hauling with my Flareside

[5.0Flareside]

ok thats what i was thinking was somewhere in the rear of cab area would be the better center point.

 

[O'Rattlecan]

Chris, you'll be able to visually see the proper placement rather than try to line it up to some arbitrary point on the truck. The rear end on your pickup should squat a bit (but not a whole ton) lower than it normally does with the trailer hooked up. Just make sure that trailer is rocking forward a bit after you pull the truck up on it.

If you really wanted to be able to tell, hook the trailer up to your truck and measure the distance between the edge of the tire and the fender of your flare. Put the truck on the trailer and make sure your flare is closer to the tire than it was before. Not too close - the idea is just to rock some of that weight forward.

You'll be alright and your truck will probably be able to do it. The biggest factor is you and your ability to use good judgment and be aware of what your equipment, your load, and what you are doing.

Ryan

 

[FordF-SuperDuty]

IIRC Ernie said the reason that you shouldn't tow with OD is because it doesn't pump fluid very fast in OD.

 

[Skandocious]

IIRC Ernie said the reason that you shouldn't tow with OD is because it doesn't pump fluid very fast in OD.

I'd like to hear the logic there... The speed of the fluid pump (otherwise known as the torque converter) should be dictated by the engine speed. If that's the case then, yes, you should keep it out of O/D if only to keep your engine RPMs at a moderate enough level to flow enough fluid for cooling purposes. But depending on gearing in the trans and the rear axle, if you can safely pull the trailer at 65mph and also turn 2000rpms in O/D, then you're probably pumping plenty of fluid.

It all boils down to heat. The auto trans' worst enemy is heat. The cooling happens, obviously, via the ATF flowing through the trans and the cooler(s). If you have a trans temp gauge then you can keep a watchful eye on the temps and if they start to rise, kick it down a gear and bring your RPMs a little higher.

 

[95F350XL]

Here is the scoop, you cant tow in OD caus the trans internally cant handle it, it slips inside. I towed a 67 Camaro 2 hrs, with the F350, on a super heavy duty landscaping trailer, and drove 70-75 mph outta OD, just higher revs, its better for the trans that way. Your brakes on the F150 might be too small to stop even tho there new, but If it has trailer brakes you will be ok. Just do the gasket yourself, its easy as hell.

OD doesnt have the line pressure that the other gears have. Thats y trans usually burn up in OD.

 

[5.0Flareside]

well im gonna do it with Tim cause he has done it before even though its been a lil while and hes got litterally ALL the tools needed.

 

[95F350XL]

You just have to watch for the bolts where the coolant passages are, if its leaking the bolts are prob rotted out and corroded. Get a nice set of Felpro gaskets, and when you do the valley gaskets, use Permatex Ultra grey and run a pritty fat bead across the front and back valleys. Cork, or rubber if your lucky usually blow out and your doing it again. Also I use Permatex High-tack to stick the gaskets into place, both sides, also helps with sealing if the heads and intake are pitted, also its a good idea to change the thermo while your at it if you dont know when it was done. Then change the oil after you put it together, dont run it caus coolant can leak into the oil when you pull the intake off. Oh for the bolt on the upper intake to the lower, is a T40 torex if I remember, and you cant use a normal 1, I had to use a T40 bit in a 1/4 socket, with a 1/4 extension, then an adapter to 3/8 to get it out. I finally bough the snap on 1 made for the intake was like 40 bucks, super long comes above the intake.

 

[torkum]

Chris if the truck pushes the trailer down too much in the front just back it on.

 

[wizzard351]

ive towed big stuff with my old f150 and 250 . the 250 ill leave in od when on the interstate and the 150 ill take out of OD no matter what. a 150 can handle towin another truck it just dont like it a whole lot but itll do it. when ya drive the 88 up on the trailer just watch your flare and youll be able to see when the rear starts to squat, just pull the 88 up on far enuff to see the flare squat a few inches and youll be good to go. when ya chain the truck to the trailer throw the chains around the axle not the frame. if ya chain down the frame and go over big bumps the suspention will colapes(like its spose to) and chains come loose

 

[SuperCab]

You should be fine if the trailer has trailer brakes. If not, it could get a little hairy so remember your stopping distance.


I'd leave it out of OD.


As Ryan said, it's more about your competancy level than where you stick the thing on the trailer.

As long as the truck isn't squatting too much (bad) and the truck isn't too far back on the trailer (possibly worse) you'll be fine. Just take it easy.


Electric trailer brakes FTW though... makes a huge difference.

Also, don't get paranoid about trans temps and all that. I towed some ungodly loads with the '74 and that c6 had 26x,xxx miles on it before it gave out. It'd be hard to ask for more than that out of a stock treansmission. I never had an auxillary cooler on it.

 

[Truckin4life]

Lots of mention of proper loading, just be sure that you know how much space it takes to slow your truck down...

 

[1985 Ford F-150]

Youll be fine ive hauled a 77 half ton with the 85 and heavier and it handles it fine just give yourself extra room to stop and leave it out of OD ive never had a problem loadin it too heavy on the tongue but I have had problems when its too heavy in the back of the trailer and it aint fun. Like others have said before just put most of the weight on the trailer axles and have the truck squat a couple inches more than it did when it had just the trailer hooked on. Also keep an eye on your rear truck tires if ya get too much tongue weight on there.

 

[KdPate]

Just rent a 2 wheels dolly from the U-Haul over in front of Nissan Chris. Will be half the weight of a trailer and easier to get on and off.....


















Just remember to put her truck in neutral if towing with te back tires on the grund.....

 

[1985 Ford F-150]

If its an auto pull the drive shaft so it dont fry the tranny.

 

[A_G]

just tow it, dont worry. I towed a 96 f250 4wd 7.3 with my truck, no issues, with a half blow tranny.

Even if you have good brakes, forget abs, underload those emergency stops will get some tire screeching.

your not driveing a car, so dont worry about it. Its a truck...

You dont need a brake controller easier thats crap

 

[5.0Flareside]

ok guys. take back everything bout the truck being weak. it proved to me today it wasnt weak.

squeeled tires getting in second gear. forgot it could do that. first time its done that since the rear swap. i think the timing needs to be played with.

 

[A_G]

If its an auto pull the drive shaft so it dont fry the tranny.

Yup even with the tranny in neutral the driveshaft will still turn the internals, just with no pump spinning from the engine, so you will run the bearings dry and cook it.

same goes on diesel. If you towing a diesel even with the all tires on the trailer if it has a turbo, do one or both. tape over the inlet to the turbo and the outlet of the exahust.

because of air flow the turbo could spin, with no oil from a running engine, that could cook your turbo bearings.