what do you guys think of towing a z24...
truck: 2004 ranger FX4, supercab 4x4, 4.0
using a dolly...
total distance of around 340-350 miles.
what seems to be the problem? you got the truck and the dolly...not a whole lot else that you need to know or do.
GO PATS!!!
i towed a 4 door 98 grand am with the 2 axle uhaul trailer using my 2002 Explorer 4.0 (not supposed to use explorers to tow uhaul trailers...screw uhaul lol) I puled the car 100 miles and had no problem... so i say go for it
Just make sure the FRONT wheels are off the ground and you should be fine.
sorry i didnt finish the post i guess...
i plan to take my time and not rush it.
im just basically wondering if I'll be alright? without doing any harm to the truck or anything?
OH YEA ... forgot to mention.. dont forget to let the ebrake down like i did... hahah 5 miles of force most likely didnt help the silver Z at all.. about 200 miles trip for me.
thats exactly what im getting. well i dont know if it looks 100% like that one but i do have one reserved at Uhaul
like i said, i just want to make sure ill be alright without messing the truck up or anything before i do this
Hi,
There's always the possibility of messing up the truck. The Ranger is adequate but not a great tow vehicle. Don't push the limits of the setup. Be aware of overheating not only the engine which has alerts for you but also the Transmission (I'm assuming automatic??) which will silently sacrifice itself for you. The Tranny (auto) is the part you are most likely to damage doing a tow.
Also plan well ahead for braking, DO NOT TAIL GATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! or travel at speeds that you can't safely make an emergency avoidance maneuver if the need should arise. With the added weight of a car that the Truck has to stop your marginal brakes now become a tad scary in how bad they will work for a high speed stop. You've also got a lot of weight pushing the light rear end of the the truck around and brakes work strong on the front wheels so you can easily have you rear come around in a panic situation.
Take it easy, drive defensively and be very aware of your truck and any funny noises or smells.
Drive in such an old fart manner so that you piss off everyone that comes up behind you and you'll be fine.
Good Luck
Dave
Mine's already been towed 3 times! by a GMC suburban.
I dont think you'd have much of a problem.. steep hills yeah, but if the whole trip is flat you wont have a prob at all
1997 Cavalier Z24 4Spd Auto. Magnaflow dual exhaust.
dont forget overdrive OFF. and be carefull with the dolly, they r a bitch to try and do any backing up with.
Acually that whole not using overdrive thing is a myth and horably incorrect...... theres no reason not to drive your truck normally pulling something....
If your truck needs to shift out of overdrive it will on its own.... all keeping it out of overdrive will do is raise your rpms higher cruising down the highway... wich is actually worse for it.
As for the backing up thing..... with just the dolly.... you prob wont be able too.... with the car on it.... it wont be that hard.
Just make sure its all secured good... you have the right sized ball for the hitch..... use the safety chains..... and for the love of god lock the hitch down.
You are going to notice a significant difference pulling your car with that ranger.... but as said.... you should be fine if your ranger is in decent shape and it's mostly flat roads..... in hilly countryside I wouldnt do it.... I'de want a full size V8 truck.
Also..... be sure to remember the car is back there LOL...... start slowing down early (your brakes are gunna feel like they suck) and take turn just a little wider...
I towed my garage contents due to a move from the ann arbor area to northern michigan with my 92 ranger 4.0 4wd lifted with 32x10.50's. It took the biggest trailer that u-haul had, i think the 12'x6'. inside was my 3 toolboxes, 1 6'widex5'tallx2'deep, and 2 2'x5'tall boxes full of tools. Steel shelving, air compresser, 3 small blocks, 4 transmissions, 2 transfer cases, and all the spare parts I had gathered. All the chemicals(oils, bodyshop supplies, ect).
By the time I had finished loading the trailer it had bottomed out it's suspension. There wasn't any room for anything else inside the trailer. The truck was squatting pretty bad, but it made it across the state....slowly, but it made it.
As far as the myth of towing in OD, don't do it unless you have a trans fluid temp guage. Yes it will do it, but if the fluid temp goes to high you'll be doing damage to the clutches and not know it until it starts slipping.
So to answer your question.....a ranger should be fine towing the car on a dolly. It probably wouldn't make a difference if you got an auto transport either, as long as you monitor your fluid temps, or play it safe and tow in what ever gear is your 1:1 ratio.
If you can't fix it with a hammer, you've got an electrical problem.
