulbs, wiring, cooling, & frame are also important. I recommend you buy & READ the Haynes manual, then start doing everything it shows in the maintenance section.
Once the truck is fully-repaired, you can expect that it can tow about as much as it was originally rated for (if you can find that number), but YOU will become the limiting factor. Owning a truck that can handle a 5,000 lb trailer doesn't automatically make YOU capable of driving that truck with its max-weight trailer. Start off MUCH lighter than the truck's limit, and work your way up slowly, over a year or more (several thousand towing miles) before you push it to the limit.
And even then: you still have to pay close attention to every detail... I had towed MANY things MUCH heavier when I made this little mistake:
(phone app link)
(phone app link)
Oversize tires, suspension lift, cargo, passengers, and any bolt-on accessories (including the hitch receiver, bumpers, or heavier axles) will REDUCE the available trailer weight. Long trailers require a long-wheelbase truck to handle the inherent sway.
Once the truck is fully-repaired, you can expect that it can tow about as much as it was originally rated for (if you can find that number), but YOU will become the limiting factor. Owning a truck that can handle a 5,000 lb trailer doesn't automatically make YOU capable of driving that truck with its max-weight trailer. Start off MUCH lighter than the truck's limit, and work your way up slowly, over a year or more (several thousand towing miles) before you push it to the limit.
And even then: you still have to pay close attention to every detail... I had towed MANY things MUCH heavier when I made this little mistake:
(phone app link)
(phone app link)
Oversize tires, suspension lift, cargo, passengers, and any bolt-on accessories (including the hitch receiver, bumpers, or heavier axles) will REDUCE the available trailer weight. Long trailers require a long-wheelbase truck to handle the inherent sway.
Last edited by Steve83; 09-10-2018 at 08:24 PM.
09-10-2018, 08:43 PM
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A bicycle can tow a trailer, so a pickup with a big V8 certainly can. The question is how heavy, and how long of a trailer. That's slightly easier to answer for a new truck, because all its parts are assumed to be working properly. For an antique, no one could guess, without inspecting it thoroughly. If you want to tow with it, start off by catching up ALL the scheduled maintenance, and making ALL repairs. The brakes, steering, suspension, tires, & fluids are most-important, but DON'T stop with them. Wipers, bulbs, wiring, cooling, & frame are also important. I recommend you buy & READ the Haynes manual, then start doing everything it shows in the maintenance section.
Once the truck is fully-repaired, you can expect that it can tow about as much as it was originally rated for (if you can find that number), but YOU will become the limiting factor. Owning a truck that can handle a 5,000 lb trailer doesn't automatically make YOU capable of driving that truck with its max-weight trailer. Start off MUCH lighter than the truck's limit, and work your way up slowly, over a year or more (several thousand towing miles) before you push it to the limit.
And even then: you still have to pay close attention to every detail... I had towed MANY things MUCH heavier when I made this little mistake:
(phone app link)
(phone app link)
Oversize tires, suspension lift, cargo, passengers, and any bolt-on accessories (including the hitch receiver, bumpers, or heavier axles) will REDUCE the available trailer weight. Long trailers require a long-wheelbase truck to handle the inherent sway.
Once the truck is fully-repaired, you can expect that it can tow about as much as it was originally rated for (if you can find that number), but YOU will become the limiting factor. Owning a truck that can handle a 5,000 lb trailer doesn't automatically make YOU capable of driving that truck with its max-weight trailer. Start off MUCH lighter than the truck's limit, and work your way up slowly, over a year or more (several thousand towing miles) before you push it to the limit.
And even then: you still have to pay close attention to every detail... I had towed MANY things MUCH heavier when I made this little mistake:
(phone app link)
(phone app link)
Oversize tires, suspension lift, cargo, passengers, and any bolt-on accessories (including the hitch receiver, bumpers, or heavier axles) will REDUCE the available trailer weight. Long trailers require a long-wheelbase truck to handle the inherent sway.
09-11-2018, 10:27 AM
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The owner's manual... This chart might give you some indication, but it's for later trucks:
(phone app link)
Check eBay for a manual.
(phone app link)
Check eBay for a manual.
